American Canine Institute - Fremont, California

J SF

I recently read a review here that raised some concerns, and I wanted to offer a completely different perspective. We enrolled our one-year-old terrier-poodle mix, Cookie, in Annette's puppy socialization class, and it's been an absolute game-changer for us.

Cookie came to us with no formal training, and let's just say he could be a bit...enthusiastic around other dogs. Pulling on the leash, barking, the whole nine yards. While he adored people, navigating dog interactions was a constant stressor.

Enter Annette! Her class was a lifesaver. Annette is the epitome of warmth and patience. Her passion for dog training is contagious, and her expertise is undeniable. Within just eight short weeks, Cookie has transformed from a barking whirlwind to a courteous canine who can greet other dogs calmly.

This newfound confidence has been amazing for Cookie's overall well-being. We're making new friends at the park, and walks are no longer a constant battle. It's truly heartwarming to see him interact positively with his furry neighbors.

Now, Cookie is enrolled in Kim's obedience class. Kim's knowledge is truly impressive. There's not a question about dog (or even cat!) behavior she can't answer. Her calm and positive approach has helped Cookie master all his basic commands, even the tricky ones like recall (let's just say curiosity is a strong motivator for our boy!).

If you're looking for professional, experienced, and genuinely caring dog trainers, look no further than the American Canine Institute. Kim and Annette are a dream team, and I can't recommend them highly enough.

Dan Babcock

American canine is great. They are perfect for what I needed. So knowledgeable about k9’s all the way around. In fact they are the reason for me having the bread of k9 I have today. Years of experience and it shows in the progress me and best friend have made. The pricing is unbeatable, if you’re looking for next level training from puppy to adult dogs at any level they can get you there!!

Sgladiator

Had very bad experience with our puppy who is 7 months old Lab. He got attacked by the Trainers dog two times second time the bite was so big that our puppy bled and cried very loud. I am very unhappy with their training talent as they cannot control their own dog how can they correct and train other dogs? They didn’t even care keep their dog under control even after first attack. Also their response was very simple after the second attack too she just mentioned “ it’s just a tear u dont have to worry” .First and second attacks had four weeks gap. As a concerned dog parent I advise all new puppy owners please BE VERY CAREFUL choosing this training center for your new puppies.

Allen Waldman

My son and I enrolled our newly adopted dog in an ACI traning class in So. San Jose and we feel it was a very positive experience. Gene, the ACI instructor, has a wealth of knowledge to share and he would gladly do so one on one usually before or after class. Gene loves and understands dogs and that comes across during every class as he tries to enlighten the dog owners. The classes themselves are fairly routine and focus on the fundamental commands. i was surprised to learn that some of the folks there had been coming for over two years. This reinforces the fact that training your dog takes a long time so i didn't feel bad that after just 8 weeks my dog still had trouble with just coming to me when i called her. Gene says that you are always training your dog whether you know it or not. i would strongly recommend this class to any new dog owner and i suggest picking Gene's brain at every opportunity.

Mary Grace Yao

Today was our first day meeting Eugene and Robert and very glad we found this company online. It was only an evaluation but the amount of information we received was impressive. They mentioned relevant information regarding food, feeding & among others. It was as if we were having a private classes with Eugene and Robert. We enrolled our 10 week old puppy to puppy kindergarten and will update this review when done. So far, so good. Highly recommended!

Sherman Pun

Gene has been an exceptional trainer and truly a champion for German Shepherds. We had him train our German Shepherd who had all the behavior issues you can think of. We had to be at constant vigilance anywhere we took our dog until he had training with Gene. Gene and Bob came through with providing a solution to the 70 pound 'trouble' we had on our hands. Together they gave us back freedom to travel (with and without) our dog; and more importantly the peace of mind and protection that a dog naturally could provide. Thank you!

Emma Stone

My story here starts with - ACI rescued me ! I started the dog training when our pup was 3 months old. I started with someone else first and it did not work out well. dog was not trained, nor was I. I was actually very upset about the training class as all I did in the class was blamed for and I had no clue what was the right way to do the training. Then I found ACI through Yelp, I read some customer's comment, it showed me something special about ACI. We took our pup to the class and met Gene and John, that was almost two years ago. Gene diagnosed the dog issues right at spot and he showed me how I should handle the dog by using the right technique of leashing first. The dog changed attitude right away. So if someone wants to see what is special about ACI and Gene, here is my insight:
1. Gene is training the handler not the dog. Once the handler learned how to deal with the issue and has the right perception about how to handle the dog, the dog will follow. So listen to what Gene said carefully. a lot of information is given out by regular communication.
2. be consistent and persistent. ACI is a very good place to learn how to become a dog owner realistically. All trainers, Gene, John, Robert, Ken and Brain are very patient and the training messages sent out are consistent too.
3. Gene and Robert have the famous term "working with your dog". As dog owner after almost 2 years in training, I now realize what really mean working with the dog and I am still in training and no near to quit yet. ACI all trainers are serious about dog business, so should our dog owners.
4. ACI's group training is actually the current trend for dog training, the group training is a effective way to treat doc aggression and also ease dog personality issues.
should I list more.... I think I said a lot... as a doggie owner, I am happy with ACI services. P.S after all these time and effort, our dog turned out alright.

Chuck Cunningham

The trainers are very friendly and have no problem giving advice. All the dogs really like the trainers as well.