Best Dog Trainers in and Near Tacoma, WA

Karen Briggs runs the Bark Busters franchise for greater Olympia, and every session is one on one in your home. Once you and your dog are ready, she can move the work outside to sidewalks and parks. Her page lists help with leash pulling and nipping, along with bigger problems like reactivity and separation anxiety. The company says it uses no shock or choke collars, and the approach doesn't rely on treats. Her service area runs from Lacey and Olympia up to Tacoma and University Place, and Graham and Yelm are on the list too. Bark Busters was founded in 1989, and its Life of Dog Support Guarantee covers follow up help at no extra cost.

Off Leash K9 Training's Tacoma location is listed in DuPont and belongs to a national franchise founded by Nick White, a Marine veteran. Its focus is off leash obedience. The basic and advanced obedience course is eight private lessons, and the 2 Week Board and Train is a 14 day camp where your dog stays with a trainer. Other eight lesson packages cover aggression and reactivity or therapy dog development. Puppies under five months start with a consultation on housebreaking and crate training, and the site says trainers work with puppies as young as 8 weeks. Sessions can happen in your home. The page names Tacoma among its service areas, along with cities farther north such as Renton and Burien. You can start with a free phone consultation.

Jean Whitehead handles the dog behavior cases at Another Approach Behavior Solutions, and her page there lists her as MA, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA. It says she has worked in animal training and behavior since 1985, starting with Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management Program, and that she turned her focus to family dogs in 1994. Her cases center on reactivity and aggression toward people or other dogs. The practice says dogs that have bitten are a significant part of what she does. There's no facility. Sessions happen in your home across the greater Puget Sound area, Tacoma and Olympia included, or virtually from anywhere with an internet connection. Each case starts with your dog's history and environment, then a plan built around your home and daily life. The practice says it uses no punishment and follows methods approved by AVSAB. It won't promise a cure, and its site explains that credentialed professionals can't guarantee outcomes under their ethics codes. All work is one on one, with no group classes.

Shivani Seastone runs Paw Potential Dog Training & Behavior in Gig Harbor. She holds the CBCC-KA and is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She's also a certified separation anxiety behavior consultant and a Fear Free Certified Professional. Her Life Skills work covers loose leash walking and recall, plus helping kids and a new dog get along. Behavior Challenges covers fear and reactivity, and it also takes on resource guarding and dogs that struggle when left home alone. Puppy Foundations helps young dogs get comfortable in new places. She uses humane, science based methods built on positive reinforcement. In person sessions run from Fox Island to Port Orchard and North Tacoma, and online sessions are open anywhere in the U.S. You can book a free discovery chat first.

Notre Dog Academy is a Tacoma training center, and our listing names Stephanie Beausoleil, who holds the CBCC-KA. Off leash hybrid puppy classes start every Saturday, and the site says Dr. Ian Dunbar endorses them. Premium puppy programs are for dogs under 14 weeks. Older dogs can join group classes or book a one hour private lesson with a certified trainer. Day School works with your dog while you're at work, and the site says Day School is always live streamed so you can watch. The site lists behavior consulting for severe behaviors, and separation anxiety help is marked as coming soon. Training is positive and science based. Visits are by appointment, and you can book a free 15 minute Zoom info session with the owner before you commit.

Zoom Room Tacoma is an indoor dog training gym that says it uses positive reinforcement only. Its classes cover puppy training and obedience. You train alongside your dog in each class, and you won't be locked into a fixed six week session. Agility is on the schedule too, and the site lists tricks and scent work for dogs ready for more. Outside of class, you can book playgroups or gym time for socializing. New clients start with a free 30 minute orientation, and you don't need to bring your dog to it. A 30 minute evaluation with your dog comes next. Besides Tacoma, the service area includes Puyallup and Lakewood, plus Gig Harbor and University Place.

PackLeader Farm in Gig Harbor is a competitive herding facility, and owner operator Barbara Davenport gives the lessons. The farm offers stockdog training open to all breeds. Sheep and ducks are available year round, and cattle are available in season. Dogs can work in an arena or out on a large field, and there are ranch course areas as well. Handlers can rent stock to practice, with the owner's permission. The farm hosts herding trials during the year, sanctioned by groups that include the AKC and ASCA. PackLeader is the only herding program in this guide, so it's the place to look if you own a herding breed and want work beyond basic obedience.

Family Dog Training Center in Kent runs a long class list for pet owners and competitors alike. Puppy Manners is for pups under five months, and Beginning Home Obedience picks up after that age. Advanced Home Obedience comes next, along with prep classes for the Canine Good Citizen test and therapy dog work. On the performance side you'll find agility and nosework, and the list also has rally obedience and trick training. Competition obedience practice and breed ring classes round it out. Private lessons cover training and behavior challenges of all kinds. The site notes that its group class prices now include sales tax, while private lessons don't carry it. You can also rent the building for practice.

Dorothy Turley runs Let's Talk Dogs in Lacey, and K9 Nose Work is her main focus. Her site shows CPDT-KA and NACSW instructor badges. Nose work classes teach your dog scent detection as a game, and her site keeps a list of upcoming nose work trials and odor recognition tests. Private lessons are available along with seminars and workshops. She describes her style as positive, common sense training and management that's friendly to dogs and people. Her site says she covers everything from basic training to competition work, including fear or aggression issues. The home page doesn't post a class schedule, so check the trials page or ask about dates when you reach out. There's also a page of training articles and videos you can read before you sign up.

Run Wild Dog Sports trains on its own campus in Auburn and serves South King County and beyond. Methods are positive and reward based, and instructors coach you as much as your dog. Puppy classes build confidence and social skills, and Basic Manners covers leash skills and recall. Reactive Rover is a separate program for dogs with reactivity. The sports list includes agility and rally, and it also has barn hunt and disc dog, which no other trainer in this guide lists. Private training is available for specific behavior concerns or problems at home. There are also online classes, and you can rent the arena for practice. New students start with an orientation before their first class.

Britaini Revelez runs Bombshell K9 in Tacoma and says she has more than 15 years in the pet industry. Board and train is the main program here, from three week basic stays to six week advanced behavior modification. Puppies can do a board and train of three weeks or more, focused on house training and early obedience. Private lessons cover anything from basic obedience to problem behavior. Bombshell takes on aggressive dogs, including ones with a bite history, and dogs with severe anxiety. The site calls its method balanced, with rewards for good behavior and corrections for bad choices, and it says it avoids yank and crank handling. Its service area runs from Gig Harbor and Bremerton to DuPont and Lacey.

Positive Approach has been in the dog training and daycare business in Tacoma for over 20 years, according to its site. Its class ladder starts with a New Puppy Class for pups up to 6 months, then moves through Basic and Advanced Obedience to a Canine Good Citizen class that prepares dogs for the AKC test. A newer Outdoor Class works on reliability in busy places for dogs that already know the basics. The training page says group classes are paused until early 2027, while private lessons are still running. Those can happen at the training center or in your home, and a one hour private lesson is listed on their site as $160. The site says training uses positive reinforcement with no prong or shock collars. All of its head trainers hold the CPDT-KA, and behavioral consultations are a separate service. Daycare and boarding share the building, which helps if you want training and care in one place.

Gina Lopez leads PacwestK9 in Tacoma, and the site says she has over 15 years of hands on experience as a K9 trainer. Every program starts with an evaluation, listed on their site as $75, which counts toward your program. Lessons are private. The puppy class is six 30 minute sessions for pups 10 weeks to 5 months, and basic obedience is six 45 minute sessions for dogs six months and older. Behavior modification covers leash reactivity and resource guarding, along with fear or aggression. The 14 day board and train is listed on their site as $2,400 and the 30 day version as $4,800, and both include private transfer sessions afterward. E-collar training is offered, and the site lists sport and protection training. A 10 acre farm is used for boarding and advanced training.

Jeff Salter served as a U.S. Army Military Police officer and a Tacoma police officer, and he trained police dogs before starting Rocky Junior's Dog Training Service. He's trained dogs full time since January 2009, and the business has served Pierce and South King counties since 2015. All training is one on one in your home, by appointment. His approach is positive and force free, and the site rules out corrections along with shock and prong collars. Advanced Training is described as therapy for fearful and reactive dogs, using a method he calls RAFT. His dog Jenny now helps with those sessions. Puppy and adult dogs are both welcome, and he offers AKC Canine Good Citizen test prep.

Margarita Knowlton teaches every lesson at K9 Companion Academy one on one, and her site says reactive or fearful dogs can train without meeting other dogs or people. Her program list includes K9 Hoopers and parkour, and you can also learn freestyle or scent games. She's a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner and a registered veterinary technician, and she holds a certificate in applied animal behavior from the University of Washington. She's also an accredited instructor for Canine Hoopers and All Dogs Parkour. Her site lists over 23 years in the animal field and describes her as experienced in positive reinforcement training. Lessons happen around Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula.

Best Friend Forever K9 Training in Gig Harbor names Mandy as its trainer and lists her as a Certified E-Collar Trainer and a Method K9 Certified Level 1 Trainer with a behavior science degree. The site calls the approach balanced, with an emphasis on rewards. Board and train runs two to four weeks. The 2 week program, listed on their site as $2,750, uses an e-collar, while the 3 and 4 week stays can go with or without one and are aimed at anxious or reactive dogs and service dogs in training. Dogs wear an AirTag during the stay, and you get daily photo and video updates. A four week one on one lesson package for dogs 5 months and older is listed on their site as $400, and a one hour private puppy lesson for pups 8 weeks to 4 months is listed on their site as $100. AKC group classes include S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen. Daycare and boarding are on site.

Belynda Moore has trained dogs since 1987 and went professional in 1994, according to her Graham business, Ultimate K9. Puppy programs start as young as 8 weeks and cover potty and crate training. Adult dogs move through tiered programs from Bronze up to Masterclass, and the site says programs range from 4 to 10 weeks. Programs include access to monthly group classes. Board and train options include a Platinum program and weekly stays, and trainers can also come to your home to work on problems where they happen. She works with lunging and aggression, including dogs that are aggressive toward people. The site calls its tools balanced, including remote collars and training pouches, and its off leash reliability work uses long lines. Service reaches Puyallup and JBLM as well as Tacoma.