Best Dog Trainers in Massachusetts

Lizzy and the Good Dog People is run by Lizzy Flanagan in Worcester, who names The Academy for Dog Trainers as her school. The site describes force free, Fear Free training that never uses shock or prong collars. Private sessions happen in person or over Zoom, and live online group classes include a recall class and one for teenage dogs. Her problem list covers aggression toward dogs or people and resource guarding, along with fears and phobias. A free 20 minute discovery call comes first.

Off Leash K9 Training of Worcester is part of a national franchise, and the site says founder Nick White is a former Marine and Secret Service agent. The team covers towns from Holden to Charlton and Ashland, with sessions in or around your home. Basic and Advanced Obedience is eight private lessons, and the two week Training Camp is a board and train for off leash obedience. Puppies under 5 months start with a consultation. Separate eight lesson packages cover aggression and therapy dog prep.

I Wuff You Dog Training is based in Holden and does private training, including sessions at your home in Worcester and nearby towns. The trainer, Cristina, lists the CPDT-KA and CBCC-KA credentials and follows Behavior Adjustment Training. The site says she never uses punishment or aversive tools. Work starts with a behavior assessment and a custom plan. Programs cover reactive dogs and social fear, plus impulse control and puppy manners. She recommends private training over group classes for most dogs.

Pack of Paws Professional Dog Training runs a training center in Charlton, just off Route 20, with tours by appointment. Group classes cover puppies and adult obedience, and a Fear & Aggression class serves dogs with those problems. The sports side is wide, with agility and scent work along with flyball and rally. Private lessons take on problems of any size. A Flex Pass lets you book classes with credits, and pre recorded video lessons let you learn at home. Prices aren't posted.

In Stride Pet Dog Training works from a center in Fitchburg and serves Worcester and Middlesex counties. Amy, the trainer, uses positive reinforcement and fear free equipment. Group classes run from Puppy Kindergarten to Advanced Life Skills, and the Reactive/Fearful class is capped at five dogs with visual barriers. Private sessions happen at the center or your home. Doggie Day School is a drop off program with short daily one on one sessions, for owners who don't want to board their dog.

Canine Congeniality offers only private training, at your home or another spot you pick. It serves clients within 20 miles of North Brookfield, and farther out for a small travel fee. The site describes humane, science based methods without force or intimidation, with packages built around your goals. Services include puppy training and basic obedience, plus behavior consultations and distraction training. Kids are welcome to join lessons, and shy or reactive dogs are named as a good fit. The first consultation is free.

Reflex Dog Training is a Leominster business that says it has worked in central Massachusetts since 2012. Head trainer Dan Dudley worked as a working dog handler and trainer in Southern California before that. The focus is teaching you to train your own dog. Work starts with a one hour in home consultation that looks at your dog's stress levels and unwanted behaviors. Current clients can book Dog Adventures outings in place of daycare. The site doesn't list prices or name a method.

Progressive Canine Dog Training and Behavioral Services holds classes in Harvard and says it has more than 35 years of experience. It serves MetroWest and central Massachusetts. Small group classes include Super Puppy and Super Dog obedience, and Rally O runs Thursdays with open enrollment. CGC prep and a trick class are listed as coming soon. In home training is offered, and behavior consultations cover fear and separation anxiety. Instructors choose methods after assessing each dog, and prices aren't posted.

K-9 & Pets Dog Training runs a facility in East Longmeadow, and every program starts with a free evaluation. The site says obedience and puppy lessons are taught one on one by a certified professional dog trainer, without naming the certifying group. Group classes teach you to correct unwanted habits, and Training Day Camp is for owners who'd rather have staff do the training. It's one of the few places here with personal protection programs and protection sports. Daycare is offered too.

Moriarty's Dogtown was founded in East Longmeadow in 1998, and the site describes Kevin Moriarty as a certified dog trainer. He serves Springfield and towns like Agawam and Chicopee, plus parts of northern Connecticut. Options include private in home sessions and puppy three packs, and there's a consultation before you buy a puppy. Canine Good Citizen training is offered, along with service dog training and working dog evaluation. The site sums up his approach as firm but fair. Prices aren't posted.

It's PAWsible is a training center in Westhampton that has served the Pioneer Valley and the Springfield area since 1996, run by a trainer named Beth. Group classes cover puppies and basic manners, and agility has its own class track. For harder problems, Beth does one on one behavior consultations, and private lesson packages are offered too. If you can't get to class, there's an online dog and puppy course. The site describes gentle but effective techniques in a supportive setting.

At Your Service Dog Training is Sharon Wachsler's business in Hadley, and our listing shows her as CPDT-KA and KPA-CTP. She trains service dogs together with you, the handler, for psychiatric or mobility needs, among others. You can learn through online courses with coaching or private lessons, and a day school and board and train are offered too. Prices are listed on their site as low as $7,500 for classes plus private lessons, and $15,000 to $20,000 with board and train added.

Atlas Dog Training runs board and train camps from Whately, with two to four week programs and lifetime support. Lead trainer Henry Barnes says he worked as a board and train trainer in Denver before opening Atlas. The site calls its approach balanced, built on clarity and consistency, with more freedom as skills improve. Atlas takes dogs of all breeds and ages for obedience and problem behavior, and it serves Massachusetts and nearby states. The first consultation is free, so ask which tools it uses.

Animal Alliances is listed with trainer Kristin Neal, whose credentials on file include CPDT-KA and CVT, and the business address on the site is in Northampton. Group classes stay small at four or five dogs, and family members are welcome to come along. Private lessons and behavior modification are offered too, including help with reactivity and aggression. The site describes positive, force free methods based on the science of learning. You can ask to watch a class before you sign up.

Tail Waggin' Dog Training is based in Brewster on Cape Cod and was founded by Heather Garre Day. The site describes her as a certified trainer with decades of experience, without naming the certifying body. The approach is positive and relationship based, with a focus on clear communication. Group classes and private sessions are both offered, along with workshops and events. Client stories mention puppy kindergarten and Canine Good Citizen work, plus help settling a long term shelter dog into a family.

The Reliable Dog trains in Falmouth and serves Cape Cod and the South Shore. Founder Ian Pullen is a professional member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. Day School runs in semesters over several weeks. Board and train dogs live with him during the week, and a hybrid option sends them home on weekends. Private lessons happen at the school or your home. The method is balanced and marker based, and the site says any tool is used only with your consent.

A Tail Above is based in Dennis and serves Cape Cod and beyond. Its trainer, Ann, is certified through the National K9 Learning Center and studied with Cesar Millan. Programs include day training and private sessions, plus custom board and train for one or two dogs at a time. The site also mentions online training options. Problems it names include separation anxiety and leash pulling, along with reactivity and jumping. Nutrition counseling is part of the offer, and you call for prices.

Positive Rewards dog training and behavior consulting has served Martha's Vineyard since 2005. Trainer Karen Ogden holds the CPDT-KA and FDM and has been professionally certified since 2007. Her specialties are puppies and fearful dogs. Training is reinforcement based, with brain games such as trick training and indoor hunting games. World Walks is an open enrollment class series on leash handling and distractions on walks. She's the only trainer in this guide based on the island, so lessons won't need the ferry.

Dogs In The Office Training is in Harwich Port and states more than 10 years of experience. With Day Training, your dog spends weekdays at the facility and goes home at night. Board and train runs two weeks for on leash behaviors or four weeks with off leash work added. Behavioral consulting happens at your home, for problems such as separation anxiety and fear. Structured play groups mix training with exercise. The site says it teaches new behaviors with positive reinforcement.

Southcoast Dog Training & Care is a veteran owned business in Dartmouth that offers private and group training. Classes include the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program and two levels of obedience. A Canine Good Citizen prep class is offered too, and the business is an AKC approved CGC evaluator. Behavior help covers jumping and barking, along with biting and lunging on leash. Service dog and therapy dog training are listed as well. The site says programs shouldn't be one size fits all, and prices aren't posted.

Canine Etiquette is run by Dawn L. Archibald-Corby in Plymouth, and the site advertises 30 years of dog training experience. Training is private and one on one, at your home or in parks, and puppy kindergarten is offered too. The site says it uses positive reinforcement only, with no corrections or force. Problems listed include counter surfing and resource guarding, plus reactivity to other dogs. She serves Plymouth and nearby towns like Kingston, and lifetime support comes with the programs.

Performance Plus K9 Activity Center in Raynham has one of the longest class lists in this guide. Pet classes run from Perfect Pups up to Canine Good Citizen prep, and agility and nose work each have their own tracks. A Difficult Dogs class and private lessons are on the schedule too. If you'd rather drop off, Doggie Day School and a residential stay and train program are offered. Monday drop in breed handling is listed on their site as $12 per dog.

Zippity Do Dog Training and Behavior is Lee Desmarais's business in Norton, serving towns from Attleboro to Taunton and Sharon. She's listed as a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator and Family Dog Mediator, and she rules out shock and prong collars. Private training happens at your home or online, and behavior consultations come with a written plan. Her main focus is anxious and reactive dogs. The Dogs and Storks program helps families with a baby on the way. Separation anxiety work isn't offered yet.

Fit-N-Trim Dog Training teaches classes in Rowley, and the class list runs long. Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Manners lead into intermediate manners and rally. Agility goes from beginner up to competition. Reactive dogs get their own track, with a Reactive Dog class plus agility and scent work classes built for reactive dogs. A Control Unleashed class is offered too. Canine Good Citizen and Tricks classes round out the list. The site doesn't describe its methods or post prices, so ask about both.

Sit, Stay & Obey Dog Training is Tara Altgilbers's business in Rowley. She's worked with dogs and families for more than 20 years and holds a degree in animal science. She also holds CCPDT certifications and is a CGC evaluator. Private one on one sessions take place in your home, and group classes run for puppies and adults, with specialty levels. The site calls the training positive and practical. She serves Rowley out to Newburyport and Haverhill, and down to Danvers.

BlueDog Pet Care was founded in 2008 by Kimberly and Chris Palermo, and classes meet at a facility in Lawrence. The Dog School group program lets you take unlimited classes as your dog moves up levels, ending with the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. Private training covers obedience and leash skills, and puppy socialization sessions are offered too. A Control Unleashed class is on the list too. The approach is positive and science based, and the site says its trainers don't use corrective training aids.

Naked Dog Training is John Whittaker's business in Methuen. The site says he apprenticed under European dog sport trainers and founded Canine Protection International, which he sold in 2022. Board and train serves owners across Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and Day School serves nearby towns like Andover. Programs include PupStart for puppies and a rescue dog program, plus an aggressive and reactive dog program. The approach is called balanced, and the site doesn't name its tools, so ask on the first call. Free evaluations are offered.

Bark Busters Boston North is a local franchise of the Bark Busters in home training company, with trainer Kayla Corey. It serves North Shore and Merrimack Valley towns, Andover and Newburyport among them. The first lesson at your home runs about two to three hours. The method relies on body language and tone of voice rather than treats, and the site says it doesn't use shock collars or choke chains. The Gold Service option includes support for the life of your dog.

All About My Dog is Lisa Rockland's business in Framingham, and the site says she brings more than 50 years of experience in canine behavior and training. Her method is a behavior based curriculum that mixes real life problems with traditional obedience. Private lessons can be house calls, and virtual private lessons are an option too. Group classes meet on Saturdays and evenings. The center runs a therapy dog program and lists dogs that earned the Canine Good Citizen title.

MasterPeace Dog Training is a class based school in Franklin, and the site says it teaches positive methods. The menu starts with Puppy Kindergarten and pet obedience. Sport classes cover rally and competition obedience, and nose work has its own classes. Distracted Dog and Reactive Dog classes are offered, plus a service dog class and Trick Dog classes. Private training and behavior consults are there if a class isn't right for your dog. Registration runs through an outside site, and prices aren't posted.