I was just as excited to write this review as I was for Bean (my 6 month old pup) to come home today. Your Dog Trainer is a place that I will be bringing Bean to for as long as she's alive and kicking! I found Your Dog Trainer online and learned later on that we have a family friend that goes to day camp here as well. I wasn't really looking to invest as much as I did into the Boot Camp but my partner and I have no regrets. Our first meet and greet session with Jeff was excellent. He asked us initial questions about Bean and what she's like at home and where she stands in the training process. From there we went on a two week long vacation out of the country and wouldn't have her for another 25 days. During our days without Bean, I can definitely say that I missed her SO much! I'm sure every doggy lover can attest to this. But as often as I asked and even when I wouldn't ask - the team from Your Dog Trainer would send me updates on her new doggy friends, how her progress is with training, and any pictures. I felt like I was apart of the process and I didn't feel left out. I trusted that they were taking great care of her. When I came back from vacation, I had a few training sessions with Jeff. I really respect Jeff and can see why he is so successful at what he does. I was excited to see the progress he made with Bean. Bean was already a great puppy. But even after our first lesson back together I could tell that he has changed her life... for the better! I was so impressed on what she was able to pick up in such a short amount of time. He's so patient with both Bean and me. He makes it a great learning process for all of us. I can't wait to come back for group lessons and continue having her learn more so she can live the happy and fun life she very well deserves. Thank you to Your Dog Trainer! You don't know how much I appreciate everything you've done and I can't wait for Bean's future. read more

Your Dog Trainer - Bean at her lesson with Jeff - Pet Training Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all

Your Dog Trainer is amazing, I love everything about it. My father in law referred us to this training facility/daycare/board and train for our 7 month old golden doodle "Crazy Daisy". Not only did she come back from for 25 board n train amazing, she also came back her loving and spunky self. The owner, Roger, took in daisy and treated like his own and just loved her every step of the way. We can't wait to bring our girl back in for daycare and visit our new family and maybe even bring in a future dog. 10/10 I would recommend this place!! Thank you Roger and Your dog trainer team! read more

Your Dog Trainer - Daisy practicing her HW after her board n train! - Pet Training Near Me - Santa Ana, California

We have had 2 golden retrievers trained here in 2007 and 2018. We highly recommend the month long training. Both of our dogs obviously loved their trainers and we did too. It was some of the best money I've ever spent. read more

Your Dog Trainer - Zolo graduating from doggy Bootcamp! - Pet Training Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all

I approached this place because it just happens to be next door to our business park. I had no idea what I was looking for except much needed help working with our Pitbull Rottweiler that we adopted back in July. After many months of trying my best to control her. I realized I needed help and reached out to the staff. I talked with Cathy first and she immediately related to me being a Pitbull owner herself and started off by boarding Yona during the day at the location. Once we had a good routine down I was able to start working with Roger training Yona but soon realized there was nothing wrong with her it was all me. Roger keeps me on my toes and he lets me know when I'm slacking off but, he also explains why you have to be on top of things. I was one of those owners that was worried about using a slip chain or prong collar on her but the results speak for themselves. The staff really cares about the dogs they train and board at their location. read more

See all

If you love your dogs do not leave them here. Also ask to look at the back cages. They are chained linked fences that are worse then any dog pound. All concrete and it smells like feces and urine. I was there to visit my dogs we were in the "play area". The owner came over to me and said get your dogs away from the fence. This fence is old and has gaps in it. He said his dog is in the other side. I said "isn't this the play area" he told me to get out, as he aggressively walked towards me. He said, "I'm done", and told his workers to take my dogs back (to their cages). My own dogs were taken away from me! He was hostile and aggressive. After the owner yelled at me and he told his workers to take my dogs away. My dogs would not go back with them. So they asked me to walk back there with the dogs so they can put my large dogs in their small cages. The cages are concrete and there are no dog beds. I was very upset that the owner had yelled at me and in shock. I walked in the back and I saw how they keep the dogs in this horrible way. I immediately got my dogs out of there. I am going to contact the animal control on Monday to see if there are regulations or people who check on these types of places. Also The owner "trains" with a choking technique that is outdated and mean. I walked up on him choking my dog before and told him to stop. After this I immediately got my dogs out of there. Do not ever leave your dog here. read more

Anybody complaining on here needs to go see a psychologist and get their head on straight before you complain about Your Dog Trainer. People, YOU are your dogs biggest challenge problem. So, for ALL of you reading this, YOU are the biggest hurdle any dog trainer has. Just shut up and listen. Erase everything you think you know about your dog, you know nothing. Start with a clean slate and absorb everything they are telling you without filtering it through your ignorance. You shutting up is your dogs best chance at happiness. read more

I won't take my dog any where else. This is not a fancy pet hotel so don't have those expectations. However they know how to handle dogs that are stubborn, large, or even aggressive. My babies are difficult. They need a large space with handlers that know how to handle dogs. They do. This place also does dog training so my babies usually come home better than they were at home. They basically speak dog. read more

Your Dog Trainer - My large babies. - Pet Training Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Excellent training, would highly recommend. Personalized assistance for every level.

Your Dog Trainer is an absolute gem! Professional and honest this facility has it all!!! Our family has a 10 month old Siberian Husky and loves it there!! He has stayed there three different times for either a week or longer and has never skipped a beat with his schedule at home!! Kristen, who always helps us at the front desk, is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. You can really tell that the owners of Your Dog Trainer have a well thought out, loving, and organized business. Thank you!!! read more

Your Dog Trainer - 10 months of love-- right here! - Pet Training Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Pros: Staff were very polite...they seem to have genuine care for dogs. Cons: Not fully convinced they cater to dogs with special needs. My dog needs a special diet due to a sensitive stomach. Had my dog have very runny stool for 8 days after boarding. It appears he was fed with other food and treats despite having brought his special dietary food when he got boarded. My attempts to find out what/ if my dog was fed something different were not responded to. read more

We come here for the raw dog food from happee dawg. Great selection for a great price. And if you buy 40lb or more you get a discount! Makes it easy for me as I don't have to drive to highland to pick up. Please keep carrying this food read more

I have been taking my "girls" (dogs) here for about 12 years. We use them for kennel/boarding when we go out of town. We also boarded one of our dogs that suffered from separation anxiety here quite often. The kennels are nice sized and the dogs are put in a larger pen each day during kennel cleaning - where they can really get some exercise. Additionally, the dogs are inside at night in crates for a cozy, comfortable sleep. One of our dogs hates fireworks, so this is a nice, comforting touch for her - especially around July 4th and New Years. We love our dogs and take their care very seriously. The staff are excellent with them, and we are comfortable with having them in their care. I can E-mail them from the others side of the world and they always reply promptly with an update on their activities, treats they've shared, games they played, etc... Our older dog passed away last fall at the age of 18. She had been to this kennel many times. When the staff heard of her passing, they sent a beautiful card where they all shared personal memories of her. By the words they wrote, it was very clear they really knew her well. I highly recommend Your Dog Trainer for boarding/kennel. read more

Just recently had my second dog go through the boot camp at Your Dog Trainer (last time was about 15 years ago with my previous dog Fritz). Their training and care for your pup is second to none. Everyone is really friendly and they really care for the animals they train. Molly (our GSP) did the 25 days of bootcamp. Once she came home I could quickly tell that she didn't pick up on the training as well as Fritz (Weimaraner) did. She was still jumping on us, not fully following commands and still in full puppy mode. Roger (who didn't train Molly originally) did a follow up call to check in and see how she was doing. When we expressed our concerns he immediately told us to bring her back for another week of training. That turned into two weeks which eventually turned into three weeks (no additional charge for training or boarding). He wanted to make sure that they got it right and Molly came home the way you would expect a dog that had gone through bootcamp to come home. Roger takes great pride in his work! We then did the follow up one on one sessions. Due to Covid-19 we had to do it virtually (Facetime). We were a little hesitant at first as it felt like it would be hard to really receive the full training. Well, it wasn't. Roger was great! Molly is doing great and continuing to improve with the more time that we put into it! It really shows that Roger and his team cares. We will definitely be staying connected to them and send our next dog to them as well. Well worth it! read more

Was a great help even though he was not able to train my dog because of scheduling issues.

We have used Your Dog Trainer over the past 25 years for training our family dogs and boarding and grooming them when we are away. We couldn't be happier with the services they offer. Staff is personable and caring, they care for one of our special needs dogs as if she's their own, and we never feel rushed when receiving lessons, or checking on our dogs while we are vacationing. And the results of the training have been amazing! From our Rottweilers to our Australian Cattle Dogs, Roger and Jeff have shown patience with our dogs (and us) to teach them all great manners. read more

I've been through training multiple times with different dogs with great success. It's hard work but fun. You can do it. Have faith in yourself. (Too bad Yelp pushes all the positive reviews to the filtered page. If you don't pay Yelp, they break your legs.) read more

Look beneath the veneer. This these guys claim to know everything , but they actaually cause more harm than anything else. They seem to promote a one size fits all dog training GROUP lessons. But, when it doesn't work they are ready with $140 or $165 lessons. Pretty slick. But, this is the WRONG approach. Dogs like to please, not be pushed around and forced to adopt a harsh regime. Note, the head trainer can't stop giving advise on how screwed up you and your dog are, but is interesting that his own dog is primarily kept in a cage to bark at traffic in the hot sun. Perhaps, if you adopt a get tough approach, and can deal with their continual concern for dog fights and biting, you can be ready for their mentality at $135 or $165 an hour. read more

Roger and his team are excellent! We have been taking our GSD to training and daycare since he was 4 months (now 8 months). They have the best trainers who are passionate about what they do and have really helped us so much with our pup. The staff is always so friendly and accommodating to our needs and our dog is always excited to see them :) read more

I'd give 0 stars if I could and still write a review. I went here because my puppy was showing signs of aggression towards other dogs and I called to see if they could help. Whoever I talked to on the phone did a fantastic job of selling this place to me. She pretty much gave me an appointment to come in and check it out and bring my puppy. When I went in I found out that it was a group class for free to see if people liked it. They put me with a group of about 10 other dogs and it was just the worst. I have a lab mix and he was already about 30 pounds, he kept baking and trying to pull at the other dogs and all they did was show me off as examples of bad dog behavior and handling. They never tried correcting me or giving me tips. The trainer took my dog and yanked on his collar which only made him cough and wheeze, made him sit and have him a fist full of treats from his pocket that he promptly vomited. I was so frustrated and tired, I wanted to leave half way through the class and I should have. I had such high hopes that I was going to get helped and not just made an example of and put to the side like I had. The only things I got out of this place was a puppy with a sore neck, an upset stomach and FLEAS. Yep, we came home with a Ton of fleas. My Dexter loves all people including kids and babies, but sadly he does not like dogs to this day. I feel like he was traumatized even more by going here. A Ton of negative energy around dogs at such a young age. read more

I wouldn't even get give them this star but yelp wouldn't allowed to write something. ..they are not friendly and its like they choose who they want to take care of. Bad business and to top it off they are very pricy. They were going to charge me almost 1100 for a month to watch my dog....looks to me that they are racist. . read more

I dropped off my dog at Your Dog Trainer for extensive training and behavior modification. At age 6, he had become a source of worry for me. I couldn't trust him at all around other dogs and he made me very nervous around small children. After 11 days, he came home exhausted, depressed, and thin. But what a miraculous turnaround!! Within a few days, he was well-rested and happy to be home. With the pinch collar on, he was a perfect dog. Always responsive to verbal commands, and rarely requiring any actual use of the collar. I could walk him right past other dogs and he barely showed any interest, instead of charging them like he used to. With the collar off, he was still very, very well-behaved, although not as attentive to commands as when the collar was on him. Overall, I highly recommend this facility. They genuinely care for and respect the animals they work with. Their methods may be construed as harsh or even abusive by some people, but not by me. I tried "obedience training" and "gentle behavior modification" and got poor results. The methods used by Your Dog Trainer are effective and they saved my relationship with my dog. He showed no signs of emotional trauma after the first few days at home after his training. He never acted afraid and he was just tired for the most part. He is fully immersed as part of the family now, and extremely well-behaved. I continue to reinforce his commands on a daily basis (which is recommended by the trainers) and I no longer have to worry about his behavior. read more

Not happy with the board and care aspect. My dogs were there for four days and returned to me filthy and smelling of urine. One dog's coat was still wet with urine. After 20 years of using YDT, this is the worse experience. Will not be back. read more

Since 2/27 I have called this place 3 times, they take down my information and even asked me to email them paperwork which I have done. Every time I am told that I will be called back in a day or two and no response. Sadly they have no customer service skills. read more

So many great things to say about this place! My dog always loves coming here for boarding. Love all gals who run this facility :-) Thank you for all n you do for our doggies!!!! read more

Great facility very good care with the animals very knowledgeable staff and trainers. Thanks for all your help always Roger.

In 2008 when my youngest child started first grade, we decided it was time to get a dog. I looked at breeders and rescues and could not make up my mind where to go. I had never had a dog before. Many of my friends in Tustin used "Your Dog Trainer" for training. I planned to go there for training with whatever dog I got. So I called them to ask for a recommendation of a place to go. Guess what? They have dogs. So I talked to the office manager and she described a bunch of dogs they had rescued. One in particular seemed a good fit. So we went down and met her. She had been at YDT for a couple months and they had crate trained her, she walked well on a leash and was a beautiful dog. We took her. That was ten years ago. Amy is now a part of our family. She is a little shy and doesn't play fetch or anything. But having a dog that was already trained was key. We were able to continue her training and she is a really great dog. When we have to leave town we board Amy at Your Dog Trainer. The conditions are not luxurious. But the dogs get social time and everyone there really loves these dogs. For our Amy going to "Your Dog Rainer" is like Disneyland. She loves it there. And sleeps for a day when she comes home after being so social at the kennel. We are so grateful to Your Dog Trainer for bringing Amy to us and for their care of her when we travel. read more

1st time using a boarding care for a dog and it was a great experience. Staff was great and very personable. The place even gave me a military discount. read more

I cannot recommend Your Dog Trainer highly enough! All three of my dogs have been trained here, and the results were amazing. The trainers are well versed in every approach to dog training...not all training techniques work with every dog, and they strive to find the one that will work best for your dog, providing a totally personalized program. They also work hard at training the human which is so important if you are going to be successful in owning a good canine citizen. As for boarding...how nice to be able to go away and know that your dog will be loved and cared for by a staff that will treat them like they are one of their own! I always come home from vacation to a happy, relaxed, clean dog! Thanks YDT! read more

Jeff, the trainer, really understands dogs and has helped me a lot. I'd recommend him to anyone.

A few friends have now started training with them also, and are having success with their dogs for the first time ever... read more

Jeff is the best! I've been taking my puppy here for training over the last 6 weeks and have seen a significant improvement. I started with puppy training at Petsmart, which was fine, but didn't correct behavior out in public. My vet recommended that I go to these trainers and I have been very impressed! Will recommend to everyone and very reasonable price for 2 months+ of training. My dog rarely jumps, listens to commands and is much better behaved around other people now. These guys are fantastic! read more

Roger has trained two of our dogs over 10 years apart. Roger has a very thorough knowledge of all aspects of dog training. He has an incredible innate understanding of dogs and relates to the dogs so well. Our current dog loves him, responds to him, and loves his lessons. Roger has patience with my husband and I as he helps us to understand how to work with our dogs. Our latest dog in training with him has made great strides with Roger's guidance. Roger's staff is helpful, friendly, and professional. Roger and his team are special people with special talents. read more

Okay so I'm VERY disappointed. We had a 2-hour orientation for our dog, who we have been wanting to train. Originally we had planned to do private lessons but the MAIN INSTRUCTOR had recommended group lessons. We had hope for our dog who desperately needed lessons. We arrived for the first group lesson and obviously our dog was barking. However I had hoped that this would have been resolved throughout the lessons. Once again I am VERY disappointed. The main instructor had stated that it would be a small group, which wasn't the case. Then the instructor chose our friends dog with similar problems and COMPLETELY EMBARRASSED us by explaining that we are a perfect example of what not to do. I am here to fix this problem not get publicly humiliated. Then the instructor YELLED at his assistant for comforting our friend. The trainers sent us to the corner so he could focus on the other dogs who did not have the same problems that we did. I understand that it is a group class but The MAIN TRAINER AND THE ASSISTANT never approached our dog. We also got different types of advice, nothing was consistent. The trainer was not professional, should have never recommended group lessons if he was not planning on helping, and should not have humiliated our dogs like that. I was expecting to finally make progress on our difficult dog but we got the opposite, and I want to be very clear, we were COMPLIANT. Not professional at all! read more

I run an animal rescue and work with a lot of dogs and a lot of trainers. This place should be considered one of the worst dog training facilities that exists. We took one of our dogs here. She had aggression issues. Rather than address that issue, they only worked on her basic commands, which she already knew. They were not capable of giving her the training she needs. In addition, we signed up for 2 weeks of training and only got 10 days! Furthermore, they fed her the day she was getting spayed. They knew she was getting spayed that day and had specific instructions to not feed her that morning. Clearly they did because she nearly died on the operating table from choking on the food that was recently put in her system. They denied feeding her, but I picked her up from their facility to take her to the vet for her spay procedure. Lynn who runs the place is incredibly rude, and their trainers are inept. Do not take your dog here for training unless you want to be treated badly and have them tell you that you should put your dog down because they don't know how to train it. read more

We have taken our dog here for her entire life. Every person working here is a true dog lover. Lynn wouldn't have anything less. I completely disagree with and do not understand the reviews about boarding being expensive and training being cruel. The training motive at YDT is to have the best outcome for your dog and not to damage YOUR ego by making an example of your dog. I have always felt a "We are all in this together." vibe from YDT. read more

I love Your Dog Trainer and I am so grateful for the care and assistance Lynn and Kathy give to my precious pups. They give so much care and attention to everyone's precious pups. I highly recommend Your Dog Trainer to anyone who needs a loving place to board their pups. read more

I had driven from San Diego to look at some dogs that are boarded here for a rescue that I've fostered/adopted from for about 10 years. At first everything seemed ok, but the dogs I saw didn't seem like they'd be cat friendly. I looked through a broken window at the kennel area, and saw this sweet small German Shepherd in her corner kennel. I asked to see her. She was cowering and terrified. Most likely from the horrible life before her rescue. So we went home together. We were so exhausted that night that I didn't notice her licking her stomach until the next day. I was horrified to see an open oozing sore. I took her to my vet ASAP. It turns out she has 4 very large breast cancer tumors and the one is open and ulcerated. When I called the volunteer at the kennel, she said no one there had noticed anything wrong. My vet said she thinks it's impossible for them not to have seen this unless they never took her out of the kennel! I don't blame the rescue. They are paying this kennel for boarding and depending on volunteers and employees at the kennel to care for and train the dogs. This poor girl isn't house trained, I don't think she's ever even been in a house. So I would seriously reconsider leaving my dog there if I cared for him/her at al. PS This dog may probably die now because this kennel let this go for so long!!! Seems a horrible shame to have lived such a terrible life and then die from breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!!!! read more

I've used YDT for two dogs, and have gotten positive results with both. One was a fearful rescue dog who growled at my toddler and other kids, one a pure bred who thinks he's a person. End result? Through in-home lessons, I got my rescue to stop growling at my then toddler and she became a better dog around kids and people in general. Through a combination of in-home and at the kennel lessons, my family and I learned how to manage our over exhuberant 70 lb. poodle. And yes, in public, I always use a prong collar. If I didn't he would pull me over. But I was taught how to use the collar correctly so I don't hurt the dog. The training package is such a deal. For about $150 a year, you get access to lessons twice a week at the kennel -- for a whole year!!!!!. They offer lessons in sequence every 10 weeks or so, and you can repeat as often as you like. You don't have to go twice a week, you can go once, it's up to you. Some people bring their dogs at least once a week even after they've completed the basic training course, just to keep training fresh. Nice people, dedicated long time staffers. They specialize in shepherds and pits, but they'll help you with any dog. Every dog needs training, even purse dogs. Do yourself a favor and go see the gang at Your Dog Trainer! read more