Best Dog Trainers in and Near Charleston, SC

Chambers K9 Training works across the Charleston area, with a service list that runs from West Ashley and James Island out to Goose Creek, Moncks Corner and Kiawah. Every program starts with a free in home evaluation with no commitment, and the trainers come to you for it. The site lays out a Puppy program for dogs under six months and a Signature program aimed at leash pulling and reactivity on the way to off leash work. There's also a Board and Train option for busy owners who'd rather have the trainer handle the early work. The focus is real world obedience practiced in different places, and the site stresses behavior over a list of commands. Each program comes with access to the Chambers K9 Community. Ask about methods and tools at your evaluation, since the site doesn't spell them out.

Charleston Dog Training Club has worked with local dog owners since 1959, and it's a nonprofit affiliate club of the American Kennel Club. Classes meet at the club's building, The Dog House, in North Charleston, and the club says it offers a variety of classes for pet dogs and for competitors. Our directory lists pet and competition obedience classes plus run throughs for dogs getting ready to show. Members compete in obedience, rally, conformation, tracking, scent work, barn hunt and Fast CAT. The club also holds AKC Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog testing, and dogs that haven't taken a club class can test too. Its 2026 schedule included obedience and rally trials in October. You sign up for classes through the Class and Event calendar on the club's site, so check it for the next session start before you call.

Dog Ops LLC is a mobile trainer that comes to your home, with a service area covering Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Kiawah, Seabrook, downtown Charleston, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island and Summerville. The team says it includes military working dog trainers certified by the Department of Defense. Puppy work covers house training, crate and place work, bite inhibition and leash walking. Behavior modification covers leash reactivity, separation anxiety, resource guarding and excessive barking, and aggression cases need an assessment before they're accepted. The board and train runs two weeks or longer, with the two week program listed on their site as $2,500 and the three week program as $3,000. Dog Ops describes its methods as balanced and says that doesn't rule out a properly conditioned electronic collar, so ask how they'd use one with your dog.

Mary Leonardis owns Dog Training Now Charleston and is its lead trainer, with more than a decade of professional experience according to her site. The business runs from a studio in Mount Pleasant and serves Charleston and Mount Pleasant. In the Day Training Academy, your dog spends the day training in the studio and you pick your dog up the same day. There's also Board and Train for owners who travel, Puppy Preschool, a Boot Camp option, and private lessons and consults. Training topics include potty training for puppies and adult dogs, leash walking, jumping on guests, chewing and barking, plus off leash obedience and recall. The studio is busy on purpose, so dogs practice around real distractions, and owners learn how to keep the skills up at home. Potty training pairs consistency and structure with positive reinforcement.

Bob van Gorkom founded Happy Dog Training Academy, which serves Charleston and nearby towns including Summerville, North Charleston, Moncks Corner and Goose Creek. The main program is a board and train stay of 14 to 21 days, during which the team works on obedience that includes off leash skills and sends photo or video updates. It starts with an evaluation using a few simple tests. When your dog comes home, a send home session teaches you the commands and handling. The academy says it uses a balanced method that rewards good choices while setting clear boundaries. The lead instructor is an IACP member and Red Cross pet certified, and the business says it's licensed and insured. Problems it lists include leash pulling, biting, jumping, bolting through doors, anxiety and reactivity.

Jennifer Parks runs Parks Pet in Mount Pleasant, and our directory lists her for private training along with aggression and reactivity work. She's an APDT member and an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, which means she can give the Canine Good Citizen test, and she's a member of the Pet Professional Guild. We couldn't find a website for Parks Pet, so this profile comes from our directory alone. If your dog struggles around other dogs or people, ask on your first call how she sets up private sessions for reactive dogs and where lessons take place. It's also worth asking what you'll practice between visits and how she measures progress.

Jill Lundgrin's Coastal Canine Academy comes to your home anywhere in the tri county area for one on one lessons, and it also runs group classes. Private lessons are listed on their site as starting at $110 per two hour lesson, even if you have more than one dog. The method is positive reinforcement using clicker training, and the academy notes it had the second South Carolina trainer accepted into the Karen Pryor Clicker Training Academy. Jill holds full APDT membership, teaches American Red Cross pet CPR and first aid, and has an associate degree in veterinary medical technology. Our directory adds that she's an AKC Canine Good Citizen instructor and tester, a Pet Professional Guild member and a volunteer trainer with Charleston Dog Training Club. It also lists separation anxiety among her specialties.

K9 Control Training has a Charleston location plus a second one in Greer near Greenville. The first step is the Introductory Board and Training program, and graduating from it opens the other programs. During the stay, dogs stay in an indoor, climate controlled kennel and learn obedience on and off leash. The length of the stay is set at a free evaluation. Graduates go home with equipment and three one on one follow up lessons, and they can join group classes twice a month for the dog's life. After that, you can add Reinforcement Day Camp or a refresher course, and a trainer can come to your home to work on a specific problem. The founder and head trainer came from a law enforcement special operations K9 unit and has more than 20 years of training experience. The company calls its approach a motivation based method.

Ali Wadham owns Key2K9 Dog Training and Behavior in Mount Pleasant. She's originally from England and has worked with the police department in a supportive and educational role. Key2K9 offers private one on one sessions and small group classes, including Puppy Next Steps Basic Obedience, Puppy Socialization and the AKC Canine Good Citizen program. Behavior services cover aggression, fighting, jumping, pulling, reactivity toward other dogs or animals, fearfulness and house soiling, and owners short on time can book a FaceTime consult. Two less common services stand out: in home treadmill lessons and daycare reintroduction. Walk and train sessions run indoors or outdoors. The site says a method that works for one dog won't always work for another, so training is matched to each dog's needs.

Low Country Dog Agility is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) agility club with an outdoor field in West Ashley, and the club says it trains with force free, reward based methods. Most dogs start in Foundation for Agility I, and our directory lists further classes in handling, distance, games and masters level work, with classes open to non members. The club also hosts USDAA agility trials, and its trial page covers the schedule and volunteer signups. Class start dates go out through the club's mailing list and Facebook page, so join one of those if you want a spot in the next foundation session. It suits owners who want a dog sport to work on together. For house training or behavior problems, look at the private trainers on this list.

No Xcuses K9 in Summerville has rebranded as OneLeash Canine Academy, with the same trainers under a new name. Trainers Taylor and Kristina have trained professionally since 2012 and 2015, and the team says it's certified and formally educated in canine behavior. Services include private one on one training and a live in Board and Train at the OneLeash Academy, and the old No Xcuses site also lists behavior and aggression modification. The academy also offers service dog training and placement, personal protection dogs and litter temperament testing. It calls its method balanced and says it uses a range of tools and techniques, with fairness, clarity and the dog's well being as priorities. Around here the service area covers Summerville, Charleston, Mount Pleasant and North Charleston, and all training is by appointment.

Off Leash K9 Training Charleston is part of the Off Leash K9 franchise founded by Nick White, a former Marine and Secret Service agent. The Charleston team trains in or around your home across a wide area that runs from Awendaw and Isle of Palms to Ravenel, Meggett and Summerville. Packages are built on private lessons: Basic Obedience is four lessons, Basic and Advanced is eight, and there are eight lesson tracks for therapy dog training and for aggressive or reactive dogs. The 2 Week Board and Train is a 14 day training camp aimed at off leash obedience and behavior work, and the site calls it the most popular package. Puppy training and nosework are also on the menu. Badges on the site include IACP membership and AKC CGC.

Ridgeside K9 Summerville is veteran owned and says it has helped dog owners since 2003. It serves Summerville and nearby Cane Bay, Goose Creek, Ladson, Moncks Corner, North Charleston, Hanahan and Charleston. The program list is wide: board and train, puppy training, private training, behavior modification, a hybrid program and refresher training. It also covers two dog sports that few local trainers list, protection sports with bite work plus scent work. The site says its trainers are certified and shows a badge for more than 20 years of experience. It also says it avoids a one size fits all plan. Boarding dogs need current rabies, Bordetella, lepto and DHPP or DAPP vaccines, with records sent before arrival, and consultations are free.

Sit Means Sit Charleston is a franchise location owned by Salvatore Devivo, with Nia Stevens as vice president of operations and co owner. It covers a long list of towns, from Awendaw and Daniel Island to Edisto Island, Hollywood and Summerville. Dogs start with Board and Train or Day Train. After that they can join group classes, and private lessons at the facility or at home open up after a dog has finished a program and three group classes. Puppy training uses attention based methods, and therapy dog training is offered too. Behavior work covers aggression, fear and anxiety, reactivity and socialization. The site describes science based techniques with positive reinforcement and lists 18 months of interest free financing. Salvatore says he has spent the past eight years attending seminars and working with established trainers.

Wild Wags trains dogs in North Charleston and added boarding and daycare there in summer 2025. Its two listed training services are obedience training and behavior modification. Recent posts describe a board and train program and a hybrid day training program where dogs work during the day with other dogs around as distractions. Reactivity work uses desensitization and positive exposure around other dogs and people, along with moving objects, and rewards include tug toys and treats. Obedience covers sit, down, place, stay, off, recall and heel. Low volume play groups with structured activities and rest breaks run Monday through Friday. To start, you book a training consult. The business keeps early morning and evening hours seven days a week, which helps if you work a standard day.