I don't normally do reviews, but I'm making an exception for this truly remarkable dog training school. A 3 yr. old toy Fox Terrier I'd adopted from our local Palmdale shelter sorely needed basic obedience and leash training. Searching online, I was fortunate to find Smart Dog Training School in Palmdale and discovered that Gonzalo was part of an excellent team that ran a training program I'd used many years earlier in the San Fernando Valley. Boy oh boy, did I luck out!! I visited my furry new friend nearly every week while she was being trained, and it was quite obvious she was progressing very well, AND she was so very comfortable and happy with her temporary boarding home as well as her trainers. Little Gypsy is now back home with us and fully trained. Gonzalo and his team are top notch -- well beyond a five-star rating!!! read more

Gonzalo is truly great at what he does. I took my four year old husky to him when she had bad habits and was very misbehaved. I boarded her with him for about two months, and she came back like a completely different dog calm, obedient, and well-behaved. It was honestly the best investment I could've ever made. She's six years old now and still behaves amazingly thanks to the foundation he gave her. Gonzalo is also very flexible and always lets me board her when I'm out of town. Every time she's dropped off, she's well groomed and smells incredible unlike other places I've taken her. I highly recommend him! read more

We have been using them for yrs now, both for training and boarding/grooming. Our dogs never shy away when being picked up. The doggies always look and smell great and happy as can be! Highly recommend!! read more

100/10 recommend! Took our Pitbull Brindle to get some help to control aggression and he has been doing amazing! This training school is super helpful and work with you! Best of the best! read more

As first-time dog owners, we were eager--but admittedly needing help--when we brought home our puppy, Alfie. He was adorable, full of energy, and also quite the handful! He would bark at strangers, jump excitedly on us, and had a tough time following with the simple commands. We knew we wanted to give him a strong foundation and help him grow into a well-behaved and happy dog, so we began training with Gonzalo --and we are so glad we did. Gonzalo and his wife Maria didn't rely on treats or quick-fix methods. Instead, they focused on building a real relationship with Alfie for more than 6 weeks --teaching him how to respond to guidance through clear direction, structure, and trust. Their method was firm, but always kind. Alfie wasn't bribed into behaving; he learned how to behave. Week by week, we watched him become more disciplined and responsive. Gonzalo worked with Alfie on socializing--not just with people, but with other dogs--and helped him become more calm and confident in a variety of settings. We received helpful video updates, consistent feedback, and practical advice for continuing his training at home. Gonzalo didn't just train our dog--he continues to offer us guidance as well. Today, Alfie is still his playful, lovable self--but with a new level of obedience and self-control. He listens, responds to commands, and approaches new situations with a calm confidence that wasn't there before. We love him dearly, and thanks to Gonzalo and Maria, he's off to a great start in life. Thank you both so much for everything! read more

GREAT PYRENEES Gonzalo did amazing with my Great Pyrenees. Before we took him, our dog would run away, and we would have to hop in our car to go track him down. He would not "come" when called, and had to be bribed with treats. The only thing our dog would do was "sit" when asked. He was also getting aggressive with male dogs, so we stopped having him interact with them. After about 3.5 months with Gonzalo, our dog is AMAZING. We can walk him off leash around our neighborhood, I can walk away from him and tell him "down" from about 120 feet away, and when I call him, he sprints back to me. He is not aggressive with male dogs anymore, and he is gentle with our one year old. (That was our main concern). Throughout the whole process Gonzalo stayed in close contact with my wife and I. Before returning our dog back to us, he had us come do a couple lessons so that we understood the training we had to continue to do with our dog, to make sure he only continued to get better. Gonzalo did an amazing job! ***Seeing the posts below, my dog entered Gonzalo's training around 90 pounds, and when we picked him back up, he still was 90 pounds. We saw our dog around the halfway mark of his training, and during that time, he still looked filled out. *** read more

Smart Dog Training School - I would never think I could walk our dog off leash, without him running away. I love that I can do this with him now. - Pet Training Near Me - Palmdale, California

When it comes to dog training, Heaven and Gonzalo really know what they're doing!! I took my frenchie boy to them at around 5/6 months old and they truly blew my mind With their work. He is very well mannered, he learned how to sit, stay, lay down, how to walk on/off leash, and as well as other commands. He is also very friendly with other dogs now!! My boy has very big alpha boy energy so at times he'd have issues w other dogs, but that has stopped. He listens to me so much more without being such a hard head lol. As a dog owner I knew that I would also have to play my part and become more strict and disciplined w trainings. Heaven and Gonzalo made sure to involve me in their trainings so my boy would still listen/ follow my lead/ orders as his owner. I 100% recommend them for anyone looking to get training for their dog. Totally worth the investment! Very reasonable pricing. Thank you Heaven and Gonzalo!!!! read more

I have sent 2 of my dobermans to Gonzalo and he did an amazing job. They are able to sit, stay for long period of time, no longer jump on people, do not get on our furniture, can go off leash, and much more. I have two more Dobermans I'm sending to him as well. We also have our frenchie in training right now as he was being aggressive with our dobermans. Our first two dogs are very docile and listen well and yet remain very protective of our home and us. We also trust him to care for them when we are away. He and his wife make sure to follow our food regimen and always make great suggestions. read more

See all

Don't go here !! Please if you love your animal don't do this to your pet or your family! He starved the animal to get what he wants and the dogs stay very thin. Thankfully I pulled my bulldog from his horrible"program ". This man is not physically fit or mentally fit to handle my dog. He keeps pushing you to convince you ti do $5,000 program that your dog does not need, find another place ! He tried to over charge me and I took my dog out . Please don't go here if you value your pet and your money , he will try to charge 5,000 to starve your animal and teach him nothing. Never will I recommend or speak of this training school ever again!!! Don't do it! My dog is doing much better and I'm glad I saved his life read more

Two and a half months ago we took our American Bulldog puppy to training with Gonzalo. Before taking her she was very hyper, jumping on people, not listening to commands, going up to strangers, jumping on furniture, and very stubborn. Now she can walk without a leash and stay by our sides. Listens to commands and doesn't jump up on the furniture nor jumping on people. I would highly recommend this trainer to anyone he truly knows what he is doing and my husband and I are very grateful. read more

Smart Dog Training School - Husband and daughter with Storm at the aqueduct. - Pet Training Near Me - Palmdale, California

Gonzalo and his family are the most caring, compassionate, genuine dog trainers out there! Gonzalo let me pay in installments, and the job he did with my dogs is just above and beyond. I can't express enough gratitude for what he did with my dogs. I have one very nervous Aussiepoo, and one stubborn Sharpei/Kelpie. In order to build confidence with my Aussiepoo, his family took turns sleeping with him! I mean, doesn't get more heartfelt than this!! I was deeply moved by how much they cared for my dogs. I will forever be grateful for his service and expertise. He is just, amazing. I can't believe there are negative reviews here! Really had a different experience than what the negative reviews say. Please try them out for yourselves. read more

gonzalo is amazing ! worth every penny !!!! gonzalo is not just a dog trainer , it is his passion as you can see it . these dogs become family to him .. he is not after your money , gonzalo truly cares . read more

I called Smart Dog Training School after talking to some friends who had great success with their rescue dog. Gonzalo answered the phone himself and spent quite a while listening to me detail the antics and aggressive behavior of the rescue dog we thought we would be able to provide a forever home. He was very kind and open to meeting our Smokey. He offers on-leash training, off-leash training and boarding. What impressed me most was that he said he would always be a resource for us in the future as other situations might arise. read more

See all

Gonzalo and his team are amazing! The y work with your schedule , listen to your concerns,and take care of the problems you're having with your dogs . My dogs are like family and I was so relieved that he sees dogs as companions and not just animals . Riley and Vader came back well behaved and just amazing. Gonzalo had his guarantee if the pupps start getting off track Gonzalo is there, peace of mind and money well spent.... Thanks Gonzalo and Smart Dog Training ! read more

See all

Gonzalo is amazing!! Bengi has been in his care for approx 2 months now and it's impressive what our dog has learned. We found Bengi at a nearby shelter and I can honestly say we had second thoughts because we were unable to control him, calling it hyper is a understatement. We found Gonzalo using a search engine & he came right out and explained the entire process to us. So our journey began.... Our weekly visits help us managed through his departure plus we knew he was in good hands!! His weekly progress was beyond noticeable and it was amazing seeing Benji excel. Gonzalo is a very patient individual and explained his training process and spent the time to teach us how to use the training at home. I truly recommend Smart Training School and I guarantee I'm brining my next rescue here. read more

Smart Dog Training School - Taking a breather - Pet Training Near Me - Palmdale, California

See all

This review has honestly been long overdue. Gonzalo actually trained my original childhood Golden Retriever and when I adopted a dog as an adult, I actually scoured the internet to find him because he was so good at what he does. Enter my strong-willed, recalcitrant dog, C. When I adopted C in 2018, I initially tried to train him on my own through a local pet supply store's 1-hour weekly sessions. Needless to say, as a new adult dog owner, that wasn't quite enough for a pup that is as smart as mine. He definitely used his intelligence for all the wrong things and I found myself in need of greater help. I tracked Gonzalo down after 20 years and found that he had started his own training school in Palmdale. I live no where near them, in the middle of LA, but reconnected with him nonetheless. They have taken such excellent care of my dog ever since. When he returned from training at their school two years ago, C was finally listening and obeying commands and was trained to be such a good boy. Smart Dog Training School has been there to engage in further training when I saw C slipping up (due to my own lax training after he got back). And most importantly, Gonzalo and his family are the only people I trust to take care of my dog when I am away. Gonzalo has always made the time to pickup my dog from our place Mid-LA and drop him back off after boarding. C always happily trots away with Gonzalo without looking back and while at Gonzalo's home, Gonzalo and his family treat C as if he were their own, with such love and care. To sum it up, Gonzalo and his training school are so good that I would drive through rush hour traffic, up the 405 north to take C to them. read more

Gonzalo and his family have been nothing but so helpful and friendly. He is so passionate about his work! We had to leave our rescue dog with him for 6 weeks because she is very aggressive with dogs. Already, after the first week we saw results! She is walking on a leash, listening to commands, and walking by other dogs. We are very impressed with the progress and so excited to see the results. I would recommend Smart Dog Training School to anyone! read more

Smart Dog Training School - Pet Training Near Me - Palmdale, California

Gonzalo is great with animals! We took our out of control bulldog to Gonzalo and within a few weeks he had him all trained. The difference between my dog before and after Gonzalo trained him is night and day. My dog was very aggressive towards other dogs to the point where we didn't feel comfortable taking him on walks anymore which was not good for him at all. Gonzalo has trained most of that out of him and he is far better with other dogs than I could have imagined. If you want a well behaved dog and way less stress at home then take your dog to Gonzalo. It's well worth the money to be able to enjoy your dog rather than worry about how to train them or dealing with the outcome if you do it wrong. Gonzalo is always available to answer questions when I have them and will meet us at our home or a local park to check in and make sure we're doing okay. Great person and great trainer! read more

Gonzalo and his family did a great job on my German Shepherd boy, Luca! Before training his leash skills were non existent, but after the training I am able to have full control of my dog with commands. He's comfortable walking off leash as well as on leash, and his overall obedience is great now. The difference is night and day. Training took about 2.5 months for my dog and it was worth every penny. Gonzalo will get you taken care of. The greatest perk of all of this is that if you feel there's anything about the training that regresses, Gonzalo will make the corrections anytime. It's been a year since the training is complete and he still welcomes us back to help correct certain things. I also use their board services when I am out of town. I can't recommend smart dog training enough, thank you! read more

I spoke with Gonzalo this morning to set up dog training for my puppy who doesn't listen well to commands. He asked me to bring my dog in this afternoon so I agreed. I sent my husband with our puppy to the training facility for an assessment to get pricing. Gonzalo quoted us $4000 for training a puppy. When I asked what it was he was going to provide for us for $4000 he said on and off leash training and your dog will listen. It's almost laughable that someOne would think that training a non-aggressive, young dog would be an acceptable price. In Santa Clarita for $1200 they'll train your dog for two months and the amount of commands that your dog learns is similar to the military, I just don't want to drive. This quote is ridiculous read more

I want to start my review by clarifying my score. For the end product I would give Gonzalo a 4, for customer service I give a 2. The average of those would be a 3. Dog training: 4/5 stars: our dog was awful on the leash. She would drag me, try and kill other dogs, and even bit me once in a rage. She is a rescue dog we got from the pound so we never know what their background is. We went to Gonzalo and were very impressed with his compound and the dog he showed us. We signed our dog up on January 1. As the other low review stated, we were not able to see our dog for months. When we did see her, she would get in trouble for being excited to see us. One time he had us tease her in a way and she would get in trouble for it to the point that her mouth was bleeding. I had to firmly say I wouldn't do that again. He later apologized for that. In March we finally Got to start working with her and she did amazing but he insisted on doing trainings that we didn't agree to and we don't feel that he listened to us until we got into a full blown argument at the park. We did a few lessons and then got to take her home. She walks 100 times better now and he has offered to help fine tune her anytime. I give it a 4 because I found some of the techniques hard to tolerate. I love animals and of course love MY dog so maybe I was being too soft, but we had to argue a few times for him to stop. Customer service: 2/5: there is a major language barrier. There were many times that things were confusing and lost in translation. Like I said above, we had to fight a few times for him to stop some training tactics that we were not comfortable with and I found that he listened to my husband but would not listen to me. I had to say "let me finish" otherwise he would talk over me and look to my husband. At the end of training we had some major miscommunications and ended up owing him a ton of money for things we didn't ask for. My biggest suggestion is to get everything in writing and ask him how much things cost. For example, he gave her two baths and charged us 45 bucks each. He never asked us about them or mentioned the charge. I also feel that baths should have been included in the price since he had her for 3 months without letting us see her. I am not sure if I would recommend him. I would say for future customers to read my review and go in prepared. I am thankful for how good my dog is now, but i worry she may have been traumatized if I didn't step in and tell him to stop some of his trainings. read more

Gonzalo is a great trainer. He help me and my dogs to be a pack and I'm very satisfied with the outcome. My dogs listens to commands and I have control over them. It's a lot of work and a lot of money but it's all worth it. You can't go wrong with a trained dog. It feels so much better to know your dog listens to what you tell them to do. read more

My husband and I decided we needed to have one of our dogs professionally trained. We first met Gonzalo Dela Rosa in November 2019. He demonstrated for us how well his dogs were trained. We made an agreement that it would take 6-8 weeks and we dropped our dog off on December 7, 2019. We never got to see our dog during his training. Mr DelaRosa explained that it was too much of a distraction for our dog. I finally insisted on a physical visit on February 24, 2020. I was shocked to see my dog so skinny. What was going on for 79 days our dog was there? Our dog did not have any new skills, despite being with Mr DelaRosa for more than two and a half months. Our dog gained no skills but lost more than 30% of his body weight during his stay with Mr DelaRosa. We asked for a partial refund, but never received a reply to our request. We paid $3,500 for the training and $250 for a vibrating collar to be used to discourage barking. Mr. Dela Rosa recommended the collar, and advised it came with a lifetime guarantee. If we ever decided we didn't want it, we could bring it back for a full refund. So fast forward to 2021. It's been almost a year since we brought our dog home and we rarely used the collar as it insights tremendous fear in him. So I took Mr. Dela Rosa up on his offer to take the collar back at any time. I made an appointment to drop the collar off with Mr. Delarosa. I was seven minutes late. Mr. Dela Rosa appeared to be upset because he hand a pending appointment. I can understand that. So I thought I would drop off the collar, pick up the cash and then be on my way. Mr. Dela Rosa opened his gate and asked me to drive onto his property. I complied. He said, "So you are not satisfied?" I said, "Of course I'm not satisfied. We paid you almost $4000 to not train our dog." He then became angry and said, "Well then I'm not gonna waste my time on you! And my next appointment is paying me $10,000, so your $4,000 is nothing! You're not getting a full refund for the collar either! You didn't return the box and instructions! I'm giving you $200 and that's it!" I said, "Fine with me" and extended my hand to receive the cash. I left and am just happy my dog is alive and although he's emotionally damaged from this experience, he still finds joy in life. I could never ever recommend this dog trainer. Basically stole $3,500 from us. read more

Extremely happy that I made a decision to go for this training. This was a life-changing experience for me and my dog. Gonzalo is a perfectionist and he will not stop till he delivers the desired result. My dog gets compliments on how well trained he is all the time in the park now. read more

Not really impressed with results we got. Earlier this year Our boxers spent over 1 month there for training. We were suppose to get in home training and at the park never happened. As soon as he brought our dogs home they were right back to how they were. They pretty much forgot what they learned already. Now we are finding ourselves signing up for dog training elsewhere. The amount of money I wasted over there is absurd! read more

Gonzalo is truly amazing with dogs. He took Amy - a traumatized German shepherd who had been locked in a tiny yard with no view of the outside world for 2 years, worked with her and was instrumental in helping her overcome her severe anxiety. Because of Gonzalo I was able to place Amy (now Winnie) in a loving forever home. I could not be more impressed and grateful. read more

Smart Dog Training School - Amy/Winnie - Pet Training Near Me - Palmdale, California

I went to see this place to possibly leave my two small dogs. I think this place is fine for a Med/large dogs. A pampered dog will not do good in this place. Sorry, I can not leave a better review. Also, very expensive. read more

Best training school for dogs i have found in Southern California! Family owned, they well dedicate them selves to making sure your pup is taken care of and well also work with you when it comes to pricing. read more

I agreed to take two 8 year old labs that were not going with the family when they moved. They were litter mates, outside dogs only, no training, no manners, could not lead them or get their attention. Over weight and poor coats. I could not even take them to the vets. They inspired each others bad behavior. Since Smart Dog Training I have dogs I can take for a walk, take to the vets, they sleep in the house, are also crate trained. Their coats a greatly improved and have a good weight. I never worried about their safety or care. The whole family is involved in their care and are very knowledgeable about training techniques. They were trained at the facility as well as at my home. I will also have the support of Smart Dog Training for the life of my dogs. I am very pleased. read more

Awful experience from start to finish. I was excited to start this program, after talking with Randy, the owner, he assured me it was nearly fail safe. Offering a refund at any time with dissatisfaction. I was thrilled to get our dogs trained and to be able to take them with us to events, parks, festivals, etc. After the first session, it seemed like things were a bit off. The trainer was very short, didn't offer much explanation of the program or the process. She moved us very quickly through the first few training steps, but she didn't allow for us to master one technique, before moving to the other. She seemed very inexperienced and unprofessional, which surprised me for the nearly 4k we paid for 2 dogs. So I called the owner and asked for a refund, he talked me in to giving in another try, with him as the trainer. I wanted trained dogs, so I agreed. After learning that the next steps would be in a facility 45 mins away, I was disappointed that this wasn't well communicated before purchasing, but he assured me they would make themselves available. I explained that Saturdays would work best, and he said that would be no problem. Well, it wasn't until I tried to schedule Saturday sessions and learned from his wife that they try not to schedule Saturdays because he has a family. Well, I understand, so that would render this program useless to us because we can't get to the training facility. So I called and asked for a refund because we couldn't seem to get in to be trained. After 3 days my call was returned by Randy, the owner. He was aggressive, unprofessional, and explained to me that he doesn't offer cash refunds. So we are out 4K, and don't be fooled, there are no refunds. Unfortunately I was naïve and believed his word, and learned that not all companies are honest- even when they seem to be. Client beware, there are other dog training facilities and programs available- choose wisely. This company has taken our money, time, and trust. read more

If we could give Smart Dog Training 10 stars, we would! Gonzalo and his family are incredible with dogs and dog owners. We called Gonzalo when our new rescue dog's behaviors raised doubt in our minds about whether she was a good addition to our family. Gonzalo met with us the same day to observe our dog and talk with us at length about what he observed. We appreciated his immediate response to our request for help and were very impressed with his firm, loving manner toward our dog, Suzy. After showing us a few techniques to manage her timid and stubborn behaviors, Gonzalo suggested that we keep her with us for about a month before bringing her to him for training, which we did. When Suzy went to stay with Gonzalo for training, she was treated as a member of the family, and so were we. We were able to observe her progress from the beginning, and when she was ready, Gonzalo taught us how to work with her in various settings, including bringing her for home visits/training sessions before she actually came back to stay. After 6 weeks, Suzy came back home happier and ready to be a part of our family. Thanks to Gonzalo, we were ready to welcome her back with the loving concern and consistent rules that she needs and deserves. Best of all, we know that Gonzalo and Maria are available to support us whenever we need them. read more

We left our dog with Gonzalo and David and we are beyond happy with the results. We dropped him off and in about 7 weeks our dog has made a huge change. We now feel confident in walking him off leash and letting him enjoy the outdoors. Our dog is only 1 but before we dropped him off he wasn't listening or caring about what our commands were. Thanks to David and Gonzalo our dog is able to go with us everywhere we go with not feeling like we have to be cautious with our pup. Thanks guys! read more

Unfortunately they don't answer the phone or return voice messages. I called to inquire about the training but no one has bothered to call back. read more

So I was searching the internet looking for a trainer for my puppy... I stumble across this excellent trainer. He board my pup for a week . I was really hesitant for him to go but I knew it would be ultimately best for him and my family. Gonzalo reassured me he was in good hands. When I picked up my dog he was and still is very calm.. He used to run a marathon around the house and now he is much much calmer. I am very thankful for Gonzalo because he was able to work with my budget. Very affordable and he works with any budget. Very nice family. I would recommend him to anyone. We will return as customers when funds are available. Stop worrying and go to smart dog training. That is the smartest decision to make. read more

Gonzalo and his son are amazing they have been training my 5 month old puppy for the past couple weeks and we can see the difference. She's well behaved and listens to us so much more. Gonzalo is awesome he's worked around our schedule so we can do our training with our puppy. He's taken her to her vet appointment when she stayed with them. My husband and I couldn't be happier and we have had an excellent experience. Thank you so much Gonzalo!!! We couldn't be more satisfied! read more

Gonzalo is a great trainer!! I had adopted an out-of-control 1.5-year-old Lab mix who had had absolutely no obedience and who was starting to get aggressive with people, other dogs, and who wanted to eat my cats!! He came back from Gonzalo a well-behaved boy. I now have a dog that is listening to me more and who is now actually playing with the cats!! It's a true miracle! He is a very kind, generous man with truly cares about his clients - both 2-legged and 4-legged. Would highly recommend him! read more

My husband and I highly recommend Smart Dog Training. They boarded and trained our 3 dogs, each w different temperaments. Gonzalo listened to our concerns and evaluated each dog as to specialize their training. We did lessons w the dogs both at his place and at ours and the park, working around our schedule-some with just one dog up to having all 3 at once. If we had a concern regarding a one of the dogs, he took them back to work on the details. Our dogs love him-they have never shied away from him and were clean and healthy each time we saw them. Please consider Smart Dog Training if you're needing any kind of training. Plus he works w various rescue missions, so we have to give him 5 stars overall! read more

Have no worries and look no further. Gonzalo will treat your dog with love and care while training them. I have taken my dog to him twice for training and have always been very happy. He works very hard to make sure I am happy with what I expect. I will keep taking my dog to him as she gets older and to continue her training to be the perfect family pet. Thank you Gonzallo, I would highly recommend him to any one that wants or needs to have their pet trained or to just work on some problems that you might be having and want to correct. read more