Best Dog Trainers in Arizona

Bark Busters Mesa serves Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and the East Valley, and our listing places it in Ahwatukee. The site names Kristyn Hayes as the local trainer and shows an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator badge. Lessons are one on one in your home, starting with a two hour session, and you practice 10 to 15 minutes a day. The behavior list covers leash pulling, reactivity, aggression and separation anxiety, plus puppy potty training and nipping. The site says the branch doesn't use shock, prong or e collars.

Bark Busters Phoenix-Goodyear is run by Michelle Willey, a Master Dog Trainer and the national training director for Bark Busters USA with more than 20 years of experience. Our listing files it under Aguila, but the service area runs from Goodyear and Buckeye to Sun City, and out to Wickenburg, Kingman and Yuma. Lessons happen in your home and cover resource guarding, reactivity and barking. The page says trainers don't use shock or prong collars. Lifetime support comes with the Gold Service option.

Bark Busters Tucson covers southern Arizona from our Amado listing, including Green Valley, Sahuarita, Nogales and Sierra Vista. Featured trainer Devin Wilson calls himself a Dog Behavioral Therapist. Training is one on one in your home, starting with a lesson of about two to three hours. The site lists aggression, barking, leash pulling and separation anxiety, plus puppy chewing. Trainers don't use choke, shock or prong collars, and the Life of Dog Support Guarantee covers help for your dog's whole life without extra charges.

Sit Means Sit Southeastern Arizona trains out of a facility in Sierra Vista. Owner Brittany Angone started as a client in 2015, and Melissa Morgan, also an owner, supervises training. Programs include private lessons, day training and board and train for dogs 16 weeks and older. The AKC Star Puppy Class takes puppies 8 to 16 weeks old and is listed on their site as $200. Behavior work covers aggression, fear and reactivity, and the service area runs from Bisbee and Douglas to Nogales and Vail.

Janice Dearth is a Casa Grande dog trainer listed as a NADOI Certified Instructor. NADOI, the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, was founded in 1965. Its Certified level asks for at least five years as a full charge instructor, work with at least 100 dog and handler teams and a passed exam. We don't have a website or program details on file for her, so ask on the first call whether she teaches classes or private lessons and which tools she uses.

Kori Cook is the only trainer on this list based in Morenci. NADOI lists her as a Certified Instructor, the higher of its two member levels, which takes a passed exam and at least five years of training dogs. Certified members have also worked with at least 100 dog and handler teams. We don't have her programs or a website on file. Before you book, find out what she teaches, where sessions take place and how much practice she expects between them.

Kennedi Travis runs Pawsitive Dog Training in Fountain Hills and holds the CPDT-KA, which takes 300 hours of training experience and a 200 question exam. Our listing also shows her as a Fear Free Professional, an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator and a Canine Enrichment Technician. She's also a Pet Professional Guild member. Her listing shows private training and group training. We don't have a working website on file for her, so ask on the first call when the next group class starts.

Off Leash K9 Training Flagstaff belongs to a national company founded by former Marine Nick White. It serves northern Arizona from Williams and Winslow to Cottonwood and Payson. Basic Obedience is four private lessons with a leash and e collar included, and the 2 Week Board and Train works on off leash obedience. Dogs under 5 months start with a puppy consultation, and therapy dog and aggressive dog packages are offered. Prices are listed on their site as $600 for Basic Obedience and $2,800 for board and train.

Off Leash K9 Training Prescott is a veteran owned branch that says it has been in business 12 years. Our listing places it in Prescott Valley, and it serves the whole Prescott area. The main offer is a 14 day board and train aimed at obedience outdoors and off leash, and trainers work with remote collars. The site names stress, anxiety and leash pulling as problems it takes on. Training is listed on their site as starting at $3,500, and graduates get lifetime support.

Prescott K9 Academy says it was founded in 1991. You can choose private or semi private lessons, group classes or board and train, and the first phone consultation is free. Puppies under 6 months start in Foundations, which the site says focuses on connection more than control, and older dogs go into Essentials. The academy also trains service dogs and personal protection dogs. The site describes training built on motivation and play but doesn't name its tools, so ask about them on the call.

All Dogs Unleashed Prescott runs a two week board and train with daily sessions while your dog stays on site. Private lessons happen at your home or at the facility. The page names leash pulling, nipping, jumping and nuisance barking among the problems it works on, and the contact form lists service and therapy dog training and off leash control. Graduates get lifetime support with refresher sessions. The service area covers Prescott, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt, and standard bookings need two weeks' notice.

Chino Valley Canine Training Club of Arizona is a dog training club in Chino Valley. Our listing shows classes from puppy through advanced levels, covering pet manners and AKC dog sports. A club suits you if you want a weekly class with other owners and a way into a sport once the basics are solid. The club's website wouldn't open for us during this review, so contact the club to learn which classes are running this season and how new members join.

Pawsitive Connection Dog Training is a veteran owned business in Kingman with more than 26 years of training experience. Programs start with a 90 minute evaluation. Board and train runs two or four weeks, with transfer lessons when your dog comes home. Group classes include obedience, rally, scent work and pack walks, listed on their site as $180 for six classes. Service dog training covers task work and public access, and a pet first aid and CPR class is offered. The site calls its approach balanced and reward based.

Arizona Rattlesnake Aversion is based in Payson and trains dogs to avoid rattlesnakes. The company says it regularly visits communities across the state and serves rural and greater Arizona, and it describes itself as licensed and insured. A waiver is required, and the site advises checking with your vet first if your dog has health problems. It also states that results can't be guaranteed. The method and prices aren't posted, so ask whether training uses live snakes and how often to repeat it.

Sublime Canine in Oro Valley offers obedience, behavior modification and private lessons. Founder JJ Belcher adopted a dog from the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in the late 1990s, signed up for an obedience class and went on to intern and apprentice under other trainers. He was certified as a professional trainer by 2000 and opened Sublime Canine in 2004. The company also teaches rattlesnake avoidance in Arizona and five other states, and our directory listing notes both an e collar method and a no shock option.

Viper Voidance has taught rattlesnake avoidance for more than 20 years. Dogs learn to link a caged live rattlesnake's smell, sound and sight with an unpleasant result from a shock collar. One on one sessions take place in New River, and the business also runs clinics in towns around Arizona once about 12 to 15 dogs sign up. Training is listed on their site as $100 per dog, with retests at $40. If you'd rather avoid shock collars, our listing for Sublime Canine notes a no shock option.

Tonopaws K-9 Swim Center and Dock Diving Facility in Tonopah offers dock diving along with training and therapeutic and recreational swimming for dogs. The facility is NADD sanctioned and hosts eleven NADD events a year, plus other events and training opportunities. Spectators get in free, so you can watch a competition before you sign your dog up. Training packages and prices aren't posted, so check what a first visit looks like and whether your dog needs any swim experience before it starts.

PHX Animal Behavior Center in Glendale trains dogs and cats with positive reinforcement and what the site calls practical, science based training. Private training is planned around your pet and household, and group classes work on clear communication and practical skills. The site names pulling on walks, ignoring cues and trouble settling among the problems it helps with. Day care is listed as coming soon. No trainer names or prices are posted, so ask who will teach your class and what each option costs.

All 4 Paws Training in Tempe teaches you to train your own dog, with service dog, therapy dog and family dog tracks. The site says it doesn't provide fully trained service dogs and that service dog training may take up to two years. Courses run from Puppy Obedience through Obedience 3, plus retrieving, scenting and bracing skills. The family track adds an Out and About class at Tempe Marketplace. Workshops cover loose leash walking, recall and AKC Canine Good Citizen prep. Prices aren't posted.

Robinson Dog Training is a Mesa company, and its site describes the trainer as a U.S. Air Force veteran K9 handler who has trained dogs since 1995. It serves Mesa, Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert and nearby areas. Every program starts with an evaluation. Private lessons happen in your home and neighborhood, and board and train runs one to three weeks. Aggression and reactivity work and protection dog training are offered. Snake and toad avoidance teaches dogs to stay away from desert wildlife.

East Valley K9 Services is run by Brandy Girot, who has more than ten years as a professional trainer. The base is in Mesa, serving Gilbert, Tempe and Chandler. Group obedience classes use distractions to build responses, and Agility For Fun and Scent Work Foundations are group classes too. Private sessions cover puppy basics and issues like lunging and resource guarding. The Skills and Manners Camp is the board and train option, and Angel Dogs is a therapy dog program. Training mixes positive reinforcement with play.

Synergy Cane9 in Scottsdale focuses on aggressive and reactive dogs and calls itself a Pit Bull specialist. Breeds named on the site include Pit Bulls, American Bullies, Cane Corsos, Rottweilers, Staffies and Presa Canarios, and it says it has worked with more than 3,000 dogs since 2014. Board and train and in home training are offered, so your dog can either stay with the trainer or work with you at home. Prices aren't posted, and the site says a quote comes only after the trainer meets your dog.

Rob's Dogs is led by master dog trainer Rob Heiple and trains at its K9 Performance Center. For board and train, your dog stays a few weeks for what the site calls full immersion behavior correction. Private and semi private lessons are offered, and door to door pickup and drop off runs Valley wide. An in person behavioral assessment needs a $49 deposit, which the site says is fully credited toward training. The footer lists Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe as service areas.

Cave Creek K9 Training is run by Rodd Proctor, who has about 30 years of experience. He has trained police K9s and pet owners, and he competes with his own dogs in obedience and protection sports. Board and train comes as Basic Camp, VIP Elite Camp or Puppy Basics Camp, and you're coached afterward to keep it going at home. Private lessons happen at your home, and behavior consulting starts with a free temperament test. He serves Carefree, Anthem and north Phoenix.

Cheeky Dog Obedience in Cave Creek builds its classes around nose work, and the site lists more than 12 years of nose work experience. Classes stay small, and teams that start together move up together from the Noses and Boxes intro to Intro to Odor. Obedience classes are on hold for now. One on one training at your home is offered for puppies and dogs that need household manners. If you want a referral to a positive trainer who doesn't use aversive tools, the site asks you to email.

Arizona Agility Angels is Krista Cantrell's agility program in Cave Creek, and she teaches every class and private lesson herself. She works with beginners through advanced competitors, and with dogs from 10 pound Yorkies to 95 pound golden retrievers. Her site lists an M.A. and describes her as a cognitive animal behaviorist. She has written three dog training books, including Catch Your Dog Doing Something Right. The class schedule isn't posted, so contact her to ask about upcoming dates and prices.

Condition K-9 serves the greater Phoenix area with basic and advanced obedience, in home training and board and train. The site says the team uses positive reinforcement and can help with aggression, fear, anxiety and puppy development. It also runs a rescue program with behavioral evaluations and on leash and off leash training, and evaluations for rescue dogs are free. The site doesn't list board and train length or prices, which you'll want to get in writing before you commit.

Untamed Dog Co. is a Phoenix company with more than 12 years of experience and a facility with indoor and outdoor training areas. Private lessons at your home or another spot that suits you cover obedience, leash pulling, reactivity and barking. Board and train has your dog stay with the trainers for one on one work, and a separate behavior modification program targets fear, anxiety and aggression. Group classes take dogs of all ages. The site mentions both positive reinforcement and balanced methods, so ask how they'd handle your dog. Phone consultations are free.

Paws To Train Your Dog is run by owner and head trainer Troy Bogden, who has more than 20 years of training. His listed courses include Ian Dunbar's Growl Class for reactive dogs and two e collar method certifications. The site says its trainers use all four quadrants of operant conditioning. Programs include behavior consultations, private puppy lessons, board and train bootcamps and a social club. Graduates get additional lessons at no extra cost, and the service list runs from Ahwatukee to Youngtown.

Arizona Goldens has trained service dogs since 2006, led by founder Debbie Daugherty. The site says it trains nine kinds of service dogs, with autism and PTSD among them. If you want to train your own dog, the Service Dog School gives you video modules and a task library, listed on their site at $720. In the Foundations program, Arizona Goldens builds the base and you finish at the school. The Premier program trains a dog for you over 12 to 14 months. The first 20 minute consultation is free.