Best Dog Trainers in and Near Springfield, MA

Donna Blews-Pappas trains dogs in Westfield, about 10 miles west of Springfield. Our records list her as a Certified Instructor with NADOI, the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, which makes her one of the few trainers in this guide whose credential names the group that issued it. Her website wouldn't load for us, so we can't tell you which classes or lesson formats she offers right now. When you call, ask whether she teaches group classes or private lessons and where sessions meet. Westfield owners who want a trainer close to home can start here, and it's worth asking how her NADOI training shapes the way she runs a class.

Leah Leach is a dog trainer based in Windsor, Connecticut, a short drive south of the Massachusetts line. Our records show her as an Associate Member of NADOI, the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors. We couldn't find a website for her, so this listing comes from our database alone and we can't confirm her current classes or prices. On a first call, ask what kind of training she offers, whether she works one on one or in groups, and what methods she uses. Her Windsor base puts her within reach of Enfield and Suffield owners, as well as Springfield families who don't mind the drive south. Keep in mind that Connecticut licensing rules apply on her side of the line.

Off Leash K9 Training Hartford is the Hartford location of a national franchise. Its site lists puppy and potty training along with basic obedience. There's also an eight class aggression course built on private lessons with you and your dog. The two week board and train is its most popular package, according to the site, and it ends with a two hour private session for the owner. A separate Dog Boot Camp mixes boarding with behavior work, and an eight week Advanced Behavioral Training course builds on the basics. That advanced course uses an electronic collar, the site says, so ask how and when the collar is used before you sign up. The team includes handlers with military, shelter and veterinary technician backgrounds. Prices sit on a separate packages page.

Off Leash K9 Training Springfield is the local branch of a national franchise, and its site says it serves the whole Springfield area, including Chicopee and Holyoke. Basic and advanced obedience runs as 8 private lessons, and you can choose training in or around your home. The 2 week board and train is a 14 day stay focused on off leash obedience and behavior work. Dogs younger than 5 months get a puppy consultation that covers housebreaking and crate training, among other basics. There's also an 8 lesson package for aggressive or reactive dogs and an 8 lesson therapy dog track. The founder, Nick White, is described as a former Marine and Secret Service agent. The page doesn't describe the tools used, so ask about collars on your first call.

Aileen Mazzeo runs The Dogs Will Rise, LLC in South Windsor, Connecticut. Our records show her as a member of the Pet Professional Guild, a professional association for pet trainers. We couldn't find a working website for her business, so this listing comes from our database and we can't confirm her current services or prices. South Windsor sits east of the Connecticut River between Hartford and Enfield, so she's within reach of owners in north central Connecticut. Ask whether she offers private lessons at your home or classes at a set location, and what kinds of problems she works on most. It's also worth asking which certifications she holds and which groups issued them, so you know what training stands behind her work.

Elise Gouge runs Pet Behavior Consulting in Granby, and she works with both dogs and cats. Her site calls her the only certified behavior consultant for cats and dogs in the Pioneer Valley, and our records list CPDT and behavior consultant credentials along with Pet Professional Guild membership. Behavior consults cover aggression, fear, separation anxiety and unruly dogs. Puppies can start in group classes, Right Start Puppy private lessons or a Puppy Boarding School board and train. Private manners training is also offered online, and she consults for doggy daycares and vet clinics. Her base at Ferry Hill Farm has 18 fenced acres, a 4,500 square foot training room and a dock diving pool built to competition specifications. She serves Hampden and Hampshire counties plus northern Connecticut.

At Your Service Dog Training is Sharon Wachsler's business in Hadley, and our records list her as CPDT-KA and KPA-CTP with Pet Professional Guild membership. She helps adults, teens and parents of children with disabilities train their own service dogs for psychiatric or mobility needs, among others. Online training, offered since 2020, is its most popular service, with live coaching anywhere in the U.S. In person sessions are offered in the Pioneer Valley and greater Boston. The Dogs In Service Certification classes run in levels, and private coaching is available online or in person. Western Mass clients can also use a day school, and a board and train is offered. Classes plus private lessons are listed on its site as costing as little as $7,500, or $15,000 to $20,000 when board and train is added. The site notes that scholarships may be available.

Tails U Win runs a training center in Manchester, Connecticut, and says it has served Hartford and Tolland county towns since 1991. It describes its program as positive reinforcement based. Puppies can start in Family Dog and Puppy K classes, Jumpstart Kindergarten Puppy Preschool or the Great Expectations Puppy Academy. The class list is long for a single school. It includes agility and rally obedience along with scent work, tricks, freestyle and conformation handling. Canine Good Citizen and therapy dog classes are on the schedule as well. Owners of reactive dogs can book private lessons or join the Reactive Dog LIVE class, which runs online. Day School lets you drop off a dog of any age for training during the day. The site mentions a large staff but doesn't list individual instructor credentials.

Logically Canine is Kelsey Deutsch's training business in West Simsbury, Connecticut. She describes herself as a certified professional dog trainer with more than 8 years of hands on work, though the site doesn't name the certifying group. The Logically Reset board and train is a three week program for dogs with anxiety, fear, reactivity, aggression or resource guarding. Private coaching comes in a Puppy Edition for pups 8 weeks to 6 months old and a Foundations Edition for older dogs. Group classes are capped at 6 dog and handler teams, with a core obedience track and electives like scent work and fitness. The site describes positive reinforcement combined with balanced methods, and graduates get alumni perks such as group class credits and an alumni day camp.

K-9 & Pets Dog Training works out of a facility in East Longmeadow, just southeast of Springfield. Most programs start with a free evaluation. Private obedience lessons are taught one on one by a certified professional dog trainer, the site says, though it doesn't name the certifying body. Puppy lessons are listed as well. Group classes focus on helping you correct unwanted habits, and Training Day Camp lets staff do the training if your schedule is tight. Training videos on the site feature a trainer named Sergio. K-9 & Pets is also the only place in this guide that lists personal and family protection training, plus protection sports covering competitive obedience, jumps and protection work. Doggy daycare and self wash bath stations are on site too. Prices aren't posted.

Kevin Moriarty founded Moriarty's Dogtown in East Longmeadow in 1998, and the site describes him as a certified dog trainer. He comes to you, with private in home sessions across a long list of towns that includes Agawam, Chicopee, Ludlow and Westfield, plus Enfield, Somers and Suffield in Connecticut. Puppy owners can buy private sessions in three packs, and a pre puppy purchase consultation helps before you bring a dog home. Canine Good Citizen training is offered, along with service dog training and working dog evaluation and training. The site sums up its approach as firm but fair, with training built around your real routine. Prices aren't listed, so ask about The Blitz Package and the three packs on your first call.

Through Dogs Eyes Canine Training is TJ Dwyer's business in Hampden, a small town east of East Longmeadow. Our records describe one on one dog training and dog daycare on a seven acre property. Its website blocked our check, so we couldn't confirm current programs or prices. That makes the first call more important here. Ask what a private session covers and whether training happens on the property or at your home. If you want both services, ask how daycare and training fit together. Hampden is a quick drive for owners in Wilbraham, Monson and the Sixteen Acres side of Springfield, so it may suit you if you want one place for lessons and daytime care.

Atlas Dog Training is Henry Barnes's board and train business in Whately, at the north edge of this guide in Franklin County. Programs run as two to four week intensive training camps for obedience and problem behavior, and the site says it takes all breeds and ages. Barnes writes that he worked for a board and train program in Denver before opening his kennel in Massachusetts, and that he has worked with hundreds of dogs. The site calls its approach balanced and built on clarity and consistency, with a clear communication system between you and your dog. Atlas serves Massachusetts and nearby states, including Connecticut. The first consultation is free, so use it to ask which tools are used.

The Good Dog Spot in Bloomfield, Connecticut combines dog training with daycare and boarding. Its site describes positive reinforcement group classes and private sessions aimed at real world manners at home, and new customers book a free evaluation to get started. Daycare groups are matched by temperament, and each new dog gets an evaluation before its first full day. Boarding has climate controlled kennels and a few suites. For daycare and boarding, the site lists required vaccines, including rabies, and asks for annual town license paperwork. That makes it a handy option if you want training and daycare in the same building north of Hartford. Trainer credentials and prices aren't listed.