Best Dog Trainers in and Near Aurora, IL

Susan Streul, who goes by Sue on her site, runs Perfect Manners Dog Training in Naperville and holds a NADOI Certified Instructor credential. She teaches core commands like sit, down, stay and heel through a series of lessons in your home. Behavior work covers jumping, excessive barking, phobias and separation anxiety. If weekly lessons don't fit your schedule, her board and train has your dog live with the trainer for about ten days, and she also offers boarding supervised by a trainer. Her site also lists her as an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator and an IACP member.

Off Leash K9 Training of Chicago works from Lombard and belongs to a national franchise with more than 130 locations. Basic obedience leads into four advanced lessons on harder commands and control at a distance. You can pick a one or two week board and train stay, where your dog practices around real world distractions, or train at or near your home. Puppies under five months get a consultation on obedience basics, housebreaking, crate training and socialization. The company also lists a nine lesson package for aggressive or reactive dogs and an eight lesson therapy dog program. The first phone consultation is free.

Andy Salis runs Do Better Training. Our directory lists his CPDT-KA and Fear Free (FFCP) credentials, and the site shows a CCPDT behavior consultant (CBCC-KA) badge. Our directory places him in Sugar Grove, while his site puts the business inside a pet resort at an animal hospital in St. Charles. His directory listing shows private and group training, with behavior consulting for aggression and reactivity. The site describes a board and train program, a puppy board and train, enrichment boarding and a Doggy Day School. It calls the method LIFE based training and says the goal is to teach dogs how daily life works.

Liz Mishima trains with A Sound Beginning Program, listed in our directory in West Chicago, and holds the KPA-CTP credential from Karen Pryor Academy. The program was built for newly adopted dogs. Its main package pairs a book and a phone consultation with classes to help a rescue dog settle in. You can book in home sessions with a behavioral trainer or join modular group classes around Chicagoland, and a free virtual intro class is another way to start. The team includes a veterinarian who focuses on behavior. The site says it uses only positive reinforcement and never uses shock or prong collars, and shy, nervous dogs are a stated focus.

Pam Yano owns Enjoy Your Dog in Downers Grove and is its head trainer. Our directory lists her CPDT-KA credential and evaluator roles for Therapy Dogs International and the AKC, among others. Group classes cap at four dogs, and the lineup includes Puppy Basics, obedience levels, Life Skills, rally, trick training and a Reactive Program. Therapy and Canine Good Citizen classes prepare dogs for those tests. She also offers in home private sessions for puppy training, house training, reactive dogs and therapy work, plus a drop off training option.

Sabrielle Melton runs The Canine's Voice, listed in our directory in Warrenville, with a training and care facility in nearby Wheaton. She has completed IAABC coursework. Her in home sessions cover aggression, reactivity, fear, anxiety, biting, jumping, leash pulling and barking, and she'll travel about an hour and a half from Wheaton. At the facility you'll find board and train and day training, along with daycare and boarding set up for dogs with behavior needs. Group options include a Reactive Rover class and Canine Good Citizen prep. The facility is staffed around the clock, and she takes free phone consultations.

The Dog Wizard St. Charles is a franchise location serving towns like Batavia and Geneva, with mobile and in home programs too. Its menu includes Dog Day Training, private lessons, puppy programs, board and train and group classes, and graduates can come back to group classes for ongoing support. Behavior work covers barking, chewing, jumping, leash pulling, resource guarding, dog aggression and separation anxiety, plus help for adopted dogs. The trainers call their approach balanced, and their tools range from food rewards to remote collars, picked with your comfort level in mind. Programs are listed on their site as starting at $250, with the final cost set after a free evaluation.

Always Faithful Dog Training of Aurora is one branch of a company that lists more than 130 sites across the country. Founder Abraham Mashal is a Marine Corps veteran, and the site says every trainer is certified through the company and the IDTA. The Beginner level covers loose leash walking, sit, stay, come and down. Higher levels add off leash work and then high distraction practice. The company also lists behavior modification and a board and train stay at its facility. Its therapy dog and service dog programs end with certification, though the site says availability varies by location. Puppies can start at 8 weeks. The site describes leadership based training without treats or shock collars.

Dash K9 Sports is an agility facility in Sugar Grove with 10,000 square feet of space. Its heated ring measures 72 by 120 feet with a clear span and turf with rubber infill. The site lists agility classes along with seminars and workshops, and an agility working spot at one seminar is listed on their site as $225. You can also rent the ring for your own practice. Seminar spots can sell out, and one December event already shows as full.

Lyons Township Dog Training Club has served Chicagoland dog owners since 1948. The club runs group classes for mixed breeds and purebreds, from puppy level up through advanced, in obedience and rally, with agility classes too. Classes meet on Tuesday nights at the For Your K9 building in Elmhurst, and the club draws from the west suburbs in Cook and DuPage counties. Its site describes positive motivational reinforcement as the training method. Our directory also lists Canine Good Citizen and STAR Puppy testing at the club. Not every class runs every session.

The Topline German Shepherd Dog Club of Illinois has been around for more than 65 years, and its volunteers run a six week beginner obedience class in Lemont. The class is open to puppies and adult dogs and meets outdoors once a week for 45 minutes. It's listed on their site as $100, with a discount if you show proof your dog was rescued or adopted. The club has hosted more than 100 AKC specialty conformation shows and obedience trials. It's also a member club of the United Schutzhund Club of America and has run USCA breed surveys and BH tests.

For Your K9 is a training center in Elmhurst with one of the longest class lists in this guide. Foundation and Life Skills classes cover manners, and a Reactive Dog Membership and the Courage Club serve dogs that struggle around people or other dogs. Sports classes include agility, K9 Nose Work, Barn Hunt, rally, competition obedience and tricks. Private lessons cover obedience and sports, and behavior consultations take on reactivity and separation anxiety. Online courses include nose work and rally programs. The site describes gentle handling and positive motivational methods.

Pet Harmony is a behavior consulting service listed in Naperville that works with dogs and cats. For dogs, it offers science based training for behavior problems, and our directory notes aggression and fear among the issues it handles. Sessions run online by video or in person, and the site says its consultants don't need to see a behavior happen to help change it. The team follows force free and Fear Free practices and the LIMA approach, which stands for least intrusive, minimally aversive. Credentials shown on the site include KPA CTP, IAABC, CPDT-KA and Fear Free, and the team includes published authors.

Hinsdale Humane Society runs a Training and Enrichment Program at its shelter in Hinsdale, with group classes and private sessions open to the public. Trainer Jamie Kennedy uses force free, science based methods, with a focus on the bond between you and your dog. Adopters and volunteers get a discount on any class. Dogs over four months need current rabies and DA2PP vaccines. You'll be asked to bring a six foot leash and small soft treats. Metal collars and retractable leashes aren't allowed, and children under five can't attend. Group class refunds need notice at least 14 days before the first week.

Presentable K-9 is a training school in Plainfield that lists 17 years of experience. Its Dog Day School runs on weekdays in 5, 10 and 15 day programs, with morning drop off and afternoon pickup, and payment plans are available. For dogs that need more focused time, the board and train program keeps your dog at the school with daily practice. The school also runs daycare led by trainers, with playgroups matched by size and temperament, and overnight boarding. The site does not list group classes or a separate puppy program, so ask about puppy options on your first call.

Fox Valley Dog Training Club holds weekly training at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles. The club offers puppy, beginner, conformation and rally classes plus every level of obedience, and it has a drop in class signup. Mixed breeds and purebreds are both welcome and can earn AKC and UKC titles. Club members are also active in agility, tracking, water rescue, herding and therapy dog work. The club also hosts a yearly obedience and rally trial, which moved to Huntley for 2026 and runs November 14 and 15.

K-9 Guardians has trained dogs in Lockport and Will County since 1987. Its training menu lists basic and advanced obedience along with the AKC Canine Good Citizen program, and weekly private lessons are another option. Doggie Day Camp is listed on their site as $50 per day, and your dog spends the day working on sit, down, stay, come and heel with a trainer. Boot Camp is listed on their site as starting at $1,050 for a stay of seven to ten days, with day camp training by day and boarding at night. That package includes an extended private lesson at pickup and a follow up lesson. The first consultation and evaluation are free.

Ronnie Bizer founded Kanosak Canine Training in Maple Park and has more than twenty years of dog training experience. Eight week group sessions include Puppy Kindergarten, Advanced Puppy, Beginning Obedience, Canine Good Citizen and Beginning Agility. Ongoing classes cover Companion Dog, Companion Dog Excellent, Utility Dog, advanced agility, conformation handling and rally. The site says instructors hold Rally, Utility, Conformation, OTCH and MACH titles. Private lessons and a board and train option are also listed. The facility sits near the tollway and is a short drive from St. Charles and Geneva.

Steve the Dogman is a Burlington trainer who started training in 2013. He trained through Animal Behavior College and is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. He has also completed the Aggression in Dogs Master Course. His private in home lessons work on daily problems like leash manners and greeting guests at the door. Virtual lessons by video suit new puppies and dogs that get uneasy with visitors. His board and train has your dog stay with him, followed by handoff sessions that teach you the skills. He uses positive reinforcement and works with nervous and reactive dogs and with food guarding. His service area includes Aurora and Naperville.

Freedom K9 Services is a Homer Glen business, and Wayne Thormeyer is the trainer named on its site. It trains dogs of every age and breed, rescues included. Services include behavior counseling and modification, with a program built for each client after a consultation. Fitness and exercise sessions are offered too. You can start with a free meet and greet in your home. The site lists affiliations with the American Kennel Club, the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, the National Association of Canine Scent Work, the United Schutzhund Club of America and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers.

Top Dog Retreat in Elmhurst is a boarding and daycare business that adds short training sessions to a stay. Day Training is listed on their site as $42.50 for a 20 minute session, booked with a half or full day of daycare. Your first six sessions need to happen at least twice a week for three weeks. Board and Train sessions are listed on their site as $47.50 for 30 minutes, added to a suite stay with a five night minimum. Skills include sit, down, stay, recall, loose leash walking, leave it and place work. Dogs practice during playgroup, so they learn around distractions. Every dog must pass a meet and greet first.

Central Bark Aurora Fox Valley is an enrichment daycare franchise location in Aurora that also runs training. Its trainers teach classes for puppies and adult dogs, from basic obedience up to more advanced skills, and the site mentions individualized sessions. You can also add training to a daycare day so your dog practices skills through play. For puppies between 8 and 16 weeks, the location hosts a free Puppy Hour of supervised play where owners pick up training tips. Training uses force free positive reinforcement, with rewards that can include treats, toys, play or praise. Boarding and grooming are offered here too.

Central Bark Carol Stream is a second location of the same daycare chain, and its training menu matches the Aurora page. Obedience classes for puppies and adults start with basics and move into advanced skills, and the site says trainers use force free, positive reinforcement methods. If your dog already comes for daycare, you can add training to the day so practice happens between play sessions. Playgroups stay small and are sorted by size and temperament. Owners of puppies aged 8 to 16 weeks can reserve a spot at the free Puppy Hour here too. This center is open on weekdays and closed on weekends, so plan class and daycare days around that.