Best Dog Trainers in and Near Providence, RI

Patience Inspired Dog Training works out of Pawtuxet Farm in Coventry and is led by Michelle Jerald, MS, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA. The site says the business has served New England for more than 20 years and uses positive reinforcement, with no shock or prong collars. You can book private training or group classes from puppy foundations to advanced skills, plus support for reactive dogs. Fun classes cover agility, rally, tricks and scent work. The team prepares dogs for therapy work and runs Therapy Dog Evaluations. Our listing also notes day training and virtual training.

Modern Dog Training RI in East Greenwich centers its work on a private training program held in your home. It also runs semi private group classes at its East Greenwich facility and at Rumford Pet Center stores. The site describes its methods as positive and fear free, with a focus on training the people as much as the pups. Services include obedience, reactivity training and help with potty training. The team also offers a consulting service to help you find the right puppy, which suits families still choosing a dog.

Pooch Pawsitive in East Providence was founded in 2002 by Heidi McNeil, who holds the CPDT-KA and CTC credentials. Puppy owners get a whole track here. Puppy Jumpstart is a one hour class on housetraining and nipping, Puppy Kindergarten teaches early manners, and Puppy Academy offers half or full days of training and socialization. Older dogs can take classes in basic manners and loose leash walking. The site says training uses positive reinforcement. Towns served include Pawtucket, Providence and Barrington, plus Seekonk and Attleboro in Massachusetts.

Mischief Managed Mayhem to Manners trains dogs at its Exeter facility and serves southern Rhode Island. Group classes include manners, Canine Good Citizen prep and cooperative care, along with sports such as agility, K9 Nose Work and rally, and there are reactive dog classes. Private lessons cover reactivity and aggression, and the site lists virtual private lessons. Its Prep School for Dogs has a Puppy Path for dogs up to 6 months and a Teen Track for dogs 6 to 18 months, with unlimited group classes and four private lessons per semester. Dogs from municipal shelters and rescues get 50 percent off, according to the site.

Butterfly Farm is a working Christmas tree farm in Lincoln that also runs dog training classes. Instructor Dan Flynn, who the site says has trained dogs for nearly his whole life, uses positive reinforcement. Puppy Kindergarten takes puppies from 8 weeks to 6 months, Puppy Scholar builds on it, and Puppy Performance gets young dogs ready for competition sports. Dogs 6 months and older can join Beginner Obedience or Beginner Agility. The nose work class teaches dogs to find birch, anise, cypress and clove. One on one consultations can be booked through the farm.

The Potter League for Animals is an animal shelter in Middletown that offers public training classes and a behavior helpline. Classes named on its site include basic obedience for dogs of all ages, AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and sport classes, plus off leash playgroups. Adopters can take a free class. The team uses force free methods built on positive reinforcement. Trainers include Kaylee Bashaw, CPDT-KA, and two Certified Canine Behavior Consultants. Michael Yencha, an applied animal behaviorist with a doctorate in behavior analysis, offers behavior consultations.

Island Canine Academy in Middletown offers private lessons for families on Aquidneck Island and nearby parts of Rhode Island. It trains new puppies, older dogs who missed basic training and trained dogs moving to advanced obedience. The site says it works with all breeds, sizes and temperaments and can help with behavior problems and aggression. Each dog gets its own training plan, and every client starts with a free evaluation to talk about goals and the dog's background. The academy can also help a family choose a dog, and a military discount is mentioned.

Harmony K9 Training in Pawtucket serves northeastern Rhode Island with puppy manners, obedience and behavior modification work. The site says the team has experience rehabilitating dogs with aggressive or reactive behavior, and it treats every dog as an individual instead of using one plan for all. Board and train and a day school are both offered, which helps if your schedule leaves little time for daily practice. The site talks about giving owners the tools and education to build a shared language with their dog. Saturdays are set aside for lessons, and a trainer named Luis appears on the site.

Next Step Dog Training is run by Wesley Echols in Portsmouth, and sessions happen at your home, in your neighborhood or in a neutral spot. Basic obedience covers sit, down, place, stay and leash skills, plus house and crate training. Wesley also works on long line and off leash recall. Behavior work includes leash pulling, separation anxiety, reactivity, aggression, resource guarding and barking. Families expecting a baby can get help setting up safe spaces. The site mentions positive reinforcement and coaching owners, and towns served run from Newport and Jamestown to Tiverton and Bristol.

The Island Bark Spot is a new dog training space in Portsmouth that serves Aquidneck Island and the rest of Newport County. Group classes include basic and advanced obedience, rally, trick dog, sport and fitness, cooperative care and therapy dog prep. There's also a reactive dog class and agility. Puppy play groups run in an indoor play area. If you'd rather work alone, you can rent a private ring for one on one training. The site says classes are taught by professional trainers and has a page introducing them.

Sweet Beast is a small pet care business on the East Side of Providence. Its site says it's accepting clients for dog training and group excursions, along with pet sitting, though it isn't taking midday walks or one off visits. The business says it welcomes reactive, timid or restless animals, which can help if your dog struggles in busy class settings. The site doesn't list lesson formats or trainer names, so ask on the first call where sessions take place and how training fits with the excursions. It's one of three trainers in this guide based in Providence itself.

Crossbones Dog Academy in Providence has offered positive reinforcement training since 2010 and is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. Katherine Ostiguy holds the KPA CTP and CPDT-KA credentials, and the team also lists the CBCC-KA credential. Puppy owners can choose Puppy Day School or a complete puppy raising program. Older dogs can join intensive programs of 5 or 8 weeks, lesson programs or behavior consulting for fear and aggression. Drop in Flex Classes, agility and a Reactive Recovery class are on the group calendar. The site says the academy sits right off Interstate 95, with program drop off from 7 to 9 in the morning.

Off Leash K9 Training of Providence is part of a franchise with more than 130 locations, and its site lists an office in Warwick. It specializes in private lessons and behavior consultations. Packages include Basic Obedience with 4 private lessons, Basic and Advanced Obedience with 8, a 2 week board and train, Puppy Preschool for dogs under 5 months and an 8 lesson program for aggression and reactivity. A therapy dog program covers evaluation and certification. The goal the site names is a dog who listens off leash around distractions. Free phone consultations are offered.

Best Buddy Dog Training is run by owner and head trainer Shawn Hines out of Warwick, with more than 15 years in business according to the site. Training is relationship based and doesn't rely on food lures or electronic collars, using a framework he calls P.R.I.M.E. Services include private training in your home, board and train, off leash training and puppy training. The site lists leash pulling, reactivity, aggression, separation anxiety, barking and recall problems among the issues he handles. The business serves all of Rhode Island and towns in nearby states, and you can start with a free phone consultation.

A.C.E. K9 Academy in Warwick is led by owner and head trainer Courtney Moshier, who the site says received a 2020 National Dog Trainer of the Year award. Programs have school style names. K9 Academy offers day sessions with supervised socialization, and the K9 Honors Dorm is a board and train program where your dog stays and trains daily. K9 Tutor Sessions are one on one lessons, and K9 Electives are specialty classes. The site focuses on puppies and their owners, with goals such as calm, confident behavior and routines that lower stress.

Gladio K9 in Warwick is owned by Gerald Famiglietti, who holds a dog trainer certification from Animal Behavior College and trained police K9s and personal protection dogs at Tarheel Canine in North Carolina. He describes his training as balanced and practical. Private obedience and behavior modification sessions are open to dogs of any age. The day school runs two or three weeks for dogs 6 months and older, with drop off in the morning and pickup later in the day. Daycare is listed on their site as $45 a day for one dog. Gladio K9 also helps families find and prepare personal protection dogs.

Top Dog K9 Training is run by Audrey Bartolomeo and lists Warwick, Cranston, North Kingstown, Westerly and Narragansett as its Rhode Island towns. The site describes a balanced approach built on relationship, leadership and clear communication, with owners trained alongside their dogs so progress lasts. Audrey works with puppies, rescue dogs and adult dogs of all breeds. Problems named on the site include leash pulling, barking, nipping, jumping, food and toy guarding and counter surfing. The site shows IACP and APDT membership logos.

Peaceful Paws Pet Care in North Attleboro offers dog training in your home, and it also runs dog walks and hikes. Jenni Coes holds the CPDT-KA certification and is Fear Free certified, and the site says she has more than 20 years of experience with dogs and training. She commits to force free, positive reinforcement methods and works with dogs of all ages and breeds, with extra focus on puppy socialization. Towns served include Attleboro, Plainville, Wrentham and Franklin, plus Cumberland in Rhode Island, which makes it an easy option on the northern edge of the Providence area.

Zippity Do Dog Training and Behavior is Lee Desmarais's business in Norton. Lee is a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator and Family Dog Mediator with the CDT-KSA credential. Training is positive and pain free, and the site rules out shock and prong collars. Lee offers in home training, virtual training and behavior consultations followed by a written plan. Behavior work covers leash reactivity, fear based aggression and resource guarding. Expecting parents can take the Dogs and Storks and Dogs and Toddlers programs. The site says separation anxiety work isn't offered yet.

Bradley's Canine Education in Norton offers an evaluation, private lessons in your home or at its studio, Puppy Preschool and a board and train residence program that runs one to four weeks. The site treats basic obedience as the base for communication between you and your dog and aims to teach owners how dogs behave. It describes a relationship built on mutual respect. The site says it takes any age, any breed and any problem, and its photos touch on pulling, play biting, separation anxiety, barking and house training. The trainer is named only as Bradley.

Performance Plus K9 Activity Center in Raynham is a large training and daycare center with a long roster of instructors. Pet obedience classes run from Perfect Pups and Basic Manners to Canine Good Citizen prep. Agility runs at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, and nose work has beginner and advanced classes. The center also teaches competition obedience and holds a Difficult Dogs class and private lessons. Drop off training includes a residential stay and train program and a Doggie Day School. Monday morning breed handling drop ins are listed on their site as $12 per dog.

Blue Max Dog was founded in 2000 by owner Carol Ahearn, who teaches in home lessons and group classes in Sharon and Boston. The site lists her as an APDT certified dog trainer, an ITC graduate and an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. She also works in the behavior department at the Center for Shelter Dogs in Boston. Training uses gentle techniques and positive reinforcement, and behavior modification programs and dog evaluations are part of the work. Sharon sits on the northeast edge of this guide, so it fits families who split time between Providence and Boston.

Silver City Canine Training Center in Taunton runs group classes and hosts obedience and rally trials. Puppy Kindergarten is for puppies 8 to 16 weeks and covers jumping, pulling, nipping, crating and housebreaking. Beginner Obedience takes dogs 4 months and older for walking on lead, sit, down, stay and come. Advanced Beginner adds body cues and distance work, and Ring Ready preps teams for competition. Agility is a drop in class, and rally, K9 Nose Work and breed handling are on the schedule too.

MasterPeace Dog Training is a full service training center in Franklin that teaches positive methods meant to be effective and fun for you and your dog. Classes on the site include Puppy Kindergarten, pet obedience, trick dog, competition obedience, rally obedience and nose work. There are also classes for distracted dogs and reactive dogs, and a service dog class. Private training and behavior consults are listed for dogs who need more than a group setting. The site says it welcomes dogs of all breeds and ages, and registration happens online.

OM Obedience keeps a mailing address in West Bridgewater and teaches at partner locations, with Quincy and Hingham named on the site. Michaela Anne Collins holds the CPDT-KA certification and is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. The site says its trainers are Fear Free certified and use positive reinforcement, with a mission of keeping dogs in their homes. You can book private training at your house or at The Om Studio, or join group classes from Puppy Preschool through advanced Canine Good Citizen work. Our listing adds behavior consulting for separation anxiety and aggression, plus assistance animal training.