Primepaw San Francisco, California

Prime Paw is the best and highly recommend for everyone with a new puppy. Our lil pup started when she was about 2 months and, wow! We were very impressed by her increasing confidence and the good habits she was learning. I also like …

I love Primepaw. Before picking up our 8 week mini Australian Labradoodle, we read books watched lots of YouTube videos but still didn’t know what we were getting into with a new puppy. My husband and I both work from home, but couldn’t devote 100% of our day training our pup. We knew we needed an extra support and the Puppy Day School fit that need perfectly. They work with our pup to make sure he is trained properly and gets the socialization he needs. It’s more than day school, it’s a community. The trainers will give us homework, feedback on his progress, and support/pointers. At the end of the day you get a personalized report card, which is so fun. I highly recommend Prime Paw!

From the very start, the Primepaw team provides such a warm and welcoming environment. They excel in coaching, guiding, and stimulating your furry pal by providing a groundwork of tools that can be easily approached and applied to everyday life. And, although raising a pup can be quite intimidating, the Primepaw crew gift their time and knowledge while holding space to answer questions and identify the unique needs of your puppy, making everything feel easy. We could not be happier that are new addition to our family has extended family in Primepaw. We look forward to continuing to learn and grow with our pup through Primepaw.

Primepaw has been AMAZING for our little pup! Our puppy joined after she got her first set of vaccines to learn how to be a wonderful puppy. Our main goal was to socialize our dog in a safe place, where she'd learn how to be a well integrated puppy (and eventually dog) in society. I'm so happy that I brought my dog here, and will continue to use their services. I'd recommend them. They are a bit pricey, but it was worth it for me.

James and the crew at Prime Paw are awesome. Super supportive & will help troubleshoot anything dog related with you. Dom & Iko are very patient and outgoing. Thanks so much everybody!

We had a great experience during our Prime Paw class. Our shy pup gained so much confidence - and so did we! We're already looking forward to our next class.

I signed my puppy up for Prime Paw's puppy day school, and it was a wonderful experience all around. My dog learned SO much. It's so nice to see my puppy comfortable around other dogs, and I give Prime Paw all the credit. The staff are all delightful and truly invested in your dog. I really can't say enough good things.

Primepaw is a place where we felt our baby husky (Skyler) was well trained, loved and surrounded by cool other pups! She attended a 20-session puppy program where she learned the basics like sitting and also mat / crate time, play time and socialization. The Primepaw team is amazing, personable, friendly and fun! Positive reinforcement is their teaching philosophy and we saw a difference with Skyler on day 1! The team knew her better than us. They adapted the training lesson to her needs (crate time and separation anxiety). They sent us daily reports and provided clear homework assignments. Skyler built strong relationships with the team and we did too!!! I wish she could go there everyday... all day long. I’m looking forward to the next program! Thank you, Primepaw!

Great dog (and human) training with a helpful online component.

We love Primepaw!! We took out little pup here to get some socialization skills while my partner and I had to stay home during COVID. He absolutely loved going here, he made lots of friends and learned some really critical socialization and listening that we are so impressed with. Would absolutely recommend these guys, the staff are all obviously dog lovers and we’re very friendly and professional

Really great instructors and made me feel comfortable and empowered to train my puppy! Organized online "classroom" or homework assignments in-between weekly classes for more practice and support. Would definitely recommend for any new dog parent!

I enrolled my pandemic puppy here for the puppy day school program. We started with 12 sessions but puppy (and humans) loved it so much, we upgraded to the 20 session pack. Our puppy not only had a healthy outlet for all that puppy energy while we were working, but he also learned a whole set of skills that has helped him adapt to living in a human world. A few of things he learned at Prime Paw: He learned how to be content without whining while settling in his puppy pen. Prime Paw continued the crate training we had started at home. He also learned a bunch of new cues, like "touch" (super helpful for moving him through spaces without coercing him), "place," so he now knows to lay on a designated spot (e.g. a mat in the kitchen) instead of wandering around underfoot searching for crumbs, and they started training on his recall. Prime Paw also worked on building his confidence by slowly exposing him to novel experiences, like stepping onto a skateboard, and providing positive reinforcement when he showed curiosity. The trainers were also available to answer all of my questions during pickup/drop off. They gave me tons of tips on how to desensitize my puppy to loud city noises, or help him walk by other dogs without pulling on the leash to greet every single one. Living in the city is hard for a pup, with all of the loud noises, crowds, walking past all kinds of people and dogs on sidewalks (sometimes friendly, sometimes not). I really believe Prime Paw's foundation has set him up to be a resilient, well adjusted city dog. Our puppy loved all the staff so much and would BOLT into school everyday without looking back, and I know they love him just as much as we do. There are several good options for puppy school in SF that use positive reinforcement based methods, some are actually more conveniently located to me than Prime Paw. I picked Prime Paw for a few reasons: 1) it is recommended by the SFSPCA, 2) the hours for drop off and pickup were reasonably aligned with a full work day: drop off around 8-9 and pick up by 5pm. With some of the other popular puppy schools in SF, the hours of pick up were in the middle of the workday which would've been difficult to coordinate, and lastly 3) all of the puppy school options were in the same price range, so Prime Paw offered a slightly better value because our puppy had a couple more hours per day of exposure to other pups and time with trainers (plus convenience for us) for a similar price. Prime Paw was the best decision we made for our pup, and both the humans and puppy are better for it!

James and his trainers were are all very professional with my English Bulldog puppy at their puppy school. They give helpful feedback through report cards and is able to chat with us upon pick up. You can tell they love training puppies! My puppy is always super sleepy upon pick up so it's a sign of rigorous training balanced with playtime. You and your puppy will be in great hands with PrimePaw!

The best workplace, the best place for your puppy/dog and your dog’s best friends. The team is very responsive, friendly, love dogs and they are always listening to you as a client. Using only Positive Reinforcement, it makes me feel relieved and know that dogs and the dog community will have the best experience.

My puppy did his first training at Prime Paw and James' (the owner) style and philosophy of rewards-based training and positive reinforcement is really good. Staff also take good care of your pup and facilities are regularly cleaned and sanitized. My pup was super excited to go there everytime!

Amazing! I took my Boston Terrier, Otto, here for puppy kindergarten and it made a world of difference, especially when it comes to controlling his energy levels. Thank you!

This review is LONG overdue! We took Milo here for puppy school in December 2020 / Jan 2021. We weren't sure what to expect but quickly decide to up our package from 12 classes to 20 because we saw such amazing progress with our little guy! They taught Milo how to enjoy his crate + alone time, sit, go down, touch (getting him to come to you by holding out your hand and having him touch his nose to your hand) and not pounce on us when we bring him his meal. After he graduated we took their loose leash course (virtual during that time) to learn how to get him to stop pulling on the leash when we walk with him. Finally we also signed him up to go on their off leash adventures. His recall gets stronger everyday. He is so ecstatic when Dom comes and picks him up, we know he loves his trainers and dog crew! We decided to go with prime paw than other dog walking services that are cheaper because we wanted to count on folks that know dog psychology and proven training techniques to continue to build his skills. We are happy we did. I sometimes see other dog walkers yelling at their "out of control" dogs in the park nearby our house. I know that with prime paw, Milo is not just getting needed exercise and dog socialization, but he is also gets really important skills reinforced. When we first invested in puppy school, it seemed like a lot, especially because one of us was unemployed! But we really wanted to invest in our pup because we knew he was going to grow into a big dog and we wanted to be able to take him to as many places with us in the city as possible. We are so glad we made the investment. Zero regret. James and his team are always so generous with their time and answer all or our dog questions. We highly, highly recommend Prime Paw for your pup training needs!

While primepaw thankfully does not use aversive gear, there are some very concerning issues I have personally witnessed that clientele should be aware of; …

We absolutely love Prime Paw and can’t recommend it enough! Our puppy Pete did puppy school there and they were able to teach him all the basics of being such a good puppy that we could then continue at home. Next up, we did loose leash walking and it was night and day the difference it made in just three weeks. Our walks are actually enjoyable now. I just signed up for Rocking Recalls this morning! Especially in the city, it’s so important for puppies to get that extra training and we feel so lucky to have found them!

Love this place. Training puppies and dogs to be obedient.

Primepaw is the BEST in the Bay Area. James and his staff are knowledgeable, friendly, passionate, and all-around incredible people. The variety of services primepaw offers, paired with the unmatched customer service provided makes this business a cut above the rest. I refer all of my friends with dog training needs to this company and will continue to do so!! Much love to primepaw for all they do for our community! I wish we had more businesses like you guys!

If you're looking for an awesome, well-run, and enriching program for your new puppy, look no further! We heard about Primepaw through a friend, and are so glad we decided to send our new puppy there. She's been enrolled in Primepaw's puppy daycare for about a month now, and she has made so much progress with: Bite inhibition, playing nicely with other puppies, managing her energy, crate training, and general manners. The team are super responsive and helpful if you have questions - they have answered plenty of mine along our puppy's training journey. It's also been fun to see which "friends" she has during class through their report cards, and being able to connect with some of those owners to set up playdates. Bringing home a new puppy can be overwhelming, especially for first-time dog owners like ourselves. Do yourself a favor - give yourself the peace of mind by enrolling your new pup at Primepaw. You'll be giving them the best start!

Nice option for working people as they keep your pup for a full day vs. the other options in town which start late and end early. If you have a border collie, they're not knowledgeable of the breed's special traits (motion/sound sensitivity, the need to always be doing something unless sleeping). If you have a herding dog, you'll want to find another option where they can train within these challenges.

PrimePaw’s Outdoors Adventures is absolutely the best program for my young Frenchie’s daily routine. James and his team put so much care and attention into every single one of their client’s dogs by safely letting them off leash to run and play (socialize) with their fur friends. They receive daily training and I receive daily pictures or videos. My dog comes home tired, happy, and clean everyday! Their services are invaluable to us. Thank you always PrimePaw!!!

Steve, David, and James are great! Super knowledgeable, empathetic, and committed to helping your dog succeed. The online classes were fun and Steve provided very responsive feedback (upload videos of you and your dog!) regarding training/general questions about our dog's behavior.

I had an incredible experience taking Puppy First Steps from home during the pandemic and felt so welcomed and supported with my puppy Appa. He had severe separation anxiety and is now able to calm himself which is a huge relief. I heard about Primepaw through a family friend and checked out their Instagram. One supervisor, Amalia Rose, was so helpful and kind, it made me feel that much better knowing that my pup is in great hands.

My puppy and I absolutely love PrimePaw. I enrolled her in their puppy school, and she learned so many new skills. James and his team are all very professional, and always put the dogs first. They were always willing to answer my million questions, and they offered me tons of advice! Super helpful for a new puppy parent! Definitely recommend PrimePaw to any dog parent that wants the best for their pups.

I took primepaw's online adult essentials and loose leash walking class in fall of 2020. It was totally worth it, they gave great personalized tips on how to better understand and communicate with your dog, by reviewing your self recorded videos. Their trainers are positive reinforcement only and have helped inspire me to be patient with my 5 year old dog (mix from SFSPCA), who was initially very distressed when he first came home. It's now been 4-5 months since the two classes I took, and after consistent reinforcement, I can confirm that my dog is much more responsive to me during walks, tugs less on the leash, and readily eats his kibble. Thank you Steve and team for being amazing instructors that put the dogs first!

I recently adopted an adolescent dog from the SPCA who recommended the primepaw team! I scheduled an online training and was amazed by how much I learned in just one session. James was patient, understanding, and nonjudgmental. It’s clear that he has so much knowledge and love for these dogs! We are now signed up for an intermediate class and we can’t wait.

Prime Paw has been incredibly supportive to us as we've navigated adopting a shy, fearful adolescent dog from the SPCA. We've taken a couple of classes with Steve and had some privates and have learned many tools and skills to help our dog …