Best Dog Trainers in and Near Lincoln, NE

Off Leash K9 Training's Lincoln team is part of a national franchise, and its site puts off leash obedience front and center. Training happens through private lessons and behavior consultations, with a lot of time spent teaching you why your dog does what it does. The Basic Obedience package is four private lessons and includes a leash and an electronic collar, so ask how the collar is used if you'd rather not use one. The longer package adds four more lessons for advanced commands or distraction work.

Puppies under 5 months can start with a puppy consultation on potty and crate training, followed by puppy lessons. Owners of dogs with aggression or reactivity can book the 8 lesson Aggressive Dog Package. There's also a 14 day board and train for advanced off leash work and behavior changes. The site says the team serves towns around Lincoln such as Waverly and Seward. Prices aren't on the main page, which points you to a separate plans page.

Peaceful Dog Leadership is run by Jackie, a dog behavior coach who trains in your own home in Lincoln. Her site lists a Certified Dog Trainer certificate from Animal Behavior College (2017) and certification in the Communicative Leashwork Process. She also finished an eight month apprenticeship with Life Changing Dog Training in 2020.

Sessions run 90 to 120 minutes and cover problems like leash pulling, recall, barking, reactivity and house soiling. Jackie looks at your dog first and shows you how to read what your dog is telling you. Then she coaches you until you can handle things yourself. Her two hour Adventure Walk and Training session works on loose leash walking around distractions and other dogs.

Structured training is listed on her site as $150 per session, and the walk and training session as $55. Payment is cash or Venmo only. Peaceful Dog Leadership also offers in home boarding and day care, and you can add training to a boarding stay. Her site doesn't list group classes.

Greater Lincoln Obedience Club is a Lincoln training club whose tagline is "Training you to train your dog." Its class list starts with Good Dog Obedience 1 and then branches into sports. Agility sessions run on several weeknights. Scent classes go from Scent 1 up to Scent 4, and there's a tracking class plus a Core Sports Prep class.

Most classes are listed on the club's site at $153, and Core Sports Prep at $84. Club members get a lower class price. The club also hosts AKC and CPE trials, including agility and nosework, so you can see what competing looks like before you enter.

If your dog has basic manners and you'd like a sport to work on together, this is the one listing in this guide built around dog sports. The site gives a PO Box in Lincoln but no training address, so ask where your class meets when you sign up.

Sydney Wilson is a dog trainer at the PetSmart store in Lincoln. Our records list her as an AKC Certified CGC Evaluator, which means she can give the Canine Good Citizen test. The AKC describes the CGC as a 10 skill test of good manners, and it's open to purebred and mixed breed dogs. The AKC also notes that many therapy dog certifications ask for the CGC title first.

Our records show Sydney as a member of the Pet Professional Guild as well. She doesn't have her own website, so call the store to ask which classes she teaches and when the next CGC test is scheduled. She's a good first stop if your dog already knows the basics and you want a clear goal to train toward.

All Dogs Unleashed has a Lincoln location with programs for dogs of any age or breed, built around obedience and off leash control. The two week board and train has trainers working with your dog every day, followed by help with the move back home. The site says board and train graduates get lifetime support at no added cost.

You can also book private lessons in your home or at the facility. The site says facility sessions are more structured, with fewer distractions. It names puppies and reactive dogs among the dogs it works with. All Dogs Unleashed also trains dogs to use Halo Collar and SpotOn GPS fence systems, along with underground fences.

The site describes its methods as humane and evidence based but doesn't name its tools, so ask what your dog would wear. No prices are listed, though the site mentions Affirm financing. Boarding is available too.

Nebraska K9 Training Academy is based in Palmyra, the one town outside Lincoln in this guide. Its tagline is "Real Training for Real Life." The site lists puppy training and obedience classes. It also lists behavior modification for problems such as aggression and anxiety.

Protection training is on the menu, and the academy sells trained protection dogs. Custom training and boarding round out the list. The site says its trainers use a range of methods matched to each dog and owner, but it doesn't name those methods.

The site doesn't name its trainers or post prices. The site's title mentions Lincoln and Omaha dog training, so ask on your first call whether they come to you or you drive to Palmyra. If you're thinking about protection work, ask how they assess a dog before starting.

Bark N' Train is run by Derek, who says he has more than 10 years of experience. He serves the Lincoln and Omaha areas, and his main idea is daytime training. Derek can come to you, or you can drop your dog off in the morning and pick it up in the evening. The site says your dog sleeps at home every night.

The Drop and Train program is a two week intensive and is marked as the most popular option. The private in home program is five sessions aimed at pulling and jumping, along with barking. Zero to Hero Puppy Training starts at 3 months, and the site says no vaccinations are required to start.

The site mentions behavior modification and says training tools are included in programs. It doesn't list credentials or prices, and you start by booking an evaluation. Part of every program goes to local shelters. One line near the bottom of the site mentions a board and train program, while the rest of the site says there are no overnight stays, so ask Derek directly if overnight training matters to you.

Domesti-PUPS is a Lincoln nonprofit that trains service dogs for people with disabilities and certifies therapy dog teams. It also takes in rescue dogs and trains them while they wait for permanent homes.

For your own dog, the training menu lists puppy and obedience classes. AKC classes and private training are listed too. There's a Pet Therapy Certification Course if you'd like your dog to visit schools or healthcare settings, and certified teams can take part in Domesti-PUPS programs in schools and care facilities.

If you're hoping for a service dog from them, the site has an application and an FAQ, plus volunteer programs for raising puppies. Prices aren't on the home page, so check class fees before you sign up. This is a good fit if you'd like your training money to go to a local nonprofit.

Gray Matter Dog Training uses the tagline "Connection with Kindness" and describes its training as positive reinforcement. Day Training mixes daycare with training, so your dog gets social play plus an hour of training during the day.

Private lessons take place in your home. Training Outings are private sessions where the trainer works with your dog away from home, which can help if your schedule is tight. Small group classes meet in Lincoln, and Gray Matter teaches the group classes held at the Capital Humane Society's Pieloch Pet Adoption Center.

If you got a training voucher from Capital Humane Society, Gray Matter has a page for using it. The home page doesn't name its trainers or list prices, so ask about both on your first call.

Meraki Dog Training has worked with Lincoln dogs since 2016. The owner started by driving to clients' homes, then moved into a one stall garage, and opened the current Lincoln facility in July 2023.

Training centers on puppies and young adult dogs. Classes run from beginner through advanced, and refresher classes are offered too. Each dog gets a plan built around its daily life, with practical help for routines at home. The site stresses structure and clear communication between you and your dog, and says the work goes past basic obedience drills.

The owner is the main trainer but isn't named on the site, and no credentials or prices are listed. You start by booking a consultation, which is a good time to ask about class sizes and schedules.

Capital Humane Society is an animal shelter in Lincoln that hosts dog training courses at its Pieloch Pet Adoption Center. Gray Matter Dog Training leads those courses, so they're the same group classes described in the Gray Matter entry, held at the shelter. Class dates are posted on a group class schedule, and you sign up online through Gray Matter. The shelter says it's dedicated to giving training and support to community members and their pets.

The shelter also keeps animal behavior resources for pet owners on its site. According to Lincoln Animal Control, Capital Humane Society is one of the places where you can buy your city dog license.

The page doesn't say whether classes are limited to adopters, so ask when you call. If you have a training voucher from Capital Humane Society, Gray Matter's site has a page for voucher clients.

Service dogs and therapy dogs are the main work at Uplifting Paws in Lincoln, and its site says donations to the group are tax deductible. Its service dogs help specific people with physical or psychiatric disabilities, and its therapy dogs volunteer around the community.

For pet owners, the site has a Dog Training section with obedience class registration and a training class FAQ. That makes it an option if you'd like a group obedience class run by people who also prepare service dogs.

The site doesn't say whether Uplifting Paws will train your own dog as a service dog, so ask that directly if it's your goal. Training methods and class prices aren't listed either. Read the class FAQ before you register, and call with any questions it doesn't answer.