Best Dog Trainers in and Near Anchorage, AK

Alaska Dog Sports has trained dogs in Anchorage since 1998. Its methods follow the LIMA standard, short for Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive. The site says the team puts positive reinforcement first and avoids methods that cause fear or pain. The owners and many instructors belong to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and the facility is an approved mentor site for Animal Behavior College.

Puppy Basic Skills takes puppies from 2 to 6 months. Reactive Rover is a class for reactive dogs, and the site calls it one of the most popular classes. On the sports side you'll find agility and obedience, with rally and nose work too, and our listing also names Canine Good Citizen prep and conformation. Classes run an hour with up to 8 dogs for each instructor. The site mentions private training and workshops as well. Classes don't include dog to dog play, since the instructors put safety first and point you to daycare for that.

Alyeska Canine Trainers runs a long list of group class levels in Anchorage. Puppy and advanced puppy classes come first, then beginner and advanced beginner, then competitive obedience and rally. There's a focused heeling class called Attention and a separate recall class.

Agility runs in levels 1 to 5 in our listing, and the studio also teaches flyball and nose work, along with tricks and Canine Good Citizen classes. Obedience run throughs are held Tuesdays at noon for dogs getting ready to compete, with a break for the holidays in December. The site says a current rabies vaccine is required to train there. If you cancel at least 72 hours before the first class, the site lists a refund minus a 5% processing fee. Instructor names and class prices aren't posted, so ask about methods and cost when you sign up.

Cat the Dog Trainer, which is changing its name from Anchorage Dog Training, teaches private lessons in your home. The focus is fearful and aggressive dogs, along with anxiety, and the site says Cat takes any behavior problem with no limits on breed or severity. Dogs of every age are welcome, and the site says a dog asked to leave a group class can still get help here. The site describes the methods as positive and built around each dog.

Cat lists 25 years of dog training, including eight years handling avalanche search and rescue dogs. The site also mentions ride alongs with police K9 units in California and animal work for film and commercials. Behavior Modification Training is listed on their site as $700 for three sessions, and Puppy Training for puppies 7 months or younger as $500 for three sessions. Extra sessions are $150 each. Behavior sessions can move to parks or trails when that's where the problem happens, and a travel fee of $60 an hour of drive time applies outside Anchorage. Booking runs two to four weeks out.

Howling Peaks is an Anchorage dog care business with two locations. Our listing shows Holly Tedor with CPDT-KA and PCT-A credentials and membership in the Pet Professional Guild, and the site says Howling Peaks is owned by a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. One location has a private training consultation room, and the other has a large indoor training facility.

The site doesn't list training services in detail, so this part comes from our directory. Our listing covers private and group training, plus behavior consulting for separation anxiety and for aggression or reactivity. The site says the team keeps up with continuing education on safety and dog behavior. Howling Peaks also runs daycare and boarding, so your dog can stay with the same business when you travel. The home page doesn't name Holly or describe class schedules or prices. Ask on the first call which formats are running and what a behavior consult includes.

K9 Minds of Alaska is run by Jeremiah Shultz, who describes himself as a lifelong Alaskan. Private lessons happen at your home or another place that suits the problem you're working on. The site and our listing also name obedience and behavior modification.

Board and train is offered, and your dog lives with the trainer's household for a set period. Trail training is the other program that stands out. It's meant for dogs that act up on outdoor trips, and the site gives the example of a dog that chases cyclists and moose. The site describes the methods as interactive play and positive reinforcement, set to each dog's needs. It doesn't list tools or prices, so ask about both on the first call.

Maija Doggett is an Anchorage dog trainer listed in our directory as an accredited pet professional through the Pet Professional Guild's Pet Professional Accreditation Board. Her directory listing covers pet dog training and behavior work. The board's application asks trainers to confirm a minimum number of training hours over the last 18 months and to agree to the guild's code of ethical conduct.

We don't have a website on file for Maija, so this entry comes from our directory data alone. On the first call, ask whether lessons are private or in a class and where they meet. Then ask what kinds of behavior problems Maija takes on and which tools are used.

Sit Stay and Play AK is run by Denise Agosti, and the site says she teaches small group classes for puppies and adult dogs. Off leash work is part of most classes. She also offers private lessons and evaluations, along with classes for children and for therapy dogs. Seminars on training rescue dogs are listed too.

Denise trained at Bergin University of Canine Studies in 2018, with a focus on therapy, service and mobility dogs. She's an AKC certified trainer through Animal Behavior College and can give the AKC Puppy S.T.A.R. and Canine Good Citizen tests, including the advanced and urban versions. Her own dogs hold titles in obedience and rally. Her motto is that she's there to train the humans more than the dog. The site menu also lists a service dog program, plus boarding and dog walking, without details on the home page. Prices sit on a separate page we didn't see, so ask when you call.

The Dog Savant is run by Brett Endes, who lists more than 30 years of experience. He holds a B.S. in Comparative Psychology from SUNY, graduated from the Academy of K9 Education, and is a professional member of the IACP. Most Anchorage sessions happen in your home, and the service area reaches Eagle River, Chugiak and Girdwood as well as Wasilla and Palmer.

The main work is aggression and reactivity, and the site says he takes cases other trainers turned away. Separation anxiety and leash pulling are covered too, along with puppies from about eight weeks to one year. He calls his approach balanced and says he picks tools for each dog instead of using prong or electronic collars by default. Package clients can drop in on group classes at an Anchorage park, and Zoom or phone sessions serve owners outside the area. There's no board and train. A 90 minute first workshop is listed on their site as $295, and it counts toward a package. Packages are listed at $1,495 for six lessons and $1,995 for ten.

Treeline Pack Co. trains adventure dogs for hiking and backpacking in Alaska, along with winter sports. Foundations is five private sessions on recall and calm leash walking, plus handler focus and steady behavior around new places, and it comes with a long slip lead. It's listed on their site as $695 and serves as the base for the other programs.

Off Leash Freedom is three sessions built on electronic collar training, with the collar included. It's listed on their site as $875 and works on long distance recall and emergency stops around wildlife. Adventure Training, listed at $175, is for dogs that already have solid off leash skills. Options include trail manners and long line hiking, plus skijoring and canicross. The site doesn't name its trainers, so ask who will work with your dog when you book a consultation.