Best Dog Trainers in and Near Cedar Rapids, IA

4RK9s Dog Training Club is a volunteer run club in Cedar Rapids. Its site describes positive training built on trainer enthusiasm, treats, toys and "lavish praise." Classes cover home obedience, competition obedience from Novice through UD, agility, nosework and Canine Good Citizen, with CGC testing too. The club is a UKC and NADAC club and teaches in UKC, NADAC and AKC formats.

The club isn't open to the general public except for classes and events such as fun matches, so a class is how you get in the door. Most classes on the schedule are one hour long, with limits of five to eight dogs. When we checked, Manners I for January 2027 was already marked full and Manners II had open spots. Members also hold open workouts for obedience and agility, and you'll need current shot records to attend. The site doesn't list prices.

A Better Dog 4U trains dogs in Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas, and every lesson happens in your home. The site says there are no group sessions. Training starts with a home visit of 60 to 90 minutes that looks at your dog's personality and history, and then you get a custom plan and schedule built on one hour sessions.

The site promises "Only Humane, Natural Methods" and describes reward based, personality based training that it tries to make feel like a game. Lessons cover sit, stay, come, down and heeling, plus safety cues like off and leave it. It takes puppies from 8 weeks old, adult dogs and seniors, and it calls out adopted and rescued dogs. The site cites more than five decades of first hand experience. Its training page doesn't list prices or mention board and train.

Best Friends Dog Academy is owned by Liz Ford and serves Iowa City and surrounding areas. The site describes Liz as a certified dog trainer with more than two decades in animal welfare, training and behavior consulting, and it shows Karen Pryor Academy and CCPDT logos. A second trainer, Sara, handles behavior consults and private training.

Behavior consults happen at the facility or in your home and cover separation anxiety, on leash reactivity and resource guarding. Private training comes in two forms. With coaching, the trainer teaches you to train your dog. With day training, the trainer works with your dog at home several times a week while you're out, then meets with both of you once a week to hand off the skills. The site describes its methods as positive reinforcement that is "backed by science" and humane. It also runs workshops and seminars and consults for shelters and rescues. Prices aren't shown on the pages we read.

Happy Tails Dog Training is run by Darlene Olshansky in Iowa City. We don't have a website on file for this business, so this profile comes from our database fields alone. Those fields list private training, with a focus on separation anxiety, aggression and reactivity. That makes Happy Tails one of two Iowa City trainers on this list that name separation anxiety as a specialty.

Our records show the credentials ABC-DT and FDM, and list Darlene as a member of the Pet Professional Guild. Before you book, ask whether lessons happen at your home or somewhere else, how a first consult works for a dog that reacts to people or other dogs, and what the cost is. Open the AnimalTrainerPro profile for the details we have.

Dog Paws Companions in Cedar Rapids is run by Kelley, known on the site as "Auntie Kelley." The site says the business grew out of Dog Paws Boarding Resort. The site now describes limited private training and owner education by appointment, held mainly in your home or another place you both agree on.

The main program is the PAWS UP Course, listed on their site as a $500 bundle. It includes a sign up form about your dog and goals, a one hour in home consult and assessment, and three one hour private sessions with demonstrations and guided practice. Homework and progress tracking come with it, along with a starting and final skills check. Kelley sums up the approach as "I WATCH. I SHOW. YOU DO. WE BUILD." and the site promises care while being clear and consistent. The site lists no credentials.

Knallhart Academy in Iowa City is run by owner and lead trainer Chelsey Montgomery-Gusta, and the site says it has trained dogs since 2012. It offers puppy training, basic and advanced obedience, behavior modification, therapy and service dog training and AKC competition obedience. It also breeds a small number of Newfoundlands.

The main draw is board and train. The site lists six programs from four to eight weeks, with prices listed on their site from $4,800 for the four week Jump Start Puppy Program to $8,800 for the eight week advanced program for dogs with reactivity or anxiety. Therapy and service dog programs are priced on request. Every program includes owner visits, homework, text support and five free private lessons a year after graduation. A phone consult is required first, and payment is due in full at booking. The site calls its method balanced, mixing positive reinforcement with "fair correction," and says it does not use harsh corrections. No street address is posted.

Off Leash K9 Training of Cedar Rapids is based in Cedar Rapids. Its website did not load for us when we checked, so this profile comes from our database fields alone. Those fields list private lessons and behavior consultations, obedience and behavior modification, board and train, and service and therapy dog classes.

That range makes it one of only two trainers on this list with both board and train and service or therapy dog work, along with Knallhart Academy in Iowa City. Because we couldn't read the site, ask on your first call which tools and methods the trainers use, how long a board and train stay lasts, what it costs and whether lessons happen at your home or at a training location. Open the AnimalTrainerPro profile to see what we have on file.

Pack Leaders Dog Training does in home training across the Cedar Rapids and Marion area. Owner and lead trainer Angie Scharpf has worked with dogs since 2000, first as a groomer and then as a veterinary assistant at Blue Pearl Pet Hospital, and she started Pack Leaders in 2009. She is a graduate of That's My Dog E-Cademy and lists continuing education in aggression, anxiety, behavior modification and scent work. Her site says her medical background helps her spot when a behavior problem may come from pain or illness.

The site lists problems like jumping on people, pulling on walks, barking at the mail carrier, bolting through doors and aggression toward people or dogs. Skills include recall, loose leash walking, place, wait at the door, housebreaking and quiet on cue. It also offers tricks training, scent games and pack walks. The site doesn't name a training method or list prices, so you book by calling or texting for a consultation.

Pawsitive Paws Academy is a training and daycare center in Cedar Rapids. Its site describes "a positive, reward based system to help your dog choose appropriate behaviors." Group classes include Puppy Manners, which covers potty training and puppy biting, and Home Obedience for dogs one year and older, which works on problems like counter surfing and jumping. Socialization is part of every class.

Agility runs from Agility 1, a six week introduction to the equipment, up to Agility 4 with full courses and optional trialing. The site also says to ask about flyball and dock diving. Private training is offered at the facility or in your home, from basic obedience to behavior management, but the site says it is limited right now, so call ahead. Its drop in puppy playgroup is paused for now. Boarding and daycare are also offered. Rates aren't posted and the site says they depend on your needs and location.