Best Dog Trainers in and Near St. Louis, MO

Michael Young trains dogs in Columbia, Illinois, on the Metro East side of the river. Our listing shows him as a NADOI Certified Instructor, the higher of NADOI's membership levels. To earn it, a trainer needs at least five years of hands on dog training and five years as a full charge instructor. They must also have worked with at least 100 dog and handler teams and pass an exam.

We don't have a website on file for him, so his programs and methods aren't listed here. On the first call, ask whether he teaches group classes or private lessons, and which tools he uses.

Marmon Family Dog Training is run by Aaron Marmon, an Army veteran of the 82nd Airborne, and the site calls the business disabled veteran owned. He has handled search and rescue dogs on three teams and ran working dogs for an executive security firm. The site lists more than 11 years of experience, and he started the business in 2021 after moving his family back to the Metro East.

Board and train runs six or nine weeks, with daily videos while your dog stays with him. Private lessons happen in your home, and a puppy program covers crate and potty routines along with socialization. He says he specializes in reactive and aggressive dogs, plus high energy and anxious ones. He calls his approach The Motivational Method and writes "Never through fear. Never through force."

Prices are listed on their site as $125 per lesson or $600 for five, and $4,000 for six weeks of board and train or $6,000 for nine. He serves both sides of the river, with a $25 travel fee past about a 40 minute drive.

R-Star Canine Enrichment Center is in High Ridge, southwest of St. Louis. Our directory lists dog training classes along with events and trials. It also lists fitness and conditioning work and canine rehab, which no other trainer in this guide mentions.

Their website blocked our check during this review, so this entry comes from our directory data only. Ask on the first call which classes are running this season and what levels they cover. If your dog is coming back from an injury, ask how the rehab and conditioning work fits with training.

Got Your Six Support Dogs is a Maryville nonprofit that places service dogs with veterans and first responders, and our listing shows it as an ADI accredited member program. It also runs a Dog Training Academy for pet owners. You start with a people only workshop, Understanding Dog Behavior 101, before your dog joins a class.

Six week group classes run from Beginner Obedience up to Advanced, which prepares dogs for the Canine Good Citizen test. There's also Agility Foundations, a non competitive class built on positive reinforcement, plus a pet CPR and first aid class. One hour private lessons are offered too. Prices are listed on their site as $180 for a six week group course and $90 for a private hour.

The therapy dog class is ten hour long sessions for dogs at least a year old that have passed basic and intermediate classes. It's listed at $300 plus a $150 supply fee. The site notes that finishing a class doesn't make you a service dog trainer.

Sit Means Sit St. Louis is a franchise location in St. Charles, and the site names Chase McDowell as owner and head trainer. He has trained dogs since 2018 and started as a client of the company's Orlando location.

You begin with a free evaluation, then work one on one with a trainer in private lessons. Follow up group classes let your dog practice around other dogs and owners. The Day & Train program has you drop your dog off in the morning and pick up in the evening. Puppies from 10 to 20 weeks have their own program with a focus on socialization, and the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is offered.

Behavior programs cover aggression and reactivity, plus fear and anxiety and off leash work. The site says Chase focuses on balanced training. The service area covers St. Louis and St. Charles counties, including Chesterfield and Ballwin. Prices aren't posted.

Sarah Hoth is a St. Louis dog trainer listed in our directory as a member of the Pet Professional Guild. The Pet Professional Guild is one of the groups the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior names when it lists organizations to recommend to dog owners.

We don't have a website on file for her, so her programs and prices aren't listed here. Use the first call to ask whether she teaches private lessons or classes and which parts of the city she covers. Ask what you'd practice at home between sessions, too.

Best Behavior Pet Training is run by Sue Schulze, a CPDT-KA certified trainer. Our listing also shows her as a Canine Good Citizen evaluator and a member of both the APDT and the Pet Professional Guild. The site advertises more than 35 years of experience, and she works with cats as well as dogs.

The main service is one hour in home training and behavior counseling across the St. Louis area and Illinois. She works on aggression and fear along with separation anxiety and housebreaking. Door manners and homes with several pets are on the list too. Virtual lessons run an hour over Zoom, FaceTime or Google Meet, and the site says they suit shy dogs and cats. The site describes a focus on positive reinforcement, and it doesn't list group classes.

Prices are listed on their site as $200 for the first in home session and $150 for each follow up, or $420 for three and $675 for five. Virtual sessions are listed at $100 each.

Youngs Dog Training is listed in our directory under Jonathan Young, with LFDM-T and IAABC-ADT credentials and Pet Professional Guild membership. The site describes force free training and says it doesn't use prong collars, shock collars, head halters or other tools that teach through avoidance. It lists more than 15 years of experience.

You can choose Owner Focused Coaching, where you work directly with the trainer, or Hands Off Owner Coaching, where the trainer leads the first in home training. Board and train is also offered, with your dog staying in the trainer's home. The site covers puppy training plus reactivity and aggression, and it calls its approach enrichment based, looking at a dog's health and routines along with skills. Our listing also includes assistance animal training.

The service area runs from Wentzville across greater St. Louis to Illinois towns like O'Fallon and Belleville. Pricing isn't shown on the pages we opened, and the first step is a free service inquiry.

CHAMP Assistance Dogs is a St. Louis charity that trains assistance dogs, and our listing shows it as an ADI accredited member program. Its site also lists an eight week Basic Obedience Class for dogs at least 6 months old. Classes meet for an hour on Saturdays at 1 or 2:30 PM at its Maryland Heights office, with about 8 to 10 dogs. Skills include loose leash walking and come, plus sit and down stays. The class is listed on their site at $250, and the first 2027 session starts January 16. The site doesn't say who can enroll, so ask CHAMP whether the class is open to your dog before you plan around it.

The Basic Therapy Dog Class prepares you and your dog to volunteer with CHAMP. Dogs need to be at least 18 months old, have lived with you for 6 months and pass a temperament evaluation. It runs Thursday evenings and is listed at $275 for 2026, which includes a $25 evaluation fee.

Duo Dogs is a St. Louis charity that trains service and hearing dogs, and our listing shows it as an ADI accredited member program. It also runs obedience classes for the public. Classes meet one hour a week for six weeks with up to six dog and handler teams, and the site says its certified professional trainers use positive reinforcement.

The Puppy Class takes puppies from about 12 weeks to 6 months, and Basic Skills is for dogs 6 months and older. After Basic Skills you can move on to Intermediate and CGC Prep, where an AKC evaluator gives the Canine Good Citizen test in week six, or a Tricks class. Touch Prep gets teams ready for the Duo Touch Therapy program. Six week sessions are listed on their site at $200, and specialty classes at $250, plus registration fees.

Dogs need proof of current shots, including rabies. The site says reactive or aggressive dogs aren't a good fit. Registration for the January 2027 session opens November 18.

Good Dog Enrichment & Training is a woman owned training center in the city of St. Louis. The site describes force free, science based training built on positive reinforcement, with the goal of making learning fun for you and your dog.

Programs are grouped into puppies and new dogs, everyday manners, behavior challenges, and enrichment and dog sports. There's also an advanced and service dog training track. You can book a consultation, join group classes and workshops, or take private lessons at the center or in your home. Day training and daycare are offered too, along with a shelter program.

The pages we opened don't list trainer credentials or prices. Ask on the first call which format fits your dog's goals and what a program costs.

Off Leash K9 Training St. Louis is part of the national Off Leash K9 company and serves the St. Louis area. The site lists parks where it trains, among them Forest Park and Tower Grove Park. It says the company's handlers come from military service and shelter volunteering, and some are former veterinary techs.

The Basic Obedience package is four private lessons covering recall, sit, place, heel and down. Basic and Advanced doubles that to eight with distraction work. The two week board and train focuses on off leash obedience and behavior change. Dogs under 5 months get a puppy consultation on potty and crate training. The Aggressive Dog Package is eight private lessons on aggression and reactivity, and Therapy Dog Development is eight lessons toward therapy dog certification.

The page we opened doesn't say which tools they use or list prices, so ask about both on the first call.

Zoom Room St. Louis is an indoor dog training gym in Crestwood, open every day from 9 AM to 8 PM. The site says it uses positive reinforcement only and trains the owner alongside the dog, so you come to class with your dog instead of dropping off.

Classes cover puppy training and obedience, plus agility and scent work. Playgroups and gym time give dogs a place to practice being calm around others. Private training is offered, including separate sessions for reactive dogs. You can start with a free 30 minute orientation without your dog, then book a one on one evaluation where a trainer recommends a starting point.

The page doesn't post class prices, though it notes a $95 administrative fee if you get a refund on a class or private training pass. Nearby areas named on the page include Fenton and Ballwin.