Best Dog Trainers in Nebraska

Apex Retrievers runs an insured retriever training facility in Elm Creek. Its programs page lists a two week Puppy Development Program, a Companion Program of about two months and a four month Gun Dog Program, which is listed on their site at $950 per month. The program descriptions cover force fetch, retrieving from blinds above and below ground, and hunting scenarios with gunfire and live birds, plus conditioning to an electronic collar. The site says every program includes boarding, food, sales tax and flea, tick and heartworm prevention. Later levels prepare retrievers for UKC and AKC hunt tests, up to the AKC Master Hunter title.

Complete Retrievers is a Greenwood kennel run by Andy Mink. The site says training runs from basic obedience all the way up to advanced and finished gun dog programs, with a focus on waterfowl and upland retrievers. Boarding is listed as a service, but the site gives no details or training prices, so bring up program length and cost when you call. Andy has guided waterfowl hunts since 2013, and the kennel's hunts run in the Platte River Valley from large pit blinds or mobile A frame blinds.

The Cornhusker Kennel Club is an all breed kennel club in Lincoln that runs weekly conformation classes for members and the general public. Classes meet Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. when in session, in the Kenl Inn Day Care Building next to the agility field. The fall session ran August 12 through November 4, 2026, so check the club's class page for the next start. Each class costs $5 for members and $10 for non members, paid to the instructor in exact change. Classes are canceled on days Lincoln Public Schools close for weather.

Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic in Kearney runs its training classes at The Retreat at Cottonwood, next door to the clinic. The clinic's Behavior and Obedience page lists Puppy Preschool and obedience classes, plus work toward the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy award and the Canine Good Citizen title. Two staff members are certified AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluators, so your dog can be tested close to home. The clinic also lists behavior consults, along with boarding and daycare at the clinic and The Retreat. The site doesn't post class dates or prices, so call The Retreat for the current schedule.

Dog4Ewe is John Holman's herding dog business in Clay Center. Lessons run year round by appointment, starting dogs in a small round pen and moving up to open field work in a five acre pasture. The site's motto is "We teach you how to teach the dog." John also runs one day and multi day clinics where each handler works their dog twice a day, and auditing is usually available. A limited number of dogs can stay for board and train, aimed at farm and ranch work or trials under USBCHA, ASCA, AHBA or AKC. John began working stock dogs in 1980 and has trained Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Corgis and Kelpies.

Double A Outfitting & Gun Dogs is Aaron Schroder's upland and waterfowl dog business in Lyons, in northeast Nebraska. The site lists retriever and fetch work, bird work and preparation for dog trials, and its AA Program is a two month foundation course that trains with you and your pup. Advanced work adds conditioned retrieves, and a 30 day tune up puts about 90 birds in front of your dog before the season. His own pack includes German Shorthaired Pointers and Labrador Retrievers. Boarding is limited to spring, summer and fall, and the site offers pick up and drop off to the Omaha area several days a week. The training page sends you to a rates and availability page rather than listing prices.

The Grand Island Kennel Club is an all breed club that teaches classes in central Nebraska. Its site lists obedience at all levels, agility, rally and conformation or showmanship, plus puppy socialization classes for young dogs. You can pay for classes, seminars and workshops online with PayPal or a card. Our database notes the club also hosts an AKC show. The site doesn't post a class schedule, a location or prices, so contact the club to find out when the next session starts.

Kenl Inn in Lincoln adds a full training program to boarding and daycare. Five week group classes are listed on their site at $185 plus tax, including Puppy for dogs 3 to 8 months, Basic Obedience for 8 months and up, then Intermediate and Advanced levels plus scentwork and agility. The site also mentions Canine Good Citizen prep and testing. Private lessons for leash pulling, reactivity, anxiety or barking are listed at $130 an hour on site and $180 an hour at your home. Board and train is an add on to boarding, starting at $45 a day for one session. The team uses positive reinforcement, and head trainer Michelle Quiñones has worked with more than 800 dogs.

Lost Creek Training Academy & Boarding School outside Kearney is led by trainer Austin Buerer. Private sessions include your family, and you learn how to keep training going at home, with package discounts after the first session. In board and train, trainers work with your dog up to five times a day in 30 minute sessions, then show you the results at pickup. The academy also trains medical alert service dogs, helping you find a suitable dog and building a plan around tasks for diabetes, seizures, PTSD, autism or mobility. Behavior work covers aggression, leash pulling, biting and barking. The site describes its approach as positive and science based.

Lucy Kerby is listed in our database as a Certified Instructor with NADOI, the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, and she's based in Dannebrog. NADOI has operated since 1965. To earn certified membership, an applicant passes an exam that requires detailed answers and video, two experienced examiners review the work and check references, and the Membership Committee votes on the result. We don't have a website for Lucy on file, so open her profile to reach her and ask what classes or private lessons she offers near Dannebrog.

Platte Valley Kennels trains dogs at the owner's home on a 13 acre property near Kearney, with a pond, timber and restored tallgrass prairie. The climate controlled kennel building went up in 2023 and is certified by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. General Obedience is listed on their site at $1,500 for two months, using repetition, reward and light pressure, and a second version adds electronic collar conditioning. One to one owner lessons are listed at $200 each, and Beginner Gundog Training at $750 a month for four months. Boarding is listed at $30 per dog per night. The owner started out in the early 1990s at a parent's large breeding kennel and began training dogs for friends and family in 2015.

Titanium Acres is a stock dog farm in Friend run by Breauna and Jade Blizek, who launched it in March 2024. Breauna found her interest in stock dogs while studying at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. Individual lessons are listed on their site at $50 an hour for dogs of any age from any working breed, covering obedience up to work on sheep or cattle, and your dog works its skills twice per session with breaks in between. The Bronze Program boards outside dogs for stock work and obedience, with suggested minimums of 60 days for sheep and 90 for cattle. Clinics welcome handlers and dogs of every level. The farm also keeps a breeding program with its Border Collies and Australian Shepherds, so ask which program fits a dog you already own.

Wilderness Kennels sits in Roca on the southwest edge of Lincoln and has been family owned since 1968, when Henry Sader III and Judy Sader started it. Henry Sader IV runs it now, and the site says he has trained roughly 5,000 dogs of many breeds. Training covers service work, obedience, gun and bird dogs and guard dogs, and dogs must be at least 7 months old. Boarding dogs get their own indoor and outdoor run, 20 feet long with a doggy door.

WOOF Dog Care Center in Lincoln offers Play & Train, a day training program where a trainer works with your dog one to one in 20 to 30 minute sessions while it's there for the day. It starts with a consultation to set goals and a plan. You aren't present for sessions, but at pickup the trainer shows you the progress, shares video and photos and gives you steps to follow at home. The site mentions positive reinforcement such as praise and treats, and sessions are listed on their site starting at $40 each. WOOF also offers boarding, daycare, grooming and veterinary care.

Meraki Dog Training has served Lincoln since 2016. The business started with home visits, moved into a small garage and opened its current Lincoln training facility in July 2023. Classes focus on puppies and young adult dogs, from beginner through advanced, and refresher classes are offered for dogs that need a tune up. Meraki also builds training plans around each dog and the owner's daily routine. Its approach centers on structure, clear communication and trust, with an eye on real world manners beyond obedience drills.

The Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha runs public dog training classes. Puppy options include Adventure Puppy and Puppy Skills, and adult dogs can take Adult Skills, Loose Leash Walking and Reliable Recall or Out on the Town for public manners. Owly Growly teaches owners of anxious and reactive dogs, and the Fearful Dog Class helps dogs of any age that are scared of everyday things. There's also a Canine Good Citizen class and a Tuesday drop in class from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Private lessons are listed on their site at $58.85 for a half hour at the shelter and $149.80 for an hour in your home.

Dog Gone Problems is David Codr's Omaha training business, and it also has a Los Angeles location. The site says it uses positive reinforcement and force free methods only and avoids punishment based tools. Services include puppy classes, adult dog classes, loose leash walking and in home training, plus behavior training for problems like separation anxiety. The business started as a one person behavior practice and now has more than a dozen trainers and behavior specialists. A low volume daycare club is also listed. You request a quote through the site, since prices aren't posted.

BonaFide Dog Academy has trained dogs in Omaha since 2006. Puppy classes accept puppies from 8 weeks, and general classes run from the basics to problem solving and AKC level work, including S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen classes taught by AKC evaluators. Sports classes cover agility, barn hunt and nosework. Private lessons can happen at your home, at the academy or another spot you choose, and the FAQ lists help with leash reactivity, puppy biting, fear and anxiety. The site says training is reward based and force free, with no prong or shock collars. Trainers hold CPDT-KA certification. The Day Academy daycare adds daily training with one staff member for every six dogs.

Go Dogs Omaha is a nonprofit dog club that teaches with positive reinforcement. Its instructors are club members who compete in dog sports and have titled dogs in AKC, CPE, USDAA, NADAC and ASCA events. Classes include agility, flyball, obedience and rally, nosework, plus introductory and specialty classes. The club keeps classes small, with about four students for each instructor, and uses a large outdoor grass area for agility when the weather allows. The page doesn't mention puppy classes, so ask before you sign up a young puppy. Check the class calendar for costs, since the home page doesn't show them.

Nebraska Dog Trainers runs its Omaha Training Center in La Vista and has a second center in Lincoln. Our database lists Lesley Thompson with the business, along with therapy dog certification. Basic obedience covers sit, down and stay, and advanced obedience adds place, heel and off. The site also lists reactivity and aggression work and everyday manners like leash pulling, counter surfing, jumping up and door darting. Training moves through three phases, starting with positive reinforcement using food, toys and praise, then adding distance and distractions, then practicing in public places. Training packages are sold separately for Omaha and Lincoln, and a free phone consultation is offered.

The Bellevue Dog Obedience Club is a nonprofit group founded in 1973 and licensed by the American Kennel Club. It holds dog training classes at its training facility in Papillion and serves owners from Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion, Plattsmouth and Council Bluffs. The club also sponsors agility, obedience, rally and herding trials around the Omaha area, so members can see those sports up close. The home page doesn't list class types, schedules or prices, so contact the club secretary or fill out the membership application to learn what's running this season.

Omaha Obedience is owned by Chase Lee and based in Waterloo, just west of Omaha near Two Rivers State Park. Chase grew up in the Omaha area and has worked with dogs professionally for over 10 years. The main program is a two week board and train, offered case by case, covering leash walking through more complex behavior problems. Dogs learn sit, down, come, off, no and leave it, practiced on and off leash and in public places. Puppy training is gentle and playful, with a focus on manners and common puppy issues. The site says it uses positive reinforcement and reward based training. A free consultation helps you pick the right option.