Best Dog Trainers in Minnesota

Dog Dynasty Duluth teaches group classes in Lakewood Township, just north of Duluth. Obedience runs from puppy and adult foundation classes up to competition work, and agility goes from foundation skills to advanced handling. Scent work starts with an intro to nose work and climbs to Advanced and Masters levels. The site describes a balanced, reward based approach that uses positive motivation and repeated redirection. Our records show Dog Dynasty hosts agility trials, the site lists events and seminars, and a class progression guide on the site shows which level comes next.

RR Professional Dog Training & Boarding works out of Carlton, with a second spot in Sturgeon Lake, and says it has more than 15 years of experience. Your dog can stay for in kennel or overnight training, or come for day training paired with a group class. Puppy classes and behavior consults are also offered. The team takes all breeds and sizes and works with rescues and local shelters on dogs with behavior problems. Boarding and grooming happen on site, and there's a course for new trainers.

Iron Range Dog Training Club in Virginia gives northeast Minnesota owners a place to try several dog sports in one club. The lineup covers Puppy & Manners and obedience, plus agility, rally, nose work and other sports. Classes run in winter, spring, summer and fall sessions, and this year's schedule adds a short Late Fall Mini Session. The club hosts local trials and offers memberships. Its stated belief is that the bond between a person and a dog deserves respect at all times.

Nicole Wiebusch runs Golden Paws Dog Training in Aurora and is a Pet Professional Guild member who also teaches through Fenzi Dog Sports Academy online. Golden Paws uses force free, positive reinforcement methods with a custom plan for each dog. In person, you'll find small group classes for puppies and dog sports, plus behavior classes. Dogs that struggle with reactivity or fear can get help in person or through an online behavior program. Virtual private coaching lets owners anywhere send in work for feedback on sports like rally and agility.

Nose2Tail Dog Training, a central Minnesota school in Brainerd, sticks to one sport, K9 Nose Work. The school teaches private and group lessons with positive reinforcement and reward based training. Nose2Tail serves Brainerd, Baxter, Pillager, Nisswa and Pequot Lakes and nearby communities. Our records show it hosts NACSW trials, which helps if your dog takes to the sport and you want to try for titles. The site displays NACSW logos, including STAR Instructor and Evaluator marks, so ask which NACSW roles the instructor holds.

Erin Butler owns Canine Precision in Brainerd. She grew up around retriever field trials and started in 4-H dog projects as a kid, and since graduating from 4-H in 2010 she's been a leader for the Crow Wing County 4-H Dog Project Development Committee. Her own dogs hold titles in rally, obedience, nose work and FAST CAT. She's an AKC Evaluator for S.T.A.R. Puppy and the Canine Good Citizen tests. Canine Precision offers puppy training, obedience classes, agility and private lessons, and helps with leash pulling and reactivity.

Good Dog Camp is a woman owned training business in Rochester that says it has more than 25 years in dog training. Its behavior programs go after the problems owners call about most, such as leash pulling, house training, jumping on guests and separation anxiety. Aggression toward other dogs is on the list too. The camp uses gentle, reward based techniques and practices in real places like parks and busy neighborhoods, then shows you how to keep it up at home. The camp also runs daycare and off leash group hikes.

K9 Sprinter in Rochester sells set programs. You can book a single lesson or move from Fundamental to Advanced to Off Leash as your dog improves. For dogs that bark or lunge at other dogs or people, there's a Reactive to Neutral program, and a Tune Up helps after a dog slips. Optional exercise sessions keep a dog focused and fit between lessons. The site says training centers on trust and clear structure, and it shows Fear Free and Animal Behavior College trainer badges.

Paws Abilities Dog Training is listed in Oronoco in our records and serves southeastern Minnesota, Rochester included, and the Twin Cities metro. Group classes start with puppy obedience and socialization, and advanced classes have prerequisites. For serious problems, you can book private lessons or a behavior consultation. Its board and train and Canine to Five programs end with transfer sessions so the training carries over to you. The school also runs Enrichment Camp and Puppy Camp. The site says its trainers hold CCPDT and IAABC credentials.

Ladd K9 is Carla Ladd's training business in Preston, in southeastern Minnesota. She offers puppy training and dog training, with class sign up online. Ladd K9 also boards dogs, and one client story on the site describes a puppy's two week in board training stay, so ask whether that option fits your dog. The site names the everyday problems the training goes after, like barking, chewing, jumping and darting out the door. The first step is a free consultation with Carla, and since the site doesn't describe her methods, bring that question to the meeting.

Key City Kennel Club is a Mankato nonprofit and says it's the only AKC member club in southern Minnesota. It was founded in 1967 as the Mankato K-9 Club. Dogs of any breed, mix or age can join. Classes cover obedience, rally, agility, scent work and therapy dog prep. A four week sampler of four sports is listed on their site as $40, and drop in classes as $15 per dog. An AKC rally trial and CGC testing are set for February 13 and 14, 2027.

Four Winds Dog Training in Northfield says it has more than twenty five years of experience in service dog training and behavior work. Its Service Dog Foundations program coaches people who want to train their own service dog. For pet dogs, Four Winds offers Puppy & Adult Basics among its Northfield classes and travels to your home for private sessions. Help with anxiety and reactivity is also on offer. Our records list a board and train option, and the site shows a Boot Camp. The trainers credit work with rescue groups and animal assisted therapy programs for their approach.

Minnesota Canine Consulting runs board and train boot camps at its New Prague facility, where dogs stay three to eight weeks depending on the package. Packages range from Basic and Behavior Modification to Advanced Off Leash, and you can follow progress through videos. Private and in home sessions start with a free consultation. The site says the trainers have decades of experience in the police canine industry, and they teach a police canine handler course for licensed officers. The trainers call themselves experts in electronic and remote collar training, and an aggression consultation is listed on their site as $100.

EZ Obedience in Hutchinson teaches weekly classes, and its instructors say they have more than 25 years of experience. Puppy Obedience takes puppies from 10 weeks to 5 months, and Beginner Obedience is for dogs 6 months and older. Both run six weekly one hour sessions and are listed on their site as $115. The school also offers rally, utility, nose work and private lessons. Classes also prepare teams for competitive obedience at AKC, CKC or UKC events. Walk ins are welcome.

Jake Schneider is listed in our records as a NADOI Certified Instructor in Pine City, and he trains under the AllBreed North name. The main offering is board and train. Your dog lives and trains with the team in their own home while you follow along online. Client stories on the site mention programs from 14 days up to five weeks. Each program includes an online course and a private online community, and refresher training is there after your dog comes home. The site describes positive reinforcement training.

Northwoods Bird Dogs in Sandstone breeds and trains English setters and pointers for ruffed grouse and woodcock. Jerry Kolter and Betsy Danielson run the kennel, which sits next to thousands of acres of wild bird habitat, and owners send their own dogs in. The Puppy Foundation program builds pointing instinct with bird contact and gunfire exposure, and it gets puppies used to electronic collar corrections. The Gun Dog program teaches Whoa and Here and handling to voice or whistle, with plenty of pigeon work. Private sessions with Jerry are sold by the hour.

Granite Ledge Kennels sits on 180 acres in Foreston, near Milaca. Owner and head trainer Chris Wilson has more than 20 years of professional experience training hunting dogs. Hunt training covers retrievers and upland dogs, including versatile pointing breeds, with obedience from the basics up. Puppy foundations start young dogs. Granite Ledge also teaches blood trail tracking so a dog can help you find a wounded deer by scent. Each dog gets its own plan and pace. The kennel also breeds health tested Pudelpointers from German lines.

Classy Canine Dog Psychology works by appointment in Dalbo, north of the Twin Cities. You can book an assessment first, then choose group classes, one on one sessions, in home training or a board and train program. Boarding and dog walking are offered too. The site describes a personalized, positive reinforcement based approach that runs from basic manners through advanced obedience. It also says Classy Canine has programs for reactive and aggressive dogs. The site gives few program details, so use the assessment to ask how long each option takes.

The Balanced Bark Training in Dalbo offers private training at home and out in public. Home sessions work on greetings and separation anxiety. Public and facility sessions take on reactivity and recall, using desensitization and counterconditioning. Each plan starts with a free consultation. The three week Board & Learn programs keep your dog Monday through Friday and send it home on weekends with homework for you, and the tracks prepare dogs for the AKC Canine Good Citizen tests. Scent work classes and day camps are also offered.

Cash & Eddie's Dog Training is a training school in Maple Lake. Kelly King, who lists the KPA CTP credential, signs the welcome on the site. The school uses force free, positive reinforcement methods and keeps classes small so each team gets more coaching. You can pick classroom training, starting with a Start Here page for newcomers, or one on one sessions at the facility. Puppies can take AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy. The site shows many Canine Good Citizen and Urban Canine Good Citizen graduates, so test prep is a regular part of the work.

Wings & Whistles in Watertown has trained dogs since 1986 and stays open year round. Programs run from General Obedience and Bird and Gun Intro up to Fast Start training and Advanced Gun Dog work. The facility says it can train any breed, whether you want a hunting partner or a well behaved house dog. Part of each program is training you, so you can keep your dog's skills sharp at home and in the field. Boarding is available. The site doesn't list prices or program lengths, so ask about both on the first call.

Inga From founded Hippie Dog in Richfield in 2014. She holds the CDBC and CPDT-KSA credentials, and the site says she's one of two IAABC certified dog behavior consultants in Minnesota. She has more than 20 years in animal behavior, including over a decade in shelters, and once chaired the APDT board. Hippie Dog offers private behavior help and group classes, plus service and therapy dog training and mentorship for new trainers. Training is reward based and follows LIMA, short for least intrusive, minimally aversive, along with fear free practices.

Kristin Powell founded For the Love of Dogs in Mendota Heights in 2005. She holds the ABCDT and CSMT II credentials and is an Animal Behavior College mentor trainer. She has trained and shown dogs for more than 35 years and is a Canine Good Citizen evaluator. The school teaches manners, rally, CGC prep and nose work, along with barn hunt and dock diving in an indoor pool. Flyball and conditioning classes are listed too. The site says training is positive, with no harsh methods.

St. Paul Dog Training Club was founded in 1953 and is a nonprofit, AKC affiliated club run by a volunteer board. Obedience and rally classes serve owners who want a mannered companion and owners who want to compete at every level. Agility and nose work classes serve teams that want to compete at any level. Classes are open to all dogs and their owners. Our records show the club hosts AKC and NACSW trials, and the site calls it one of the longest established training clubs in the Midwest.

Cloud Nine Training School for Dogs in Maple Grove has trained dog and handler teams since 2000. Puppy options include Puppy Social Hour and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy socialization classes. Adult dogs can take obedience at every level, plus CGC prep, agility, rally and scent work. The specialty list adds tricks and therapy dog training, along with reactive dog classes for dogs that struggle around other dogs. Private lessons are available too. The school describes its training as science based and force free.

K9 Scent Sport Center in Oakdale teaches only nose work. Foundation Nosework covers odor introduction and searches of containers, rooms, outdoor areas and vehicles, and it's listed on their site as $179. Continuing Nosework adds new odors and blind searches and is listed on their site as $160. Groups hold up to six teams. Private coaching is listed on their site as $90 and includes video analysis of your searches, and the site says it suits shy or reactive dogs. The site lists 10 years of training and competing in nose work and six years of professional instruction.

Jody Karow founded Go Anywhere Dog and holds the CTC certificate from the Academy for Dog Trainers. Group classes meet at the school in Eden Prairie, with puppy classes for pups under 16 weeks and adolescent classes from 16 weeks to one year. Classes include off leash play and practice around other dogs. Private in home training covers potty routines and play biting, plus behavior help for barking, fear, reactivity and guarding. Ultimate Puppy Packages pair 10 or 20 private sessions with group classes. Go Anywhere Dog doesn't use aversive collars such as shock and prong collars.

Bloomington Obedience Training Club is a volunteer run club in Bloomington. Its class list covers obedience, agility, rally, conformation, flyball and trick dog, plus therapy dog classes. The club describes its approach as positive motivational training. You can book a class online, and the club has a membership page if you want to join. It also hosts trials and runs practice run throughs on select Fridays so teams can rehearse in the ring. The site lists special events and facility rentals as well, so check the calendar before you visit.