Best Dog Trainers in and Near Sioux Falls, SD

K9 Nose Sports teaches nose work, the sport where dogs search for a target odor. Owner Roger Lautt says he left residential real estate in 2010 to work with dogs and was soon teaching and competing in the sport. His bio lists Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI), NACSW ORT judge and certifying official, and AKC Scent Work judge.

Classes run in four levels. Intro to Nose Work 1 suits most dogs, with the exception of dogs that show aggression toward people. Level 2 teaches dogs to search for a specific odor. Level 3 is for teams that have passed an odor recognition test or finished Level 2, and Level 4 is an advanced class with larger search areas and more distractions. Private lessons are one on one with no other dogs present, for students who want to work on a specific issue at any level. The site gives a short overview of four scent work organizations: NACSW, AKC, UKC and C-WAGS. It lists weekday hours from Monday through Thursday plus Friday mornings.

DogGone Good is a Sioux Falls training business that lists obedience and manners training on its site, plus behavior consulting. The obedience service is pitched as learning for you and your dog together, and behavior consulting is described as fitting around your lifestyle. The site says the business works with owners as well as their dogs.

The site does not name a trainer or list credentials, methods, class formats or prices, so ask about each of those on your first call. It has a Book Online page and a contact form. If you want a trainer who works with both you and your dog on the basics, this is one to call alongside the larger facilities on this list.

Patriot Retrievers is a gun dog program run by owner and trainer Sean Rogers on a 40 acre property south of Hartford. Rogers has trained dogs since 2008, and the site says he has 23 years of service with the South Dakota Army National Guard. The grounds include a drill field, handling hills, upland cover and two ponds of 13 and 6 acres.

Training follows Mike Lardy's program, and the site says teaching comes first, ahead of tests or timelines. Dogs work on live birds from local suppliers, from pigeons for puppies up to pheasants and ducks. Dogs stay in 20 indoor, climate controlled kennels and get out in fenced yards at least three times a day. Training takes about three to four months depending on the program. Owners get one on one instruction in handling their own dog, and Rogers recommends a visit every week or two. The site also lists the kennel's own males, females and litters.

Nerdy K9 Academy in Sioux Falls focuses on behavior modification for fearful and anxious dogs, and our record lists help with aggression too. Obedience training and prep for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test are also listed, along with a stay and train option.

The academy reports the CPDT-KA credential from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and lists an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator on staff, both self reported on its business website. Its site would not load for us during this review, so this summary comes from our directory record. Ask about program length, methods, pricing and how the stay and train works when you call.

Smoken Dakota Kennels runs two facilities, SDK South near Harrisburg and SDK West in Sioux Falls. Along with boarding, daycare, grooming and an indoor dog park, it has a training department.

Group classes meet weekly for 55 minutes over six weeks at both locations, with homework and a graduation test at the end. Puppy Essentials is for puppies under six months, and Beginner Essentials is for older dogs new to training. Later classes fade out food lures, and Ultimate Companion works on manners without treats or training collars to prepare for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. A Canine Good Citizen Urban class practices in public settings. A 12 week Day School runs Monday through Thursday with morning drop off and evening pickup. A four week trick class is listed on their site as starting at $170.

The Stay N Train program is a four week stay with two or three sessions a day, Monday through Friday, and works best for dogs about six to eight months old. It starts with a consultation and evaluation and ends with a session to train you. Tuition is listed on their site as starting at $2,800.

Tenacious Dog Training uses positive reinforcement and clicker training. Maggie Kaiser is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer and an IAABC Accredited Dog Trainer, and she is also Fear Free Certified. Rayanne Craven holds the CPDT-KA and is also IAABC accredited. The site says the business has the only Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer in the Sioux Falls area.

Services cover aggression and reactivity, separation anxiety, puppy and family dog training, and therapy dog prep. Group classes run in a sequence from Puppy Essentials (10 weeks to 5 months) and Beginner (5 months and up) through Intermediate and a six week CGC Prep class. Most group classes are listed on their site at $140.90. A DIY snuffle mat workshop and an office dog program are also offered.

Service dog coaching is remote and owner trained. Rayanne coaches you through tasks such as diabetic alert, anxiety interruption and deep pressure therapy, and you get a recording of each session. Online courses are available for puppy owners too.

The Golden Academy is run by Sydnie Hyde in Sioux Falls. Our record lists a behavioral and training specialist certification from Starmark Academy. Services include private lessons, day training where your dog spends the day with the trainer, and off leash obedience. The academy also lists behavior modification and help for reactive dogs.

The academy's website would not load for us during this review, so this summary is from our directory record. Ask about methods, the tools used for off leash work, and how many sessions a program takes before you book.

Paws Pet Resort in Sioux Falls runs one of the larger training programs on this list. Puppy University is a full day program for puppies 8 to 14 weeks old only, three to five days a week, over an 8 or 16 week semester. The enrollment fee is listed on their site as $275. Group classes start with Puppy 101 and Basics 101 (seven weeks, listed at $170) and build to Advanced 301, which prepares for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test, and an Urban CGC class. The class list also includes recall, loose leash heeling and a Prong Collar 101 class.

Day Train runs Monday through Friday, and the site says off leash work takes at least 20 sessions over four weeks. Stay N Train lasts three to five weeks. Fun classes include tricks, rally, AKC Fit Dog, a confidence course for shy dogs and Therapy Dog 101. The resort also has a heated indoor pool for swimming lessons and a four week dock diving intro class. The site describes its trainers as certified without naming the certifications.

The Sioux Empire Kennel Club is an AKC all breed member club that offers class sessions at its clubhouse in the Old MacDonald's Farm Building on the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds. Classes run 45 minutes, and non members can sign up. Most classes were listed for fall 2026 at $90 for members and $110 for non members.

Basic Family Dog Skills takes dogs from 12 weeks old, with 3 to 10 students, and dogs under a year that attend all six weeks get a free AKC STAR Puppy test. Beyond the Basics follows it and includes a free Canine Good Citizen test. For sports, the fall list included Novice and Open obedience, beginner agility, conformation handling and rally run throughs, with drop ins at $15 for conformation and rally. Each class lists a named instructor. The club also hosts events such as rally trials and barn hunt. Fall registration had closed when we checked, so watch for the next session.

Midwest Tri State NAVHDA is a nonprofit chapter of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, made up of gun dog owners from three states in the region. Its mailing address is in Harrisburg. The club is a place to train your own versatile hunting dog with help from experienced handlers, so you join rather than drop your dog off.

Field training days are held on Saturdays from early April until just before the last club test in late September, skipping test weekends. Thursday evening sessions from mid May to late September are for dogs entered in AKC Senior or Master Hunter tests or NAVHDA Gun Dog or Utility tests. Winter obedience usually starts the first Sunday in February. The chapter also runs NAVHDA and AKC hunt tests each year and hosts fun days, including chukar and pheasant championships.