Best Dog Trainers in and Near Chicago, IL

Arlyn Sigeti holds the CPDT-KA and is a member of the Pet Professional Guild. Her listing puts her in Lansing under the business name Lucky Dog Academy. The Lucky Dog Academy website linked to that listing belongs to a training center in Plainfield, and it doesn't name Arlyn anywhere, so confirm where she teaches before you book. The place we could confirm is For Your K9 in Elmhurst, which lists her on its agility instructor team. If you'd like to try agility with your dog in the west suburbs, she's a name to ask for there. Should she also teach at the Plainfield center, its site says all training in that building is positive and force free, with no correction or electric collars allowed.

Beth Hurley teaches group classes at the Winnetka Community House, close to her Wilmette base. The lineup starts with Puppy Socialization and Beginner Obedience, then moves to Continuing Obedience, and her site also lists a Canine Good Citizen class. For enrichment, she offers private one on one scent work to help dogs burn energy and relax. Beth holds the CPDT-KA, and our database also lists the CSAP-BC. She has an MS and graduated from Animal Behavior College in 2009. Her site speaks most to new puppy owners dealing with nipping and house training.

Nadine Lizcano runs Light the Way Dog Training from Beverly on Chicago's South Side, covering Beverly and Mount Greenwood plus Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn. Most of her work is private lessons in your home for a wide range of behavior problems. She also teaches a Basic Obedience group class and specialty group classes. Her site shows an IACP member banner and says she's insured, and our database lists her as an associate member of NADOI. Her own training work started more than seven years ago with her first dog, Mona, who had separation anxiety and reactivity.

Pam Yano owns Enjoy Your Dog in Downers Grove and is its head trainer. She holds the CPDT-KA and CTDI, and our database also lists her as an evaluator for therapy dog and AKC programs. Group classes cap at four dogs. The class list runs from Puppy Basics and Life Skills up to a Reactive Program for fearful or anxious dogs, with rally and tricks for fun. Her team also teaches private lessons in your home, and drop off training and online courses are on the menu. The site lists 11 trainers on staff.

Mindy Miller is one of 11 trainers at Enjoy Your Dog in Downers Grove. The team page lists her with a BS and IAABC membership, and our database adds the Pet Professional Guild. She works inside the program Pam Yano runs, so you get group classes capped at four dogs plus private lessons in your home. The facility runs a Reactive Program for fearful dogs and preps dogs for therapy work and the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. If you want Mindy in particular, ask for her by name when you book.

The Chicago office of Always Faithful Dog Training is run by Jim, listed as owner and an IDTA Master Trainer. Lessons happen in your home across the city and west into suburbs like Oak Park and Elmhurst. Packages start with a Puppy Starter lesson, listed on their site as $175, and move up through three obedience levels that add off leash and high distraction work. The Chicago page also lists behavior modification for aggression and resource guarding, plus board and train at the company's facility. The brand says it trains without treats or shock collars.

Julie runs the Itasca office of Always Faithful and is listed as owner and an IDTA Level 2 trainer. All lessons are private and in your home. Despite the Itasca name, the service map points north, from Des Plaines and Park Ridge up to Highland Park and Lake Forest. The Puppy Starter Package is one lesson for puppies 8 weeks to 5 months, listed on their site as $175, covering house training and crate training. Four lesson Beginner and eight lesson Intermediate packages follow, the second adding off leash work. Therapy and service dog packages are listed too, with pricing by phone.

Two trainers listed as LA and L.A. Jr. run the Southland office of Always Faithful, and both hold the IDTA Level 2 title. Lessons are private and in your home. This office covers 18 Illinois suburbs, including Oak Lawn and Tinley Park, plus nine Indiana towns such as Hammond and Munster. The Puppy Starter Package, listed on their site as $175, is one lesson for puppies 8 weeks to 5 months. Four lesson Beginner and eight lesson Intermediate packages build from there. The Behavior Modification Package targets aggression and separation anxiety.

Canine Crews has run dog daycare and boarding in the West Bucktown and Humboldt Park area since 2010, with training alongside it. The training program is called Dog Day School, and our database also lists puppy and teen playgroups. The site says a certified professional dog trainer on staff leads the training, and it lists a separate Puppy Program. For nervous or reactive dogs that don't fit regular daycare, there's an Advanced Canine Enrichment program. Canine Crews fits owners who want daycare and training under one roof.

Copilot Dog Training runs a center in Avondale, across from Brands Park, and covers the north and west sides of Chicago. Owner Margaret Fraser holds the CDBC and CPDT-KA, and most of her trainers hold the CPDT-KA too. Training is positive reinforcement and force free. Puppy classes cover socialization and basics, and adult group classes work on skills for busy city streets, reactivity included. Private sessions handle problems like resource guarding and separation anxiety. Day training runs four or five weeks at your home. Copilot also offers virtual sessions, and adopters from Chicago Animal Care and Control get sliding scale pricing.

For Your K9 is a training center in Elmhurst owned by Nancy Reyes, who is listed with the CNWI credential on its nose work team. Foundation classes and Life Skills and Manners cover the basics. For behavior work, there's a Reactive Dog Membership and a confidence program called Courage Club. Dog sports fill much of the schedule, from agility and K9 Nose Work to Barn Hunt and rally. Private lessons cover obedience and puppy training, and online programs include Nose Work from the Start. The site describes its approach as gentle handling and positive motivation.

Hinsdale Humane Society runs a training and enrichment program for the public at its Tuthill Family Pet Rescue and Resource Center. You can join group classes or book a private one on one session. The program is led by Jamie Kennedy, the shelter's Animal Behavior Manager, who spent 15 years at Brookfield Zoo. She's accredited by the IAABC and evaluates dogs for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. The program uses only force free, science based methods. Dogs over 4 months need current rabies and DA2PP shots, and metal collars and retractable leashes aren't allowed. Adopters and volunteers get a class discount.

K9 University Chicago has trained dogs in the city since 1992. Board and train is a big part of the program, with stays from 10 days up to four weeks, and puppies get their own boarding and training option. Private lessons happen at K9U or in your home. Group classes run from puppy training and basic obedience up to off leash obedience, and agility and nose work are on the schedule too. You'll also find a Canine Good Citizen class. The site describes its methods as positive and says each program is built around the dog's history and goals.

Lyons Township Dog Training Club has taught dogs since 1948 and is a nonprofit, AKC accredited training club. Classes cover obedience and agility, with rally as well, though not every class runs each session. Instructors use positive motivational reinforcement. Classes meet Tuesday nights at the For Your K9 building in Elmhurst, and mixed breeds and purebreds are both welcome, from puppy through advanced. Our database also lists Canine Good Citizen and STAR Puppy testing. Members run Ben's Friends, a therapy dog group, and the club hosts AKC trials and tracking tests.

Off Leash K9 Training's Chicago office works out of Lombard and serves the city and suburbs, from Lincoln Park and Evanston to Naperville and Palatine. The brand's founder, Nick White, is a former US Marine and Secret Service agent. The goal is off leash obedience using the company's own system. Board and train runs one or two weeks, and the company says it specializes in private lessons and behavior consultations. The Aggressive Dog Package is nine lessons built on desensitization. The site doesn't name its training tools, so ask on the first call.

PAWS Chicago is an animal welfare group that runs dog training classes at its Lincoln Park Training Center, with many also offered virtually. Puppies 10 weeks to 5 months start in the Polite and Playful Puppy Class, and dogs 5 months and up start in Level 1 Basic Obedience. From there you can move to Intermediate Obedience and Canine Good Citizen prep, or try agility and nose work. Virtual classes include Relaxing Your Dog's Reactivity and Separation Anxiety Solutions. The trainer team includes Jordan Michaels, a KPA CTP, and Joan Harris, who holds the KPA CTP and the CPDT-KA.

Rand Park Dog Training Club meets on Tuesday nights at the Des Plaines Leisure Center. Our database lists obedience classes for every level, with puppy and beginner classes for dogs just starting out. The club suits you if you want a weekly group class in the northwest suburbs without driving into the city. Its website is short and doesn't list prices or training methods. The site also notes a summer hiatus, so call the club to find out when the next session starts.

Sit Means Sit Chicago and the Northern Suburbs is a franchise location that describes itself as an industry leader in remote collar training, so that's the method to ask about first. It lists help with everyday problems like leash pulling and jumping, along with harder ones like aggression and fear. Basic and advanced obedience aim at on leash and off leash control. The site also says it works with deaf or blind dogs. Service covers city neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Hyde Park and North Shore towns such as Evanston and Glenview. Every client starts with a free demonstration and consultation.

Topline German Shepherd Dog Club of Illinois is an AKC breed club of volunteers that has run for more than 65 years. It offers a six week beginner obedience class for puppies and adult dogs, held outdoors once a week in the evening at Dogtastic in Lemont. The class is listed on their site as $100, with a discount if you show proof your dog is a rescue. The site doesn't say the class is limited to German Shepherds, so ask if you have another breed. The club has held more than 100 AKC specialty shows and obedience trials.

Zoom Room's Bucktown location is an indoor dog training gym that uses positive reinforcement only. Programs run from puppy training and obedience classes up to agility, with tricks and scent work on the schedule too. For socializing, there are playgroups and open gym time. New clients can start with a free 30 minute orientation that doesn't need a dog, then a 30 minute one on one evaluation with your dog, listed on their site as free. Private training is listed too. It's a good fit for high energy dogs that need an indoor outlet during a Chicago winter.