We service many towns south and west of Chicago – View Service Area

We are highly recommended by many other pet professionals and much of our business is from our clients sending their friends and family to us because they were so happy with our services. We often get people coming to us after not being satisfied with other dog trainers. Read more on why you should choose us to help you train your dog.

In class you are given the tools you need to work with your dog. A total of 30 minutes of training each day will help ensure optimal results. This can be done in 10 or 15 minute increments and by more than one family member.

The majority of our business comes from referrals. This is because our clients are very satisfied. We have pictures of dogs we have trained and customer testimonials throughout our website along with over 50 positive reviews on other online review sites. View Success Stories.

Your dog’s success also depends on you. In class you are given all the tools you need to work with your dog on class content at home. What you get out of the class will depend on what you put into it each week. Your dog will work for you if you motivate him. In class you will be taught how your dog thinks and how to figure out what motivates him the most. Each class will consist of instruction and demonstration, practice and instructor feedback, discussion and questions, review of homework and class handouts.

A dog’s optimum training period starts at 6 weeks of age.  For in-home training, we can begin as soon as you get your puppy and even before with our pre-puppy consults to help you prepare for your puppy’s arrival.  Puppy Training

Puppies need to be up to date on their vaccines for group classes but may be too young to be fully vaccinated.  The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has released a position statement on puppy socialization for those who have concerns about socializing their puppies before they are fully vaccinated.

A dog is never too old to learn.  Adult dogs of all ages are welcome in our programs.

It is important for all family members to participate in the training at home. All family members are welcome for our in-home dog training sessions. Our general rule is children under 10 years old should not come to group classes. An exception might be made for mature eight or nine year old children. If you would like younger children to participate in the sessions, our in-home dog training sessions would probably be a better fit for your family.

We use positive reinforcement and leadership based training methods. We motivate dogs to learn through reward based training using treats, toys, play, praise, etc. We also incorporate leadership exercises so your dog will not only know what you want him to do, but will also want to listen to your commands….it still comes down to motivation. Good leaders know how to get results by motivating others not by using fear based methods. We do not use any physical corrections in our dog training programs.

We have more flexibility with the types of rewards we use during our in-home programs (play, toys, treats, etc.).  We use what works best for each individual dog and family.  If treats are used properly, your dog will not be food dependent. We also teach you how to wean off of treats so that you will not always need treats to get your dog to listen.

 In group classes, treats work best because they can compete with the other distractions in class. Outside of class, treats are only a small part of the training program. 

Please view punishment and dominance position statements from the American Veterinarian Society of Animal Behavior. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers also has a great article on Dominance and Dog Training