Best Dog Trainers in and Near Pittsburgh, PA

Two Dads Dog Training is based in Allison Park, north of the city. Its site describes positive training and lists group puppy and dog manners classes plus scentwork, where dogs learn to find odors. For behavior problems that don't fit a group class, they give one on one help.

The site also offers a free dog reactivity quiz and a rehoming guide, useful if you're not sure what your dog needs. It doesn't explain specific methods or post prices. On the first call, ask which classes are running this season and how big the groups are. If you need behavior help, ask where those sessions take place.

Xcel Canine Training Center in Bethel Park calls itself Pittsburgh's newest canine performance training center. Its site lists agility and obedience along with rally, and our directory adds scent work and conformation classes. Class levels run from puppy obedience and basic obedience up to a beginner novice class that prepares dogs for the Canine Good Citizen and therapy dog tests.

The center holds CGC and Therapy Dogs International testing, and it rents out its training space. The class dates posted on its site are from 2015, so that schedule is out of date. Call to ask what's running now and what it costs, since no prices are listed.

Paw & Order Pittsburgh Pack is the Pittsburgh area location of Paw & Order, a dog training company, and our listing places it in Bulger, west of the city. Our directory shows a stay and train program, where your dog lives with the trainer for a set time, along with in home training. Puppy programs and group classes are listed too, plus Canine Good Citizen prep and testing.

The company site says programs are built around each dog and start with learning your dog's traits, and that offerings vary by location. The local page wouldn't load for us, so ask on the first call which tools they use and how long a stay and train lasts.

Westmoreland County Obedience Training Club is a nonprofit club in Delmont that has offered reasonably priced obedience classes to the public since 1983. The club teaches you to train your own dog, for fun or for competition. Its classes now include agility and rally as well as conformation.

The club holds AKC licensed obedience and agility trials. Members give demonstrations and do pet therapy work, and the club hosts an open house each year for the public. Several events on its website date from 2015, so check the club's Facebook page or call for the current class list and prices.

Susan Bac runs Bac Training Academy and is listed with us as a NADOI Certified Instructor. NADOI's certified level asks for at least five years as a full charge instructor and work with at least 100 dog and handler teams, plus an exam.

Her classes run monthly for dogs 16 weeks and older, and the first night is an orientation without dogs. Beginner Novice covers basic manners for new owners. Advanced Novice and Open/Utility lead toward the obedience show ring. A six week CGC and therapy dog course ends with a test so teams can visit places like hospitals and nursing homes.

There's also a behavior class that helps you understand why your dog acts the way it does. Nose work meets at the Western PA Search & Rescue Center. She offers private lessons and behavioral counseling, and weekly online classes work if you'd rather train at home. Beginner agility uses equipment booked through Sniffspot. No prices are posted.

Always Faithful Dog Training of Pittsburgh is the local location of a national franchise. Our directory lists obedience training from beginner to pro levels and behavior modification. It also lists board and train, along with therapy dog and service dog training.

The company site says its method uses no treats or shock collars, and that every Always Faithful trainer is certified through AFDT and the IDTA. It also says therapy and service dog work, along with aggression cases, depend on the location, so confirm those are offered in Pittsburgh before you book. No local prices or trainer names are posted. Ask who will train your dog and which tools the lessons use.

Canine Dimensions Pittsburgh, PA Region is run by Bruce Esterman, a Certified Dog Behavior Advisor (CDBA). He graduated from the Canine Dimensions trainer certification program and did internships at busy animal shelters in the Northeast. He's also a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals.

Most training happens in your home. Programs include the in home Puppy GoodStart program and in home obedience and behavior modification, plus board and train. Fear and aggression is listed as its own service, so this listing is worth a call if your dog is fearful or aggressive. The site doesn't describe methods or post prices, but it offers a free phone consultation.

H-D Interactions is a family owned and operated dog training company in Pittsburgh that puts a lot of weight on training the human. The site talks about modern training techniques that set up clear communication between you and your dog.

Its board and train is called the Behavior Immersion Program. Private programs are split by problem. Reactive dogs and fearful or anxious dogs each get their own program, and so do off leash recall and loose leash walking. Advanced Obedience is there for dogs past the basics, and Wild and Crazy is for dogs with chewing and jumping habits. Puppy training is offered as well, and you can start with a phone or video consultation. The site doesn't list tools or prices, so ask about both first.

Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh runs public group classes at its North Side and East Side campuses. The site says its classes use positive, reward based training methods, and class sizes are kept small.

Puppy Kindergarten takes puppies from 8 weeks and includes off leash play with other puppies, and Adult Basic Manners starts at 7 months. From there, Intermediate Manners turns loose leash walking into heeling and builds polite greetings with strangers. Advanced levels include Super Dog and Canine Good Citizen Prep, and Therapy Dog Prep gets dogs ready for the TDI test. There are Bully Breed Manners classes too.

Classes are listed on their site as $160, and you'll need proof of vaccines at the first class. Canceling takes at least 7 days' notice.

Merry Puppins School for Dogs teaches from a schoolhouse in Pittsburgh's East End. The site says its Spoonful of Sugar Method uses only positive reinforcement. Instructors are trained in dog body language and learning theory.

Group classes run six weeks for puppies and adult dogs and cover basic cues for everyday life. Private lessons focus on problem solving and can happen at your home or at the schoolhouse. Day school and consultations are listed too, and the school teaches Pet Tech first aid and CPR classes for owners. Credentials shown on the site include Fear Free Certified Professional and Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer. No prices are posted.

Mo Cambron works in Pittsburgh under the names Keeta's Pet Salon and Success Just Clicks Dog Training. Our listing shows Mo as a Pet Professional Guild member with Fear Free Shelter certification, and the listing covers cats as well as dogs. AVSAB's 2021 position statement names the Pet Professional Guild among the groups it points to when looking for a trainer.

We don't have a website on file, so we can't describe class types or prices here. Ask on the first call whether training is private or in a class, and where sessions take place. If you have a cat that needs help too, this is the only listing in this guide that includes cats.

Pivotal Dog Training is run by owner and head trainer Kara Hoffman, a certified trainer and AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. Most work is private training at your home and around your neighborhood, in towns from Sewickley and Wexford to Monroeville and Washington.

Puppy training covers potty and crate training plus biting and leash basics. Behavior work starts with an assessment and takes on problems like reactivity and resource guarding, and separation anxiety has its own program. For stay and train, dogs live in Kara's home for 2 to 4 weeks, one or two at a time. Service dog training is listed too.

If you'd like a class, Pivotal teaches new puppy classes at Pet Supplies Plus in Bethel Park and hosts free Sunday puppy socialization hours. The site describes its training as reward based.

Underdog Universe was founded by Zack Cossick and calls itself a family business. Zack is an AKC CGC evaluator and an official tester for several AKC titles, from S.T.A.R. Puppy to Urban CGC. He's also a licensed evaluator and instructor with Therapy Dogs United. The site describes science based training with a plan built for each dog, and says his job is teaching you to communicate with your dog.

Prices are listed on their site. A puppy lesson for dogs up to 5 months is $100, and board and train is $500. The Starter Package is $425 and the Total Training Package is $750, with extra lessons at $115. In home lessons are free within 10 miles of the trainer, with $1 per mile past that. Lessons never expire, and you can start with a free phone evaluation.

Beaver County Kennel Club in Rochester runs obedience classes for purebred and mixed breed dogs all year in seven week sessions. Puppies start at 3 months in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class, then move through three Fundamentals levels.

After Fundamentals I, you can join beginning or advanced rally, or specialty classes such as Canine Good Citizen and Scent Work, plus a Trick Dog class about once a month. Drop in conformation classes are open to members and nonmembers, and a Junior Dog Club serves handlers 8 to 18. Classes meet in a heated, air conditioned room with a non slip floor. A new session began the week of October 26, 2026, and you register and pay online, though the page doesn't show prices.

Off Leash K9 Training Pittsburgh is part of the Off Leash K9 network. The site says founder Nick White is a former U.S. Marine and Secret Service agent, and its team includes people with military and law enforcement backgrounds. The service area covers Pittsburgh and Washington, plus towns from Cranberry Township to Jefferson Hills.

Basic Obedience is four private lessons, and Advanced adds four more on harder commands and distractions. The 2 Week Board & Train is for off leash obedience and behavior change. Dogs under 5 months get a puppy consultation. For harder cases, the Aggressive Dog Package is eight private lessons on aggression and reactivity, and Therapy Dog Development is eight lessons as well. Lessons happen in or around your home. Prices sit on a separate page, so ask about cost and tools on the first call.

Paw & Order Washington is the Washington, PA location of Paw & Order, and our listing names Christie Kelly. Our directory shows on site training and a stay and train program. It also lists a hybrid program and virtual training, plus Canine Good Citizen testing.

The company site says each program is built around the dog and starts with learning your dog's traits, and that offerings vary from location to location. The local page wouldn't load for us during this review. Ask on the first call how the hybrid program works and what a stay and train costs.

VetPets of SWPA is a Washington, PA nonprofit, and its site says each class you take helps support its work for veterans and first responders. Training runs in three programs.

Pawsitive Foundations is open to all dogs and owners, with six week courses that run from Puppy Manners up to Adult Intermediate. Next Level Paws covers Trick & Task Foundations and two AKC Canine Good Citizen prep courses, plus a 60 minute Boredom Buster seminar you can take online or in person.

The Assistance Dog Prospect program is only for people training a future assistance dog, with six week courses from puppy level through Public Access Prep, and an eight week Therapy Dog Prep course is listed there too. No prices are posted, so ask about cost and class times when you call.