Best Dog Trainers in North Carolina

Cornerstone K9 is based in Raleigh and lists towns across the Triangle, from Wake Forest to Holly Springs, plus Fayetteville. Private lessons cover on and off leash obedience. There are separate puppy and adult board and train programs, and the site also lists behavior modification, reactivity training and sport dog training. It describes its methods as gentle positive reinforcement for dogs of any age or breed. Phone consultations are free. No trainer certifications are listed, so ask who will handle your dog.

Christie Fernandez runs Training Your Best Friend in Raleigh and serves Wake Forest too. Her site says she has more than 40 years of experience and uses only positive reinforcement, with no punishment based methods. Group classes include Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Obedience, Public Manners and a seven week Reliable Recall course. Her Reactive Rover and Fearful Fido classes are built for dogs who struggle around triggers. She also teaches privately in your home or by video, and her behavior consultations cover separation anxiety and aggression.

RP K9 Academy in Raleigh, formerly Pawfect K9 Services, is led by founder B'Angelo White, whom the site calls a certified trainer. Its main program is a four week board and train in a home style setting, with follow up private sessions. Puppies can start as young as eight weeks. Group classes are for graduates only. It also trains a few service dogs a year and runs protection dog programs. The site calls its method balanced and names prong collars and electronic collars among its tools.

Whole Dog Institute is owned by Liz Turpin and Beth Grooms, and their training facility is in Durham. The site says both hold the CPDT-KA credential and are Pat Miller Certified Trainers, and our records list Liz as a Pet Professional Guild member. They teach private lessons in your home or at the facility, plus group classes that include obedience and nose work. The site menu also lists board and train, so ask what that program covers and how long it runs.

All Dogs Durham is a training and daycare center in Durham that describes its training as reward based and science backed. Group classes are split by age, from puppy classes to teen and adult classes, with a separate set of classes just for fun. Day training is offered, including a program for cautious dogs, and private training is available too. The center also hosts puppy socials. Its site doesn't list trainer credentials or prices, so ask who teaches each class you want.

Always Pawsitive Dog Training in Durham teaches private lessons in your home, and the site calls its methods science based and force free. Programs come in set sizes. For puppies, Simple Start is three lessons and Puppy 101 is five. For older dogs, Well Mannered Dog is three lessons and Amazing Dog is five, while The Dream Dog runs eight lessons with lifetime support. Listed problems include reactivity and leash pulling. The site says a certified trainer is on hand but doesn't name the credential.

Best By Farr Dog Training introduces Chris Farr on its site and lists an address in Durham, with a service area of Raleigh, Wake Forest, Youngsville and Creedmoor. It offers puppy programs and obedience board and train, along with behavior modification and private lessons. The site says it uses humane, internationally approved methods without naming them, and you can set your own training schedule. It calls its trainers award winning but lists no certification, so ask about methods and tools on the first call.

Durham Kennel Club is a member club of the American Kennel Club, founded in 1928. Its site says classes are open to members and to the general public. The club lists obedience, rally and scent work classes, and it also teaches agility, conformation and tracking, along with classes for the family dog. Members hold obedience and rally trials and volunteer with pet therapy visits. Class schedules and prices aren't on the home page, so ask the club when the next session starts.

Jackie's Basics and Beyond teaches at a facility in Cary. It runs three levels of puppy classes, plus obedience, agility and behavior modification classes. AKC classes cover tricks, rally and competition obedience, with AKC testing offered. Therapy dog classes are on the schedule, and service dog classes prepare dogs for what the site calls NC Service Dog Certification. Private sessions are offered too. The site describes a balanced approach focused on reward based reinforcement and names reactivity and anxiety among the problems it helps with.

All Star Dog Training's site describes thousands of square feet of air conditioned space at locations that include Apex. Its board and train runs one to three weeks, with follow up lessons after pickup. Day training works on a morning drop off and evening pickup. Private lessons and puppy training, including AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, are offered, and group classes are for dogs with prior training. Therapy dog training is listed too. The site covers aggression and off leash work, and it serves towns from Raleigh to Holly Springs.

Gene Lonsway, who goes by Mister Obedience, runs New Hope Dog Training Center near Chapel Hill and serves the wider Triangle. His site gives his start as 1985 in one place and 1987 in another, and it lists him as the official dog trainer for the Durham Bulls. The main service is a board and train program the site describes as guaranteed. He focuses on family pets and homes with more than one dog, and his bio calls him a Certified Professional Obedience Trainer.

Brian Ezzell Dog Training is based in Carrboro and serves Chapel Hill, Durham and other Triangle towns. Brian reports more than 25 years of work with dogs and people and is a Pet Professional Guild member. New clients start with a one hour phone or video consultation, listed on their site as $120. In person sessions follow when seeing the dog would help, currently on Mondays and Tuesdays. His work centers on anxious and reactive dogs, and he also works with puppies.

Sit Means Sit Greensboro is owned by head trainer Alyssa Smith, an AKC Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluator who joined the franchise in 2016. It serves Guilford and Forsyth counties, including High Point. Programs include a five to ten day board and train, a day and train option and private lessons. A six week AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class takes puppies from 10 weeks to 11 months. Group classes are for dogs who finished private lessons. The program uses a remote electronic collar.

Piedmont Canine Training is led by Abigail Stephens, an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and serves Winston-Salem and parts of Forsyth and Davie counties. Private lessons are listed on their site as $100 each, or $380 for four. Board and train runs from a two week puppy program at $1,995 to a five week program at $4,995. Small group sessions and CGC testing are offered too. The site calls its approach balanced, starting puppies with positive reinforcement, and lists reactivity and resource guarding among the problems it takes on.

Winston-Salem Dog Training Club teaches group classes to the general public for all breeds, from dogs about five months old to seniors. Volunteer instructors teach at the club building in Winston-Salem. The winter session starts the week of January 4, 2027, and registration runs from December 7 to December 16. The club is an AKC member and holds rally, obedience and scent work trials, along with tracking tests and agility events. Prices aren't on the home page, so ask when you register.

Dog Gone Fun in Kernersville runs puppy classes, which its site files under positive reinforcement, along with classes for adolescent and adult dogs. A step up called Above and Beyond the Basics leads into agility and tricks. Nose work is a big part of the schedule, with K9 Nose Work classes and NACSW trials in Asheboro and Stokesdale in 2026. The business also offers daycare and boarding. Its site doesn't name staff or list class prices, so ask when you call.

Cape Fear Dog Training Club in Fayetteville was founded in 1952 and says it is the oldest dog training club in North Carolina. It's a nonprofit licensed by the American Kennel Club, and it teaches obedience classes to the general public. Classes run from Beginner and Canine Good Citizen to Rally Novice and Rally Intermediate, then competition obedience up to the Utility level. Members also give demonstrations at schools. Session dates are on the club's schedule page, and prices aren't posted on the home page.

Azalea Dog Training Club is a not for profit group near downtown Wilmington that focuses on obedience and agility, including rally obedience. Students take one class a week for five weeks, listed on their site as $165 for the session. Session 7 of 2026 runs from late October into early December, with a break for Thanksgiving week. The site says every instructor holds an AKC title in the discipline they teach and competes at trials. Class descriptions sit on a separate page.

Canines for Service is a Wilmington nonprofit that has placed service dogs with veterans since 1996, and it's accredited by Assistance Dogs International. Each dog is trained for one veteran with a service connected disability, and the site names PTSD and mobility limits among the needs it covers. Dogs go to veterans at no cost, and the site says each one costs $50,000 or more, paid by donations. It reports 134 dogs placed. It doesn't run pet obedience classes, but it does take volunteer puppy raisers.

Lainie Johnston runs Pawsitive Pup Training in Wilmington and lists herself as a CATCH Certified Dog Trainer. She's also a licensed Family Paws Parent Education educator, so she helps families who are expecting a baby or have young kids at home. Training is reward based and happens in your home. Services run from puppy socialization and manners to help with aggression and fear, plus coaching for owners. Our records list her as a Pet Professional Guild member. Prices aren't posted on her site.

Off Leash K9 Training of Wilmington covers three counties around Wilmington, from Wrightsville Beach to Southport and Surf City. Prices are listed on their site, with board and train from $1,600 and private obedience lessons from $375. In home training starts at $1,000, and an eight lesson aggressive dog program is $1,000. Therapy dog development and AKC Canine Good Citizen prep are offered too. An electronic collar comes with board and train. Lead trainer Jan Metzger lists more than 40 years with German Shepherds.

Gail Hubbard founded WNC K9 in Asheville and says she has coached people and trained dogs since 1997. The program leans on dog sports and conditioning games. Group K9 Manners classes come in levels, and private coaching and puppy privates sit alongside the Mission Puppy Program. Dog sports here include urban herding and treibball, and scent work is on the schedule too. Gail says she wants to raise awareness of reactivity and aggression. The site doesn't post prices or list certifications, so ask about both.

Ruff Life Dog Training Services has operated in Asheville since 2018 under founder and trainer Tessa Sternbach. You can choose private sessions at home or at the school, group classes, drop off training or board and train, and the site also lists the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. Lessons cover leash walking and recall, and the site says it takes on aggression and anxiety cases. The team supports rescue dogs through the New Leash on Life program at a women's correctional center.

Lucky Dog Training Asheville is led by a trainer the site calls Dr. K, who holds a PhD and applies evolutionary biology to dog training. The method, called Hold, Handle and Pet, uses petting and praise as rewards instead of treats. Board and train happens in a home with no kennel runs, and you get training videos afterward. Puppy training for ages two to six months is offered, along with private and group sessions, online training and service dog training. The first phone consultation is free.

Karen Comstock, known as Aunt Karen, now runs Dog Behavior WNC from Hendersonville and serves towns such as Brevard and Flat Rock. Her earlier site lists her as CBCC-KA and CPDT-KA, which matches our records. She separates behavior counseling for anxious or fearful dogs from training for happy but mischievous dogs. Her methods are reward based and force free, with no electronic collars or choke chains, and she uses applied behavior analysis in counseling. Her site notes that Spanish is spoken, and consultations are free.

Catawba Valley Obedience Club in Hickory is a nonprofit founded in 1981, and all of its instructors are volunteers. Public classes meet weekly on Thursday evenings. The lineup includes basic obedience, AKC Canine Good Citizen prep and testing, the AKC Community Canine class and test, and a tricks class with an AKC title test. A therapy dog skills class is offered too. The club calls its training positive and supportive, and annual membership adds off site training and title chances. The club's site doesn't list prices.

Theresa Pitner runs Understanding Your Dog in Salisbury, where her site says she has worked with dogs since 2000. She lists ABCDT and CPDT-KA credentials and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen certification. Training options include private sessions, Fast Track Training and group classes, plus a Doggo Drop Off School for day training. The center also offers grooming and trick training workshops. The site says the goal is training that makes sense to people and helps owners understand how their dog learns.

Winnabow K9 Board and Train is based in New Bern and trains dogs in a home setting rather than a kennel, with a limited number of dogs at a time. The trainer, Lora, named it after Winnabow, where she started it. Programs run from puppy basics to reactivity and aggression work. You get photo and video updates during training and owner lessons at the end. Private sessions aren't offered right now. The service area runs from Greenville and Kinston to Wilmington and Raleigh.

Off Leash K9 Training of Jacksonville serves Onslow County, including Camp Lejeune and Swansboro. Its site mentions help for military families whose dogs are adjusting to new noises or smaller yards. Prices are listed on their site, with board and train from $1,600, private obedience lessons from $650 and puppy training from $100. Therapy dog prep is $950, and an aggressive dog program is $1,000. An electronic collar comes with board and train. Head trainer Bradley McKee was raised working with German Shepherds.

Bergland K9 Training in Lexington is run by Karen, an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator whose site also shows an AKC S.T.A.R. instructor logo. She went full time in May 2025. The Puppy Boarding School has puppies live and train in her home, and the Brigadoon Kennel Program is a kennel style board and train for dogs over eight months. A puppy manners class, private sessions and CGC testing are also listed. Methods aren't described on the site, so ask on the first call.