Welcome to the Perfect Puppy Academy
Perfect Puppy Academy classes are held evenings and weekends at comfortable indoor facilities. A session of Academy classes consists of five weekly, one-hour classes. Each has four to twelve dogs and their owners. All members of your family are encouraged to participate. Children must be at least five years old and able to stay focused on the class.
Specializing in Puppies for over 20 Years!
What Makes Us Special
Dog Friendly Training
Easy to Learn
Scientifically Proven Methods
Professionally Certified and Experienced Instructor
Veterinarian-developed Program
18 Years and Over 6,000 Satisfied Graduates
Serving the Goleta and Santa Barbara areas
We also offer classes for older dogs!
Your puppy can be perfect in 3 easy steps:
1. Socialization
Your puppy is exposed to people, other dogs, and the outside world.
2. Good puppy manners
Your puppy learns Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Walk on Leash, Leave it Alone, Settle Down and Greet a Stranger.
3. Bite Inhibition
Your puppy learns to have a soft mouth so it will not cause injury.
Perfect Puppy Academy Classes
Puppy Class 1
- Dog is between 10 and 18 weeks old on the date the class starts. If your puppy is older, please consider our Adolescent / Adult 1 classes.
- It has been at least 10 days since your puppy has received its first set of vaccinations, and your puppy is current on distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus vaccinations, as recommended by your veterinarian.
Puppy 1 class is held at an indoor facility: 733 Carpinteria St., Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Puppy Class 2
- Dog has completed the Puppy 1 course offered by the Perfect Puppy Academy.
- Dog is younger than one-year-old.
- Dog is current on distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, and rabies vaccinations, as recommended by your veterinarian.
Puppy 2 class is held at an indoor facility: 733 Carpinteria St., Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Puppy 3: Training more advanced skills
You and your pup have completed Puppy 1 & 2 and are ready to take your training to the next level. In the Puppy 3 class we will be working on more refined manners and polite greetings, impulse control work in distracting settings, and advanced leash walking skills. The last two classes of the session will take place out in the community. Come and join us for the next level in your puppy’s life education!
Adolescent/Adult Class 1
- Adolescent/Adult 1 classes are for dogs older than 18 weeks.
- Dog is people and other-dog friendly.
- Dog is up-to-date on distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, and rabies vaccinations, as recommended by your veterinarian.
- Adolescent/Adult Class 1 is held at Girsh Park, 7050 Phelps Road, Goleta, CA 93117
Community Canine Class
This class is open to dogs who have completed the Puppy 2, 3 or Adolescent 2 sessions and are working on more advanced training around distractions. All of the meetings for this series will take place downtown in various outdoor settings and will include maintaining a down-stay on a mat in public, walking through crowded areas, enhancing polite manners and greetings, recalls past distractions, and more impulse control work. This class will be limited to 5 dog and handler teams, to allow for more individualized instruction and attention. Dogs that have passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen test (CGC) will be eligible to take the Advanced Community Canine Test (Advanced CGC).
Loose Leash Walking & Reliable Recall
- You and your dog/puppy have completed an Adolescent 1 or Puppy 1 class series
- Your dog/puppy is up to date on vet-recommended vaccines, including rabies
- Front-clip harness like an Easy-Walk, or Halti head collar
- 15 or 20-foot long training leash
- Loose Leash Walking & Reliable Recall is held at Girsh Park, 7050 Phelps Road, Goleta, CA 93117
Canine Good Citizen Class
Is your dog a Good Citizen? Work on the criteria needed to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test by fine tuning your dog’s social and training skills while demonstrating responsible ownership. In this class we will cover and practice the elements of the CGC test, you are encouraged to take the test at the end of the session if you and your dog are ready. We will be working on skills that include training focus, grooming, loose leash walking, stay, come when called, and nice manners around people and other dogs. This is an on-leash class.
Goals of the AKC CGC Prep Course:
- Practice the 10 CGC test elements, prepare for the test with dogs and owners when ready
- Enhance your training skills, work on good manners and behavior
- Preparation for those considering therapy dog certification
- A starting point for those who may want to try agility, rally, obedience, and other dog sports
This class is designed for owners with dogs that are calm, good natured, and friendly with people and other dogs.
For a dog with high energy or that needs more work with training obedience skills, manners, and is not people and other-dog friendly, please see our other training courses or inquire about private lessons.
A session of dog training classes consists of five weekly, one-hour long classes on evenings or weekends at an indoor/outdoor location.
A training manual is included in the enrollment fee.
The entire family is encouraged to participate.
Instructor Anne Swan
Anne began teaching classes at the Perfect Puppy Academy after meeting Academy Director Dr. David Chubb in 2005. She enjoys and appreciates the enthusiasm that puppies and their owners bring to every session, and works with students to smooth the transition of adding puppies and adopted dogs to the household. She employs gentle and effective methods based on positive reinforcement and establishing leadership. Anne’s goal is to create well-behaved and socialized family members that you will look forward to spending time with.
Anne regularly attends continuing education conferences and seminars in which she has the opportunity to work with some of the leading animal trainers from around the world.
Anne is also a part of the Goleta Valley Dog Club, Inc.
What is positive reinforcement and why should I use it?
Positive reinforcement training involves rewarding a dog for behaving correctly and redirecting unwanted behaviors to something that is more rewarding. This training builds a bond of trust and cooperation with your dog. This is the type of training used in zoos, wild animal parks, marine parks, and circuses throughout the world.
Training using punishment can confuse the dog as to exactly which behavior he is being punished for. Also, punishment can cause dogs to cower or become aggressive.
Best Of Reader's Poll for Best Dog Trainer!
“Is there anything more adorable and joyous than a puppy?” asked Anne Swan, a certified professional dog trainer with 20 years of experience and the owner of Perfect Puppy Academy. The answer is no, “but along with the fun and excitement that puppies add to our lives, there are also challenges,” she said. Positive-reinforcement training techniques are very effective, “and we utilize these in our group classes and private instruction with great success,” Swan explained. “I enjoy helping my clients navigate the various concerns they may have regarding normal puppy issues: house training, obedience skills and manners, nipping and mouthiness, crate training, learning to walk nicely on a leash, and coming when called.” Similar concerns exist for owners of older or more-recently adopted dogs, which she can also help with, Swan said.
What people are saying
Our Puppy 1 class was great as Anne is simply a superb trainer!!! Our puppy Nick had a great time too. We're looking forward to Puppy 2.
Thank you, ANNE. I was born a good dog, but I really appreciate how you trained my parents to help me to become a great dog. I would recommend you to anyone wanting to learn how to have a well trained and happy dog. Woof, Jessie
I have been reading/following Dr. Dunbar's book, Before and After You Get Your Puppy, and am very excited to get Cookie into your class.
We had a fantastic time in your class. The Callender humans learned a lot. We've passed along our positive experience to other puppy owners. Thanks again for guiding us on Rory's training.
We just completed the Puppy 1 class and thought it was wonderful. The methods used in the Perfect Puppy Academy are great and, as Walter is an energetic Labrador Retriever with selective hearing, I look forward to continuing his training in the Puppy 2 class with Barbara.
I have taken two dogs to The Perfect Puppy Academy, as well as attended with family with five other dogs in different classes! My last class I chose to add on the Puppy Two class as I enjoyed Puppy One so much. I think that this class is absolutely essential for the addition of any new dog in your life, whether puppy or adult. Anne understands dogs in an incredible way, and can translate that to owners in a way that forever connects us with our dogs. The Perfect Puppy Acadamy equips dog owners to feel confident in their relationship with their dogs by giving the necessary tools to better care for and train them. Anne understands the needs of the owners and gives very realistic training tools that are easy to follow. My dogs and I always felt comfortable in these classes and made connections with other dog people as well. I always recommend this class to any new dog owner!
Charlie and I can't thank you enough for the class we took with Olive. The three of us have clearly benefitted from your expertise as well as your patient and caring guidance. Though we are seniors, we knew that we needed training as much as our little rescue dog did, and we hoped to find a relaxed and compassionate setting for all three of us. You came highly recommended and for good reason. You were quickly responsive to our initial inquiries, the class we chose was clearly presented on your website and lived up to its goals, and the additional "life skills" and product recommendations you suggested have been useful. In addition, we had a great time!
I’m so glad Dr Quinn recommended you. I believe Perfect Puppy training will prove to be invaluable to us as we begin life together. You skillfully laid down a foundation of the basics while blending in many useful suggestions about lots of the smaller things. Additionally I am finding your outline to be a useful reference resource. I appreciate you expertise, kindness and talent.