We're proud to work with many highly skilled trainers, facilities, and programs in the community. Chi-Town Pitties, Inc. does not condone the usage of aversive and punishment-based training methods. Aversive and punishment-based methods are not effective long-term and can cause increased fear, mistrust, negative association, and aggression.
Check out the various trainers, facilities, and programs for training below! We're excited for you and your pet be successful!
Chi- Town Pitties, Inc. is proud to partner with A Sound Beginning Program, an innovative dog-training program designed for the newly adopted dog. Classes concentrate on life skills that focus on the human-animal bond, socialization and self-control, creating the foundation for a lifetime of learning!
When you adopt your new dog or puppy from us, you will receive a FREE enrollment in A Sound Beginning Program’s Introduction to Training class. A Sound Beginning will help you create a better relationship with your dog, addressing existing behavior problems and preventing new ones from developing.
If you’d like more in-depth training with your dog, Chi-Town Pitties, Inc. adopters can also enroll in the A Sound Beginning Complete Training Package for a discounted rate of just $100!
At Anything Is Pawzible I bring my life-long love for animals together with proven positive dog training techniques that both you and your dog will enjoy. With over a 15 years of professional experience and a Masters Degree in Psychology as well as a Certification in Dog Obedience Instruction from Animal Behavior Training and Associates, I am committed to helping people build and strengthen their relationships with their dogs. At Anything Is PAWZible we offer puppy, basic and advanced dog obedience, tricks, and therapy dog training classes in the downtown Chicago area. Our behavior modification, puppy selection and adaptation lessons through private dog training sessions are also available. I created Anything Is PAWZible dog training with the family pet owner in mind. Our methods and techniques are positive and fun for both you and your pet! It is never too late to improve your relationship with your pet because Anything Is PAWZible. ~Rendy Schuchat, M.A.
Laura Kelly is a Victoria Stilwell Academy-Certified Dog Trainer (VSA-CDT) and a Fear Free Certified
Professional Trainer (FFCP-Trainer), dedicated to helping you learn to enjoy living with your dog by
creating a fun, cooperative relationship. She left a long-time corporate career to pursue her not-so-
secret passion of dog training. It all started when her loving, friendly dog Annie was attacked by a
neighbor’s off-leash dog. Annie changed from being friendly and outgoing to fearful, anxious, and
reactive to every dog she saw. She took Annie to multiple trainers who said she needed to yell at and
punish Annie “to teach her to behave.” Laura knew that was wrong and began a long search to find help.
She eventually found an English online trainer who guided her through kind positive reinforcement to
teach Annie that she was safe, loved, and able to make better choices even when she feels scared,
which drastically changed her behavior. Now Laura owns Best Choice Dog Training, is an assistant in that
English trainer’s two online dog training courses, and assists Ali at I Got This SIT, LLC. Laura would be
delighted to help you to understand and guide your best friend to be the best version of themselves that
they can be. She provides in-home training in the Schaumburg area including puppy training,
obedience/manners training for adolescents and adults, leash training for dogs who pull, and reactivity
training for dogs who bark and lunge when they see other dogs, wildlife, and other scary or exciting
things while walking on leash, standing behind a fence, or looking out windows. She especially enjoys
working with “rowdy” teenage and young adult dogs.
As the saying goes "you'll get more with sugar than vinegar" and that is true for our pets, as well. What example do you want do be? Someone that is feared, intimidating or one that is caring and kind. Your actions and reactions matter to your dog, they study you and the environment. Setting the example by using punishment to stop the behavior from continuing will fix the moment but not the future. It is a sticky process to use aversive training because it has many fallouts, emotionally and physically. Emotions control behavior and when you are not building a positive outcome, you will see the sticky side effects eventually. Positive reinforcement should not only be the way you teach your dog but a lifestyle. It will give you the building blocks for a trusting relationship. Isn't that what we all want? It brings out the best in us and as well as your dog. Training is such an essential part of the puzzle because it enhances the way of life for your pet. Every dog should enjoy the teaching process of learning. We need to teach them and teach them well, so they can have the coping skills to live in our environment. ~Patricia Calderone, CPDT-KA, DN-FSG1
Owner, Certified Professional Dog Trainer
Rachel grew up working with dogs. Her first experience with training came with her dog, Nico, when she was seventeen. She later trained a rescue dog named Kali. Kali went on to earn a champion title in agility as well as titles in obedience and tricks. Rachel has participated in agility, dock diving, tricks, obedience, nose work, and therapy work. Her young dog, Flash, is competing in agility and disc dog. Flash has also earned her Trick Dog Champion title. In addition, she enjoys herding, dock diving, and obedience. Rachel enjoys the chance to participate in new activities and loves to have fun with her dogs.
Rachel is a force-free trainer. She loves to help owners bond with their dogs through positive reinforcement training and has been working with dogs for more than 10 years. In that time, Rachel has worked with dogs of various ages, breeds, backgrounds, and temperaments. She has trained dogs for agility course work, herding, dock diving, tricks, obedience, and therapy work, and has worked with dogs and owners to solve behavioral problems. A Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), Rachel is also a certified trick dog instructor.
In addition to training clients' dogs, Rachel also trains emotional support animals for Pets for Vets. Pets for Vets rescues dogs from shelters and trains them. The dogs are then placed with veterans. These animals help heal the emotional wounds for the veterans. Its a win-win for both the animals and veterans. ~Rachel Fein, KPA-CTP, CTDI
Debbie has been helping people train their dogs in Chicago since 1999. She is an honors graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers headed by world-renowned trainer & behavior specialist, Jean Donaldson. She received her CTC (certification in training and behavior counseling) from the Academy in 2000.
Debbie teaches a wide variety of classes ranging from puppy to advanced, polite walking to tricks. Debbie is a proud member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the Pet Professional Guild.
She has trained past clients dogs and her own dogs in the sports of agility, flyball, canine disc, canine freestyle, rally obedience, nose work, weight pulling, Parkour, Stunt Dog, and Treibball.
Her rescue dog Ludo has trained in many sports, acted in commercials, and makes a great demo dog in her classes. Debbie is excited to be the first and currently only trainer in Chicago to become a Victoria Stillwell Positively Dog Training – licensed trainer, a team of trainers handpicked by Victoria who use only the most up-to-date, humane, effective, reward based methods.
She is a Certified Tricks Dog Instructor, and with Ludo, made it to the grand finale – top 6 – of the first annual Stunt Dog Nationals (stunt dog trials are live trick performances in front of an audience). Her new rescue dog PInky Tuscadero has brought life and shenanigans to her home. In her spare time, Debbie likes to hike, camp, garden, and hang out with her dogs and partner.
Alisa Healy is the owner and trainer at Dog Forward Training, where she specializes in the training and socialization of puppies under 5 months old. She graduated from the Dog Trainer Professional program at Karen Pryor Academy and is a Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP, certification number 14193). She is also a Licensed Family Dog Mediator (LFDM-T). Alisa started Dog Forward Training to help dedicated owners live fun, active lives with their pups. Life with a puppy can be downright magical. And she knows from personal experience that it can also be stressful. Her goal is to help you find real solutions, so you and your puppy understand each other and enjoy a harmonious life together full of adventure. Starting a puppy's education early helps grow their confidence and bring out the best in their personality and behavior.
Dog Forward Training offers private, in-home training, as well as puppy socialization field trips for puppies ages two to five months old. Training and socialization are highly customized to each individual puppy and family, utilizing positive reinforcement methods. Alisa's service area is a 35-minute radius around West Dundee, including the suburbs of Elgin, St. Charles, Crystal Lake, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Barrington, and more.
Some of Alisa's favorite training experiences have been working with shelter dogs in Malawi, Africa, coaching incarcerated youth as they learned to clicker train dogs, and training a variety of animals at a wildlife rescue, including porcupines, foxes, and wallabies. She lives in West Dundee with her husband and two dogs, Ruby and Lazlo, who are the best hiking pals and agility teammates.
Phyllis Zboril, owner and head trainer at Go Dog! Training earned a Certification in Training and Counseling (CTC), from the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers, an intensive two year program headed by world renowned dog trainer and behavior expert, Jean Donaldson, where she graduated with honors. She's been training professionally for 11+ years, and has trained her own dogs in obedience, agility, tracking, nosework, and earth dog. Phyllis also has been involved with pit bull rescue as a foster parent and trainer.
As a science-based trainer, Phyllis recognizes there is no magic formula to training your best friend. Your dog’s behavior depends on motivation and consequences, and all dogs learn best through rewards-based training, no matter the dog’s history, size, or the breed. Over the past several decades Phyllis has lived with a variety of different types of dogs - including several German shepherds, a few pit bulls and pit mixes, a handful of Jack Russell Terriers, a rough collie, and a cockapoo, all of which were trained using force-free methods. None of these dogs required harsh methods to overcome their particular behavioral challenges.
In addition to her work with dogs, Phyllis enjoys playing guitar, horseback riding, and clicker training horses. She currently is the proud parent of a Jack Russell Terrier, Lucky, and a pit bull mix, Simon.
I’ve been an animal lover for as long as I can remember, and I’m fortunate to have created the perfect career that merges my two passions: teaching people and making a difference for their companion animals.
I earned my CPDT accreditation (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) through the Certification Council For Professional Dog Trainers; attended the Living & Learning With Animals course to learn Applied Behavior Analysis and most recently completed the University of Washington’s Applied Animal Behavior certificate program. I maintain several professional memberships where I continue my education through B.E.N (Behavior Education Network) the PPG (Pet Professional Guild) and the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers).
In my business I provide in-home behavior consultations, training and enrichment, and where I translate confusing, often faulty, information to the pet guardian in order to give them the necessary tools to not only resolve problems, but also to forge a better relationship with their pet through new knowledge and understanding.
Shelter-dogs are not born; they are created and it is my ultimate goal to prevent dogs from becoming another shelter-dog statistic.
Currently I share a home with 4 amusing rescued animals: Fanny the Bulldog-Pitty Fonzie the Rat Terrier-Pug, and Felix & Flint, the cats, collectively known as the F-Troop! ~Fran Berry, CPDT-KA
Mary Thompson is a certified professional dog trainer and owner of Happy Hound University, offering in-home private training, day training packages, and group classes in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. Mary is certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) with a CPDT-KA, the only independent certifying body for dog trainers. She is also a PMCT1, Pat Miller Certified trainer, having completed many week-long intensive courses under the guidance of world-renowned author and dog behavior consultant Pat Miller at her facility in FairPlay, Maryland. Lastly, Mary is a fear-free certified dog trainer through Fear Free Happy Homes, working to make vet and husbandry work less stressful for dogs using positive reinforcement.
Mary has always had a love of dogs and a passion for making sure animals were treated fairly and with kindness. She has been actively volunteering in the shelter and rescue community since she was 16, and has a passion for helping rescued dogs find their homes and stay there thanks to her own rescue dog, Regis. Regis was what some would consider a "difficult" dog, guarding most objects and reacting poorly to other dogs and people on leash, and he taught Mary everything she knows about dogs, but most of all that punitive techniques based in fear and pain will not work to help any dog, especially not an anxious one. Through the use of positive behavior modification techniques Regis' guarding behavior has mostly disappeared and he is even able to participate in group classes, working in the presence of many other dogs. Thanks to Regis, Mary fell into the world of dog training and never looked back.
Mary currently lives in Elk Grove Village with Regis her beagle mix, Phoebe her lab/boxer mix, Bagheera a black domestic shorthair cat, Khan a ball python, and a wonderful fiancé who she's very grateful loves animals just as much as she does.
I Got This SIT, LLC. is a positive reinforcement dog training center based in Elgin specializing in Board & Train and day training programs. We work with puppies and dogs of all ages from potty training to basics to more severe behavior sensitivities. We believe in the use of science-based, humane training and we strive to continue our education through reading and seminars to stay up to date on the best protocols to use. Our goal is to provide each dog with an individualized training plan that works best for them and their guardian's goals and lifestyles.
Kiki Yablon, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, has been training professionally with positive reinforcement since 2011, when she graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior. She provides in-home training and coaching in parts of Chicago and some near suburbs. She also now mentors would-be dog trainers as faculty for the Karen Pryor Academy and teaches behavior science fundamentals to other animal professionals as a co-instructor for BehaviorWorks. She has completed her coursework for a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis at the University of Kansas and is working on a research-based thesis involving pet dog behavior.
Lara Mahr is a Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner (KPACTP) and Animal Behavior Professional with proven experience solving canine behavior problems such as: aggression, barking, biting, chewing, counter-surfing, digging, house training issues, jumping, leash puling, running away, and separation anxiety. Lara is vet recommended. She only uses training methods based on positive reinforcement. Convenient in-home appointments are available in West Michigan and phone consultations are available for other areas.
Jessie Kasper is certified through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC-ADT) and certified as a Family Dog Mediator (FDM). She was introduced to positive reinforcement and behavior modification during her time as a foster home and board member for Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus and fell in love with the methods. She fostered hundreds of Dobermans and mixed breeds over 10 years as well as being a foster home for cats and other small animals (birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc).
Jessie decided to pursue behavior modification professionally and Mindful Methods Companion Coaching was formed! Jessie offers private, in-home consultations in the Chicagoland suburbs and also assists with training at I Got This SIT, LLC. in Huntley, IL as well as handling all intake and administrative work as the Office Coordinator.
Training a dog is all about developing a positive relationship built on understanding, clear communication, mutual respect and fun! Over the Moon Positive Dog Training, LLC in Batavia, Illinois is founded on the science of learning. We will teach you how to understand and interpret your dog’s body language, as well as how to use the proven methods of positive reinforcement to teach your dog what she needs to know. Fear, force, pain or intimidation do not teach your dog and we will never use them with any age, size or breed of dog.
Lora is Owner and Lead Trainer for Over the Moon Positive Dog Training, LLC. She remains current in the profession of training by attending conferences, seminars, and workshops. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, Community Canine Evaluator and Urban Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. She is also an AKC Trick Dog Evaluator and has served as Vice-President and President of the Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club.
Over the Moon Positive Dog Training offers on-site group training classes, individual private training, and therapy dog preparation. We provide some in-home private training sessions. We also offer a comprehensive Behavior Assessment and personalized Behavior Training Program for families that are experiencing some undesirable, challenging or potentially dangerous behavior with their dog. ~Lora Johnson, CPDT-KA, MS ED
Allie Bender is the owner and lead behavior consultant for Pet Harmony Animal Behavior & Training. Allie is a national speaker, published writer, and an animal welfare advocate. She has been working with rescue groups and shelters since 2006 in various capacities, including founding a student-run organization to aid local shelters with fundraising, supplying volunteers, and providing education to the public about animal shelter issues.
Allie graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Iowa State University. During her education, Allie spearheaded a research study exploring the effects of enrichment on stereotypical behavior in shelter dogs. Allie started dog training professionally in 2012 and by 2015 became the lead dog behavior consultant at Best Friends Animal Society, the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the nation. Here she had the opportunity to work with dogs and cats with serious behavior challenges as well as speak at national conferences, write for the Best Friends magazine, and make TV and commercial appearances.
Allie is now back in her Illinois hometown to help owned and homeless animals alike with behavior challenges. She is a certified professional dog trainer- knowledge assessed (CPDT-KA), a shelter behavior affiliate (SBA) through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and an Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) Canine Life and Social Skills (C.L.A.S.S.) evaluator, and is certified by TAGteach at the primary level.
Jody Haas-Wolfson is the owner and operator of ROOT Dog Training. Jody is a Certified Dog Trainer CPDT-KA, as well has become a Certified Fear Free Professional (AAVSB) and has an extensive background in the developmental approach to positive reinforcement that is used at ROOT Dog Training.
She is thrilled to be part of the growing professional dog trainers that believe you don’t have to hurt, scare, injure or negatively train a dog. She will teach classes as well as do individual private lessons with our clients while she develops new and exciting programs for you and your beloved dog.
“I am so thrilled to be able to carry this mission and vision forward in focusing the positive reinforcement training methods I learned and practice as a trainer myself. I am open to talking with each and every one of our current, past and future clients to answer any questions you have to help you decide what class and approach you need to take with your puppy or dog. I am dedicated to making this the most superior dog training academy on the North Shore of Chicago, and look forward to meeting and greeting everyone.”
As a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), Jody served on the education committee that set the education standards for all dog trainers around the world.
Her background includes having a Master’s in Teaching (MAT) and Master’s in Education (MAEd) from Washington University in St. Louis, MO; as well as 30+ years in owning and running a successful business corporation (MBA and MLS University of Chicago).
At Two Paws Up, we believe that dogs and owners should have a bond formed of trust, respect, and love for each other. Our force-free methods do not include the use of choke chains, pinch and prong collars, or e-collars. We teach using positive reinforcement, rewarding dogs for appropriate behaviors and encourage a proactive management approach to set each dog up for success!
Our training team has a variety of certifications including Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) Fit Paws Certified Master Trainer, certified Animal Behavior College Dog Trainer, Canine Good Citizen and STAR Puppy instructor, AKC Certified Trick Dog Instructor, Certified Dog Parkour Instructor, and certified Barn Hunt Judge. If you dream to do it, we can help you learn it!
We also specialize in reactivity and aggression using our trademarked S.A.F.E. Program For Dogs. We are pleased to partner with Chi-Town Pitties!
Brenda Belmonte - CPDT-KA Owner, Two Paws Up Dog Training