DOG TRAINER & BEHAVIORAL SPECIALISTS
WELCOME TO YOUR BEST DOG YET
Results That Last
JESSICA JOHNSTON
Hello, welcome to my website!
Having a Dog Training Business has been a lifelong dream of mine because I am so very passionate about the relationship between pets and their humans.
I’ve worked with dogs across all variances of breed since 2005. I participated and even competed in canine athletics in California, Nevada and Arizona.
I relocated from San Diego to Yuma in 2020 and am very much hoping to share my knowledge and expertise with families in this region.
I have four dogs of my own; a Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherd, Border Collie and a Newfoundland.
In 2015 I received my Certification as an Animal Behaviorist from Animal Behavior College. This gave me the tools to be successful in the ever-changing world of dog training.
In 2016 I received my Veterinary Assistant Certification. This training gave me further knowledge and understanding of a pet’s mind and body.
The key benefit of a client working with a Professional Trainer is knowing that your trainer not only received the education, has been tested and has demonstrated that they are prepared to provide you with all the tools to be the best canine parent you can be. I will work with you to alleviate the frustration that comes with training your pet toward better, sought-after behaviors.
I believe in the human-animal bond and that every dog, like every person, has a purpose. I love to work with all people and dogs, but especially those who have dogs that struggle to live in a human world, which can cause a rift in that bond. As a result of our work together, we will create teamwork and build a thriving relationship through fun and effective training.
My goal, and I hope yours too, is to achieve obedience reliability for the everyday dog owner in the real world.
SERVICES
PRIVATE LESSONS
With my 1 hour private lesson option, you will be working hand-in-hand with a behaviorist in your corner. We will cover a variety of behaviors that are 100% tailored to your pets needs. I offer a 1 hour lesson or 5 hour lesson package, depending on your goals and the needs of your pet. You’ll be able to pick a day and time that works best for your schedule. Then you’ll have the option to do our lesson or lessons together in the comfort of your home or a local park. I’m all about working at you and your pets speed, so it’s a lesson by lesson style. Working towards your future goals with your pet, we will work to make your pet the best they can be.
IN-BOARD TRAINING PROGRAM
From your home to mine, your pet will be treated as my own. It’s a great opportunity for your pet to experience a consistent training program and learn what’s expected of them per their age, with a licensed professional dog trainer that’s fair, understanding, treats every dog as an individual and enjoys every unique personality and cork. My goal is “service dog material” but I can’t label it as such, it all depends on your pet; every pet is different.
This program offers you the luxury of sending your pet to a professional behaviorist, with a full training program that focuses on different behaviors for example: Your pup will learn how to gracefully walk on a leash and understand to ignore other animals and people. They will be able to sit and down stay in all different environments. Go to and stay on their bed during dinner time, when guest are over , when you go on outings in public, ect. They will be able to come when called in all different types of situations. Your pet will wait at doors until you invite them out. Also how to not jump up or mouth us when they are excited. Regular exercise is extremely important, so they will learn how to burn off some energy on a treadmill.
At the end of the program, I offer “go home lessons”. To be sure, you and your family will be fully successful and enjoy the years to come with Your Best Dog Yet. There are some perks that come with my In-Board program, a Free Birthday Bath for life, 50% off Beginner Group Classes, 15% off private lessons, discounted prices for grooming and boarding.
FOUNDATION (STEP 1)
Beginner 6 week group course. We all have to start somewhere, so setting up a strong foundation when training is very important. In the “FOUNDATION” course we will cover all the simple behaviors. When starting our best friends in training we want to using a positive basis training style.
SETTING THE GOAL (STEP 2)
Novice 6 week group course. After completing the “FOUNDATIONS” course it’s always a great idea to continue training. We didn’t stop after elementary school, why should they? In the “SETTING THE GOAL” course we will finalize those foundation behaviors and add in new and very useful behaviors for every day life.
GOLDEN CHILD (STEP 3)
Advanced 6 week group course. You have successfully completed the “FOUNDATION” and “SETTING THE GOAL”congratulations! At this point you have truly helped your pet become a happy, healthy, and well rounded companion. It’s exciting and absolutely wonderful to be apart of, thank you, but you want to take the next step. Such as getting them ready for the “canine good citizen test” or you may want to be able to take your best friend anywhere with you. In this “GOLDEN CHILD” course we will do just that.
TRICK DOG
This is my bonus 6 week group course. Let me show you how fun teaching your pet new tricks can be! Your pet will definitely be the life of the party after this class, with all the new and exciting tricks they will learn.
GROOMING
Need a bath?
”Bath”
Bath, Blow dry, Nails (clip or dremel), Full Body Comb and Anal Glands for $30.
“Just A Trim”
Bath, Blow dry, Nails (clip or dremel), Full Body Comb and Anal Glands, Clean-Up (feet, ear, and hind end feathers) and Sanitary Clip for $45.
I also offer just a nail trim, anal glands, or ear cleaning for $5 each if that is all you need.
$50 for full summer cut for dogs 25lbs and smaller.
$70 full summer cut for dogs 25lbs and larger.
**I do not offer breed clips or puppy cuts and not all dogs will be excepted for haircuts**
GOING ON VACATION?
For pets that are grater than 25lbs, I highly recommend the larger kennel option and for pets that are less than 25lbs the smaller kennel will work great. This is a home environment, where they smell coffee in the morning and are able to hear the normal hustle and bustle of daily life. I believe that truly helps relieve stress and anxiety while away from their family. Also our homes A/C is set to 74 all day and night to keep everyone calm and cool.
The routine for all the pups that stay with us is simple; all kiddos are offered the food you provide twice a day. They will be let out to go potty up to six times a day. Also depending on the weather, supervised private play time in the yard is a must. Each pet is separated for their own safety in their individual kennels (unless we discuss other kennel arrangements for siblings) and have access to fresh water. At the end of the stay, they get to go home with a fresh bath. As a thank you, for choosing Your Best Dog Yet LLC for all your pet’s needs.
CANINE GOOD CITIZEN
Your Best Dog Yet, it’s the name for a reason. I strongly believe that it’s never too late to change our pet’s behaviors. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
TESTIMONIALS
"We have loved having Jessica as our dog training coach! She definitely knows how to positively train the dogs... and their owners I might add!"
“Jessica is an outstanding trainer! Her training methods are very hands on and she is so knowledgeable. She individualizes the training to fit each puppy. We learned so much as parents and it has truly transformed Blu. We would highly recommend putting your puppy in her course. Blu has become a well trained puppy. We look forward to the future classes. Jessica is the best!”
“You have been absolutely wonderful! Bailey adores you and being in your class. We learned so many fantastic new tricks and were focusing on being much more disciplined. Bailey grew a TON from week 1 to week 6 and we are so grateful to you “
“Jessica is the best. We rescued Ollie from the shelter and about four months in we were ready to take him back. He completely destroyed everything (our couch, blinds, shoes, clothes, etc.). You name it, Ollie eat it. He also barked at people, jump on people and tried to chase motorcycles as we walked him. I looked into “Boot Camp” for dogs and chose to send him to Jessica for 3 weeks of training. When he came back, he was a whole new dog. He hasn’t chewed anything since coming home.. he is calm around visitors now, no more jumping and barking! He is kennel trained and walks so nicely on a leash. Jessica regularly communicated through the processes and responded quickly to any questions I had. She trained us on how to help Ollie be successful and she is now our go to for anything dog related. Ollie loves her and just spent the weekend with her while we were out of town. I highly recommend Jessica to anyone one who is having issues with their dogs she is amazing”
“Thank you so much, we really enjoyed our class!”
“If you are looking for an instructor who knows dogs and wants to help you than you found her. Jessica is patient, works with you, help and knows what she is doing. This is a great opportunity to learn about your dog and how to help them become a part of the family and not just a pet.”
“Thank you for helping me become a better owner and building my bond with Luna. We already miss you.”
“Thank you Jessica for being a great puppy trainer! I really felt welcomed being part of your class and I learned a lot from you that I’ll be putting into practice for the long run. Thanks for being awesome and caring towards Maven and for being so patient with me and my sister when we needed more guidance. ☺️”
“Joie, the class wild child, and her mom appreciate the love, knowledge and dedication we received:) Thanks very much Jessica.”
“Jessica is a great instructor. She has a good sense of humor and is always happy. Jessica makes training fun for dogs and their owners. Her class is a great place for dogs to learn social manners. Liberty and Belle liked going to class.”
“We have a akc german shepherd and Jessica is by far the best I have ever had the pleasure of working with! She will definitely dedicate the time and effort into helping anyone with their pets. Highly recommend!!“
“Thank you for all your patience. The interaction with the pups was great. We enjoyed the clases, and definitely help with some of the behaviors. Specially how to keep them entertained as both Suki and Azula are full of energy.😅🥰”
“I 100% recommend Jessica, if you need a Dog Trainer”
“Thank you! We’ve really seen a lot of change in Keanu and that is attributed to you and your hard work. You really make it easy for us humans to understand the k9 mind ☺️“
“If you are in the Yuma/Imperial valley area and need some training for your dog, then look no further!! We did in-board for our 6month old GSD and jessica worked wonders on her!
She gave us daily videos on the training and updates on how our dog was doing. She is very knowledgeable, and Most importantly, loves your dog like they are her own.
She has a lot of services that she offers. If you are looking for quality training at a great price, CONTACT HER!!
Thank you for all the help jessica. You gave us a solid foundation to keep on training”
“You won’t find a more knowledgeable trainer this side of the Mississippi. Jessica is hands down the most qualified dog trainer I have ever been in contact with. From golden retriever’s to Belgian Malinois’ she knows what she’s doing and does it well. Having a reactive breed like my female malinois scares most away, Jessica had her in her lap within ten minutes. She just gets it on an instinctual level, I wouldn’t send my dogs or seek advice from anyone else.”
”Jessica is amazing to work with and you can tell thatshe really cares for her clients (both 4 legged andhuman). She is punctual, flexible and highlyresponsive. After just 5 lessons with Jessica, we haveseen such great results with our puppy and feel moreconfident with training. Contact Jessica today if youneed any help with your dog. We highly recommend her!!”
“We have two mini schnauzers that are siblings and I had given up on being able to handle them. Someone recommended Jessica and it’s been the best thing ever! The positive reinforcement training has worked wonders. We still have a long way to go, but can’t wait to get back to Yuma to continue our training. Thank you, Jessica for all you’ve done for us, Tucker and Daisy.”
“Jessica is extremely knowledgeable and accessible! She did amazing work with Eir and continues to answer questions/check in with us. I would recommend her in a heartbeat!“
“We have just started training with Jessica… and LOVE her approach with Muffin Maglenn and Muffin’s humans! We are all in training. 😎 Jessica not only is great with dog communication, she responds to my text questions and phone calls. Her communication with me relieves my anxiety as a new momma to a 4-month old rescue puppy from an Indian Reservation. I look forward to OUR transformation through Jessica’s training!”
“We brought our new Labrador puppy, Luna home at 7 weeks old. She was this incredibly cute, feisty little sweetheart UNTIL the puppy nipping started and would not let up. After a month of trying everything we could think of to stop the behavior, we were feeling defeated by this adorable little shark-dog. Jessica was recommended by our vet and reaching out to her was the best decision we ever made. We tried private lessons at first and felt in-board training was a better way to go with our Luna. As promised, Luna came home a well-behaved, happy, puppy who no longer nips or bites. Mission accomplished! Jessica is the best of the best and we highly recommend her.”
“Jessica has been such a gift for our miniature dachshund puppy. Jessica did a great job training him and us to be good dog parents. I can’t say thank you enough!! We recommend Jessica for all your dog training/boarding needs. She’s truly gifted at what she does!”
“If you need dog training, over nights, or boarding Jessica is your girl! She handles my malinois like no one else. Trained in veterinary services she has caught multiple injuries Dax has gotten from other "daycares" in Yuma. She not only trains Dax with consistency, but she always is there to help anytime I leave town. Dax came back so well groomed and happy after his last visit with her. He loves it when he gets to stay at Your Best Dog Yet”
“Jessica was such a help with our year old (100# Doberman) pup. Who was so stubborn and difficult to handle. After herin-board training we were able to have guest enter our home without being jumped on along with having him sit, stay, down ect. She is a tremendous trainer and person. We are so grateful for her training and our continued lessons with our dog.”
“Jessica helped me so much with my puppy pitbull (Sandia) who was biting a lot, not well potty trained, becoming aggressive, etc. She taught me tricks, correct way to get her to stop biting, and how to get Sandia’s attention when needed. Jessica taught Sandia so much and became one of her best friends (mostly because she had food on her most times lol). i am so grateful for Jessica not only for helping me train my Sandia but for being so understanding when Sandia had her surgery and got sick not to long ago. Thank you so much Jessica we really appreciate you!❤️”
“Jessica is amazing. Lucifer is amazing because of her training/guidance. He is doing so well. He has been full-time at the haunted house this year. Because of your training I was easily able to train him to sit in a tote (really big) and stay there while we are at the gate greeting people. He doesn’t budge until I release him.”
“Once again thank you so much training me back in 2021. Me and my dog can now go on runs without a leash, he stays in the house and in the garage even when the doors are open, and he is the favorite member of the family. You’re amazing!”
“I fell in love with this beautiful two month old Border Collie / Siberian Husky female puppy with one blue eye at the rescue shelter. We named her Bella Blu and travelled from Olympia, WA to Yuma, AZ for the winter. I wanted Bella to start her training properly and turned to Google for training videos. Some videos were better than others, but there was always something missing. I started looking for local training that I could take Bella to. After interviewing several local training facilities we decided, well actually Bella chose, Jessica from “Your Best Dog Yet.” We started with personal training visits. I realized what the training videos were not providing was constructive trainer guidance. I quickly realized that Bella was learning way faster than I was and we were only going to be in Yuma for three months. We decided to let Bella go to Jessica for in house puppy training. Yes, we missed her, but Jessica kept us updated of her progress. Bella was actually walking the doggie treadmill. When Bella returned, Jessica transitioned us together with all of Bella’s new skills. Bella impressed our neighbors with her skills and continues to build new skills daily. Jessica is not just a dog trainer, but also a life long family member. I highly recommend “Your Best Dog Yet” for all your dog training or boarding needs.”
“Jessica helped us with our Missy’s barking and aggression
We thought it would take many private lessons. But with the help and personal training we were able to do it in three sessions. Jessica has been very prompt and polite with us on all of the lessons. We will definitely use her for boarding upon our return in November. Thanks again Jessica you were fantastic.”
“We too would recommend Your Best Dog Yet! Jessica worked wonders during the in-board program and then teaching us to work with our dog. She’s a dedicated talented dog trainer ❤️”
“We reached out to Jessica because our 1.5 year English shepherd would get overly excited on walks. She would lunge at people walking by, bark at other dogs in hopes to be able to play with them. Jessica was able to teach us how Murphy learned and the best way to train her. We did five private sessions with Jessica and now I can take Murphy on walks without feeling stressed that she will lunge at people/pull me. We will plan to do her group session go further improve Murphys training! Highly Recommend Jessica.”
“We adopted a puppy from the local Humane Society that was great with our kids but had a ton of energy, pulled on leash, reactive to other dogs on leash & was generally a spaz. Contacted Jessica and decided on board in training due to our schedules. Our Luna came back with much better manners, walks politely on leash, waits to eat until you tell her… she’s even less impulsive. Thankful for Jessica and especially thankful that we can use a treadmill to help get our dog exercise!”
“We contacted Jessica out of desperation. Our then 8 month old lab/border collie Stella had a mind of her own. In six at home lessons Jessica taught us, as the parents of hell on 4 legs to get her attention, and, to keep her attention.
We are so thankful that we found Jessica. Walks are no longer a tug of war and a battle of wills. We now enjoy taking Stella to public places instead of leaving her home alone.”
“I am SOOO grateful to have found “Your Best Dog Yet” and Miss Jessica. When I adopted Roxy I knew I needed professional support and help in bringing her out of her shell after being a long stay at the shelter. Roxy went through the in-board training program and it was truly WONDERFUL. A few weeks after her graduating from in board we went back for a group class to continue her learning (but mostly mine this time!).
Roxy feels right at home with Miss Jessica and any time I need to leave town she goes in for boarding and it’s such a relief to have zero worries about her care while I’m gone! I highly recommend!”
“We have a 70 lb. shedding fur ball and brought her in for a bath. She got the best bath ever! She didn't shed for almost 3 weeks, which is amazing! And even with her thick coat, she came home completely dry. That has never happened anywhere else. We will be back!”
“We have used other boarding places here in Yuma and our traumatized rescue beagles came home after their first boarding with Jessica more relaxed, less triggered and less vocal than in the past. We will absolutely be using Jessica moving forward. She took excellent care of our 3 babies for 10 days even providing text updates on how they were doing. Don’t waste your time going anywhere else. She will treat your pets as if they were her own. Thank you Jessica for such great care of our three babies ❤️❤️”
