Best Dog Trainers in Missouri

Springfield Missouri Dog Training Club was established in 1970 and holds weekly classes in a climate controlled, single level building in Springfield. Its aim is to teach owners to train their own dogs with confidence. Classes start with puppy socialization and home and public manners, then move on to Community Canine Good Citizen. Sport classes cover agility, rally, obedience, scent work, tracking and tricks. Age limits and prices aren't on the main page, so check the class list before you sign up.

Off Leash K9 Training Springfield is a veteran owned branch of Off Leash K9, the company founded by Nick White, a former U.S. Marine and Secret Service agent. The Basic Obedience package is four private lessons and comes with a leash and an electronic collar, and Basic and Advanced doubles that to eight. Board and train runs one or two weeks and covers off leash obedience and behavior change. Dogs under 5 months start with a puppy consultation. The service area reaches Branson and Joplin.

Bark Busters Southwest Missouri is run by Stan Murray, who joined Bark Busters in 2009 and lists AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator status. Lessons happen one on one in your home, then move out to your neighborhood. He covers puppies and obedience as well as jumping, leash pulling, resource guarding and separation anxiety. The method doesn't need treats, and the site says it doesn't recommend prong or shock collars. A lifetime support guarantee lets you call for help later at no extra cost.

Pappaws Dog Training Center in Marshfield is led by Chuck Adams, a veteran who started training dogs over 20 years ago and holds a master's certification from the Tom Rose School of Dog Training. Robin Honsa is listed as a certified trainer and behavior specialist. Training happens in your home or in a group at the center, for dogs of any breed from puppy age up. The site names potty training trouble and aggression among the problems they handle. A free evaluation is offered.

Columbia Canine Sports Center is a training and event center in Columbia. Regular classes meet 50 minutes a week for six weeks, and a session is listed on their site as $190, with 10% off for students and seniors. Puppies can start in AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, and adult dogs can take pet manners. Sport classes include agility, competition obedience, rally, nose work and barn hunt. Weekend drop in classes such as Cooperative Care suit busy schedules, and private lessons are available.

Off Leash K9 Training Columbia is another veteran owned branch of the same company, and its trainers come from military and private sector backgrounds. You can start with four private lessons, which include a leash and an electronic collar, or take eight that add distraction work. Free phone consultations are offered. The one week Freedom board and train and the two week program both aim at off leash obedience. The service area covers Columbia plus towns such as Ashland, Hallsville and Millersburg.

Ann Gafke's Dogschooling says it has helped Central Missouri families for more than 50 years. Puppy Kindergarten takes dogs under 6 months, and Level 1 is for older puppies and adults. Tuition for either is listed on their site as $315 and includes private lessons until your dog learns the material. The Sassy Dog program is for dogs aggressive toward people or other dogs, often out of fear. Training is positive and reward based, and the grounds include a 10 acre wooded dog park.

Jennen Herbst leads dog training at Lizzi & Rocco's Natural Pet Market in Columbia, and our listing shows her as CPDT-KA and IAABC-ADT certified. Six week Beginning Puppy Manners and Beginning Adult Dog Manners courses are listed on their site at $250. Weekend social hours split dogs by age and size, including a small dog hour for dogs under 30 pounds. Private lessons and behavior programs serve dogs not ready for a group. Training is force free, with no prong or shock collars.

Camp Legacy Dog Training serves Jefferson City and Columbia. Trainer Hania Deters studied balanced training and behavior modification at Starmark Academy in Texas and works with dogs that pull, bark, lunge or ignore commands. Programs include puppy training, private lessons, and board and train for on leash and off leash obedience. Send home sessions include two to three hours of handler education, and graduates get free follow up sessions. Clients apply first and start with a free consultation, and the business also runs daycare.

Got Your Six Dog Training is based in Centertown and offers two and four week board and train programs. The two week program works on everyday behavior habits, and the four week program is listed as advanced training for aggression and anxiety. Service dog training builds the obedience foundation a service dog needs for its tasks. Board and Play lets your dog stay while you travel. Trainer names and prices aren't on the site, so ask about both on the first call.

Sedalia Kennel Club is an all breed nonprofit club in Sedalia, and its site says its obedience and training classes are open to anyone. You don't need an AKC registered dog to join, only an interest in dogs and in helping dogs in the community. The club also hosts AKC shows. Class types and prices aren't posted on the home page, so contact the club to ask what's running this season. A club class suits owners who want manners practice around other dogs.

Tri-State Kennel Club in Joplin runs six week Fit Dog Level 1 and Level 2 classes, listed on their site at $125 each. Drop in sessions for conformation, agility and rally cost $5 a class for members and $10 for non members. Agility drop in needs a dog at least a year old with a CGC. Dogs that show aggression aren't allowed in class. If you adopted from a local rescue, ask the club about a 50% coupon on a first class.

Donna Pashia is a NADOI Certified Instructor in Lamar, a level that asks for at least five years as a full charge instructor and a passed exam. The website on her listing belongs to Dog Obedience Training School in Lamar, which offers board and train and private lessons along with boarding and grooming. That site doesn't name its trainers or post prices. Ask on the first call who will work with your dog and what a program includes before you book.

Fantastic Fidos in St. Joseph mixes training with daycare and boarding. The Week Away is a seven day stay that covers leash walking and crate training. Whiz Kid runs 12 to 14 days, and the Turnaround programs of 12 to 14 days or 21 days are for adolescent and adult dogs with fear or aggression. Doggie Day School is six weeks of visits two days a week, with group lessons for owners, and a six week obedience class covers basic commands. Prices aren't posted.

Jeremy Chamberlain owns Ozark Bottoms K9 Academy, which opened in July 2023 and serves the Lebanon and Waynesville area. He began training in 2002 with his German Shepherd, Apollo, and NADOI certified him in 2020. He's also an AKC Star Puppy and CGC evaluator. Training areas named on his site include service dog work, competition obedience, scent work and protection. He says he uses all available training tools, builds a plan for each dog and gives lifetime support after graduation.

Barbara Pruitt is a NADOI Certified Instructor in Richland, and her listing links to Barbara's Babies Dog Obedience School. The family run school has been at the same Richland location since 2009. It trains owners and their dogs together on obedience and good behavior, and it names leash pulling and jumping on people among the problems it works on. The school also boards dogs. Program details sit on a page we couldn't see, so ask about format and price when you call.

Cerda-Fied Gundogs, run as Sunrise Kennel LLC, trains retrievers and waterfowl dogs from its kennel in Warrensburg and also teaches obedience for family dogs. The business says it has trained dogs in the Kansas City area and the Midwest for over 40 years, using repetition and patience with positive reinforcement and no harsh methods. Part of the work is teaching you to read your dog's body language. Boarding is offered. Program lengths and prices aren't listed, so ask when you reserve.

Train in Love Dog Training is run by Kristin from Adrian, and her service area reaches from Butler and Clinton up into the Kansas City suburbs on both sides of the state line. She works with dogs that have anxiety or react to people and other dogs, and she teaches off leash work. Board and train includes daily sessions, and dogs learn to work with a remote collar before she teaches the owner. Two visits to your home are listed on their site at $300.

Bark Busters Kansas City South is listed in Adrian, but trainer Jeff Johnston covers a wide area, from Harrisonville and Butler up to St. Joseph plus several Kansas towns. He found Bark Busters in fall 2005. Sessions are one on one in your home, and he covers puppies along with aggression, barking, reactivity and separation anxiety. The site says the method doesn't rely on bribes or punishment and asks for 15 to 20 minutes of practice a day. Lifetime phone support is included.

Brilliant Canine in Bonne Terre is led by owner and head trainer Joeri. Board and train dogs live in a home with their trainer, and stays are listed on their site at $2,400 for two weeks and $3,500 for four, each with a go home lesson and two follow ups. Puppy Jumpstart is a 14 day board and train for dogs under 6 months. Private sessions cover sport work such as IGP tracking, plus scent detection and personal protection. The site describes positive reinforcement.

Pawsitive Concepts in Crystal City is run by Suzanne Veltrop, who holds the CPDT-KA and ACSDT credentials. Companion training runs from puppy basics to advanced manners, in private sessions or small group classes. Her service dog program helps people with disabilities train their own dog, from choosing a candidate to teaching tasks. Therapy dog training is offered too, and she notes therapy and service work can take up to two years. Methods are rooted in positive reinforcement. She serves Festus, Arnold, Farmington and nearby towns.

Stefanie Kitcher is a NADOI Certified Instructor based in Union. To reach that level, a trainer needs at least five years as a full charge instructor and at least 100 dog and handler teams behind them, then has to pass an exam. Her listing links to a training company website that blocked our review, so this entry uses our directory data only. The listing names no specialties or prices. Ask on the first call what lesson format she offers and which tools she uses.

Top Tier K9 O'Fallon is a certified location of the Top Tier K9 company and serves St. Louis and the surrounding areas. The three week board and train, called Master the Basics, covers core obedience, and the four week program adds an introduction to off leash skills. Owners visit each week during the stay. Private training happens at your home, so you learn in your own setting at your own pace. Trainer names and prices aren't posted for this location.

K9 Kamp Dog Training is based in Foristell, and its director of training has worked with dogs for over 30 years. The core program, Dog I Can Love, is a board and train where your dog trains alongside five to seven other dogs and goes on outings to public places, with off leash reliability as the goal. Owner coaching and an in home follow up are included. K9 Kamp also offers boarding and daycare, per our listing. A free behavior assessment starts the process.

WestInn Kennels in Wentzville has been in business since 1997 and runs training next to boarding and grooming. Obedience classes are described as positive and hands on for dogs of all ages. You can also try agility, nose work, dock diving or conformation, and there's CGC and therapy dog training. The site shows Low Stress Handling certification and an ABC Mentor Trainer badge, plus APDT and IAABC membership badges. Prices aren't posted, so ask about the class schedule when you call.

RottiEwe Farm in Wright City is a herding training facility owned and run by Tracy Parciak. Lessons run Tuesday through Friday in the day or evening, plus weekends, all by appointment. You can book a private lesson by phone or email. The farm works with owners who want to compete in AKC, AHBA, ASCA or USBCHA herding, and with those who just want to work their herding dog on stock. Tracy also trains and competes with her own herding dogs.

Elijah Farms is a family ranch in Mansfield that raises registered working Border Collies and has trained stock dogs for other owners since 1994. Training starts with an instinct test, moves to sheep and goes on to cattle when the owner wants, with the aim of a dog that works like a ranch hand. You can book one on one private sessions or send your dog for a 30 day in house program. Prices aren't listed, and the ranch notes it has moved, so confirm the location when you call.

Peytonfarm is in Excello, about 12 minutes south of Macon and 45 minutes north of Columbia. It trains hunting dogs of all breeds that owners bring in, and it prepares Deutsch Drahthaar for VDD tests such as the VJP and HZP. The business says it has more than 40 years as trainers and VDD-GNA judges. Handler training comes in private and group formats, so you learn to work your own dog in the field. Boarding is available, and program lengths and prices aren't posted.

Charlotte the Dog Trainer teaches classes in Trimble, next to Smithville Lake, and draws students from Smithville, Kearney, Liberty and the Kansas City Northland. Charlotte has trained dogs in the Kansas City area for over 30 years. Beginner classes run six sessions on Monday nights, with 2026 starts every other month from January to November, and advanced classes follow. She teaches with humor and a serious, no nonsense approach in which you're in charge. Class prices aren't posted, and you can enroll online or by phone.

Pat Hennessy runs N2paws in Peculiar and holds the CPDT-KA and ACDBC credentials, plus advanced practitioner status in the Tellington TTouch method. Private sessions happen in your home and are listed on their site at $125 an hour plus mileage, with a first visit of 1.5 to 2 hours. Behavior coaching covers fears and anxiety, rescue transitions, and senior or special needs dogs. Group options include dog workshops and a class on noise events. Phone consults are listed at $50 for 30 minutes.