Yolo Canine Academy

Yolo Canine Academy offers a variety of training programs designed to meet diverse needs. Evaluations and Private Lessons assess a pet’s temperament, current obedience level, and training goals, leading to a tailored plan. These can be conducted at their facility or in the client’s home. Puppies are welcome but must have at least two DHLP-P vaccinations.

Group Lessons are weekly obedience classes held at their indoor and outdoor facility, open to all breeds. There are three levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced, each consisting of six, one-hour weekly sessions. Beginner training covers basic on-leash commands (Heel, Sit, Stay, Down, Come) and addresses common behavioral issues like jumping, barking, and aggression. Intermediate training continues on-leash work, introduces off-leash skills, hand signals, agility, and prepares dogs for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test (CGC). Advanced training builds on previous levels, focusing on recall, off-leash work, agility, and preparation for advanced AKC obedience titles (CD, CDX, UD). It also allows for work on individual behavioral challenges and special skills. Problem dogs, including reactive ones, are welcome after completing the first two levels.

The Police K9 Patrol Program is a four-week intensive program combining classroom and hands-on training, focusing on specific department goals, officer safety, suspect apprehension, tracking, area searches, and on/off leash control. Dog Boot Camp is a customized two-week intensive training program where pets board at the facility, learning on-leash basic obedience and addressing specific behavior problems. This package includes three private follow-up lessons and lifetime group obedience classes. An evaluation is required for acceptance.

Personal Protection training focuses on developing dogs to deter criminals and take action against unwanted visitors, ensuring control on and off leash, gentleness in social settings, and stable temperament with strong alert and guarding ability. Schutzhund training is offered for dogs capable of this rigorous sport, with individual evaluations encouraged to determine suitability. Renee Lancaster instructs all three phases. The K9 Narcotics course is an intense four-week program emphasizing odor detection, officer safety, and courtroom testimony, training dogs to exceed minimum POST certification standards.

Pricing Summary

Private lessons cost $125 per individual lesson, or $100 per lesson if four or more lessons are purchased. Group lessons are priced at $150 per level and require a $50.00 deposit.

The cost for Dog Boot Camp varies and is determined by the specific needs identified during the pet’s evaluation. Pricing for Police K9 and K9 Narcotics programs is determined upon the needs of the Department and requires a consultation with the Department Canine Supervisor. Boarding services are $35 per day, with basic medications administered for an additional $2.00 per day.

Yolo Canine Academy is a dog training business located on a 20-acre facility in Woodland, California. They offer a wide range of training services, including private lessons, group classes, police K9 training, dog boot camp, personal protection, Schutzhund, and K9 narcotics training. The academy specializes in behavioral challenges and accepts all breeds and temperaments, even those that have previously failed elsewhere.

The business is led by Renee Lancaster, a world-renowned trainer/handler with over 35 years of experience. In addition to training, Yolo Canine Academy operates 29 Palms Pet Resort, a full-service boarding facility for dogs and cats, which has been recognized as Best of Yolo two years in a row by The Davis Enterprise.

They also provide grooming services for both dogs and cats. Yolo Canine Academy is home to Vom Riegelhaus Kennels, a breeding program for German Shepherds and Rottweilers, and Rotts of Friends Animal Rescue, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The facility boasts amenities such as a competition lighted training field, an indoor building for year-round classes, a separate agility course, and a water source for hunting and field trial training.

Accomplishments

Renee Lancaster, the owner and founder of Yolo Canine Academy, has been training dogs and raising German Shepherds and Rottweilers since the age of 18. She has trained thousands of dogs, with over 60 for Schutzhund competition, and has titled eight of her personal dogs to the top level of Schutzhund III. She is a two-time member of the USA World Team, competing in Germany and France, and is the 2018 United States Rottweiler Club Working Dog Champion with her Rottweiler Chiron, earning a spot on the 2019 International Federation of Rottweilers (IFR) World Team.

Renee holds a BS degree in pre-veterinary medicine from Fresno State University and became a licensed Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in 1977, maintaining her license for 42 years. She has experience working in numerous veterinary clinics, including the University of California at Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. She also had a 22-year career as a police officer, including 11 years as a police canine handler, and was instrumental in starting and managing police K9 units for the Roseville Police Department and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department. Her police canines received many awards at the Police Olympics. Renee is a POST certified canine instructor and has been deemed an expert witness in several counties for court testimony.

Yolo Canine Academy’s 29 Palms Pet Resort has been awarded Best of Yolo two years in a row by The Davis Enterprise and was voted best Kennel in Yolo County in both 2018 and 2019. The academy has also been highlighted by the media for its community service, public education, and training, and has advised local celebrities.

How to Get Started!

To get started, evaluations are required for private lessons and the Dog Boot Camp program. These evaluations can be conducted at the facility or in your home and are scheduled by appointment only. For group lessons, space is limited, and a $50.00 deposit is required to secure a spot. Advanced reservations are also required for the Dog Boot Camp. Clients are encouraged to call to schedule an appointment or to inquire about the group training schedule.