Best Dog Trainers in New Jersey

Off Leash K9 Training Northern New Jersey works from a facility in Ringwood, and the owner's bio says she has trained dogs since 2012 under mentor John Soares. Board and train is the main offer, with three week stays followed by follow up sessions. The team also teaches obedience and behavior modification, along with service dog classes and therapy dog evaluation and training. The site says an electronic collar is part of the training. Listed credentials include AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and therapy dog evaluator with Therapy Pets Unlimited.

John Soares K9 Training is based in Ringwood and takes clients from across North Jersey, with Passaic, Bergen, Morris and Essex counties named on the site. Most programs are board and train. Basic and off leash obedience stays include four follow up sessions, and basic obedience suits dogs as young as 5 months. Behavior modification covers aggression, biting, reactivity and toy possession. Sport handlers can book Schutzhund or AKC obedience work. The site describes a foundation of fairness and balance, and prices come only after an in person evaluation.

Fran Hellman runs Four Paws Guidance Dog Training out of Mahwah and teaches in your home across northern Bergen County and into Rockland County, New York. Programs run from puppy training and basic manners up to therapy dog work and show handling, with Canine Good Citizen prep too. Fran trains with positive reinforcement built around reward markers, and she has written a book on marker training. Her site says she has 30 years of experience, and our records list her CPDT-KA credential.

Ramapo Kennel Club holds instructor led classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at a VFW post in Butler, and the site links a Puppy Graduation program. The home page doesn't describe each class, but the club says its instructors actively show and train their own dogs in obedience and rally, and some make therapy dog visits. Ramapo also runs FastCAT and an all breed show, along with indoor obedience and rally trials in October. Fees and directions sit on a separate page of the club's site, so check there before you register.

Metro K9 Academy breeds and trains working line German Shepherds and Dobermans in Bernardsville, and owner Robert Gierla's site says the business has more than 35 years behind it. You can book one on one sessions or semi private classes that meet three days a week. In board and train your dog works with staff daily before they coach you through the handoff. Sport and protection work covers IGP, PSA and AKC sports plus family protection. Scent work, tracking, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen prep are offered too.

Behavior Plus Dog Training has locations in River Edge and Caldwell. Each client starts with an evaluation and a customized plan, then works through private or group coaching. In home training uses your real routines, and group classes build focus around distractions such as other dogs. Puppies in their first six months have their own program. A day board and train option lets you drop your dog off for structured daily work. Behavior plans cover aggression, fear, reactivity and anxiety, and the site says no dog is ever turned away.

Sandi Ver Sprill founded Golden Rule School for Dogs in Andover in 2000 and still runs it as head trainer. She has trained dogs for 35 years and has competed in agility, competitive obedience, rally obedience and scent work. The school teaches obedience, indoor agility, rally obedience and nose work, and dogs can start as puppies. Classes stay small so each handler gets attention. Golden Rule says no single method fits every dog, so Sandi adjusts the plan to each one.

Ken MacLeod owns My Positive Pup in Hoboken and is its lead trainer. Sessions can happen in the studio, outdoors, in your home or by video, and family dog mediation is offered too. Training is all positive, and the site rules out electronic and prong collars along with leash pops. Ken is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner and holds Fear Free certification. Trainer Lauren Reilly is a CATCH Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist. Rates are given by phone.

Kim Seiter Dog Agility teaches agility in Oak Ridge. Beginner and advanced beginner classes need no experience, and a Saturday beginner session starting November 7 still had openings when we checked. Dogs first learn tricks that build body awareness, then move to the equipment, with toys and food as rewards. The site also lists NACSW style K9 Nose Work, AKC Scent Work, private lessons and online agility classes. Group classes are for dogs that are friendly with people and other dogs, and enrollment is by email.

Joana Watsky has worked as a dog trainer and behavior counselor in North Jersey since 1993. Sit and Stay Dog Training and Behavioral Counseling holds group classes in Hoboken and Nutley, and Joana visits homes in six North Jersey counties, from Bergen to Morris. Services run from Puppy Kindergarten and obedience to CGC training, therapy dog training and online courses. Her methods are positive and force free, and she's a Canine Good Citizen evaluator. Her site also offers behavior help and has an article on training fearful dogs.

Lisa Pattison teaches at Canine Partnership on a farm in Readington, in Hunterdon County. Nose work is the most popular class there, and the schedule also lists Trick Dog and Parkour. Group classes cap at four dogs, and private lessons run in person or live online. Lisa trains with positive motivation, including clicker training, and other force free methods. Our records list her as a Certified Nosework Instructor and a KPA Certified Training Partner, and she's an ASCA tracking judge as well.

Princeton Dog Training Club serves the greater Princeton area from an obedience building in North Brunswick and an agility site in East Amwell Township. Agility runs from Agility Exploration up to competition classes. Obedience starts with Companion Dog classes and moves into rally and competition work. The club teaches nose work and show handling too, and it hosted rally workshops on November 7, 2026. The site doesn't describe a puppy class or its training methods, so ask about both before you register.

The Dog Wizard Princeton serves Princeton plus towns such as Bridgewater and East Windsor. Head trainer Breanna Wellheuser leads a team that teaches private lessons, group classes and puppy training, plus Dog Day Training and board and train. The site describes balanced training with food and collars, including remote collars, and you choose the tool you're comfortable with. Problems listed range from leash pulling to resource guarding and separation anxiety. Training programs are listed on their site as starting at $250, and the evaluation is free.

Terri Kerr founded Up Front Dog Center in Allentown and is its primary trainer. Pet obedience classes work on reliable recalls on and off leash and on loose leash walking. Competition obedience and rally classes prepare dogs for AKC trials, which the center also hosts. Tracking, tricks, Canine Good Citizen and private lessons fill out the schedule, and the center offers in home behavior modification too. The indoor building is heated and air conditioned with rubber floored rings, and there's a heated hydrotherapy pool. Instructors title their own dogs in the sports they teach, and the site stresses positive training.

This Millstone Township school runs a campus that focuses on behavior rehab for families, with help for reactive and aggressive dogs. You can start with a free 15 minute call to talk through your dog's behavior and triggers and go over a personalized plan. From there, single sessions are 45 minute one on one lessons aimed at your main priority. The Lifetime Training Package is a one time payment that covers behavior challenges for your dog's life, with as many sessions as you need. Group classes appear on the site too, and a separate track offers career courses for pet pros.

Nicholas Pagano runs the Bark Busters franchise for Ocean and Monmouth counties, and the site says he has trained dogs for 22 years. Training happens one on one in your home, with no group classes and no sending your dog away. He works on behavior problems such as barking, leash pulling and separation anxiety, plus puppy training, and the site lists the Stand Rite No Bite dog safety program. Bark Busters calls its methods natural and nonphysical. Under the Life of Dog Support Guarantee he stays a call away at no added cost, and his town list includes Keansburg and Lakehurst.

Off Leash K9 Training of Jersey Shore trains dogs at its Bayville facility, and Jennifer Cattonar leads the trainers. The service area covers Ocean and Monmouth counties. Private obedience comes in packages of four to eight lessons for dogs 20 weeks and older, and each package includes an electronic collar. Board and train stays run 7 or 14 days, take no more than three dogs per trainer and come with a year of free refreshers. Puppies from 8 to 20 weeks have their own track, and six lesson packages cover reactive dogs and therapy dog development.

Sit Means Sit Ocean County is based in Toms River and lists towns from Long Branch down to Manahawkin. Owner and head trainer Ray Medina has more than 20 years of dog training experience, and director of operations Mary Ann Hartos competes in Iron Dog and Barn Hunt. Programs include immersive one on one training, board and train, Day Train and in home training, and Puppy Management covers young pups. Behavior work covers aggression, fear, reactivity and off leash control. Evaluations are free, and the site mentions financing.

Sam Wike runs The Inner Dog, which our records place in Long Branch, and focuses on moderate to severe behavior problems. Fearful and aggressive dogs are the specialty, including reactive dogs that bark or lunge at visitors or at other dogs on walks. Sam holds the CPDT-KA and VSPDT credentials and is a Pet Professional Guild member. The plan follows four steps, from building trust and teaching skills to changing behavior. The site explains that a dog barking at a mail carrier is doing what it sees as its job, which is warning you about an intruder.

Tomi teaches at Paws N Learn Academy, which our records place in Eatontown, with private sessions at the studio or at home. Adult group classes include Basics & Beyond, Rocket Recall, Leash Skills 101 and Reactive Rover, and puppies get a six week class on house training and socialization. Puppy play and train days run twice a week for pups up to six months. Tomi earned the CTC from Jean Donaldson's Academy for Dog Trainers and holds a Diploma in Animal Behavior. The academy commits to force free, fear free training.

Dan Gentile Dog Training Center sits on 12 acres in Howell Township and says it has trained dogs in Monmouth County for more than 40 years. The business is veteran owned and draws owners from four counties and from out of state. Programs include boot camp, obedience, puppy training and behavior modification, plus a Train While Boarding program and service dog training. A vet is on call around the clock. You get owner instruction at pickup and free lifetime consultations. The site says prices vary, so call for a quote.

Bayshore Companion Dog Club is an AKC member club with its training building in Tinton Falls. Pet classes are the usual starting point, and the club also teaches competition obedience, rally, agility, scent work and show handling. Therapy dog classes and seminars are on the registration list too. That range lets you stay with one club if a pet class turns into an interest in a dog sport. Training methods and prices aren't on the site, so make those your first questions when you contact the club.

American Canine Coach has its main office in Margate City and a separate page for Cherry Hill clients. In board and train your dog lives and trains with the team while you get guidance for home. Day training sends your dog home each night, with owner guidance after every session. Puppy Boot Camp covers house manners and crate routines. Behavior modification takes on reactivity, aggression, anxiety and resource guarding. The site calls its approach balanced and shows an IACP professional membership.

Paul Pagano is the in home trainer for Bark Busters South Jersey, and the site says he has helped local families for nearly 20 years. He lists 92 towns, from Cherry Hill out to Cape May and Vineland. Each lesson is one on one at your house and centers on communication and leadership, then moves outdoors to your neighborhood. Paul works on aggression, barking, leash pulling and separation anxiety, plus puppy training. The site says he trains without relying on treats or shock collars and uses no physical force, and his support guarantee covers later help for your dog's lifetime.

Martha Windisch, CPDT-KA, runs Personalized Dog Training in South Jersey, and our records place her in Chatsworth and list her as a NADOI Certified Instructor. Her private training helps change problem behavior with what the site calls dog friendly, family friendly methods. She also teaches dog games such as nose work, agility, Frisbee and freestyle dancing. Schools and scout troops can book her programs on dog safety. She brings dog demonstrations to South Jersey fairs and doesn't charge for those inside her training area.

Alpha & Omega Working Dogs is a family owned business in Moorestown that says it started about a decade ago. Group classes meet several times a week and include Pawsitive Puppy Preschool and Reactive Rehab. Board and train covers basic obedience, and advanced obedience moves to off leash work. AKC classes cover S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog and Fit Dog. The team also trains therapy dogs and service dogs for people with PTSD. Behavior modification mixes positive reinforcement with correction based methods.

Academy of Canine Excellence is based in Mount Laurel. In home training is private, built around your dog's habits and sold by the hour. The Basic Obedience Board & Train lasts two weeks and covers house breaking and basic commands, along with socialization. A 30 day Advanced Obedience Board & Train works on off leash obedience around distractions in the kinds of places you take your dog. The Group Leash Walking Class meets at a public park, and the location rotates to cover a wide area. The site lists no credentials or prices, so raise both when you call.

Renee Premaza, The Jersey Dog Trainer, lives in Williamstown and teaches private lessons in your home across South Jersey, in towns such as Glassboro and Hammonton. She works on basic obedience for puppies and adult dogs, and on problems such as mild to moderate aggression, fearfulness, separation distress and leash reactivity. Housetraining help is on her list too. Renee describes herself as a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and a Fear Free trainer, and her site says she has been a certified dog trainer in New Jersey for 24 years.

Bruce runs Dog Training by Bruce in Cherry Hill and prefers to train in your home, since that's where most problems happen, though he'll meet elsewhere if that works better. Puppy training covers housebreaking, chewing, crate training and leash walking, and obedience goes up to advanced walking. Bruce trains with food and praise, and he won't use shock or prong collars or choke chains. Family members can join sessions, and every owner works with him as a team. Payment plans are available, with discounts for veterans and first responders.