Laughing Dogs Davis

Group classes run as multi-week packages sorted by age and social need: Puppies for dogs under four months and under 30 pounds, focused on socialization and basic obedience; Adolescent and Adult Dogs, focused on etiquette, leash work, and recall; Reactive Adolescent and Adult Dogs, focused on proximity, safety, and handling; Advanced Adult Dogs, focused on public access and upper division skills; and a Rally Club and Competition track focused on precision and partnership. A Walking Club membership offers a leashed, no-contact community walk rather than a class. Private training includes a week-long Walk and Train leash package of four absent-owner sessions plus one owner education session, one-hour private sessions in a neutral moving environment, an in-home Puppy Primer, an in-home private session for adult dogs, a 30-minute behavioral evaluation, and a 45-minute private phone consultation. Daily Enrichment is a longer-term absent-owner group program of at least three sessions per week with pickup and drop-off included. AKC Canine Good Citizen testing is offered privately or in a group.

Pricing Summary

Group class packages are priced by track: Puppies $250 for five classes, Adolescent and Adult Dogs $200 for four classes, Reactive Adolescent and Adult Dogs $250 for five classes, Advanced Adult Dogs $300 for six classes, and Rally Club and Competition $375 to $420 for six classes plus an AKC number, competition enrollment, and a team shirt. Walking Club membership is $65 per month. Private services: Walk and Train $355, private session $150, Puppy Primer $175, in-home private session for adult dogs $225, behavioral evaluation $120, and private phone consultation $60. Daily Enrichment runs $105 to $150 per week. AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation is $100 privately or $50 per participant in a group, with a free retest if needed.

Policies

Every service requires a martingale collar, a six-foot flat leash, high-value treats, and a treat pouch, and proof of vaccines is required. Group classes are sold as packages rather than drop-ins. Reactive, adolescent, adult, and advanced classes are run with no physical contact between dogs; only the puppy class includes controlled contact. Daily Enrichment requires a minimum of three sessions per week. A dog who does not pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test may take it a second time free of charge.

Laughing Dogs Davis is a family-owned dog training business in Davis, California, established in 2021 as a sister company of Laughing Dogs Academy, which has been training dogs since 1996. The team trains with positive-only, science-based methods, and its stated mission is to build lifelong empathetic relationships between dogs and their owners. Services cover puppy training, basic obedience, behavior modification, group classes, advanced training, private lessons, service dog training, absent-owner training, and AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluations.

Group classes are organized by age and social need, with separate tracks for puppies, adolescent and adult dogs, reactive dogs, advanced dogs, and a rally and competition club. Private options range from a single behavioral evaluation to week-long absent-owner Walk and Train packages and multi-week Daily Enrichment programs with pickup and drop-off. A Walking Club membership gives clients a leashed, no-contact way to build community outside of class.

The founder and head trainer, Alex, is a second-generation trainer and Davis native with 15 years of experience across service dogs, working dogs, and family pets. Kaylin, a UC Davis alumna and service dog owner, directs operations, and Maya works as an associate trainer. The practice requires a martingale collar, a six-foot flat leash, high-value treats, a treat pouch, and proof of vaccines for all services, and it recommends the Gentle Leader as its preferred non-aversive tool for pulling.

Accomplishments

Laughing Dogs Davis has operated in Davis since 2021 under founder and head trainer Alex, a second-generation trainer and Davis native with 15 years of experience spanning service dogs, working dogs, and family pets. Clients report referrals from UC Davis Behavior, and the practice runs an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation program and a rally competition team. It carries forward the Laughing Dogs Academy training tradition, which dates to 1996.

How to Get Started!

Call or text (530) 220-6562 to talk through your dog’s needs and choose a starting point. A 30-minute behavioral evaluation is the usual first step for establishing goals and a plan, and a 45-minute private phone consultation is available for a single targeted behavior. Group class packages and private in-home sessions can be booked directly from there.