Best Dog Trainers in and Near Akron, OH

Cathy Mutnick has run Cathy's K9 Kids out of Massillon since 2008, and every lesson happens where your dog lives, whether that's your living room or your neighborhood sidewalk. She starts with a free 15 minute phone call and then a one hour consultation in your home, listed on her site as $49 for dogs four months and older. Her site promises lessons with no bribes and no yelling, with the focus on calmer energy and polite greetings at the door. She travels across Stark and Summit counties and into Wayne and Tuscarawas counties, within about a 35 minute drive of Massillon.

Lucky Dog Training works out of an indoor, climate controlled training center in North Canton. Its site describes reward based, science based training with no pain or intimidation. Group classes cover puppy foundations and obedience. You can also book private sessions at the center, or in home visits when a problem shows up mostly at your house. Lucky Dog is the only trainer in this guide that sells virtual coaching as its own service, with a custom plan delivered wherever you are. Skill work includes recall and loose leash walking, and the trainers add distractions slowly with controlled setups.

Off Leash K9 Training's Canton location belongs to a national franchise with more than 130 locations, and it covers North Canton and Massillon along with smaller towns around Canton. The core program moves from basic obedience into four advanced lessons that build distance control. If you'd rather hand your dog over, the 2 Week Board and Train keeps your dog with a trainer for two weeks. A nine lesson Aggressive Dog Package uses desensitization for aggressive or reactive dogs. Puppies under five months can start with a consultation on housebreaking and crate training, and the first phone consultation is free.

Pack Rules Dog Training in Medina works through private lessons in on and off leash obedience and behavior modification, and the trainer also does consultations in your home. The about page says the trainer graduated from the Paramount School for Dog Trainers and has more than nine years of experience. As an approved AKC evaluator, the trainer tests for Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy, plus the Community Canine and Urban Canine Good Citizen titles. Pack Rules also teaches novice level footstep tracking, which no other trainer on this list mentions. Every plan starts with an evaluation of you and your dog.

Marty Warchola runs Best Paws Forward Dog Training in Medina, with courses that start at basic obedience and reach as far as agility and advanced K9 search and rescue. Group programs include Puppy STAR and two levels of obedience. Private lessons for a special needs dog are available in your home or on site. 4-H clubs and scout groups can ask for a free training demonstration and group rates. Adopted shelter dogs and active military families get $20 off the Puppy STAR and obedience classes, as listed on their site.

The All Breed Training Club of Akron has taught owners to train their own dogs since 1949, and its building sits in Tallmadge. Class levels run from Puppy I and II through Obedience III, with a tricks class on the side. The club also runs Pawsitive Reactions, a class for reactive dogs. For dogs that like to move, agility runs from pre agility up to advanced, and rally classes are on the schedule too. The club hosts rally and obedience trials, and it won the AKC Public Education Award in 2025. Since it's a membership club, ask how enrollment works when you sign up.

The Naughty Dog Training is run by Becky, who has more than 20 years of experience according to the site. Group classes meet at a training building in Stow. Becky also offers private one on one training on a flexible schedule, with a plan built around you and your dog. Common problems she works on include jumping and chewing, and house soiling comes up too. Her service area stretches from Hudson and Twinsburg down to Green, and dogs of every age are welcome.

One Smart Dog in Seville is led by owner and lead instructor Linda Randall, DVM, who also holds the KPA-CTP credential. Instructor Tara Gifford is a CPDT-KA, and the school uses positive reinforcement. Puppy Foundations 1 is listed on their site as $150 for five weeks for puppies two to eight months old, and a second level adds five more weeks. Puppies need their first round of vaccines, and the school follows AVSAB socialization guidelines. After puppy class you can move on to private training or sports classes in agility and scent work, and rally is offered too. The facility also rents ring time.

Ken McCort has run Four Paws Animal Behavior Services in Doylestown, just south of Akron, since 1987. He works as an animal behavior consultant and trainer, and he sees every client one on one, usually in their own home. The site says he often takes on more serious behavior concerns, and his work covers behavior modification as well as training. He doesn't teach group classes, so Four Paws fits when your dog's problem needs private attention. He sees clients across Ohio and in neighboring states.

Kelsi Long owns Long Road Canine and Co in Medina and serves clients between Cleveland and Ashland. Her board and train program has your dog live with her, and it includes private lessons to keep the work going once your dog comes home. Private training runs as one hour sessions once a week. With day training, your dog trains during your workday and comes home each evening. Kelsi describes a relationship based, balanced approach that uses all four quadrants of operant conditioning. She also offers small scale overnight boarding in her home.

Ace Dog Training in Akron is built around its Elite Board and Train, where your dog lives with a trainer in a home setting. Every program ends with a one on one hand off session, and enrollment is capped at four dogs at a time. If you'd rather keep your dog at home, the 360 Core Obedience program brings the trainer to your door to work on problems in your house. The site says Ace doesn't use electronic collars and adapts its positive reinforcement training to each dog's temperament. Jason is the trainer named on the site, and Ace also offers trainer supervised boarding.

Ridgeside K9 Ohio is based in Canton and also serves Akron and Cleveland. Board and train is listed as its most popular program, and day training is an option if you want your dog home at night. The team offers puppy training and behavior modification, and it says it specializes in obedience and anxiety relief. Each package mixes marker training with free shaping and conditioning, set after the trainers evaluate you and your dog. It offers a free consultation and says financing is available.

Tisha L. Angelo, CPDT-KA, has run Second Chance Canine in Akron since 2009, after volunteering at a local humane society starting in 1999. Her site describes force free, reward based training and says it follows AVSAB position statements. She works with puppies and new rescues, and she takes reactive or fearful dogs, with help for problems like separation anxiety and resource guarding. In home training is listed on her site as starting at $250 for the first two hour session and $150 for follow ups, with lower rates at her Akron facility. Board and train stays happen in her home instead of a kennel.

Dog Gone Crazy in Medina is a daycare and boarding business that also runs training classes. The AKC STAR Puppy class is listed on their site as $150 for six weeks and is meant for dogs 8 weeks to 7 months old. The six week Obedience class costs the same and covers loose leash walking and recall, and stays are part of the plan too. You need to finish Obedience before you can move on to the Canine Good Citizen class. The board and train program gives your dog daily one on one work in a setting with controlled distractions, and it includes go home lessons for you.

Lucky Dog K9 Academy is based in Uniontown and serves Northeast Ohio. Programs include board and train and private lessons, plus group classes. The academy also runs a doggie day camp. Trainers named on the site include Joe and Jamey Waechter, and free consultations can be booked online. The academy calls itself a balanced training company and puts the focus on your dog's state of mind and on clear boundaries at home. The site also promises it will never force you to use a specific tool.

Fieldstone K9 Academy is based in Mantua and added a second location in Chagrin Falls this November. Training covers obedience and puppy work, with separate help for separation anxiety. Behavior modification is a big part of the program, and the trainers work with fearful and aggressive dogs, including newly adopted rescues. The site describes food and toy rewards, with each skill broken into small steps before distractions go up. Fieldstone also boards dogs of all sizes and serves Portage and Geauga counties.

Sit Means Sit Copley is a franchise location run by owner and training director Paul Pollock, who also runs a Northfield location. Programs include day training with no overnight stay and private lessons, plus a hybrid option that adds group classes. Those group classes come after your individual program so your dog can practice around distractions. The Puppy Primer is listed on their site as $149 for puppies under four months. The team also offers therapy dog certification and behavior work for reactive and anxious dogs. Every plan starts with a free one on one evaluation.

The Dog Wizard Akron is a franchise location covering Akron and nearby towns from Barberton to Wadsworth. Senior trainer Beth Skove lists more than 50 years of experience, and trainer Autumn Wilson is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. You can choose private lessons or group classes, and board and train or day training are options too, with in home sessions available. Behavior help covers resource guarding and separation anxiety, and there's a program for adopted and rescue dogs. Trainers use food along with collars and remote collars, and you pick the tools you'll use. Programs are listed on their site as starting at $250.

The Dog Wizard Medina is a separate franchise location led by owner and head trainer Jennifer Hacker. It serves Medina and Brunswick, and its list reaches north to Strongsville and North Royalton. Obedience options include day training and private lessons, with group classes and board and train on the menu as well. On the behavior side, the team works on aggression and separation anxiety and runs a rescue dog program. Its site lists programs from $250, and the final cost is set after a free evaluation.

Tonya Haney teaches sheep herding on a five acre farm in Coventry Township near Barberton. She has bred and shown champion German Shepherds, and her herding lessons are open to every herding breed. During the months her practice course is set up, she also runs Barn Hunt sessions, where you and your dog search hay bale mazes for rats kept safe in aerated tubes. Barn Hunt is open to any dog that fits through the tunnels, mixed breeds included. Barn Hunt practice is listed on her site as $10 a session. You can book herding and Barn Hunt on the same day by calling or texting her.

Medina Swarm is a dog agility club in Wadsworth that has offered training and competition work since 1988. It's a 501(c)(3) charity, and its proceeds support canine care and rescue in Northeast Ohio. Classes run in multi week sessions, and the fall lineup includes Agility Foundations for beginners and Intermediate Agility for teams with experience. There's also a beginner class just for small dogs. The club says its instructors hold high titles. Signups go through MyDogEntry, where you'll find session dates.

Medina Kennel Club was founded in 1967 as a nonprofit and is a recognized member club of the American Kennel Club. Its training center opened in January 2016 on a 22.52 acre farm in Lafayette Township. The next six week S.T.A.R. Puppy session starts Monday, November 16, 2026, and the class is listed on their site as $120 for nonmembers and $100 for members, so you don't need to join first. A three week Canine Good Citizen course meets on Monday evenings, listed at $60 with the test included, and the club says purebred and mixed breed dogs are both welcome to test. Drop in obedience and rally run thrus are listed at $5 per run, which gives you ring practice without signing up for a full class.

American Caniner has served dog owners in Summit and Medina counties since 2012, and its site lists more than 35 years of training experience. Training can start with an in home consultation that includes a temperament analysis, then moves to private sessions at your house. Puppy obedience and off leash obedience are both on the menu, and the board and train program is built around reliable off leash control. Our listing notes group classes held in Cuyahoga Falls. American Caniner will even help you choose a dog before you bring one home. Its service area runs from Hudson and Kent down to Canal Fulton.

Mike runs The K9 Solution of Ohio, an in home training business in Akron, and the site says he specializes in the difficult cases. Training happens at your house with your household included, and studio appointments are also available. Puppy training covers house training and nipping, and obedience covers loose leash walking and calm behavior when guests arrive. Mike works with dogs that growl or lunge at people or other dogs, and he helps newly adopted dogs settle in. His service area covers Summit and Stark counties and reaches into Portage, Medina and Cuyahoga.