Best Dog Trainers in and Near New York, NY

Desirae Cambrelen runs FearLess Behavior from Northern New Jersey and holds the Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist credential from the Animal Behavior Society. Her site also lists an MSc in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare from the University of Edinburgh and the Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer credential. Her focus is separation anxiety and fear, and she has also worked with aggression and arousal problems. Separation anxiety cases get one on one work built on gradual desensitization. She also consults for shelters and vet clinics, and each service starts with a free discovery call.

Paws for Thought Dog Training is Maddie Messina's Manhattan practice, and she holds the Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist credential from the Animal Behavior Society. Trainers Erin and Anna work with her. Training is described as humane and reward based, and each plan accounts for your dog's genetics and temperament. You can book private training for a puppy or an adult dog, with lessons in your home if you live in Manhattan. Virtual sessions and group classes are offered as well. A separation anxiety program sits alongside a resource page for dogs who dread grooming and vet visits.

The Good Dog Foundation trains owner and dog teams to volunteer in hospitals and schools, and our database lists Anamarie Johnson, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. After you apply, a trainer evaluates you and your dog in person. Then you take the Therapy Skills course together, four weekly 90 minute classes with other teams, held in Manhattan and Brooklyn among other spots. Your dog must be at least a year old and already know basic cues like sit and leave it. The course is listed on their site as $280. A shadow visit at a partner facility finishes the certification.

Viviane Arzoumanian runs PumpkinPups Dog Training in Brooklyn and is a member of the Pet Professional Guild. Her credentials on file are the CPDT-KA and the CDBC, along with the CBAT-KSA and L-FDM. The CCPDT grants the CPDT-KA after at least 300 hours of logged training and a 200 question exam. PumpkinPups offers private and group training, plus behavior consulting. Her listed focus includes separation anxiety, and she also works with aggression and reactivity. We couldn't open a working website for PumpkinPups, so this summary comes from our database.

My Two Dogs is Annie Angell's Brooklyn training company, with group classes in Bushwick and Williamsburg. Private training happens in your home or online. Puppy training covers pups from 6 weeks to 6 months old, in a group or one on one. The training is positive and built on real life situations, and the trainers adjust it to each dog and owner. Work runs from basic puppy manners up through behavior problems. Annie holds the CPDT-KA and is an APDT member, and the site shows Fear Free certification.

George Triffon runs Better Buddy Dog Training out of the Bronx and describes himself as a professional dog trainer and behavior specialist. He's an associate member of NADOI, the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors. Sessions are private and held in your home, where the problems happen. His approach puts as much weight on teaching you as on teaching the dog. He explains why your dog acts the way it does, then helps you set clear and consistent expectations. He takes on serious behavior problems along with the everyday habits that wear you down.

James Dascoli is listed in our database as a NADOI associate member in Millburn, and his website points to Canine Dimensions. The company says it has trained dogs in clients' homes since 1997 and describes its methods as humane and natural, with no clickers or shock collars. Services cover puppy and adult dog training along with fear and aggression work, and board and train is offered too. Listed problems include housebreaking and leash pulling, plus dogs who dart out open doors. The site offers a free phone consultation but doesn't name individual trainers, so ask who would work with your dog.

Lynne Petermann runs The Pooky Professor Dog Training, which has served North Jersey towns from Ringwood to Clifton since 2003. Her group classes meet at Valley Animal Hospital in Clifton on Saturday mornings. Puppy Kindergarten is listed on their site as $200 for six weeks, with an optional AKC STAR Puppy test, and the next session starts in January 2027. The AKC Canine Good Citizen class is listed at $160 for five weeks plus a $10 test fee. Therapy Dog Prep School takes dogs a year and older with a current rabies shot, and a new session began on October 24, 2026. Lynne is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and private lessons appear on the site without details. Our database lists her as a NADOI associate member.

Susan Cullinan, who goes by Suze on her site, owns the New Jersey and Pennsylvania team of Instinct Dog Behavior and Training. Our database lists her practice as Madra Sona Dog Behavior in Maywood. She holds the KPA-CTP from Karen Pryor Academy and the CDBC from the IAABC. Options include private coaching and Camp + Coaching, a board and train stay paired with lessons for you, plus a puppy version of the camp. Separation anxiety support is offered, along with low stress boarding for dogs with behavior needs. The team covers 12 New Jersey counties, including Bergen and Hudson, plus Rockland County in New York.

Aimee Hlushewsky runs A.H. Dog Training from Waldwick and covers all of Bergen County. She graduated from Animal Behavior College and is a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and she previously worked as a senior trainer and mentor at the Hackensack Petco. Training uses positive reinforcement, and lessons run about 60 minutes at your home or wherever the problem shows up. She works on reactivity and possession aggression along with jumping and pulling. Packages are listed on their site from $640 for four sessions up to $1,200 for eight, and a six session Puppy Essentials package is listed at $930. She also runs the Waldwick Volunteer Goose Patrol for dogs with a strong recall.

Robert Machi has run this Bark Busters office since August 2004, covering Staten Island and Brooklyn along with Breezy Point and Rockaway Park. Every lesson is one on one in your home, and Robert also takes you outside to practice around real distractions in your neighborhood. He says he trains the owner more than the dog, using body language and tone of voice. His issue list runs from barking and leash pulling to aggression and separation anxiety. The Bark Busters Life of Dog Support Guarantee means you can call him for help later at no extra cost. He won the 2006 Bark Busters Founders Award.

Keith Axsom trains for Bark Busters in Central Jersey, with a service map that includes Edison and Westfield along with dozens of other towns. He works in your home, where your dog's habits play out. Puppy training and obedience are both covered, and so are problems like reactivity and leash pulling. The page describes a pack leadership approach that relies on voice tone and body language instead of treats. Separation anxiety is on his list too. Keith says he has trained more than 3,000 dogs over the past 12 years, and follow up support comes at no added cost.

Stephen Borgfield covers Essex and Morris counties for Bark Busters, from Montclair and West Orange out to Morristown and Parsippany. He joined Bark Busters in 2003 and draws on horse trainers such as Buck Brannaman and Pat Parelli in how he teaches. Training starts in your home and then moves out to your street. His issue list covers separation anxiety and even getting your dog ready for a new baby. The site says the method avoids bribes and punishment and leans on calm leadership and timing. If problems come back years later, Stephen stays a phone call away at no added cost.

This Bark Busters office in Long Island City serves New York City, with trainers Sarah Bainbridge and Steve Colavito. Training happens in your home and covers puppy basics plus behavior issues like chewing and leash pulling. The page says no shock or prong collars are ever used, and the method relies on respect and leadership without bribes or extra treats. Aggression and separation anxiety are on the list too. The office also lists Stand Rite No Bite, a dog safety program. Their lifetime support guarantee means you can call for help later without paying again.

Josh Gent is the Bark Busters trainer for North Brooklyn and Queens, and his map stretches from Astoria and Park Slope into Nassau County towns like Great Neck. Lessons start at your home, then later sessions move into your neighborhood so your dog practices around everyday distractions. The method uses body language and voice control without bribes or punishment. He takes on puppy training and basic obedience, plus problems ranging from resource guarding to separation anxiety. Josh made dog training his full time career after a friend introduced him to Bark Busters.

Greg Kleva runs Bark Busters for Northern New Jersey, covering towns from Hoboken up to Ridgewood and Mahwah. He's a certified Master Trainer and a professional member of the IACP and the APDT, and he has worked with pet owners since 2003. The first visit in your home runs two to three hours, with follow up visits as needed, and sessions can move to dog parks and busy walks. His page says he doesn't use electronic collars or other harsh tools, including for aggression cases. His aggression work covers dogs who guard food and dogs who go after people or other dogs. Puppy training and separation anxiety are on his list too.

First Dog Training Club of Northern NJ is a nonprofit in Westwood founded in 1935, and it has been an AKC member club since 1947. Classes run year round, day and evening, in a matted building with heat and air conditioning. All breeds and mixes are welcome. Basic training is the starting point. From there you can move into competition obedience and rally, or try conformation show handling and K9 Nose Work. The club hosts AKC Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog tests along with therapy dog tests. The instructors train and show their own dogs.

Instinct Dog Behavior and Training runs its New York City location in East Harlem, staffed by certified trainers and behavior consultants. The company says it welcomes dogs dealing with fear and reactivity, and it calls its approach practical and positive. The East Harlem page lists Private Coaching for one on one lessons. Camp + Coaching is a board and train stay paired with private sessions for you. Boarding for Behavioral Health gives dogs with behavior needs a low stress place to stay. Online, Instinct offers a free Leash Reactive Dog course. You can start with a free discovery call.

K-9 Obedience Training Club of Essex County is a nonprofit in Cedar Grove, founded in 1944 by Hal Wheeler. Classes meet on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and take dogs of all ages and breeds. Beginner class suits dogs with little or no training, and Advanced Beginner follows it. Finishing both makes your dog eligible to test for the AKC Canine Good Citizen title. Competition obedience and rally classes run at every level for owners who want to show. The instructors compete in obedience and agility, and others work in herding and nosework.

Kathy Santo Dog Training is a training and daycare center in Waldwick, and Kathy lists more than 30 years of experience. She competes in AKC obedience and holds the IACP CDT and CDTA among her credentials. Group obedience classes run seven days a week from puppy level to advanced, and you can join at any time. Reactive dogs get their own sessions. Private lessons and virtual private training are offered, and overnight Academy programs work as board and train. The Service Dog Academy takes applications for mobility and psychiatric service dogs, and there's a therapy dog program too.

Shelby Semel Dog Training is a New York City team built on positive reinforcement, with Shelby as founder and senior trainer. The staff page lists more than a dozen trainers, including senior behavior consultants Corinne Fritzell and Daniel Neale. Group classes cover puppies and dogs of all ages. Our database adds puppy kindergarten and shy dog classes, plus a city skills class. Private lessons happen in person or virtually. SSDT On Call gives you support between sessions for urgent questions. Service dog training appears on the site without details, so ask about it on your first call.

St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center has run dog training on its Madison campus since 1983, and class fees support its work with homeless pets. Training is positive and reward based. Puppy Kindergarten and beginner classes start dogs off, while sports classes include rally and agility. Feisty Fidos classes are built for dogs who bark at or react to other dogs. You can also book private sessions or drop your dog off for day training on a specific behavior. Short virtual courses help owners with little free time.