Shafter · Kern County, CA

Dog Training in Shafter, CA

Board and train, obedience lessons, puppy programs and rattlesnake avoidance — taught one-on-one at our Bakersfield facility and built to hold up in real life.

4.8
85 Google reviews

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4.8★ from 85 Google reviews
Free phone consultation
Train at our Bakersfield facility, by appointment
Payment plans available
Local dog training you can trust

Off Leash K9 Training is the highest-rated dog training company serving Shafter and northwest Kern County.

Shafter is the closest of the towns we serve outside Bakersfield — our facility at 1450 Olive Dr is about twenty minutes away, which makes weekly lessons genuinely practical here in a way they are not for our clients down south. Whether that means private obedience lessons spread over a few weeks or a board and train, every program and price is on our plans and pricing page.

Why it matters

Why professional training is essential for Shafter dog owners

Behavior modification

Address jumping, pulling, barking, anxiety, and reactivity at the root, not just the symptom.

Safety & control

A dog that listens the first time is a safer dog around traffic, livestock, wildlife, and people.

Stronger bond

Clear communication builds trust, so your dog looks to you for direction instead of guessing.

Skills that transfer

We hand the training over to you at pickup, so the obedience keeps working at home.

Family harmony

A calm, well-mannered dog means a calmer home for kids, guests, and other pets alike.

What we offer

Our dog training programs for Shafter dogs

Every program runs out of our Bakersfield facility, by appointment. Here is how they break down.

Obedience lessons

Private, one-on-one sessions with a professional trainer. You are in the room for all of it, so the training goes home with you.

  • Come, sit, down, place, heel and off
  • Loose-leash walking and manners
  • Reward-based marker track for young dogs
Explore obedience lessons →

Board & train

Our signature immersive program. Your dog stays and trains with a trainer, then you get a turnover session before they come home.

  • One, two and three-week stays
  • Off-leash reliability around distractions
  • Owner turnover session at pickup
Explore board & train →

Specialized programs

Focused help for the problems a general obedience program does not solve on its own.

  • Aggression and reactivity
  • Puppy foundations from 12 weeks
  • Rattlesnake avoidance training
Explore specialized training →
Training in Shafter

Built for how Shafter dogs actually live

Shafter dogs live between town and farmland. A quiet street, a park a few blocks away, and open ag land starting more or less at the edge of the neighborhood.

That combination is harder on a dog than it looks. A recall that works at Mannel Park with the playground going is a different skill from a recall that works when the dog is fifty yards out along a field edge with something moving in it. We train for both, and we proof them separately, because a dog that only listens in one of those two places is not trained yet. The board and train programs are where the off-leash side gets built.

Being close by changes what is realistic. Shafter owners can do the private lesson track and actually keep up with it, and coming back for a refresher session later is a twenty-minute drive rather than a day out.

Where your dog will shine

  • Mannel Park
  • Veterans Park
  • Rodriguez Park
  • Kirschenmann Park
  • Downtown Shafter
Jesse Medina, owner of Off Leash K9 Training Bakersfield
Who you will be working with

Owner Jesse Medina graduated with honors from ABC College, then volunteered and later worked full time at Cesar Millan's Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita, where he taught socialization, basic obedience, search and rescue, and sheep herding. He has also volunteered with Marley's Mutts Pawsitive Change Prison Program, which pairs shelter dogs with inmates in California state prisons.

He runs the Bakersfield facility today, and he or one of his trainers is the person you will actually meet at your consultation.

Jesse MedinaOwner & Trainer · Off Leash K9 Training Bakersfield
Where we work

Dog training service areas near Shafter

We train dogs from Shafter and the towns around it in northwest Kern County. Our facility is in Bakersfield, about twenty minutes southeast.

Shafter Wasco Buttonwillow Delano McFarland Oildale Taft Lost Hills Bakersfield Tehachapi
Real results

What our clients say

“Jesse and Miguel have not just helped my dog Nala.. but have helped me with the tools to ensure that she is successful. I can tell in just the few days of having her home the difference in her confidence and ability to be a dog in busy surroundings without anxiety.”

j msVerified Google review

“Jesse did a great job with training our pup. He was a different dog after the sessions. I highly recommend Off Leash k9 Training Bakersfield it was one of the best investments we made with training our puppy.”

James HowardVerified Google review

“We have a beautiful Wirehaired Vizsla. At about 6 months old we send her to off leash K9 training. I was not able to train her on my own. Jessie did an amazing job training her she made a complete 360 change.”

Lili CVerified Google review
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How far is your facility from Shafter?

About twenty minutes. We are at 1450 Olive Dr A in Bakersfield, off Highway 99 on the north side of town, which is the near side coming from Shafter.

Do you come out to Shafter for in-home training?

No. We are a facility, by appointment — all training happens at our Bakersfield location. Given the drive is twenty minutes, most Shafter clients find that no real obstacle.

Are lessons or a board and train better for me?

Lessons put the work in your hands over several weeks and cost less; a board and train puts your dog with a trainer full time and is where off-leash reliability gets built. Being this close to us makes either one workable. We will talk it through on the phone before you commit to anything.

How young can my puppy start?

Twelve weeks, with two sets of vaccines done. Because Shafter is close by, puppy owners here often start with the lesson track and keep it going weekly — see our puppy programs. E-collar obedience is a later stage, not before five months.

Can you help with an aggressive or reactive dog?

Yes. There is a dedicated aggressive dog training program, and being twenty minutes away means we can also do follow-up sessions without it becoming a whole day. The phone consultation comes first either way.

Get started today

Ready to train your dog in Shafter?

Book your free phone consultation and we'll recommend the right program for your dog and your goals.