Best Dog Trainers in and Near Little Rock, AR

Jeaneen Niel runs Furry Feet Retreat and Training Center in Alexander, and her site calls her an expert dog behaviorist. Training happens on site through puppy and beginner programs, and you can add private lessons where you and your dog work with her together. The Good Dog Behavior Academy focuses on building communication between owner and dog, and the site says lessons must be approved and booked before you buy them. Dogs can also board here with obedience training built into the stay, on large acreage where they can run and play between sessions. The site says the team teaches with positive reinforcement methods. Prices and specific tools aren't posted, so bring those questions to the first call.

Grace founded CoPaws Dog Training to serve Cabot and Beebe. Her site lists a CPDT-KA along with Catch Certified Dog Trainer status, and she studied canine behavior as a Family Dog Mediator. She says she spent 18 months apprenticing with Service Dogs of Distinction and has trained dogs in Central Arkansas for five years. Her approach is force free and built on the Dial Method, which focuses on what the owner does. Private work starts with a consult and moves into follow up sessions. For puppies, the Premium Jumpstart Program is listed on her site at $320 for four weekly one on one sessions. The Puppy Adventure Club is listed at $239 for four weeks of small group socials plus a field trip. A Kids and Dogs program helps families with children handle the dog the same way.

Fully Loaded K9 Academy is a veteran owned school in Cabot and an AKC evaluator. Its AKC classes start with S.T.A.R. Puppy for dogs up to a year old. Canine Good Citizen comes next, and two advanced CGC classes follow, Community Canine and Urban CGC. Each class is listed on its site at $175 for six weeks. Board and train comes in two lengths. The 21 day program, listed at $1,900, is meant for puppies and for owners who would rather skip electronic collar work. The 28 day program, listed at $2,500, is for dogs with aggression or a bite history. Electronic collar training is an add on. Owners get a one hour lesson at pickup plus a follow up lesson. The academy also runs a veteran service dog program at no cost to veterans, either supplying a dog or training one the veteran already has.

Aaron Robinson founded Robinson Dogworks in Cabot after finishing the ASK9 Academy Prep program, and his site says he's now an ASK9 Academy student. He's a Louisiana native and a chemical engineer. His training is balanced. He teaches each command first with food and other positive methods, then adds a leash and an electronic collar for reliability. Obedience covers sit, down, heel, stay, recall, place, kennel and finish. Manners work targets jumping and leash pulling. It also covers barking and puppy biting, plus rushing through doorways. Off leash work is part of the program where it's allowed. Board and train is available, with details by phone. Owner coaching teaches you to keep up the obedience level after training ends, and the site says he serves all of Arkansas.

K-9 Corps of Conway works one on one with you and your dog, and it brings both obedience and protection training into your home. The site says the team specializes in obedience and advanced obedience, along with protection work. It also lists behavior modification techniques for problem behaviors. The staff has law enforcement backgrounds and over 30 years of combined experience, according to the site. Its protection training teaches you how to train your dog to protect himself. The service area is Conway and the surrounding towns, and the team offers a free consultation before you commit. Hours run Monday through Saturday. The site doesn't post prices, though it says pricing is competitive at every level of training.

Clay Smith leads this Conway training business, and his site lists over 23 years of training experience. Anna Pool is listed as a second trainer. Obedience work runs from heel and recall up to off leash obedience and hand signals, plus in home boundary training. It also covers leash pulling and jumping, along with begging and dominating behavior. For AKC programs, the site lists S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen credentials, plus Community Canine. Beyond pet training, the business handles drug detection dogs and police K9 handler training, and it sells personal protection dogs. Training uses praise and corrections, with food and toy rewards to keep dogs working. Clay is based in central Arkansas, and the site says travel fees apply farther out based on mileage and time.

Caroline runs Paw Pack Training in Conway and describes herself as a professional balanced dog trainer serving Central Arkansas. She uses training collars, including electronic and prong collars, and the site says each tool is introduced with positive reinforcement. Board and train is listed on her site at $1,300 for two weeks or $1,800 for three, with a two hour go home lesson. It covers leash manners, heel, recall and calm greetings, plus work on anxiety and fear. Private lessons happen at your location and are listed at $110 an hour, with a possible change if you're more than 30 minutes away. The Puppy Program, for puppies six months and younger, is a five day stay listed at $950 that covers crate and potty training. Graduates can use the daycare and boarding.

Madison Sinak runs Dynamic Dog Training and Retreat and serves Little Rock and the surrounding areas. Her site describes her as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Animal Behaviorist, though it doesn't name the group that certified her. Services start with a free consultation. From there you can choose in home lesson programs or board and train. Her service list covers new puppy and basic obedience, off leash and advanced obedience, and reactive dog training. She also gives guidance to owners working toward a service or therapy dog, and she offers in home boarding while you're away. The site doesn't list prices or describe the training tools she uses, so ask about both on your first call.

Michael Bishop On Dog Training works with dogs from puppyhood through adulthood, covering obedience and manners as well as behavior modification and sport. Leash skills and off leash reliability are a large part of his program. His site says he has trained more than 1,000 dogs from start to finish and has written two dog training books. He does private lessons, and he also coaches other trainers over Zoom and teaches them his Egnition curriculum. His service area covers Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Cabot, Benton, Bryant, Hot Springs and Conway. The site doesn't post prices or say whether he offers board and train, so cover both when you reach out.

Jones Trinity Farms trains dogs across the greater Little Rock area, and the trainer's site says the training uses positive reinforcement. The work centers on your house. It starts with an in home evaluation, described as no pressure and no commitment, and then moves into private sessions. Programs include everyday obedience at home, in the yard and on walks, plus leash manners for dogs that pull or lunge. Puppy Foundations teaches sit, stay, recall and leash basics to dogs under six months. Family Dynamics Training gets everyone in the household handling the dog the same way. A behavior consultation is available for specific problems that need a closer look. The site doesn't post prices or name the trainer.

The Little Rock Dog Training Club has helped owners train their dogs since 1950, and volunteers run it as a membership club. Members pay a yearly fee and get class discounts. Puppy Kindergarten takes puppies from 10 weeks to six months, and Beginner Obedience starts at six months with sit, down, loose leash walking and come. The class list grows from there. You'll find Canine Good Citizen prep and competition obedience up to Utility, plus agility and rally at several levels. AKC Scent Work runs from beginner to advanced. Conformation is a drop in class on Tuesday evenings, and Tricks and Fetch includes a clicker and one free trick title test in the class price. Many upper level classes need instructor permission.

Elizabeth runs Telltail Dog Training in Little Rock with positive reinforcement that sets clear expectations and rewards good behavior. You can join evening and weekend group classes or book in home private lessons, and training walks give you extra help on the street. Group classes run in six week rounds. Puppy Kindergarten carries an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy option. Booping Noses covers basics for dogs five to six months and older, and Turning Tails adds new cues and tricks after that. Advanced classes include Rock City Dogs, which practices skills in dog friendly public places. Big Barks is for reactive dogs that have already done reactivity work through private lessons or class. Canine Good Citizen prep is offered on request. Registration opens by round, so check the site for the next one.

Koning Canine Academy in Little Rock pairs training with boarding and grooming. Its Private Day School gives dogs a structured day with individual guidance and a curriculum matched to each dog's stage of development. The Crown Residence is the board and train option, and it adds guided decompression sessions and enrichment during the stay. The Puppy Program looks at how puppies learn and respond to the world around them, beyond basic commands. The site sums up its approach as structured training and positive reinforcement. Grooming comes through a partner called Pretty Paws, and the boarding suites include structured outdoor breaks. The site doesn't name its trainers or post prices, which makes a tour or call the first step before you book a stay.

Off Leash K9 Training Little Rock is part of the Off Leash K9 Training network, with its listing in North Little Rock. The site says its trainers have backgrounds that include the US military and the Secret Service. Its obedience packages include an electronic collar and a 20 foot leash. The Basic Obedience Package is listed on its site at $675 for four lessons. The two week board and train is listed at $2,800 and ends with a two hour session to teach you to handle your dog. A puppy package is listed at $375 for four private lessons, and the Dog Aggression Training Package at $950 for eight. The site also lists a therapy dog course taught by a Therapy Pets Unlimited evaluator who can test you for certification. Lessons can take place in your home.

Pawsh Park runs training alongside daycare and boarding from locations in Maumelle and Sherwood, with the same programs and prices at both. Lead trainer Sarah earned her AKC training certification in 2018 after graduating from a veterinary technical college. Training is positive and one dog at a time, and the Rule of 8 means a dog has learned a command once it does it right eight times in a row. Stay and Train includes boarding and is listed at $1,250 for 10 days or $1,600 for 15 days. The 10 day Boot Camp, listed at $950, sends your dog home each night. Puppies can start once vaccines are current, and a five day puppy stay is listed at $650. Canine Good Citizen prep is open to dogs that finish its training levels.

Natural State Dog Training is based in North Little Rock and travels to Little Rock, Sherwood, Maumelle, Jacksonville, Cabot and Conway. You can ask about other cities too. Its listing covers in home consultations and private lessons, plus board and train programs for central Arkansas. The site focuses on everyday problems like leash pulling and jumping on guests, along with barking at strangers or other dogs. Its stated view is that your behavior influences your dog's, good or bad. The site doesn't name the trainer or list prices, and it doesn't describe methods or tools. Ask about those on your first call, and ask how long a board and train stay runs.