all classes

happy clients

“best thing we did next to getting our new pup was calling rebecca at dog’s best friend. we’ve learned a ton and our puppy is adjusting well to her new home. we highly recommend rebecca. her passion for dogs and patience with her clients really makes her a great trainer. — cathy + john”

john and cathy

butter

“we found dog's best friend driving by and called rebecca one morning we thought we had made the biggest mistake in getting a puppy. she gave us great advice and was so kind and patient! we ended up enrolling him in puppy's best start, which was one of the best decisions we will ever make. our boy is so well behaved and gets many compliments from other people about his training. we could not have done it without rebecca and will continue going back to her for playtimes and other training classes to help our boy become a canine good citizen. dog's best friend is the best investment you can make in your dog's future. rebecca is gifted and she is dog parents' best friend haha.”

nikki and john

dug

“i took rebecca's webinar before deciding whether or not a puppy was right for me. she went through all of the basics - from how to pick a puppy to crate training and socialization. i didn't realize how clueless i was until i took this course - and i grew up with dogs! great introduction to compassionate puppy parenthood.”

allison

oliver

owner/trainer

rebecca mandell started dog’s best friend in 2004 when she became increasingly alarmed by the methods utilized by many dog trainers in the south bay, who use combinations of physical domination, “corrections,” yelling, choke, prong or electronic shock collars, and alpha rolls — all of which are not necessary and cause physical and emotional damage to our dogs. as a positive reinforcement dog trainer, rebecca believes in training dogs with compassion and understanding. helping to build the bond between dogs and humans, so the dogs do what we ask of them because they want to, not because they are frightened or intimidated. she achieves this through the use of rewards such as attention, praise and treats. no force based tools/techniques are ever used. dog’s best friend is strictly positive. rebecca evaluates and trains rescued dogs for the golden retriever club of greater los angeles rescue. she is a member of the association of pet dog trainers (apdt), truly dog friendly, an international group of positive reinforcement dog trainers fighting against the use of harsh training methods in their profession and the pet professional guild, an organization committed to holistic, force-free methods. rebecca is an approved akc canine good citizen evaluator. dog’s best friend was voted “best dog trainer” in the 2012 south bay locals’ choice awards. rebecca is a long time resident of california, alongside her husband, corey, and golden retrievers, cooper and chester, who often help in her classes (both live and on Thinkific).

rebecca mandell

owner/trainer