You may contact us at (310) 560-0686 or at South Bay Doggie's main number: (310) 939-9212
Our Philosophy
We view dogs as creatures different from, but not less than ourselves, deserving of the same level of respect, compassion and understanding which we would give to other humans. Screaming, hitting, and humiliation are not part of our repertoire. This does not mean we believe that giving in to a dog's demands or letting a dog "run all over you" is a good thing, however! We favor the approach of "firmness cloaked in gentleness".
Essentially, we treat our own dogs and the dogs entrusted into our care as "children". We think that barking at or jumping on people is no more appropriate in dogs than it would be in humans. And just like kids, dogs rise or fall to match our level of expectation.
Humans and dogs differ from one another cognitively, but emotionally we are pretty much the same. If we are nervous, insecure "parents", our dogs will be insecure as well. This can manifest as fearfulness or aggression, depending upon the dog's individual temperament. Establishing a strong bond with the dog, creating a relationship of mutual respect and caring is at the core of our training method. All obedience is built upon this foundation.
Our training style is similar to the techniques of Cesar Millan ("The Dog Whisperer") who we had the amazing good fortune of training with back in 2002 and 2003 during 5 separate 5-hour workshops. We've found that Cesar's basic recipe of "exercise, discipline, and affection" and setting "rules, boundaries, and limitations" helps to give dogs what they need to become well-balanced family members. By incorporating many of his ideas into our own philosophy and style, we've developed a training method which we believe is easy for dog owners to understand and put into practice in their daily lives.
Our Specialties
* Basic obedience training and "housebreaking" for puppies and older
dogs
* Problem-solving (destructiveness, barking, jumping, puppy biting, etc.)
* Aggression (dog-to-dog or dog-to-human)
* Hyperactivity/ADD-type behavior
Programs:
Basic Obedience Class for Beginners
5 week course covering all basic commands - come, wait, sit, down, stay, heel as well as some problem solving such as dealing with jumping, chewing, and puppy biting. First class meets at South Bay Doggie Day Care. Subsequent classes take place at various locations including quiet city streets, the Green Belt, malls, city parks, and The Strand. We want your training to be relevant to managing your dog in real world situations.
Cost: $75
Enrollment limited to 6 dogs
Next class starts Saturday, March 6th at 2:00 PM.
Pre-registration required.
Call: (310) 939-9212
Upcoming classes beginning dates:
Saturday, April 17th
Saturday, May 29th
Saturday, July 10th
Free Group Support Class
Every Saturday at 4:00, we host a group support class in Sunny Glenn Park in Torrance. (See map and directions below.)There is no charge for this class, and anyone is welcome to attend, regardless of their dog's training history. We do not teach obedience in this class. Its purpose is socialization and to improve each dog's ability to concentrate on his owner's commands in the presence of distractions.
Although dozens of dogs participate in this class, each week we usually have only 15 to 20 dogs in class. This is because people use this class when they need it. You can't "get behind" because the structure is set up to support the needs of each participant in the class. The only "rule" we have is that before and during class, we ask owners to restrain their dogs from approaching other dogs, since many of the dogs who attend the class are there because they have issues with other dogs on leash.
If you would like to join us, just show up at the park at 4:00.
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