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Best Dog Trainers in Quebec

By Cody ChamberlainUpdated November 12, 202617 min read
Best dog trainers in Quebec header with a black Labrador sitting on a shaded path
In this article

Most Quebec dog trainers write their websites in French, so we read them and wrote this guide in plain English. It covers 28 trainers in 18 communities, from Gatineau on the Ottawa River to Rimouski on the lower St. Lawrence. Each card's position comes from its live Google Maps rating, and its Yelp rating sits next to it as a separate number. We checked every listing on November 12, 2026.

Quick picks

  1. 1. Monkey Business Dog Training

    Group manners and brain games

    View profile
  2. 2. Montreal Canine Training

    Reactivity and day training

    View profile
  3. 3. Laura Boisvert

    Anxious and reactive dogs

    View profile

How we picked these 28 dog trainers

Our directory had 76 Quebec listings, drawn from public professional directories, licensing records and the trainers' own websites. More than 20 were sled dog outfitters, boarding kennels or businesses that don't train pet dogs for the public, so they came off first. We then capped each city at four, kept trainers whose sites we could read, and favoured those that list credentials or clear services.

The best dog trainers in Quebec, ranked

Every card below opens the trainer's AnimalTrainerPro profile, where you'll find how to reach them.

Rank 1

Monkey Business Dog Training

Montreal, QC

Group manners and brain games

Specialties: Humane, science-based in-home private training, group beginner and intermediate obedience, brain games classes, video and phone consultations

Monkey Business Dog Training in Montreal describes its methods as humane, science based and positive. You can start with a video or phone consultation, book private training in your home, or join a group class. Client comments on the site mention classes from Beginners and Basic Obedience to Intermediate and Brain Games, some held virtually, and name trainers Sam and Deb. The business lists membership in the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers. No prices are posted on the site.

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Rank 2

Montreal Canine Training

Montreal, QC

Reactivity and day training

Specialties: Private and group training, reactivity, puppy, obedience, separation anxiety, behaviour modification, in-home training, intro to dog sports; day training, daycare, grooming; trainer apprenticeships

Montreal Canine Training works from Henri Bourassa Boulevard East and has a separate page for West Island owners. It offers consultations, private lessons, in home training and group obedience grouped by age and skill. Behaviour work covers reactivity, aggression and separation anxiety, and day training runs on Mondays and Tuesdays. The site describes humane methods that start with your dog's emotional state. It lists 10 to 15+ years of experience for its team but doesn't name trainers. A 15 minute discovery call is free.

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Rank 3

Laura Boisvert

Montreal, QC

Anxious and reactive dogs

Credentials: CTC (The academy for dog trainers), RQIEC, IAABC

Bonté Canine, or Canine Kindness, is run by Laura Boisvert. Our directory lists her CTC from The Academy for Dog Trainers and her RQIEC membership. The site describes a kind, science based approach focused on anxiety, reactivity and aggression. Consultations happen at your home or by video. Group classes include puppy kindergarten, adolescence and a leash reactivity class, and there's day training with an educator. The service area covers Montreal, the South Shore, the North Shore and the Laurentians. Prices aren't posted.

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Rank 4

Zuzanna(Zuzia) Kubica

Montreal, QC

Behaviour consults and webinars

Credentials: CDBC from IAABC

Specialties: Private Training, Group Training, Behavior Consulting; Aggression and Reactivity

CoeurCanin is led by Zuzanna (Zuzia) Kubica, who holds the CDBC, the Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant credential from the IAABC. The site says the business has operated since 2002. Private consultations cover puppies, teens and adult dogs, with topics like barking, reactivity, a coming baby or a newly adopted dog. CoeurCanin also runs group classes, canine freestyle, and webinars on recall and impulse control. Its school trains future behaviour practitioners. Services are in Montreal and online, and prices aren't posted.

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Rank 5

Elizabeth Boutet

Québec, QC

Puppies and reactive dogs

Specialties: puppy kindergarten; obedience; emotion management and reactive dogs; private and video consultations; behaviour seminars

BELI Concept Canin on Boulevard Charest Ouest in Quebec City is run by Elizabeth Boutet, a behaviourist and dog trainer who says she has worked with dogs since 2007. Group classes include puppy kindergarten for 8 to 16 weeks, obedience, leash walking, and a class on emotion management and focus. Private help comes as home training, video consultations, an online puppy course and a written behaviour assessment. BELI also gives seminars on fear and bite prevention. No class prices are posted.

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Rank 6

L'école des chiens

Québec, QC

Group obedience in Quebec City

Specialties: Dog training school offering puppy, basic and advanced obedience group classes, private behaviour consultations, online courses and workshops.

L'école des chiens runs its school from Boulevard Louis XIV in Quebec City and is open seven days a week. The site says its approach rests on positive reinforcement and behavioural science. Group classes cover puppy education, basic obedience, advanced obedience and after school activities. Private help is split into behaviour consultations and homework help for basic manners. There are also self paced online courses, a recall workshop and a young trainer program. Trainer Marie Audrey is named in client comments. Class prices aren't posted.

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Rank 7

Le Domaine Anim'O Plus

Québec, QC

Classes plus boarding

Specialties: puppy kindergarten; obedience levels 1 and 2; reactive dog classes; private lessons

Le Domaine Anim'O Plus sits on Boulevard Wilfrid Hamel in Quebec City and pairs a training centre with boarding, daycare, grooming and a shop. Training includes group classes for obedience and socialization, puppy classes and private behaviour consultations. The centre also teaches scent detection and agility, and it guides owners of emotional support dogs. The site calls its educator qualified but doesn't name trainers, so ask who will teach your class. It's a practical pick if you want classes and boarding in one place.

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Rank 8

Claudine Chantal

Québec, QC

In home behaviour help

Specialties: in-home canine education; behaviour modification; obedience; phone consultations

Claudine Chantal works in your home across the Quebec City region, and her site lists more than 20 years of experience. Sessions target separation anxiety, barking, jumping, mouthing, house soiling and difficult walks, and she also teaches obedience at home. She describes positive training without food rewards, built on respect between dog and owner. Phone consultations are available. A 90 minute home consultation is listed on her site as $190, and travel fees apply beyond 15 km from her base.

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Rank 9

Centre canin des ruisseaux

Laval, QC

Educational boarding in Laval

Specialties: obedience, puppy, private and behaviour training, daycare, boarding, grooming

Centre canin des Ruisseaux on Montée St Aubin in Laval says it has been around for more than 50 years. Training includes puppy kindergarten, group obedience, private lessons at the centre or your home, and controlled socialization for reactive dogs. It also offers educational boarding and a day program with intensive training, plus behaviour therapy. Simon Laferrière is named as a dog educator. The centre also runs daycare and grooming, and it breeds German Shepherds, Schnauzers and Poodles. Prices sit on a separate page.

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Rank 10

Aude Cloutier

Gatineau, QC

Aggression and leash reactivity

Credentials: RQIEC (Regroupement quebecois des intervenants en education canine)

Specialties: Private Training, Group Training, Behavior Consulting; Aggression and Reactivity

Pattes Fidèles in Gatineau is co owned by behaviour practitioners Aude Cloutier and Jennifer Fournier, who each completed a 500 hour canine behaviour program with distinction. Aude specializes in reactivity and aggression and belongs to the RQIEC, the Pet Professional Guild and the IAABC. Puppy classes take puppies 2 to 4 months old, and adult obedience starts at 5 months. Behaviour work covers resource guarding, leash reactivity and fear, with a free evaluation for dogs over 4 months. Sessions run at the facility, online or at your home.

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Rank 11

Le Centre canin de l'Outaouais

Gatineau, QC

Fearful dogs and rally

Specialties: Dog training centre offering puppy and basic group classes, reactive dog, fitness and rally obedience courses, private lessons and behaviour help.

Le Centre canin de l'Outaouais is on Boulevard Maloney Ouest in Gatineau and does training only, with no boarding or daycare. Group classes include puppy kindergarten, several obedience levels, a reactive dog class, canine fitness and rally obedience. Private classes happen at the centre or your home, and in home evaluations cover reactivity, aggression and fear. The centre also helps dogs that dislike nail trims or baths. Owner Joanie holds the CSAT and focuses on fear and separation anxiety, and her team belongs to the RQIEC.

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Rank 12

Kinergy Canine

Chelsea, QC

Bilingual help across the Outaouais

Specialties: Dog trainer serving the Ottawa and Outaouais region with puppy and group class series in Chelsea, private lessons and workshops.

Kinergy Canine is based in Chelsea and works across the Outaouais and Ottawa, naming Gatineau, Hull, Aylmer, Wakefield and Cantley among its towns. Services are offered in both English and French. The site lists puppy training, group classes, private lessons, behaviour modification and workshops. Kinergy describes positive reinforcement balanced with structure and accountability, and its skills list includes crate training and loose leash walking. The site shows an IACP 2024 member badge. You can book a free consultation through the site.

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Rank 13

Raphael Pepin

Sherbrooke, QC

Puppies and separation anxiety

Credentials: PCBC-A, CPDT-KA, CSAT, CTC, FFCP

Specialties: Private Training, Group Training, Behavior Consulting; Separation Anxiety, Aggression and Reactivity

Canilogique is a dog education centre in Sherbrooke with services in Victoriaville and online. The site says it has operated since 2017 and that more than 1,250 puppies have gone through its puppy kindergarten. It describes positive reinforcement and avoids intimidation tools. Services include puppy kindergarten for 8 to 14 weeks, basic obedience from 4 months, in home consultations and educational leash walks, with separation anxiety help online. Our directory lists Raphael Pepin with the CPDT-KA, CSAT and Fear Free credentials, among others.

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Rank 14

Mary MacLachlan

Sherbrooke, QC

Force free private training

Credentials: CPDT-KA

Specialties: Private Training, Group Training, Behavior Consulting; Separation Anxiety, Aggression and Reactivity

Paragon Pooch is Mary MacLachlan's business in Sherbrooke. She lists the CPDT-KA along with degrees in arts and education, and the site describes science based, force free training. Work usually starts with an at home consultation about your dog's history, behaviour and home life. From there you can book private training, join a small group class with a set curriculum, or choose day training, where Mary does most of the work. Consultations and classes are also offered online. The site doesn't post prices.

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Rank 15

AccroCanin

Sherbrooke, QC

Agility and dog sports

Specialties: Group classes: obedience, agility, hoopers, canicross and pulling sports, frisbee, detection; dog sports store

AccroCanin on King Street East in Sherbrooke is a dog sports centre that says it has been operating for more than 20 years. Group classes cover agility, hoopers, obedience, canicross and other pulling sports, frisbee, physical training, and scent and ratting sports. It also runs workshops and seminars and sells sports gear online. The site doesn't describe its methods or name the team on the page we read, so ask about both. AccroCanin fits an active dog that already has basic manners.

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Rank 16

Centre Éducatif Canin Le Prestige

Magog, QC

Owners from Magog to Sherbrooke

Specialties: Canine education and obedience courses, puppy kindergarten, private and in-home lessons, aggression rehabilitation, canicross, canine freestyle; boarding; about 20 years experience

Centre Éducatif Canin Le Prestige is on Chemin Ayers Cliff in Magog, about 20 minutes from Sherbrooke, and says it has taught for about twenty years. It describes training based on leadership and positive reinforcement, with play built in and no harsh methods. Services include private training, home lessons, obedience, puppy kindergarten, canicross and freestyle. Behaviour work covers aggression, reactivity, anxiety and barking. The centre also offers boarding and dog adoption, and it says it prefers in person training over online courses. Rates are on a separate page.

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Rank 17

Bienveillance Canine

Trois-Rivières, QC

Mauricie basic education

Credentials: AIICA certification; trained at École Irène Poisson

Specialties: Canine psychology, communication and obedience courses, leadership, advanced courses, private consultations, behaviour analysis; holistic approach

Bienveillance Canine is on Rue Notre Dame Ouest in Trois-Rivières and lists Shawinigan, Drummondville, Louiseville and Bécancour among its service areas. Courses move from canine psychology and basic communication to relationship and leadership, then advanced training. Private sessions, puppy training and home consultations are also offered. Work starts with an analysis of your dog's temperament and looks at food, mental work and exercise. Training comes from the École Irène Poisson, and the business states AIICA certification. Prices come by quote.

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Rank 18

Éducation Tony & Co.

Lévis, QC

Training that funds a shelter

Specialties: obedience and behaviour classes; puppy socialization; urban training; in-home training; intensive sessions

Éducation Tony & Co. is a registered charity with a training school in Saint Jean Chrysostome, part of Lévis, and a head office in Quebec City. It teaches obedience and behaviour courses for the public at the school or in your home. Course fees help fund its shelter for dogs with health or behaviour problems, and the group also handles adoption and boarding. The site doesn't describe its methods, so ask on your first call. Visits are by appointment, and a course calendar is online.

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Rank 19

Francis Connolly Carignan

Lévis, QC

Written behaviour plans in Lévis

Specialties: In-home canine behaviour consulting and training; pet sitting; dog walking

Francis Connolly Carignan founded Sagesse Canine in Lévis and works in homes across Lévis and Quebec City, including Limoilou and Charlesbourg. He holds a professional studies certificate in canine behaviour intervention and belongs to the RQIEC. Sessions target difficult walks, barking, reactivity, anxiety and resource guarding, and each comes with a written report and plan. He favours positive reinforcement and gentle, non punitive techniques. A 90 minute first session is listed on their site at a regular rate of $170, shown discounted to $150 when we checked.

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Rank 20

Valérie Samson

Drummondville, QC

Puppies and pulling sports

Specialties: Dog training school offering puppy, primary and intermediate group classes, private behaviour consultations and harness dog sports.

Éducation Canine AniVal is on Rue St Edgar in Drummondville and serves the Centre du Québec region. Valérie Samson leads it, and the site says she graduated in 2014 from the Jacinthe Bouchard program. Group classes run from puppy kindergarten to Primary and Intermediate levels, indoors or outdoors. Private behaviour consultations happen at the centre or your home. AniVal also teaches dog sports where your dog is hitched up to pull, and sells that gear. The site describes positive reinforcement and offers low stress grooming.

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Rank 21

Sylvain Duchesneau

Terrebonne, QC

Off leash obedience courses

Specialties: Dog training school offering puppy, family dog, advanced companion, off-leash obedience, leash walking and clicker courses.

Sylvain Duchesneau teaches from Montée Major in the La Plaine sector of Terrebonne and also serves Mascouche. His site says he has more than 35 years of experience. Courses include puppy kindergarten for 8 to 16 weeks, a family dog course, loose leash walking, off leash obedience, a clicker introduction and even treadmill training. Behaviour consultations cover reactivity, anxiety and aggression, with a video option. He describes positive education without yelling. An emergency video consultation is listed on his site at $99 for 60 minutes.

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Rank 22

Académie des 4 pattes

Saint-Paul, QC

Agility and rally near Joliette

Specialties: Dog training school offering puppy and obedience group classes plus agility, rally obedience, freestyle and frisbee.

Académie des 4 Pattes in Saint Paul, near Joliette, says it has taught dogs since 1998. Classes run in 8 week sessions, one hour a week, with no more than six dogs per group. Puppy kindergarten takes puppies 2 to 5 months old, and Base 1 to Base 3 move adult dogs toward off leash work. Graduates can go on to agility, rally obedience, freestyle and frisbee. The site describes gentle, progressive training based mainly on positive reinforcement. Registration is by phone.

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Rank 23

Nick Zevgolis

Vaudreuil, QC

Board and train, Greater Montreal

Specialties: Obedience, board and train, in-home training, reactive dogs, separation anxiety, puppy pre-school, aggression rehabilitation; serves Greater Montreal; since 1996

Family K9 Dog Training runs its kennel in Vaudreuil and serves Greater Montreal, Laval, the South Shore and Eastern Ontario. Nick Zevgolis leads it, and the site says the business started in 1996. Options include board and train, an in home intensive program, a six lesson obedience course and Puppy Pre School. Behaviour work covers reactivity, aggression and separation anxiety. Client stories on the site describe quick leash corrections and walks with no treats, so ask Nick how he trains before you book. Prices aren't posted.

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Rank 24

Guides Canins

Saint-Lazare, QC

The widest dog sport menu

Specialties: Dog training centre with obedience, agility, canicross, skijoring, bikejoring, scent detection, flyball and reactivity classes.

Guides Canins sits on a large wooded property on Montée Poirier in Saint Lazare. Its class list is the longest in this guide, from obedience, agility and flyball to parkour, scent detection, canicross and skijoring. A reactivity and aggression group class is offered too. Workshops cover rally, tricks, tracking and first aid, and there are private lessons, a young trainers program and online courses. The site says training is based on conditioning and positive reinforcement. No trainers are named, and prices come on request.

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Rank 25

Pierre-Luc Cyr

Rougemont, QC

Tug, disc and agility

Specialties: Puppy, obedience and agility group classes; private lessons; behavioural therapy; disc dog and tug sports

Centre PLC, short for Centre Professionnel Légitime Canin, is on Rang de la Montagne in Rougemont, in Montérégie. The site names a team of five trainers, including Pierre Luc Cyr. Group classes cover puppy education, obedience, agility, tug sport and disc dog, and the centre also runs seminars and agility competitions. Private lessons happen at the centre or your home, and behaviour therapy is available. The site describes a personal approach for each dog and owner but doesn't explain its methods, so ask about them.

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Rank 26

Le Chien Coureur

Rimouski, QC

Monthly coaching in Rimouski

Specialties: Monthly coaching for puppies and adult dogs; behaviour problem consultations; educational dog daycare; online courses

Le Chien Coureur is based in Rimouski and also works online. New clients pick one of two ways to meet the team first, then can move into monthly coaching for puppies or adult dogs. Behaviour therapy handles problem behaviour, and an educational daycare gives dogs structured time. Online, there's a free workshop and a 21 day reactivity program. A children's dog camp near Saint Anaclet de Lessard teaches kids to read dog body language. The site describes ethical, positive reinforcement training. Trainers aren't named, and bookings run through its online store.

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Rank 27

Melissa Vaillancourt

rue du PatrimoineCacouna, QC

Lower St. Lawrence families

MV Comportement Animal is run by Mélissa Vaillancourt, an animal behaviour practitioner who specializes in dogs and belongs to the RQIEC and the Pet Professional Guild. Her classes, held at her space in Cacouna, include obedience with clicker training, fun classes, leash walking workshops and puppy kindergarten. Home services cover Rivière du Loup, Kamouraska, Témiscouata and Les Basques, and remote consultations reach farther regions. Consultations handle behaviour problems. She describes modern, science based, non violent methods. She also gives seminars, and the Magdalen Islands appear in her seminar listings.

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Rank 28

Nancy Guérin

Portneuf, QC

Sheep herding and obedience

Specialties: Private obedience and obedience classes; herding (stockdog) training; boarding and grooming

Clos Dusilence is a farm in Portneuf, west of Quebec City, run by Nancy Guérin with co owner Paul Naud. Nancy teaches private obedience lessons, and the site says she has competed in obedience and rally obedience. The farm also gives sheep herding lessons and has hosted herding trials and clinics. It breeds Australian Shepherds and offers grooming and boarding by appointment. Methods aren't described, so ask how she teaches. This is the only listing in this guide that teaches herding.

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Compare Quebec dog trainers side by side

The table shows each trainer's town and training formats so you can sort out the options near you.

Compare trainers

1. Monkey Business Dog Training

City
Montreal
Best for
Group manners and brain games
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

2. Montreal Canine Training

City
Montreal
Best for
Reactivity and day training
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

3. Laura Boisvert

City
Montreal
Best for
Anxious and reactive dogs
Credentials
CTC (The academy for dog trainers), RQIEC, IAABC
Reviews
Be the first to review

4. Zuzanna(Zuzia) Kubica

City
Montreal
Best for
Behaviour consults and webinars
Credentials
CDBC from IAABC
Reviews
Be the first to review

5. Elizabeth Boutet

City
Québec
Best for
Puppies and reactive dogs
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

6. L'école des chiens

City
Québec
Best for
Group obedience in Quebec City
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

7. Le Domaine Anim'O Plus

City
Québec
Best for
Classes plus boarding
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

8. Claudine Chantal

City
Québec
Best for
In home behaviour help
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

9. Centre canin des ruisseaux

City
Laval
Best for
Educational boarding in Laval
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

10. Aude Cloutier

City
Gatineau
Best for
Aggression and leash reactivity
Credentials
RQIEC (Regroupement quebecois des intervenants en education canine)
Reviews
Be the first to review

11. Le Centre canin de l'Outaouais

City
Gatineau
Best for
Fearful dogs and rally
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

12. Kinergy Canine

City
Chelsea
Best for
Bilingual help across the Outaouais
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

13. Raphael Pepin

City
Sherbrooke
Best for
Puppies and separation anxiety
Credentials
PCBC-A, CPDT-KA, CSAT, CTC, FFCP
Reviews
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14. Mary MacLachlan

City
Sherbrooke
Best for
Force free private training
Credentials
CPDT-KA
Reviews
Be the first to review

15. AccroCanin

City
Sherbrooke
Best for
Agility and dog sports
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

16. Centre Éducatif Canin Le Prestige

City
Magog
Best for
Owners from Magog to Sherbrooke
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

17. Bienveillance Canine

City
Trois-Rivières
Best for
Mauricie basic education
Credentials
AIICA certification; trained at École Irène Poisson
Reviews
Be the first to review

18. Éducation Tony & Co.

City
Lévis
Best for
Training that funds a shelter
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

19. Francis Connolly Carignan

City
Lévis
Best for
Written behaviour plans in Lévis
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

20. Valérie Samson

City
Drummondville
Best for
Puppies and pulling sports
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

21. Sylvain Duchesneau

City
Terrebonne
Best for
Off leash obedience courses
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

22. Académie des 4 pattes

City
Saint-Paul
Best for
Agility and rally near Joliette
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

23. Nick Zevgolis

City
Vaudreuil
Best for
Board and train, Greater Montreal
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

24. Guides Canins

City
Saint-Lazare
Best for
The widest dog sport menu
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

25. Pierre-Luc Cyr

City
Rougemont
Best for
Tug, disc and agility
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

26. Le Chien Coureur

City
Rimouski
Best for
Monthly coaching in Rimouski
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

27. Melissa Vaillancourt

City
rue du PatrimoineCacouna
Best for
Lower St. Lawrence families
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

28. Nancy Guérin

City
Portneuf
Best for
Sheep herding and obedience
Credentials
Not listed
Reviews
Be the first to review

What dog training in Quebec looks like

Home visits are common here. 18 of the 28 trainers list lessons or consultations in your home, and group classes from puppy kindergarten to advanced obedience are easy to find. Overnight training stays are rare. Only Family K9 in Vaudreuil and Centre canin des Ruisseaux in Laval offer a program where your dog boards with them, while Montreal Canine Training, Bonté Canine and Paragon Pooch offer day training.

Dog sports are a strength. Guides Canins, AccroCanin, Centre PLC and Académie des 4 Pattes are built around sports like agility, flyball, frisbee and canicross, and Clos Dusilence in Portneuf is the only listing that teaches sheep herding. Behaviour help is well covered in Gatineau, Montreal and Lévis, where several trainers focus on reactivity, fear or aggression.

The thin spots are in the regions. We found no trainer listed in Saguenay or Longueuil, and the Quebec listings we have for Saguenay and Lac Saint Jean are sled dog outfits. East of Quebec City, Le Chien Coureur in Rimouski and MV Comportement Animal in Cacouna cover a large area, and both offer remote help.

Methods vary, so read the cards. 16 of the 28 describe positive reinforcement, humane or science based work. Client stories on Family K9's site mention quick leash corrections, and Claudine Chantal teaches without food rewards.

How to choose a dog trainer in Quebec

Start by asking how the trainer rewards your dog and what happens when your dog gets it wrong. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends reward based methods for all dog training, including behaviour problems, and advises against shock, prong and choke collars. It also suggests picking a trainer who is certified and humane.

Credentials help you compare. The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers is an independent group that certifies trainers through the CPDT-KA and related credentials, and Paragon Pooch lists that one. Many Quebec trainers instead name the RQIEC, a provincial group of dog educators, or the school where they trained.

A good trainer will tell you up front what a first session includes, whether it happens at your home or their centre, and what follow up costs. Ask if classes are taught in French, English or both. Be wary of anyone who guarantees a fixed result or won't let you watch them work with your dog.

Dog rules in Quebec worth knowing

Quebec has a provincial regulation on dogs. Under it, you must register your dog with the local municipality where you live within 30 days of getting it, moving, or the dog turning three months old. Your dog must wear the medal the municipality gives you at all times.

In public places, your dog must be under the control of a person who can handle it. Outside a dog park or an organized dog activity, it must be on a leash no longer than 1.85 m, and a dog of 20 kg or more must also wear a halter or chest strap clipped to that leash. The provincial government says fines run from $250 to $20,000 and that cities can set stricter rules.

City bylaws add their own rules. Montreal requires a permit for every dog, listed at $31.80, with the dog microchipped and sterilized once it's over six months old, and the medal worn at all times. Quebec City charges $39 a year to register a dog and runs five dog parks, where your dog must be registered, wear the city medal and stay leashed until it reaches the park's entry airlock.

Gear to bring to a first class from Gatineau to Rimouski

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The product links in this section go to Amazon.

Ask your trainer what to bring before your first session, since a class at Guides Canins and a home visit in Lévis call for different things. MV Comportement Animal and Sylvain Duchesneau both teach clicker training, so a clicker may be on your list.

Pick two or three trainers whose cards match your dog's needs and your part of Quebec. Open their profiles, check whether they teach in your language, and book a first call or evaluation. Make sure your dog is registered with your municipality and wearing its medal before the first lesson.

Trainer choices depend on your dog’s needs and your goals.

Questions and answers

How much does dog training cost in Quebec?

Few trainers here post prices. Claudine Chantal lists a 90 minute home consultation in the Quebec City region at $190. Sagesse Canine in Lévis lists a 90 minute first session at a regular rate of $170, and Sylvain Duchesneau lists an emergency video consultation at $99. Most others give prices on request.

Do I have to register my dog in Quebec?

Yes. The provincial dog regulation says you must register your dog with your local municipality within 30 days of getting it, moving, or the dog turning three months old, and the dog must wear the medal. Montreal and Quebec City each charge their own fee.

How old should my puppy be to start classes?

Several trainers start early. BELI and Sylvain Duchesneau take puppies from 8 to 16 weeks, Canilogique from 8 to 14 weeks, Pattes Fidèles from 2 to 4 months, and Académie des 4 Pattes from 2 to 5 months.

Can I find an English speaking dog trainer in Quebec?

Yes. Kinergy Canine says it works in English and French across the Outaouais. Monkey Business, Montreal Canine Training, Paragon Pooch and Family K9 have English websites, so ask each one which language the lessons use.

Who helps with a reactive or aggressive dog?

Pattes Fidèles, Le Centre canin de l'Outaouais, CoeurCanin, Bonté Canine, Sagesse Canine and Montreal Canine Training all list reactivity or aggression work. AVSAB recommends reward based methods for behaviour problems, so ask how each trainer works before you book.

Does any Quebec trainer offer board and train?

Family K9 in Vaudreuil runs board and train at its kennel, and Centre canin des Ruisseaux in Laval offers educational boarding. Ask how many lessons you get at pickup, since that's when you learn to keep the training going at home.

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