Put away the leashes, forget about the crates and take down the barriers. These dogs are ready to play.

While any weekday at the Santa Fe Tails Dog Academy and Daycare might seem like a free-for-all, the dozens of dogs of all shapes, sizes and ages — howling, playing, barking or simply basking in the sun — are in a carefully controlled environment where fun and proper socialization is the name of the game.

"It's definitely organized chaos," said Hannah Padilla, who, along with her husband, Joey, opened the business in the Crossroads Shopping Center off Cerrillos Road in November. "We're just here to baby-sit, let them play and get rid of behaviors we don't like."

"Baby-sitting" is an understatement for the two professionally trained and certified dog handlers. The Padillas, both 26, eschew old school training methods like prong collars, choke chains and spray bottles. They also disdain words like pack, dominance and alpha, not that the two are unfamiliar with those terms or training methods.

Scanning the open room of the academy, where throughout the day up to 50 dogs come and go, the Padillas and their staff know what behaviors are acceptable and which aren't. Dogs that aren't toeing the line are given quick time-outs, and any aggression is quickly diverted.

"Every dog has a loose association with each dog here," Joey said. "It's just like with people; we're not going to talk to every person we run into during the day or want to play with everyone. I'm going to have a different relationship with each one."

Their science-based positive reinforcement methods are effective and long lasting. But the genesis behind the methods didn't happen over night. Long involved in day care, boarding and other canine-related businesses, the two had an epiphany after attending the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers.

"Basically, it was like the blinds were pulled up," Hannah said.

The couple's journey to doggie daycare is filled with twists, turns and happenstance. Both are Santa Fe natives. While they both were in the same class year at Santa Fe High, Joey joked that Hannah didn't know he existed. Hannah was on the fast-track for a career involving animals, but hadn't pinned down the direction.

They started dating after graduation. Then Hannah was accepted for a dolphin internship at the University of Hawaii. But the dolphins died — one died of cancer and its partner quickly followed — and the internship was off.

But her time wasn't wasted. At the university, Hannah had met dog behaviorist and trainer Sarah Kalnajs, who quickly became her mentor. Kalnajs, who was working on a thesis on the cognitive correlation between canines and dolphins, encouraged her to try dog training as well as pursue a degree in zoology.

When she returned to Santa Fe, Hannah and Joey resumed their relationship, and eventually both decided to relocate to San Francisco. There, Hannah received a bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University. And since they were in the city, Kalnajs encouraged both to attend the dog academy.

By that time Joey, a movie buff who had always worked in theaters, decided to switch career directions. The two found jobs working at Fog City Doggie Day Care and waited a year before an opening was available at the academy.

The two-month intensive program, known as the "Harvard for Dog Trainers," is led by Joan Donaldson, author of The Culture Clash and Dogs are From Neptune. The lectures, readings and hands-on training, all based on scientific observation, helped convince them positive reinforcement training was the right track. They had found their calling.

They eventually moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., where Joey managed a massive canine day care and kennel operation. But after a year, it was time to come home.

"Joey said, 'All right, let's update our resumes,'" Hannah said. "And I said, 'No, no more of that. Let's open something."

The two brushed off concerns of friends and family about the state of the economy, found a space to lease and began converting the former Evolve clothing store into a canine academy. What followed was six weeks of intensive remodeling, friends and family pitching in to pull out carpet, remove clothing racks and dispose of an old freezer in the back.

The empty space, 1,600 square feet with an additional 550 square feet of enclosed outside space, is perfect for their "group-dynamics" concept. Windows were enlarged and lowered so dogs could observe comings and goings. Low interior walls with gates were built for crowd and calming control. An open office was constructed near the door, with the same low walls.

"It took a while to consider what we wanted," Hannah said. "But we got to pick and choose what we liked from each day care that we worked at."

And since the two are avid animal lovers, the close working proximity with their clients was a given.

"With a lot of day cares, the dogs are in the back room," Joey said. "You can hear them, but you can't see them. We wanted to make sure that everyone who comes in can see what we're doing. That's also why we have webcams, so you can always log in and watch."

The academy opened Nov. 10 with one dog. The client base grew after a dog training class, an ad campaign, a free public lecture and word of mouth. The workaholics make time for their own animals, two dogs and a cat, and are planning for a baby due Dec. 15.

The unique style of the academy, combined with the Padillas' dedication and geniality, has caught on with dog lovers. It helps that all canines are evaluated before being accepted and are introduced slowly into the pack. Many canine behaviors are the by-product of stress in some form, the Padillas maintain — leash or barrier frustration, for example. Strip those anxieties away and once-troubled canines can blossom.

"We look at it as, 'what are you seeing,'" Hannah said. "Is it observation or interpretation. Is it a misunderstanding of behavior? Is it one dog trying to be aggressive over the other or is it miscommunication? Is it frustration being built because I can't get to where I want to go? It's hard being at the end of a leash."

While not all dogs are suitable for the academy's group dynamics, many build confidence by simple socialization and learning proper canine signals. Education is key for both owners and canines, one reason why training classes and public lectures are in integral component of the academy.

"People get worried about the threshold level, and I'm aware of it," Joey said. "But I've seen a lot of dogs turn around so quickly. We can help that by introducing him to other dogs to build his confidence."

While the two love their clients, they never forget that dogs are animals. They recognize some dogs need space, others get overly excited and that all dogs can bite. But the constant exposure to other dogs and different behaviors throughout the day helps to build well-balanced canines.

"That's what's so fabulous about this," Hannah said. "You can have a scared, or undersocialized or stressed dog come in here and these dogs have practiced multiple times on approaching them or leaving them alone. It helps."

SANTA FE TAILS DOG ACADEMY AND DAYCARE

1005 St. Francis Drive, Suite 121

7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday

505-820-5220, www.santafetails.com