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Top Dog SF Academy™
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The proven, positive way to train dogs, at home or for a living.

Positive-reinforcement dog training from Top Dog SF, the dog-care business that has done it every day since 2004.

Get certified as a dog walkerSix assessed courses and a certificate for your city. $199, yours for life.Train my own puppyStart with the free Taster. No card needed.
A Top Dog SF trainer playing with five dogs on the woodchips at the adventure ranch

Built by trainers who hold

  • CPDT-KSA: Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge & Skills Assessed
  • Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior
  • ABCDT: Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer
  • AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy: our trainers are approved evaluators
  • ProPetHero: cat & dog first aid and CPR certified
  • SF Animal Care & Control, an organization we work with

The certification

A credential that means something.

Certified Professional Dog Walker covers safe handling, reading body language and what to do when something goes wrong. Earned, not bought.

assessed courses
6
assessed courses
lessons with knowledge checks
49
lessons with knowledge checks
to pass, retakes free
90%
to pass, retakes free
$199One payment, lifetime access, 14-day money-back guarantee.

or 4 interest-free payments of $49.75 with Klarna or Affirm at checkout.

A dog walker in a grey fleece holding two leashes, a golden retriever and a brindle shepherd mix sitting at her feet and looking up at her

Top Dog SF Academy · Denver · est. 2004

Certified Professional Dog Walker

Your name here

Certified for Denver

No. TDSFA-····-·····

topdogsfacademy.com/verify

Six courses. One standard.

Knowledge checks in every lesson and a final assessment for each course, retaken free until you pass.

See every lesson in the syllabus
A tricolor Australian shepherd grinning at the camera

Learning Theory & Reward

10 lessons
A large cream Anatolian shepherd and a small Welsh terrier meeting nose to nose over a fallen log

Canine Body Language

6 lessons
A woman dog walker in a cap and fleece standing calmly with a shepherd mix sitting at her leg on a foggy residential street, another dog and walker far across the road

Fear & Aggression

5 lessons
A woman dog walker in a puffer vest and cap holding four leashed dogs on the grassy bluffs above the ocean, fog on the water behind

Local Laws & Park Etiquette

7 lessons
A dog walker in a cap and jacket waiting at a crosswalk with a golden retriever, a black lab mix and a small terrier sitting at the curb

Dog Safety

7 lessons
A dog walker in a cap and work jacket and a goldendoodle on a loose pink leash walking down a steep San Francisco street toward the bay

Solo Walks

14 lessons
A goldendoodle puppy sitting on a living-room rug, looking up at a woman kneeling beside it with a treat

For pet parents

Just want a well-behaved dog?

The trainers who certify professionals teach your puppy at home, a few friendly minutes a day.

  1. Puppy TasterFour short exercises. No card needed.Free
  2. Puppy FoundationsThe full at-home course, first steps to confident manners.$39
  3. Good Dog ClubA real trainer to ask, live Q&As and new lessons monthly.From $24/mo

Not ready to start? Get our housetraining plan, free.

Why Natalie built the Academy

Natalie Tondelli Walsh started as a dog walker and became an SF SPCA-certified trainer. Ninety seconds on where the standard comes from.

Rated 4.9★ across 200+ reviews. The Academy is the training Top Dog SF uses itself.

“Top Dog SF has been absolutely amazing! The staff is professional, caring, and always keeps me updated.”
Sarah M., Golden Retriever owner, Top Dog SF client
“Best decision we made! He gets exercise, training, and socialization all in one.”
Michael T., Aussie Mix owner, Top Dog SF client

The trainers behind every course

Natalie Tondelli Walsh, CTC, founder of Top Dog SF, certified trainer since 2009
Natalie Tondelli WalshFounder, CTC. SF SPCA Academy-certified trainer since 2009
Michael Rollins, CPDT-KSA, Curriculum Director and the trainer who teaches every lesson video
Michael RollinsCurriculum Director, CPDT-KSA. Animal Behavior College graduate and AKC Approved CGC Evaluator

Common questions

Something else? Email the team

Is the certificate recognized?

It's issued by Top Dog SF Academy, operating since 2004, with curriculum from SPCA-certified trainers. It shows you've been assessed against a professional standard of safe, humane dog handling.

How long does it take?

It's self-paced. Most people finish the six courses over a few weeks of short sessions, and access doesn't expire.

What if I don't pass?

Retake the assessment as many times as you need, free. You need 90% to pass. The goal is competence, not gatekeeping.

Do you use shock collars or dominance methods?

No. Everything we teach is positive reinforcement, and we explain why the old "alpha" model gets people bitten.

Is this only for San Francisco walkers?

No. The handling, behavior and safety courses apply anywhere, and the local-laws course adapts to you with city and state law packs and exam questions for where you walk.

Can I train my own dog here too?

Yes. The Pet Parent track brings the same marker method home. Start with the free Puppy Taster, then Puppy Foundations.

Good dogs deserve well-trained people.

Walk into the work knowing exactly what you’re doing. One payment, yours for life, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Get certifiedTraining your own dog? Start the free Taster
A Top Dog SF walker hand-feeding her pack of small dogs at golden hour