Joan is all about positive reinforcement, including clicker training and tone of voice when working with your dog, which is the only kind of training I believe in. We adopted a rescue dog with many fear issues, dog reactivity on leash, and separation anxiety. Over time, these issues have lessened by building a trusting relationship. The biggest change is that our time out and … Read More

I contacted Joan on the advice of my vet because I needed help training my golden retriever, Digby, to be a service dog for a family member. Joan was great: extremely knowledgeable about teaching Digby the necessary new skills, patient with me when I forgot what I was supposed to be doing, and always thinking about how to solve problems Digby may encounter in … Read More

I have taken several classes through Adult Ed with Joan Hunter Mayer and also a private class. Joan is very thorough as she has the first meeting with just the dog owners. It is a was helpful to meet together first without the dogs. During classes, she shows great control of the situations and is firm but positive in her response to the owners … Read More

My dog Luna and I had the pleasure of working with Joan in both her group class entitled, “Dog Training and Life Skills for Our Canine Friends” and through private training. Luna and I had recently completed a cross-country move when I noticed some behaviors that were concerning to me, like her appearing anxious and fearful in a number of new situations. My little … Read More

Joan is truly a dog lover, and working with her and my dog Max was a pleasure.  We took her class, and instantly I saw results since her techniques are simple and easy to follow.  I would highly recommend working with Joan.

I have a stubborn young Yorkie that would not come when called. It made for a dangerous situation and she was even hit by a car. I knew I needed help. Joan was extremely helpful in providing me with several ways of getting her attention and motivating her to come when called. My dog will even come now if she hears a sound she was … Read More

My husband and I, and our dog Oliver, attended a workshop that Joan offered at the Santa Barbara humane society.  We were excited to attend the workshop because it focused on loose leash walking, which is something that Oliver (and we) needs to improve upon.  The class was fantastic!  We learned so much from Joan and really liked her approach.  She went over dog … Read More

Joan Mayer is a rare breed of dog trainer. We thought we loved our puppy before taking her to Good Manners Class, but now she is even more of an absolute joy to have in our lives! Now we really understand her behaviors, and know how to coach her to exercise good manners! We enjoyed working with Joan so much because she really took … Read More

We really use the skills we learned from you with Lulu on a daily basis. She continues to become more confident and loves her walks now (tail up and happy). You have completely changed the way our family thinks about dog-raising. We’ve always been kind and loving dog owners, but thought we had to do certain things (scold when they growled, pull back when … Read More

Thank you for all your great advice and helpful information. One of the best things for Sara was her first ‘Puppy Social’ at the Inquisitive Canine studio. She was timid at first, but with some practice and patience, she was able to overcome her initial shyness and now loves to play with all the other dogs. Thank you for teaching me how to engage … Read More