Best Dog Trainers in Michigan

A Pleasant Dog in Grand Rapids says it trains without force, and its site says it follows guidance from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. You can choose group classes, reactive dog classes, puppy programs, in home lessons or virtual sessions, and a Stay and Train option. Head trainer Jenn Gavin wrote a book and an online course on separation anxiety, and the team runs separation anxiety retreats. Cooperative care training and consults with a veterinarian are offered too.

K9 Academy International in Grand Rapids combines dog training with boarding and daycare in one place, and its site says families have trusted it for more than 30 years. The site doesn't name its training programs or describe its methods. Owner stories on it mention an eight week training course and therapy dog training, and one family says the staff trained the people as well as the dog. Ask on your first call which course fits your dog and what tools the trainers use.

Grand Rapids K9 trains from Sparta, north of Grand Rapids, and works with all breeds and ages across Michigan. Its board and train includes progress reports and follow up sessions at your home, and it also runs a puppy socialization program. Protection training and a bitework group are on the menu, and the site lists 17 years of combined experience across its trainers. It describes its approach as classical and operant conditioning without naming its tools, so ask what equipment your dog would wear.

Northfield Dog Training teaches weekly classes and private lessons at its facility in southwest Ann Arbor. Owner Adele Yunck teaches obedience and rally, and other instructors handle agility from introductory to competition level. Scent work and retriever training are on the menu, along with online classes and seminars by Adele. The 12,000 square foot Big Building went up in 2001 for training and competitions. The site mentions a class screening step for some students, so read it before you register.

The Humane Society of Huron Valley in Ann Arbor runs six week public classes using positive reinforcement. Puppy Preschool takes puppies from 10 weeks to 6 months, and Basic Manners serves dogs 6 months and older. Reactive Rover is a group of up to four people friendly dogs that bark or lunge at other dogs. The shelter also lists Canine Good Citizen and cooperative care classes. Dogs that react to people or have bitten aren't a fit for its group classes.

The Ann Arbor Dog Training Club formed in 1967 and teaches classes at its facility in Whitmore Lake, a few minutes north of downtown Ann Arbor. Classes start with puppy socialization and household manners, then move into competition obedience, rally, agility, scent work and tracking. The club hosts AKC trial weekends through the year, from agility between April and September to tracking tests in October and November. Classes need advance sign up, and the site doesn't say whether you must be a member, so ask.

Cloud 9 Canine is run by twin sisters Nicole and Jordan Bowdish, who grew up in the Kalamazoo area, and the business has served Kalamazoo since 2019. Its site promises humane methods and help with behavior issues, though it doesn't list named training programs. The sisters also offer dog walks, pet sitting, small group day camp and a pet taxi. The site calls the business certified and insured without naming the certification, so ask which credentials your trainer holds and what a plan includes.

The Kalamazoo Dog Training Club is a nonprofit founded in January 1975 and recognized by the AKC in 1978. Its motto is that it trains you to train your dog. Classes run from puppy and beginning levels up to rally, competitive obedience and nosework, with tricks and Canine Good Citizen classes too. Sessions meet one hour a week for seven weeks in Galesburg, just east of Kalamazoo. The fall session was listed on their site as $110, and winter sign up opens November 19, 2026.

TipTopTails teaches small group puppy and adult manners classes at The Knoll in Kalamazoo. Busy owners can use Puppy Day School or day training packages, where you drop your dog off for training. The center also runs dog sports such as agility, nosework, disc dog and dock diving, along with one on one lessons. Its behavior programs cover dogs reactive to people or other dogs. The site says its instructors have more than six decades of combined experience, and lessons reach Portage and South Haven.

Janet Smith has worked with pet owners for more than 25 years and once owned a training business in Haslett. Her programs start with private lessons in your home and add public practice sessions so your dog learns around distractions. Packages include training equipment and a video library. She teaches group puppy socialization and adult household obedience classes in Lansing and Okemos, and our records list scent work classes as well. A single in home visit is listed on her site as $125.

All The Dog Things is a mid Michigan training service in the Lansing area. Our records list Maegan Payne as the trainer, with the credentials ACDBC, CCUI and FDM and a Pet Professional Guild membership. The site says the work draws on behavior analysis and positive teaching methods. Help starts before you get a dog, with advice on picking a breed that fits your life, and continues with group classes and private sessions. Behavior consultations look at a dog's history, home, genetics and health.

Click Pawsitive Family Pet Center teaches force free, evidence based training with positive reinforcement, including clicker training. Since April 1, 2025, all its small group classes meet at Annabelle's Canine Station in DeWitt. Private consultations help you build a training plan for your own dog. It also coaches service dog teams through group classes and private sessions, for handlers training their own dogs. The site lists service to Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, Haslett and Williamston, so it suits owners across the capital area.

Off Leash K9 Training Lansing is part of a national franchise and serves the Lansing area from Holt, out to DeWitt, Grand Ledge and Mason. Its obedience lessons are four private sessions on cues such as sit, heel, down and place, and they include a leash and an electronic collar, which the site says is part of the program. It also runs a 14 day board and train for off leash obedience and behavior work, plus puppy classes for dogs under five months. Phone consultations are free.

Meghan Rosenstengel founded Beacon Bay Dog Training in Traverse City in 2005. Programs start with your dog living in her home for training, then move to private lessons at your house and around town, plus group outings in public spots. She lists leash reactivity as a specialty, and her puppy programs draw on her time raising future service dogs. Her own dogs hold titles in obedience, agility and tracking among other sports. The shortest program lasts about three weeks, and she also serves Interlochen and Kingsley.

Mid-Michigan K9 Academy trains from locations in Saginaw and Troy and welcomes clients from all over the state. Its obedience boot camps run two weeks for foundation skills or four weeks for intermediate work, and there is a four week puppy program. A five week in home or virtual program and behavior work for recall and reactivity are also listed. The site describes gentle corrections and modern tools without naming them, so ask what your dog would wear. Service dog and protection training are offered too.

Tri Cities Dog Training Club of Saginaw Bay has trained people to train their dogs since 1972, and its site marks 50 years. Classes are cancelled when Delta College closes its evening classes for severe weather. Our records list AKC STAR Puppy, basic and advanced obedience, competition obedience, rally, Canine Good Citizen and nose work classes. The club asks that no more than two people come per enrolled dog. Ask about class levels and start dates when you reach out.

K9 Optimal Training Solutions is based in Midland. Trainer Jake served in the Army as an explosive detection dog handler in Afghanistan, then spent four years as an Animal Control Deputy with the Midland County Sheriff's Office. His Belgian Malinois, Creed, adopted from a shelter in 2019, helps in sessions with anxious or reactive dogs. Programs cover leash pulling, anxiety, aggression and resource guarding, and manners for senior dogs. The site also lists board and train, and consultations are free.

Sit Stay Play Michigan in Midland teaches with positive, science based methods, and prong collars, electronic collars, choke chains and slip leads aren't allowed on the property. Our records list trainer Laura Ornelas as a CPDT-KA and a Pet Professional Guild member. Group classes run from beginner levels through AKC Canine Good Citizen, and private lessons and Zoom consultations are listed. A Reactive Dog Workshop is set for November 8, and the site says more one day workshops are coming in November and December. Group walks are for dogs approved through lessons or classes.

The Companion Dog Training Club of Flint has served the Flint area for more than five decades from a 12,000 square foot facility devoted only to dog training. Member instructors teach classes for dogs 12 weeks and older. The club says members can compete in obedience, rally, agility, conformation and nose work, or train a therapy dog. The home page doesn't list class levels or methods, so ask which group suits a first time dog owner before you sign up.

Positive Pawz Training in Fenton uses positive reinforcement only and lists 20 or more years of experience. Puppies start in Puppy Pawz Elementary, then move to Pawz Essentials Level 1 and Level 2. Around The Town takes training out into the community, and alumni classes keep graduates practicing. Private lessons happen at your home or in public places, and behavior consulting and Canine Good Citizen training are offered. The site doesn't name the trainer, so ask who teaches your class.

The Muskegon Lakeshore Obedience Training Club is a volunteer run nonprofit, and you don't need to be a member to take most of its classes. The winter 2027 session starts in early January with Puppy Basics, Canine Good Citizen Prep and Test, Adult Dog Obedience and a Sport Dog Sampler. A Novice and Beyond class is for members only. The club also teaches agility and scent work. Classes meet on Monday and Thursday evenings, which suits owners who work during the day.

Matthew Lamarand founded Dogology University in Grand Haven and says he has helped more than 2,000 dogs since 2017. He is an Air Force veteran who handled military working dogs and an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. Training is reward based with no electronic collars or punishment. Options include in home lessons, puppy training, off leash work, board and train and help for reactivity and anxiety. A mobile day school picks your dog up in a training van and adds a weekly coaching session for you.

Our records place Beyond the Bark in Brighton, and its site lists service to Livingston County plus the Ann Arbor and Metro Detroit areas. Our records list Chelsea Baughman-Campbell as the trainer and a Pet Professional Guild member. Private training happens in your home and focuses on behavior change, with a custom plan for each dog. The site says its team applies current behavior science. Puppy and reactive dog classes are offered, along with help for fear and aggression. The site also lists free Q&A sessions with its trainers and free informational lectures.

Heather Mongiat runs Green Creek Canine in Ishpeming and uses only force free, science based methods. She holds the CPDT-KA through the CCPDT and is Fear Free Certified, which her site says makes her one of very few in the Upper Peninsula. She has trained four therapy dogs with Superiorland Pet Partners. Private lessons happen at her building, outdoors around Marquette County or in your home, listed on her site as starting at $100 for a one hour session. Board and train and group nose work classes are offered too.

Third Coast Canine Academy in Charlevoix offers private lessons built around each dog and owner, along with boarding and board and train. A client story on the site mentions a 30 day program. Lauren Richards is the trainer named on the home page, and the site shows logos for AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation and the International Association of Canine Professionals. Its service area runs from Petoskey and Gaylord to Traverse City and Sault Ste. Marie. The site doesn't describe methods or tools, so ask before you book.

Wolverine Dog Training Club has taught people and their dogs since 1956. Its training center in Farmington Hills is heated and air conditioned, with rubber mats over the floor. Classes cover obedience from puppy and beginner levels through competition, and the club also teaches rally, agility and nose work from beginner to advanced. The club says its classes suit dogs of every age and focuses on training dog and handler as a team. You can enroll online, and class schedules are on its site.

Body Mind Dog in Rochester Hills is a movement studio built around dog fitness rather than basic obedience. Fit Dog classes come in three levels, each a six week series of one hour classes on targeting, balance, cardio and stretching. A personal fitness plan starts with a look at how your dog sits and stands to spot posture habits and injury risk. The studio also teaches scent work for enrichment and books private lessons four days a week. Studio members get monthly drop in classes.

Ron Stokes owns K9Dogworks in Adrian and serves southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio by appointment. He competes in Schutzhund, also called IGP, and serves as a classified trial helper. He is a Navy veteran and belongs to working dog groups such as USCA and DVG America. Pet obedience covers on and off leash work for all breeds, and he also takes aggression problems and sport dog training. The site doesn't describe tools or methods, so ask what your dog would wear. Consultations are free.

Bay de Noc Kennel Club is based in Escanaba, and non members are welcome at a higher fee. Puppies can start in S.T.A.R. Puppy classes, and adult dogs can take six week Basic Obedience, then Intermediate Obedience with Canine Good Citizen prep. The club also runs agility foundations and rally classes, plus a trick class and agility games in winter. It hosts CPE and UKC agility trials. A six week obedience, rally or agility class for non members is listed on their site as $125.

Shiloh K9 Obedience Training and Boarding Center sits on about seven acres of woods in Linwood, with a fenced yard. Owner and trainer David Dee offers one hour one on one obedience lessons and an obedience and boarding program for puppies and adults. The menu also lists help for anxiety and aggression, therapy and service dog training and personal protection work. The site says 2022 was its 12th year, and phone consultations are listed on their site as $60 an hour.