Smart Paws Dog Training
Ranked #4 in Los Angeles and #43 in California
Service area: Smart Paws Dog Training offers services within the Los Angeles area, specifically serving Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, East Los Angeles, Downtown L.A., La Cañada, Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank, and Studio City. Training walks are available in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Mt. Washington, Eagle Rock, La Canada, Montrose, Glendale, Burbank, and Larchmont. Additional fees may apply for in-home visits 10 miles outside of Silver Lake.
Service Overview
Types of Dog Training
- Family Dog
- Behavior Modification
Specialty Focus Areas
- Basic Obedience
- Puppy Training
- Leash Pulling
- Reactivity / Aggression
- Jumping on People
- Barking Excessively
- Separation Anxiety
- Biting / Nipping
- Potty Training
- Resource Guarding
- Fearfulness
- Recall
Training Formats Offered
- Group Classes
- In-Home
Program Formats
- One-Time Consultation
- Sessions Package
- Ongoing Weekly
Age of Dogs Trained
- Puppy (<1 year)
- Adolescent (1-2 years)
- Adult (2-8 years)
Dog Training Methodology
Methods:
- ✓ Positive Reinforcement Only
Smart Paws offers group classes, in-home classes, and training reinforcement walks. Group classes are held at Christ’s Church at Griffith Park in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, on Sundays at 6:00 PM or Tuesdays at 7:00 PM. These classes run for 45 minutes to one hour over five consecutive weeks and cover commands like sit, stay, down stay, come, heel, find it, leave it, go to your spot, and free.
In-home classes provide one-on-one training in the client’s home, with options for a single 1-1/2 hour visit, a four-visit program (approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes over one month), or an eight-visit program (eight 1/2 hour sessions over four weeks). These sessions cover basic obedience commands and address individual behavioral problems.
Training reinforcement walks are available for clients who have completed a training course. A Smart Paws trainer will walk the dog at the client’s home, reinforcing learned behaviors and continuing training in various contexts to improve effectiveness and reliability.
Pricing & Policies
Pricing Summary
Group classes cost $235 for five consecutive weeks, with a $30 non-refundable deposit required to reserve a spot, which is applied towards the balance.
In-home training offers three options: a 1-1/2 hour visit for $206, a four-visit program for $571, and an eight-visit program for $571. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required for in-home reservations and is applied towards the balance. The four-visit program can be split among up to three dogs.
Training reinforcement walks are priced at $45 for a half-hour walk and $60 for a 45-minute walk.
Policies
Reservations for group classes are non-refundable. A non-refundable deposit is required for both group classes ($30) and in-home training ($50), which is applied towards the balance once the class or session starts.
Testimonials
“There are many dog trainers scattered around Los Angeles. Some are skilled communicators but lack professional training skills. Some are great trainers but are unable to communicate effectively. Still others have both training and communication skills but treat dogs as possessions rather than family members. Jenina is that rare trainer who loves what she does and truly respects the dogs and people she works with. She has excellent training skills, honed through years of study and working with dogs of all temperaments. I highly recommend her.”
– Paul Owens
“I’ve been involved with rescue for years which is how I first met Jenina. A couple had hired her to help them work with their dog because they wanted to bring a second dog into their home and their dog could be dog aggressive. I could not believe the difference in this dog from the first time I met her to when we were able to do a meet and greet with one of our rescue dogs. From that moment on I have been using Jenina for my own dogs as well as our rescue dogs. She does not believe in, nor does she use a choke, prong or shock collars. She is all about positive reinforcement, consistency, and patience. Jenina has taught me so much about dog behavior and how they communicate. She is a phenomenal trainer and makes it fun for both dog and owner.”
– Barbara D.
“We hired Jenina to help us learn to train our puppy. She came to the house and all of our animals, 2 dogs and 5 cats, fell in love with her. They all came to class and she worked so well with each of them. The cats sat on the table and watched the dogs work out and everyone got treats! Jenina was wonderful with our dogs and with us. The trick to training a dog apparently is to train the owner properly. Alas, she did not give us tasty treats! But we had a great time and our even our old dog responded. Our puppy did an awesome job of learning from her and transferred that obedience to me, mostly. I would and have recommended her to anyone asking about a trainer and to some who just obviously need help. She is kind and warm with the dogs; they love her as if she were a goddess, and she trains them without jerking, yelling, or hitting them. They are never afraid of her or corrections. she is easy going and funny. Thank you Jenina for your work and kindness to all of us.”
– Cat R.
About the Trainer
Smart Paws Dog Training is a business owned and operated by Jenina Schutter, a dog trainer with over 15 years of experience. Jenina developed a passion for animals as a child in Germany and later founded Smart Paws after successfully training her own dog, Boris, who had serious behavioral problems.
The business focuses on providing dog obedience training and treating dog behavioral issues. Their training methods are based on punishment-free, positive rewards only, with a motto of “No Pain, All Game!” They offer both in-home and group dog training classes, as well as training reinforcement walks.
Smart Paws serves the greater Los Angeles area, including Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, La Cañada, Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank, and Studio City. They aim to make training fun for both the dog and owner, emphasizing consistency and patience.
Accomplishments
Jenina Schutter, the owner of Smart Paws, has been fine-tuning her training methods since 2000, accumulating over 15 years of experience. She was mentored by Paul Owens, founder of Raise with Praise and author of “The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training.”
Jenina worked for a year as Head Trainer of the Glendale Humane Society, providing obedience training and handling behavior issues. She continues to consult for dog rescue organizations on training matters and upkeeps her education with yearly seminars. She was also active with Boris in the Hollywood Obedience Club with trainer David Berry.
How to Get Started!
To get started, clients can call Smart Paws Dog Training at (323) 350-3578 or email smartpawsla1@gmail.com for more information or to register for classes. Phone calls will be returned within 24 hours. Phone or email are preferred methods of communication; no texting.
Contact Information
Availability
- Weekdays
- Weekends
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening
Misc Features
- Women-owned
- wheelchair accessible entrance
- wheelchair accessible parking