This review is LOOOONNNGGGGG overdue. I had gotten a Shiba Inu puppy 3 years ago that had to be hospitalized due to Parvo the next day. Then, once he recovered from that, had a fever that almost killed him and had to be hospitalized again. We had to keep him quarantined for a while and away from my other dog (a 7 year old Pomeranian at the time) and get all his vaccinations from the beginning. He was scared of literally every single noise and had anxiety about just about everything. Over time, he developed extreme food aggression and we were worried for the safety of my little Pom. He had been attacked a few times to the point of actual injury and it was extremely stressful for everyone. I was at my wits end and I felt like I had tried everything to help Gunnar (my Shiba) and protect Simba (my Pom). I did a lot of research and stumbled upon Jenina and sent her a message for private sessions where she would come to my apartment once a week. I believe I only used her for a little over a month but I am eternally grateful. The level of aggression Gunnar displayed was so dangerous that my roommate and I actually have been bitten with blood trying to protect Simba from harm where food is involved. The issue was that he wasn't aggressive with all foods and we were unaware the extent until it was too late (ex. we thought it was only wet food so we were giving a chew stick to them separately where I would have Simba sitting next to me on the couch and Gunnar would be on the floor away from Simba with my roommate and the switch was so sudden----from sweet to seemingly no warning lunging at Simba----I stuck my leg out to protect Simba and he bit my leg instead). I feel like at this point, a regular human being would give Gunnar up, but that wasn't an option. It wasn't an option when he came to me dying from Parvo, it wasn't an option when he had an almost fatal fever, and it wasn't going to be an option for me now. I was determined to find a way to help him because he is my baby and my responsibility. The vet suggested I contact a behavioral specialist and when I did, VCA told me the earliest appointment they had was months later. Fed up with waiting, I found Jenina. In a month's time, she had given me the tools to fix a seemingly impossible situation. Make no mistake---she made me work for it. She might come across brash to some people but she is very direct and straight to the point. She doesn't coddle you and makes sure she lets you know what you need to do because while the session is for dogs, it is actually more like training the parent. She gives you "homework" and training info and is only willing to help you if YOU do the work. Now, it wasn't a complete fix. He still has anxiety outdoors or unknown noises as well as food aggression but it is nowhere near what he used to be. Before Jenina, Gunnar couldn't even take a step outside the apartment building let alone go for a walk. Three years later, Simba has sadly since passed but he has a little brother that he is extremely patient with as he acts like a typical annoying little brother), his food aggression has gone down from 100 to 30, and we go out to all sorts of places. He is THRIVING and this is all thanks to Jenina. My roommate and I are on high alert and know what to look for in terms of triggers and are very quick to de-escalate aggression situations. We try our best not to avoid known triggers and we work with him every day to allow him to be his best self. He is the sweetest boy and we are so glad he's been able to show it instead of being overshadowed by aggression and anxiety. She also gave Gunnar his nickname---Gunny! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I am so sorry it took this long to leave this review but thank you so much for saving us. If we had listened to the VCA behavioral specialist that basically called Gunnar a monster and suggested we give him up, he probably would have been euthanized somewhere. We owe you so much. read more

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When I adopted my dog, he was a still happy rumbustious puppy that needed a lot of training. Jenina took me under her wings, and taught me how to understand dog's behaviors and how to connect with them. I'm grateful of her. read more

Smart Paws - Pet Training Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My husband and I just wrapped up a series of in-home training sessions with Jenina and our two dogs, and we were both blown away by what a committed, talented and generous dog trainer she is. We'd hired her to help with our recently-adopted dog Zoey, whose stress-triggered aggression had resulted in a couple of our friends being bitten. Jenina clearly knows what she's doing, having worked in this industry for over two decades. But at least as important, she's also a calming, kind presence, and even Zoey- who's suspicious of all visitors- quickly warmed up to her. My husband and I have a lot of work to do with Zoey, but thanks to Jenina, we have some great exercises to practice with Zoey to build her confidence and decrease her reactivity. Jenina also gave us excellent recommendations for better managing our environment when guests come over to avoid risk of any more bites occurring in the future. We're both starting to feel a lot more hopeful that we can eventually have a more relaxed life with Zoey, as long as we put in the work. It's clear Jenina is in this line of work for the love of dogs and not for the money. Her prices are surprisingly affordable- a big relief given the rapidly escalating costs of pet care in recent years. We really appreciated that rather than trying to sell us another package when we exhausted our first package's sessions, she encouraged us to practice what we've learned for a while, and reach out to her when we're ready for more assistance. Thanks so much, Jenina, and we'll look forward to seeing you again soon!! read more

Jenina is so incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and professional--I would recommend her to anyone who needs help training their puppy or adult dog. We did the 4 session in-home training with our 2-year-old chihuahua/dachshund mix, who is very reactive and not friendly to new people. Jenina taught us and modeled certain commands and then we had the opportunity to try them on and get feedback so we were performing them properly. She was also so calm and patient throughout our sessions. Jenina provided us with helpful handouts to continue training, as it requires daily training on the owners part to ensure the skills are truly learned. We are incredibly grateful for her guidance and knowledge as it has made our dog much more secure and us more confident dog owners. read more

Jenina has been a revelation. We rescued the sweetest pup in early September and were lucky that he was already housebroken and sweet as a pea, but we wanted him to learn and know basic commands, and we also wanted to know what some of his behaviours meant. We did the private training sessions, and I HIGHLY recommend this option. The individualized attention and training we received (cuz let's face it, it's us humans that need to learn a lot too!) has been invaluable. Within four sessions, he went from energetically running and wanting constant belly rubs, to knowing how to Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Go to Your Spot, and Leave it...we are currently working on Drop it (he only learned this one today). Jenina has such a great understanding and love for dogs and it shows. Archie loves her and so do we! read more

Smart Paws - Got - Pet Training Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Jenina is great! We learned so much and it was a lot of fun. She is very understanding and patient, I'm really glad I signed up with her. read more

Smart Paws - Pet Training Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We had a great experience in the Smart Paws group class. We adopted our dog from a rescue and prior to adoption she had no training outside of potty training with the foster. In 5 weeks she has progressed so much and it's been really amazing seeing her come out of her shell. Highly recommend! read more

Jenina is a fantastic trainer! My partner and I been working with her to help our little guy Carl gain confidence on his walks, reduce his anxiety, and learn some basic commands. He has learned so much in such a short period of time and my relationship with him has also really improved. Jenina is patient, enthusiastic, and really positive to work with. Highly recommend her if you need support with your pup! read more

Jenina helped us with our high energy and anxious dog Seth in 2019. I am remiss in waiting til now to write a review. Jenina 100% transformed our relationship with our dog. She helped us to better understand him and work with him. Over the years, since we implemented the lessons she taught us, Seth has become less anxious overall. He's so much better on walks and we're better able to understand what he's trying to tell us. I recommend Jenina for all my dog-owning friends. read more

Jenina helped me with issues I was having with my dog - who does not get along boyfriends cat. Jenina was very kind and accommodating with her schedule and very pleasant and courteous. She also gave me lots of very helpful advise with clear instruction on what we needed to do. She immediately was able to identify what the issues were and within minutes I could see my dog making progress. (I was really surprised and not expecting since he's an older dog.)She left me with lots of great tips and I am feeling confident that as long as I keep following the instructions she gave us they will eventually get along. I highly recommend! read more

We booked Jenina to help us begin raising our new puppy right since we got her at 12wks and the session we had with her was so amazing. We had booked with another trainer before and had an unpleasant experience--the trainer was condescending, snarky, and provided us with too much information at one time that we left the session with our heads spinning. But Jenina was a breath of fresh air! Not only does she have a ton of experience, we were so impressed with how attentive she was in helping us with our new puppy. We got a lot of great information but not so much that we felt overwhelmed. And she was generous enough to give us a little discount when our session got a bit distracted by another topic. We've reached out to Jenina briefly since for a quick follow-up about our pup's behavior and she was very accommodating when she didn't have to be. If anyone is looking for a trainer to help them with their dog, in any stage of life, Jenina is the one and the two! Don't go anywhere else, and if she's booked up (as she likely will be), get on her waitlist. She's absolutely worth the wait! read more

Jenina's training is above and beyond a fulfilling experience for myself and my puppy. She takes the time not only to teach but also arms you with the knowledge you need going forward to be the best pet parent. Kira (my first shiba inu) responded well to the training and continues to learn and grow with the commands. I personally enjoyed Jenina's recommendations on dog daycare's and other socialization tools. Seeing how well informed she is about other businesses and tools available -- I am so thankful to have her involved in my puppy's development. I constantly receive praise on how well behaved Kira is and I truly owe much of it to Jenina's very holistic approach to training. I look forward to continuing with more complex commands and training as Kira grows up. read more

Smart Paws - Jenina teaching an earnest student - Pet Training Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We adopted a dog and he was having a hard time walking without pulling. More like dragging, to be honest... We booked a private session with Jenina, and it was fantastic. She showed us many useful, positive techniques to get him to stay by our side. She was also very health and safety conscious, and wore gloves and a mask, and always observed six feet of separation. Despite never having met her, our dog loved her immediately. We signed up for her six week obedience class, held outside in Atwater Village. It felt super safe as well -- the class was small and everyone was spaced at least eight feet away from each other. She gave the dogs individual attention and was very patient. I highly recommend her! read more

Jenina is an amazing, kind, patient and direct trainer. Luna and I learned so much from her. She follows up each lesson with handouts which is really helpful for me because sometimes I would forget how to do things throughout the week. I felt really supported by her and got very confident in my ability to communicate with my sweet pup. Definitely use her - you won't regret it she's amazing! read more

Jenina is a fantastic dog trainer - I highly recommend her. She has made a huge difference in the life of our pandemic puppy, helping us train the puppy so that she stays safe and has the comfort of clear expectations. Jenina is helpful and professional. She provides follow-up handouts to help with training after sessions, and offered to watch videos of our dog's behavior on a specific issue (outside of sessions). Our dog Muffin loved her, too. read more

We trained with Jenina a year ago and I just realized I never left a review! We're so so glad we found Jenina on Yelp. She was flexible with scheduling and truly gave her all during our sessions. There were things that felt impossible at first and now, a year later, are happening. We appreciated her warmth and directness and she connected with our pup right away. We've recommended her to every other dog owner we know (and there have been lots in the pandemic) and love that we're supporting a small, local, female-owned company. read more

Jenina has been an incredible help with my new puppy. McNulty arrived in the middle of the shelter-at-home order here in Los Angeles and it was clear I needed help. I reached out to Jenina and we've had several skype sessions that have worked really well. Her attention to detail and understanding of the needs of both the pup and me have really helped smooth out the transition. I highly recommend and look forward to continuing work with her! read more

Jenina is a miracle worker. We adopted our little maniac, Oliver, from the East Valley Shelter and while a total love nugget, it's clear he hadn't had a lot of structure. Not only did Jenina get us through the basics, she was also a constant sounding board for our questions about being good pup parents. Oliver is now great on a leash and getting better. He sits and stays. He's going to "his spot" on the regular and just like his training, we're a work in progress and getting better, too! If you have a pup who's running a bit wild, Jenina's the magic that will help you all live in harmony. read more

Highly recommend!!! Working with Jenina has been wonderful. She is so insightful when it comes to dog behavior, so patient, and makes learning really fun not just for your dog but for you too! We adopted a 7 month old puppy from a rescue and very sadly after only 3 days with us she lost her vision due to an unknown birth defect. We were totally unprepared to raise a blind puppy and didn't know where to start when it came to training. I found Jenina on yelp and within our first phone conversation she gave me a lot of good advice and a place to start. Our puppy loved Jenina from the second she walked in, and it has really been amazing to see our smart, fun, loving little pup so eager to learn with Jenina. We signed up for 3 private session and 4 group sessions and have been so happy with the progress our dog has made. Jenina is the true dog whisperer! read more

Smart Paws is AMAZING. Jenina came to our home for a session to help us train our 12 week old puppy. She is so wonderful, knowledgeable and compassionate with dogs. With her help our puppy is already nipping less and more comfortable and willing to go into her crate. Her methods make a lot of sense and are kind but firm. Cannot recommend her enough! read more

Jenina is amazing! We first had her come to our house to help with our rescue pup who pulled like crazy on walks. She taught us how to properly motivate him and he is now fantastic on a leash. We decided to put our pup in her training class after that and it did wonders for us and him. We recently got a puppy and took her to the group class also. Jenina only teaches positive reinforcement and has really reframed how we thought about and understand our dogs behavior. She has this insane ability to break down a task into bits that dogs can easily understand. She has been magic for our dogs and I highly recommend her! read more

Jenina is the absolute BEST!! We were having trouble integrating our dog with guests in our home when the pandemic allowed us to have guests again. We were at our wits' end. When we met Jenina, we immediately responded to her patience, kindness, and helpfulness and we felt like the clouds around us disappeared. After working with Jenina, we began to learn about how to deal with our dog and it strengthened our relationship with him. We are always so happy to have her come to our home: Jenina is our very own Mary Poppins. Don't hesitate. Call her and bring a ray of sunshine into your life!! read more

Wonderful dog trainer! We worked with her 1:1 in our home to help our new rescue adjust to strangers and loud noises. We also attended her six week training course which helped us learn so many great basics and correct some of our dogs poor behavior. She always had great suggestions that worked like magic! All training was with positive reinforcement. read more

Jenina has been doing the in home training with us and our new puppy Benjamin. She is so great with him he has learned so much! Not to mention she is always on time and pleasant to work with! Thanks Jenina!! :) read more

If you are looking for non-aggressive, loving yet effective dog trainer, Jenina Shutters is your gal. If you need a reliable, caring dog sitter/walker- smartpaws is who I call and recommend. They do one on one and group classes for training (which I love because she teaches you how to communicate with your pets so they know what you want and you get results). Dog training is all about consistency and about what you are willing to learn so you can teach your canine companion. I already knew this but sometimes I forget due to having so may dogs (I do rescue work) but by observing Jenina's gentle but direct ways- I am learning to take my leadership role back in my house! read more

Better than Cesar! Jenina is extremely skilled and knowledgeable. She's educating us as first time dog owners and teaching our rescue german shepherd, Earl how to learn. From just the first session, we had positive results with getting our dog into the car (he was afraid before) and to relax in his crate. He rode with me yesterday with no problem! I grew up with dogs who were only partially trained but really want this guy to be fully so... for his happiness and my own. Highly recommend whether you are just starting with a new dog, want to increase their overall reliability, or address a specific behavioral concern. I'm glad we made this choice! read more

Jenina is the best! Our dog loves her, and her training has done a world of wonders. Loved the small class size, too. Wish there were more levels to take! read more

I had a horrible experience with Jenina that turned me off of trainers for a while. I have a dog that suffers with anxiety and sometimes lunges on leash and toward strangers entering the home (never biting). We were working with Jenina for a while and made significant progress which is why I was stunned when she suggested over the phone that I give my puppy away. I have an incredibly strong bond with my pup and would never get rid of him, so the fact that my own trainer would suggest this for my non-violent dog was deeply upsetting. I was unexperienced with training but that is why I hired her and if she did not feel she could help me she could have just said so. I stopped seeing her immediately and am finally resuming training with another trainer but now that he is two, it is more difficult to train him. I have been upset about the incident ever since, and am finally deciding to share my story. read more

Jenina is amazing! We had her come for 1-1 sessions in our home for our first puppy, Gaia, and our pandemic puppy, Loki! She has really helped create a very happy family for us! Our dogs are well-behaved and we feel much more confident in our ability to train and make a relationship with our two dogs. read more

Love, love, love Jenina! I've had dogs in the past but truthfully never trained them and they were always a little wild. When I adopted two young Ridgebacks, I knew I was in over my head and needed help! Thankfully a friend recommended Jenina. We did six private lessons and they were so helpful. It is so nice to have the "good dogs" when I go places. Her philosophy is simple, all gain no pain and she lives by it. It's all positive training. Do not hesitate to contact her, you will be so happy! read more

We purchased 4 private sessions with Jenina to help us learn how to have a better behaved pittie. It was a wonderful experience. Jenina's entire philosophy is to use award based training so every approach ends with love and no scolding. Jenina is a great balance of being straight-up with you and also very understanding and encouraging as you learn. Not only was she very generous with her time but incredibly easy to accommodate our hectic schedule. I highly recommend Smart Paws. read more

Jenina is outstanding. She is extremely informed & educated in dog behavior & science, experienced, and all around a lovely person (the dogs LOVE her as well!). She was immensely helpful with training our fearful rescue puppy through her group class and a couple of private sessions. We are working with her again now to train our second dog. She sees the big picture and will you help you understand the nuances of your dog's body language and what they are communicating, so that you can best work with them for success. Jenina truly cares about her work and it shows. Rates are very reasonable & training is the best investment you can make for your dog. Whether you are looking for basic obedience classes, or help with specific behavior issues, I would absolutely recommend her. Thank you for what you do Jenina!! read more

We just finished our group class during COVID and we loved it! It felt very safe and spaced out outdoors, masks worn the whole time. We learned a lot about how to train our little chihuahua. Jenina is so nice and so knowledgeable. She gives everyone special attention to help with their dogs specific needs. Definitely recommend taking the group class! Our chihuahua finally listens to us lol. It's such a helpful start but you definitely need to continue training on your own! read more

We'd like to testify to the superb service that Smart Paws Training performs. Besides being a trainer that can think outside the box, Jenina has helped us create workable solutions for some of our "behaviorally challenged" orphans so that they can overcome their fears and become loving, adoptable, good canine citizens. Securing a good home for our orphans was so important to Jenina, that she has come over on various occasions, squeezing us in between appointments, so that our orphans can immediately get started on rehabilitation. Jenina possesses the fortitude, commitment and business savvy to enable rescue groups to help their orphans get rehabilitated faster, through positive training that then gets reinforced with the new adoptive parents in the orphans' "fur-ever" home. The net result is saving lives. read more

Jenina is amazing! She helped my wife and I teach Bubby sit, down, stay, come, find it, and leave it in just 6 weeks. We also worked on heel, go to your spot and back, which Bubby learned most recently and is still practicing. Jenina provided many tips on training which have been invaluable. Most notably, how to recognize stressors that Bubby has and how to overcome them. Highly recommend. read more

We love Jenina! She worked so well with our Finn pup, they had an instant connection! She helped us to understand his behaviors & we could really tell how much she cared for our him. She explained all of Finn's behaviors for us as well as how to change them through positive reinforcement. We came away from the experience with a better behaved puppy, better skills to train him ourselves in the future and a closer to Finny. read more

Simply put, Jenina is a wonderful dog trainer. She's especially kind and gentle with your pup, while simultaneously giving you concrete and definitive instructions on how to work out whatever problematic behaviors your dog might have. Each session with her was not only an enjoyable experience, but also incredibly informative. Our rescue dog has issues with leash pulling, as well as motion and sound sensitivity / anxiety, which Jenina recognized immediately and was able to give us straightforward techniques to work through with our little goofball. read more

Jenina Schuter is an extraordinary trainer. A dog whisperer. She is intuitive, sensitive, charming and clear. Her sessions were revelatory; my entire family learned how to be consistently communicative with our dog. And our puppy, Bella, took to her INSTANTLY. We plan to keep training with Jenina to add skills to Bella's toolkit (and ours!) read more

I can't recommend Jenina enough. I adopted my dog, Rooster (1.5 year-old terrier mix), at the start of lockdown and once we got him all healthy and adjusted to his new life, we started having a lot of trouble with him walking on the leash. I was a bit nervous about trying to get a trainer for him during the pandemic, but I'm so glad I found Jenina. She goes above and beyond the necessary precautions to ensure both your and her safety in these crazy times and gave us something to look forward to each week. She was so good with Rooster (he's a bit selective with people, but took to her very quickly) and even after just 2 lessons, I saw a huge improvement. We've completed 4 lessons now and Rooster is able to walk without pulling, disengage from other dogs on the street, lay down, stay, and leave it (all things which I was not able to get him to do on my own). I really couldn't be happier with the results. Thank you, Jenina! read more

Smart Paws - Rooster and a new friend on a walk - Pet Training Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I found Jenina on a simple Google search, and I've been so pleased with her. She's incredibly intuitive with our Olive (a miniature schnauzer mix) as I'm sure she is with all dogs. We started working with her when Olive was just nine weeks old. Yes, there were the standard commands she helped us learn and teach our dog, but Jenina also helped us to understand (1) that training is a process that takes time and patience and love; (2) that training should always be fun for the dog and us; (3) and that dogs are dogs and it's up to humans to understand what that means. She is helping us in all of these areas. Jenina is compassionate, wise, and loves the people and dogs she works with. I predict that she will be a part of our life with Olive for many years to come, in many capacities. Thank you Jenina! read more