Obedience classes teach owners how to train their pets at the College of San Mateo

For more than 40 years, the San Bruno Dog Obedience School has provided services from potty training and proper leash-walking etiquette to behavior adjustment. The school has helped dogs of all breeds and sizes to graduate with an understanding of how they should act when interacting with their owners, strangers and other canines.

The dog obedience school was founded by Mal Lightfoot, who served as the alpha, more than 50 years ago. Before retiring, he helped more than 15,000 dogs learn obedience and socialization. He died in 2008.

An owner of standard poodles, Lightfoot had a philosophy that pets left untrained are “unloved.”

“He always thought that by interacting and training your dog, it shows that you care enough about them and show love,” Dina Calloway, one of the dog trainers for the school, said. “You can’t go places with your dog if they’re not trained.”

The school transformed into a co-op after Lightfoot’s death, with Calloway now one of nine board members. Her involvement started with her dog’s first obedience class in 1997. What was supposed to be a six-week commitment evolved into an ongoing role as a trainer for the organization’s attitude class. Her decadelong internship under previous obedience instructors provided the expertise she now brings to her sessions.

Nestled in the heart of the Peninsula, the training site offers convenience for dog owners from both San Francisco and Palo Alto. In its early years, the school held weekend sessions at Allen Elementary School in San Bruno. It later relocated to Crestmoor High School, and finally to College of San Mateo’s Parking Lot X.

The obedience school offers classes where puppies can progress through training and pursue specialized instruction. The puppy and beginner-level classes introduce basic commands such as sit, down and stay, while also teaching owners the foundations of obedience to discourage unwanted behaviors. The intermediate and advanced classes aim to foster deeper trust between dogs and their owners, with lessons that include both leash and off-leash walking, as well as more advanced tricks.

The school’s attitude class helps dog owners address behavioral challenges such as barking, leash pulling and anxiety. Therapy dog classes prepare dogs to offer comfort in hospital settings with calmness and sensitivity, while both competition and noncompetition agility classes keep dogs engaged with appropriate obstacles.

Many familiar faces reenroll to continue their dogs’ training or to educate new pets. Stacie Nevarez of San Mateo enrolled her third dog, Marlee, a Rhodesian ridgeback, and said she stays with the school because of the trainers’ expertise and their commitment to strengthening the bond between owner and pet.

“They trained other dogs there, and they’ve had success with that and good relationships with their dogs,” Pam Delucchi, the school’s secretary and one of its board members, said. “And so when they get another dog, they tend to return to our school having had a positive experience.”

Some dog owners participate out of necessity. San Mateo resident Rosalinda Woolard was compelled to train her adopted schnauzer-dachshund mix, Margo, after the dog nearly ran away by slipping out of her harness.

“I want her to be in class so she wouldn’t run off and be good with other people,” Woolard said. “I think you have a better relationship with your dog if they are trained.”

From a pup who sprinted off whenever she got the chance, Margo has learned to compose herself and control her playful instincts. As a student in the Intermediate Level I class, she and Woolard continue to work together so Margo remains disciplined around other dogs and when strangers stop to give her rubs during walks.

Consistent training outside of class is essential for a dog’s success, said Delucchi and Calloway.

“You have to be in it,” Calloway said. “It’s not something that you can just show up in class and then everything is OK. You have to actually practice.”