Best Dog Trainers in and Near Madison, WI

A Howling Good Time Dog Training is a Madison business owned by head trainer Tyrese Evans. You can pick private lessons or day training, or send your dog for a board and train stay. Boarding is offered as well. The About page says Tyrese studied professional dog training and behavior science and volunteered at the Humane Society before opening the business.

Training follows what the site calls 5 Pillars: reward, obedience, engagement and socialization, behavior modification, and management. The reward pillar is described as positive reinforcement with treats, toys, praise and games. Client stories on the site mention a reactive puppy and a 120 pound bullmastiff, and the home page names barking and jumping up as problems they help with. The consultation form takes dogs from under a year old up to 10 years. The site doesn't list prices or the tools they use, so ask about both on your first call.

Canine Clarity trains dogs out of Belleville, and its site says it works with every type of dog from every background. Behavior training starts with a consultation by phone or at your home. From there you can choose day training or the VIP board and train program.

Rescue dogs get special attention. The home page says it can help whether you have a new rescue or a dog showing aggression. Its Rescue Rehabilitation Program is built much like the board and train and is listed on their site as $4,200, with a 20% discount for rescues. The site calls separation anxiety one of the most common issues it sees, and puppy raising and socialization are on the list too. Canine Clarity also runs structured daycare, pack walks and pickup and delivery. The site doesn't name its trainers or tools, so bring both questions to the consultation.

Divine K-9 is a Madison trainer that works one on one in your home. Private sessions cover basic manners, impulse control and obedience, and behavior modification is offered for aggression and fear. The About page names Jorge, who gives clients his cell number so they can reach him with questions between sessions.

The site says training is grounded in learning theory and dog body language. It pairs verbal cues with rewards and adds what it calls humane corrections. The handler leads without intimidation or dominance tactics, and the site sums it up as "Positive does not mean permissible." The home page shows Underdog Pet Rescue under a "Divine K-9 loves" heading. No prices or credentials are posted, and the tools behind those corrections aren't named.

Dog's Best Friend Training was founded in Madison in 1988 by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., and the site describes its trainers as certified trainers and animal behaviorists. Training uses positive reinforcement and what the site calls science based solutions.

Group classes are aimed at owners of new puppies and newly adopted rescue dogs. Class types run from puppy and basic obedience up to agility and nose games, and the school holds workshops as well. For dogs that don't suit a class, private sessions happen at your home, in your neighborhood or at a local park. Behavior sessions handle harder problems. If you can't come in person, there are online classes, online behavior consults and phone consults. Dog walking and pet sitting are offered too. Board and train isn't listed.

Paws Together is a Madison training business that has served the area since 2025, run by Elissa Chasen. Our listing shows her as a Pet Professional Guild member with CPDT-KA and PCT-A credentials. The site describes relationship centered, positive reinforcement training with a communication first approach.

Problems it takes on include leash pulling and leash reactivity, along with barking, anxiety, aggression and basic manners. A Reactive Dog Group Class and Seminar gives reactive dogs a structured group setting. You start with a free 15 minute call, then an initial consultation at your home or by video, followed by a training plan and follow up sessions. Service towns include Waunakee, Sun Prairie, Fitchburg, Verona and Stoughton, though not every service runs in every town. Virtual sessions work anywhere.

Kenlyn-Marquis Pet Resort sits off I-90 in Edgerton and says it has more than 40 years of experience. Owners Kent Boyles and Liz Oster breed German Shepherds, and the site says Rumor, a dog they bred, won Best in Show at the 2017 Westminster Kennel Club show.

Most group classes run six weeks on weeknights. Family Dog covers sit, down, recall and loose leash walking, and AKC Star Puppy takes puppies up to one year old. Canine Good Citizen prepares dogs for the CGC test, and Rally covers the novice signs for a first trial. Saturday Trick Dog and Fit Dog classes can count toward AKC titles. The Reactive and Aggressive Dog Course is a six week course of 45 minute classes led by Rolando, who the site calls a balanced trainer. It covers handling, equipment use and muzzle training if needed, and it's listed on their site as $300. Board and train is listed too, plus boarding, daycare and grooming.

Boomerang Pet Care is a family run animal behavior business in Deerfield that serves the greater Madison area. Owner Lisa Bach is a Certified Veterinary Technician, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a Certified Behavior Consultant for dogs and cats. The site says she has more than 25 years of experience and a degree in animal behavior psychology. Our listing also shows CBCC-KA and Pet Professional Guild membership.

Her main work is behavior consulting and training, done in private visits at your home or by video. She uses evidence based, positive reinforcement methods and looks for the cause of a behavior instead of only treating the symptoms. Because she works with cats as well as dogs, she can be a good call when a problem involves both pets in one house. Training and pricing details are on her Training and Consulting page.

Sit Means Sit Madison is a Madison franchise location owned by Mike Wheeler, with Paige Wheeler as co owner. The site says Mike served five years in the Army and founded Cen-Tex K9 Academy in Texas in 2004. Brenna Forrest is the training manager.

The Private Tutor Program is one on one, with you present, and the site points it at anxious and aggressive dogs. Day and Train is its most requested program. Its board and train program has dogs at the facility by day and at a trainer's home in the evening, one dog at a time. A six week Puppy Group Class covers socialization and housetraining with a chance to earn the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate. Training uses the company's own collar, which the site says gives a gentle tap paired with rewards. Prices depend on the dog and come after a free consultation.

Off Leash K9 Training of Madison is part of the Off Leash K9 company, which says it has more than 130 locations. Founder Nick White is described as a former U.S. Marine and Secret Service agent. The site says its trainers come from military, private sector, rescue and shelter backgrounds.

The Madison location offers private lessons and behavior consultations, with time spent teaching you why your dog acts the way it does. Training is sold in several packages, and a client on the site mentions a two week board and train. As the name says, off leash obedience is the goal. The site names Edgerton, Fitchburg, Middleton, Monona, Stoughton, Sun Prairie and Verona in its service area. Prices sit on a separate page, and a free phone consultation is offered. Ask which tools the program uses.

Teacher's Pet Training Academy teaches group classes and private sessions around Greater Madison, with classes in Cross Plains, Madison, Sun Prairie and Waunakee. The site lists Sarah Miller as an owner and lead trainer with CPDT-KA and CBCC-KA credentials, and it says all of its trainers are certified through the CCPDT.

Classes follow a school theme. Puppy Kindergarten leads to Doggy Elementary School and Doggy High School, and Doggy Gym Class is for tricks. Classes are capped at six dogs. Private training happens in your home for problem behaviors or when a class schedule doesn't work. Other offerings include Smart Walks, Anti Predation Training and a Canine Chaperone service for weddings and photo shoots. The site describes positive reinforcement methods and says the academy won't use or recommend aversive techniques.

The Dog Den is a woman owned Madison business with more than 20 years in the city. It has locations in Fitchburg and on the east side, plus The Puppy Den for puppies under six months.

The class list is long. Puppy A is split into groups for pups under 16 weeks and 17 to 24 weeks, and Teenager Outdoor meets at Dairy Ridge Dog Park in Verona. Canine Good Citizen is a four week class with the test in the last week. Shy Dog is a hybrid class that starts with three virtual weeks, and Scrappers is for reactive or aggressive dogs. For fun there's treibball, canine freestyle, rally and nosework. Fit Dog Mobility is a four week, low impact class for dogs 7 and older. CPDT certified trainers lead Puppy Play and Learn, and private lessons and behavior consults happen at the facility or your home. Daycare is offered too.

Coach Wags is Todd "Coach Wags" Regan, who trains from a home based location in Edgerton. Our listing shows him as a Pet Professional Guild member. Most private training happens in your home in Edgerton, Madison, Janesville and nearby towns.

Private Obedience covers manners, leash skills, recall and settling. It comes in four tracks: Puppy Head Start, Adolescent Foundations, Good Manners and Rescue Foundations. Behavior Consulting is for bigger concerns, and the site names reactivity, fear, anxiety, overarousal, resource guarding and barking. Day Camp is a one on one daytime program in Edgerton that mixes training with play and rest. The site describes a relationship based approach built on positive reinforcement, and each plan looks at what you can keep up at home. A free phone call comes before booking.