Pawtopia

We adopted our most beautiful Pit Bull girl a year and a half ago from a local rescue. We found out shortly after that the little lady has some serious socialization baggage (read: seems to have received zero from her original — clearly crappy — owner). After going through a few resources and either being underwhelmed or scared away by the prices or techniques, we were referred to Colleen by another local rescue. Colleen came to our home to assess our dog. She assured us that our situation was in no way hopeless. Colleen is ready for literally anything. What I appreciate most is her demeanor and the fact that she is clearly not scared or intimidated. You’d think that would be the norm with trainers and behaviorists, but I have seen first hand that it is unfortunately not. She is just so positive and encouraging. We have received calls and emails checking up on us, and our girl has already improved! I can’t wait to have her back soon for a check in, and I refer anyone I can to her!

My husband and I were so impressed with the session we had with Andrea. Our lab mix was showing fear meeting new people, and Andrea helped us learn new techniques for meeting strangers go smoothly. She had an answer to every single question we had, and made analogies of how dogs think to make it easier for us to relate to our dog. We were a little apprehensive about the session before hand because neither of us had ever hired a trainer before, but Andrea made it very easy and comfortable. So glad we went to Pawtopia!

In June we rescued a one year old male Jack Russell terrier who had not previously been properly socialized or trained. He started out being very aggressive to anyone coming to our home, as well as to us. Andrea came to our home and observed him and gave us great exercises to do with Murphy. Four months later he is excited and friendly to visitors to our home, has completely stopped any aggression with us, and is a different dog. He is sweet and lovable and a huge cuddler. He is still learning to behave on leash with strangers and other dogs but is making huge progress there simply by our practicing what Andrea taught us. We know he still has some to go to be completely confident and calm when on leash, but we are confident that we will all get there with continued patience and use of the training tools Andrea gave us.

Colleen helped us with our 10 year old bull terrier rescue this week. Although he has been ours for quite some time, it is clear he still has some residual fear from his days on the streets. Colleen was quickly able to identify some of his anxiety issues and was incredibly knowledgeable and insightful. Highly recommended!!!

I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Andrea and Pawtopia. If you have dog training issues of ANY kind, Pawtopia is the way to go.
My sister in law has a dog that has never really gotten along with other dogs, pretty much ever. My wife and I have a puppy that just loves to play, so it broke our hearts that we couldn’t have the dogs around each other at Grandma’s. We tried Andrea and Pawtopia based off of her Unilocal reviews, and we’re so glad we did.
Andrea completely Cesar Milan’d our two dogs into getting along, showing us what we’d been doing wrong, how to keep working on things, some exercises to try, and got some amazing progress between the two dogs. It was enough for us to nearly cry tears of joy. No one had ever just been able to help us figure out what to do.
I can’t say enough about Andrea’s experience, either. She truly KNOWS animals, having worked for many years at the San Diego Zoo.
Do yourself a favor and give Andrea at Pawtopia a call!

So, I’ve had a Unilocal account since 2012 and this is the first time I’ve been inspired to write a review! I cannot recommend Krissy with Pawtopia highly enough!
We have 3 dogs (as I now know, enough to be considered a pack) and while I love them all dearly, daily life felt overwhelming and out of control at times with barking onslaughts at the doorbell, food aggression, marking indoors, cat chasing, fence aggression, etc. After just the first visit, we made real headway on my «wish list». I felt like such a proud mama watching how responsive the furbabies were to Krissy’s training techniques!
Krissy is amazing… kind and gentle but firm, she put both me and the pets at ease with her demeanor. Her insight into doggie psychology is incredible. I’m already having success with her tips and free phone support is not only offered, but encouraged. I cannot wait for our next session!
I can already tell this will be a real game changer, improving the quality of life for every occupant of this house, both two and four legged.

Jake is the best!!! I have two crazy boys that have several behavior problems, especially jumping up on everything, aggression toward other dogs (and sometimes people), and acting like they are the ones that are in charge over me. As a veterinarian, this can be extremely embarrassing and difficult. He takes the time to explain why my two crazy boys may be behaving badly in different situations, and how we can correct this with positive training. Additionally, he takes the time to modify any training technique to make sure it is something we can actually practice at home and achieve success. Training with them has never been more fun! And watching them become better dogs is what it’s all about! After just 2 private in home lessons, I can see how far we have come as a family. Jake has really made a difference in our lives, and has my highest recommendation!

Jake is amazing! We adopted a dog that had serious trust issues. He had obviously been physically abused as well as neglected (left with a broken leg to heal poorly on its own). JimBob was aggressive with dogs and afraid to get within 10 feet of people. Jake came for the first visit and JimBob growled and would not come near him for almost an hour. After only 5 sessions with Jake, JimBob was comfortable in allowing Jake to enter the house and actually played with him. We are now able to walk JimBob without concerns and had a houseguest for the first time since we adopted him. I would highly recommend Jake and am forever grateful for helping us find the great dog that was hidden under all that fear!

Love, Love, Love this place! I have a stubborn beagle that I had a very difficult time training on/​off leash. I contacted Pawtopia and got him an appointment as soon as I could. The results with him are like day and night! He no longer pulls, jumps on other people/​dogs and doesn’t stop to sniff EVERYTHING he can. I am so happy about his progress. It has made my life so much easier.
I highly recommend this business.

I was so frustrated after I adopted my Pomeranian Finn. I tried to train him myself, but it was 1 step forward, 2 steps back with him potty training and behavior. I tried everything and decided to hire a professional. Even after my first phone call with Andrea, she gave me great tips and advice that I already started working on before she even came. So far I’ve only had her come one time and she taught me SOOO much on how to react or not react to my pups behaviors. She showed us exactly what to do in our daily real life situations. My little dog listened to her very well! I love how there is no pressure to buy packages or spend tons of money. They simply let you decide how much training you feel you need. I really loved my experience being it was a first time having a dog trainer. Thank you Andrea and Pawtopia. I hope to see you again but I might not need to!
I completely agree with Denise P
«Please do not give up on your dog until you have at least had a consult with Pawtopia. They are professional, kind, generous, and so extremely understanding of every pets’ needs and behaviors.»

Collen and Andrea are the most amazing trainers in the world. Please do not give up on your dog until you have at least had a consult with Pawtopia. They are professional, kind, generous, and so extremely understanding of every pets’ needs and behaviors.
My dog Tyberius was raised in a shelter. He was diagnosed with a rare generalized variant of discoid lupus erythematosus. He lived at the vet hospital that I work at (Animal and Bird Hospital of Del Mar) for nine months until I decided to adopt him. While there, Colleen taught him all the basics of behavior while the doctors simultaneously worked on getting his health back. The end product was a beautiful, sweet, extremely loving and healthy dog. Nonetheless, Ty still had a couple issues. He was kennel aggressive and territorial. When I brought him home, everything was perfect! He had no problem easing into this lifestyle and was perfectly fine meeting dogs on/​off leash.
Enter, Kira. My sister’s siberian husky. Kira is a gorgeous 40lb ball of sweetness and ENERGY. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. When my sister moved in with me and brought Kira into the house, all hell broke loose. My normally docile, lazy Ty immediately attacked her and my sister was bit trying to break them apart. After that, life was a bit crazy for a couple weeks. We had to keep them separated. After that initial fight, they had a couple more. He became afraid of her presence and she became wary of his. There was no set structure in the house.
That’s when we called Andrea. She came over and taught us some amazing techniques. For example, she taught us that as Kira and Ty come closer together, the intensity of praise increases. Pretty soon, our babies were comfortable around each other and now they’re best friends! Andrea was so accommodating. Even after the session, she answered our questions via text and phone.
If I could give them one thousand stars, I would. They are amazing trainers and people and I would recommend them to anyone!

OMG… our trainer was INCREDIBLE! I took in a foster puppy from The Animal Pad last week. It was a LOT to take on considering that we also have 3 other dogs, one of which is also a one year old puppy with his own issues. However today, Colleen came in and basically, saved our lives! In just one hour, she taught me some incredible tips on how to properly correct our potty problems, and our out of control barking in which adding a third made life pretty challenging! I seriously cannot thank her enough for what she’s left me with! I’m actually EXCITED to try all of the tips… I’ve already implemented quite a few, but come dinner time tonight it’s ON!
On a side note, when we got our puppy a few months back, we tried another local trainer that charged a LOT with a ‘package’ that they were more interested in selling me on our first ‘free’ visit. Needless to say, not only was it incredibly ineffective, but after visit 4, I asked for my remaining visits’ money back. Fast forward to today, I kept asking Colleen when I needed her to come back, and she kept insisting that I may not even need her to come back if I implement what she taught me today. She also impressed that they do free ‘after care’ via email or text or phone. She said, if something isn’t working, try to get yourself on video doing what it is and we’ll likely be able to correct it with a quick email reply or call! Who does that?!
I seriously cannot say enough great things about this place and now I feel like I’m doing all of the right things to promote the emotional health of the entire household! Woohoo! :)

Krissy spent nearly two hours with me and my two miniature schnauzers last Thursday. She showed me how to walk them properly to deal, with excessive excitement and competition and to basically make myself leader of the pack. The results were immediate and so very gratifying. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

I recently adopted a dog who is very sweet and mostly obedient but needed some behavior correction. She can be very anxious and sensitive. In the session with trainer Krissy I learned sooooo much and the dog responded quickly to her tips. She provided tips on leash walking, anxiety, potty training, getting into food, bonding, crate training etc. I can’t say enough to good things about pawtopia and Krissy. Thank you!

We had a 1 on 1 session yesterday in our home w/​our 4 month old pup. Our trainer, Colleen, was right on time and, while very warm and friendly, got right to business. This was perfect since we wanted to make the most of our time with her. She remembered each of the main behavioral issues I had mentioned on the phone and made sure to address each one of them. This was also a time-​maximizer because I didn’t have to remind her of the issues we previously discussed. She seemed to very quickly understand our pup, picking up on things that we hadn’t yet shared with her.
Colleen definitely put us on the right track. We have plenty of new strategies to use with our pup and we feel like the money we paid for a 1 on 1 session was such a good investment. Our experience with Pawtopia so far has been great. Very professional. Very helpful. Thanks Colleen!

We called Pawtopia after adopting a dog from The Barking Lot. Wall-​E was very well behaved other than when on a leash! He was tugging and pulling all over the place. Krissy came out to our house to evaluate Wall-​E and did the most amazing job. I was so impressed with her professionalism and her ability to immediately effect change in Wall-E’s behavior. Her insight and instruction has really been invaluable to us. After just a week implementing her strategies, we’ve seen enormous progress in Wall-E’s leash behavior. He also learned to «stay» and «go to bed» during our session and is also quickly mastering these commands.
I really can’t recommend Pawtopia highly enough.

We were referred to Pawtopia by our Veterinarian, who could not say enough good things about Colleen and her staff. We recently adopted a puppy from Helen Woodward Animal Center and wanted to get off to a good start.
Colleen has been absolutely the best. She spent plenty of time listening to our concerns and learning about our new puppy (Gatsby). On her first visit she showed us several techniques to assist in house training, biting, jumping on visitors, etc. We have had follow-​up visits from Colleen and Gatsby has responded wonderfully.
I highly recommend Pawtopia if you need help with training your puppy (or full grown dog) to overcome behavioral issues. You can’t go wrong with any of the trainers from Pawtopia.

Colleen, Krissy, and the rest of the Pawtopia staff are amazing!
I first found out about Pawtopia through The Barking Lot, a dog rescue they volunteer with. Since then, I have reached out to them numerous times for training, tips, resources, etc. They are always incredibly welcoming, responsive, and informed. I would recommend them to any pet owner. Thank you!

Jake from Pawtopia just left our home from a training session with us and our dog Ruxin. Ruxin had problems with jumping on people and being attached to me and acting out to get attention. Jake was so thorough and knowledgeable, after the training Ruxin was like a new dog! What was great is that he helped us set up a plan to use everyday and had us doing the work so we know how to respond. We had been looking for a great trainer and so glad we made the right choice! So awesome!
Would recommend Jake to anyone!!!

I learned about Zoe when I was in a local Pet People and they were offering a free leash class for dogs. I jumped on it as I just adopted a new rescue. I thought Zoe (trainer) was awesome and her approach is positive and informative. I wanted to sign up for her classes right away!
I ended up going with private sessions as my pup has some severe separation anxiety and Zoe came right out to my house and set up «lessons» and homework for us to work on. Her advice is spot on and if you follow what she is asking you to do you see improvement almost right away. There is no magic pill you want a trained dog you need to WORK at it and train yourself to be the «pack leader».
I will continue with one more private lesson, for leash walking as my dog wants to lunge at everything she sees… so for the price the private lessons are completely worth it!