I have been working with Rachel since last fall. She is wonderful. She's genius at analyzing a dogs…read morebehavior and providing many different potential solutions, seeing what works best. She's really good with the humans too and creates a plan of things implement in everyday training. She also emails an overview that is extremely in depth and descriptive. I'm lucky to have found her for training with my dog. Shes helped my dog so much!

Janice Triptow and her colleague Megan Ores-Uhrich are, in short, awesome. This is more of a…read morereview of Megan's work because I don't know Janice that well since I have Megan has been my point of contact and my pup's trainer. When Janice was in the class, I was super impressed. And, she works with the Chicago Court Case Dog Program...so awesome! Okay, long story? Here goes: I have wanted a dog for a long time. At my friend's graduation party last year, she recommended that I contact Megan. Megan acted as a dog head hunter for my friend. Wait...that reads/sounds bad. Lemme rephrase: Megan hunted a dog down for my frie...wait. Megan searched for a dog for my friend (okay, better). My friend said that Megan would do the same for me and, dang it, she did! Interestingly enough, she found the perfect dog for me the same day that I adopted the most perfect dog for me! Even more interestingly enough, Megan trained the dog that she originally found for me and my dog. ANNNNDDD, my dog and the other dog are now in the same walking group! It's like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, but for dogs! In almost serious, I tell that story to point out that Megan is dedicated to connecting people and dogs so that all parties are happy as clams! Oh! Megan is also a great trainer. She is very attentive to the pups and the people. I think dog training is not only about training the dog, but also - and potentially more importantly - it is about training the people. Since we were learning so many skills each class, she gave us homework sheets so that we could practice the way she taught us in class. If we had questions, we could ask her pretty much at any time. She is also amazingly available on email. I mean, I have sent her frantic emails at 12a asking why the hell my dog won't walk, what type of harness goes with what type of dog seatbelt, why does she insist on chewing the wood in the apartment versus the thousands of chewies I bought, so on and so forth, and she has emailed me back within the hour or by 7a the next morning (disclaimer: she might not do that all of the time, but I was impressed when she did it for me). Overall, I heart Megan and Dog Behavior Solutions. I would be lost without them...in fact, I am about to break into song about my heart-ing of these folks and the way they care about dogs...*nods to Robin Thicke, clears throat* I'm lost without you Can't train my dog Why won't she siiiiit? Down when I ask her to....

While I wish things had panned out differently, I had an absolutely horrifying experience with…read morePawsome Dogs/Melissa. My experience with Melissa started with a rave review from a friend, and I hired her for 5 lessons (with a referral discount from my friend) and later added 25 minute walks while I was at work Monday through Friday ($70/week). Initially, I was happy with the way she connected with my puppy, however I always had concerns about her communication style and lack of professionalism. [sorry for the long review...scroll to the bottom for the short version] From the start, Melissa was constantly texting me about her other clients, personal life, love life, etc. Melissa offered me discounts and requested all of my payments be made in cash so she wouldn't have to report them through her business. As a new dog mom, I was happy to put my puppy first so that he was getting the care he needed. A few months into my walking and training with Melissa, my roommate decided to have Melissa walk his dog as well. At this point, Melissa notified me that she was letting some of her walking clients go, but was planning on keeping our dogs as she was making $140 most weeks (in cash) from walking them both. She also let me know that she would give me one month's heads up if she was planning on dropping me as a walking client. Living in Chicago, safety is always a concern, and for me, trusting someone with keys to your place is a big deal, and I had informed Melissa I needed at least two weeks notice to be able to find a new walker that connected with my pup. In the most recent months, we noticed from the time stamps on our security system that she was often not even walking the dogs for the full 25 minutes as per our agreements, presumably because she was getting busier in other aspects of her life. Last week, she informed me that she was dropping me as a client effective that week. Forced to scramble together and find new arrangements for my puppy, I let Melissa know that I was disappointed in her lack of professional courtesy. At this point, I have used 4 of my 5 training lessons with Melissa, and I requested that we cut off ties and that she refund me the remaining $50 from the unused lesson. I thought we'd just wash our hands of the experience and move on, but instead, she went on a rampage about how I have no right to make such a request, that I'd be forfeiting my remaining lesson, and that she was going to go and convince my friend that I was being irrational. I was most appalled by her activity on social media following our conversation where she used profanity to describe me as a "crazy lady" for my concerns (screenshots posted in the photos section of this Yelp page). TL; DR? Melissa's lack of professionalism ultimately led me to lose all respect for her business when she broke verbal and written agreements (after I spent thousands of dollars for her services), and then harassed me about it.

I only have positive remarks on Melissa's performance as a professional and ability to work with…read moreboth dogs and people. I've taken two classes and had a private lesson. She is by far the most trustworthy trainer I have worked with, and having had dogs my entire life there have been a few. My golden doodle Chester loves her and I love how well trained he is! 1) The first class with Melissa was a basics class. I've seen her take a handful of puppies and train out bad habits, teach to walk on a leash, basics commands, and turn them into overall better behaved dogs. We even learned our first trick! She takes the time to explain why we would train using certain techniques as opposed to others and caters to each dog and owner individually even in a class setting. For example, with certain dogs like mine she recommended using a walking harness where it was unnecessary for others. 2) The second class was a tricks course and there must have been about 8 dogs in the class at once. Over the duration of a few months we'd learned crawl, say your prayers, cross your paws, play dead, wave hello, and a ton of other tricks. Melissa was extremely attentive to everyone and their dogs progress while also being able to address the entire class and move us along as a group. Best part is Chester loves doing play dead and now does it just to get attention when I entertain. Its too adorable. 3) I'd missed a couple trick classes and scheduled a private to catch up. Melissa was flexible with time and we worked on not only what I missed but a couple other cool tricks like play dead and cross your paws. In an hour and a half Chester was caught up and read for graduation. On the way out she even offered to stay extra to see how his walking was going and gave some additional advise and explanation on how to train out his tugging at the leash. He has gotten significantly better on a leash with the training she gave me and Chester. All in all, you can't go wrong here. Melissa is knowledgeable, easy to work with, the dogs respond very well to her, and she's a professional. Down to how after every class she sends out a newsletter with all the commands/tricks and how-to's that we learned that week in case we the people need a little reminder. A+ all around and I can't recommend her enough (and I do to everyone)!

My husband and I decided to enroll our Shiba Inu at Petco. Our trainer, Ducki was wonderful!! I…read moreappreciate the positive reinforcement methods she embrace and teaching us pet parents how to train our dogs. I have a stubborn breed, so learning how to develop a parent/child bond was very effective. I enjoy Ducki's explanation of the breakdowns on the simplest movements or use of words that we parent do daily without realizing our dogs are observing us. I highly recommend anyone who are looking for a well experienced and knowledgeable trainer to ask for Ducki.

Ducki is wonderful! Would highly recommend to anyone who needs high quality dog training. Her…read moretechnique is effective because she trains owners how to properly train. She aims to strengthen the dog-owner relationship to maximize success. We've used her training techniques at home and on walks and have seen such a huge improvement in our pup, Sammy over the last 12 weeks. She really has a solution for any training issue/question you can think of. Thanks Ducki!

These classes are so helpful! I've been a dog mum before so I figured I was decently knowledgeable…read moreabout dog training (wrong!) these classes are so helpful not just for pups but also for parents! I learned so many things I was doing were actually counterproductive for training and this class really helped me learn the correct ways to help my pup learn. My pup really enjoyed these classes she learned so much and made many friends. We were enrolled in the starter puppy class and I really recommend it for anyone who has a puppy. We are looking to enroll in the next step class Bcs we find these classes SO helpful! Mike was our Puppy Professor and he was so wonderful in teaching us humans the best way to communicate and teach our doggos.

We've taken our rescue puppy here for puppy obedience training and level 1 training so far and the…read moreexperience has been fantastic. So far we've had the same trainer, Mike, and our dog absolutely loves him. Attentive, knowledgeable, and always willing to go the extra mile to give you a little specialized attention. The class itself is positive feedback based clicker training which I had never seen before, but our dog has made incredible strides in just a few short months, she's on track to be the most well-trained dog I've ever had. Highly recommend

After a lot of research and trainer interviewing I knew I had found the right fit for my VERY…read morestubborn and active puppy. Wen and the entire team at Back to Basics is welcoming, caring and completely hands on. I felt confident in my little guy learning how to be less Husky/Shepherd mix crazy and more good boy. That confidence was proven right. My pup came so far in a matter of days that I was absolutely amazed. He was like a new dog and let me tell you, walks became a complete joy as opposed to the workout/mini nightmare session they used to be before Wen. Nipping , jumping on people and even potty training was no longer an issue. I received homework and videos everyday showing what he was working on so I could practice with him to keep the good manners and habits going far beyond the training sessions. If you are looking for a trainer, Wen and Beyond Basics is without a shadow of doubt the only one you will need. We love her and cannot thank her enough.

AMAZING value for 4 sessions. We were struggling with our 1.5 year old beagle being…read morefearful/aggressive during her morning routine and some general obedience/leash training. Wen was extremely knowledgeable about different methods we could try that would be most beneficial for our dog's personality. After 2 sessions with Wen, our pup no longer pulls and is getting more confident in her morning routine. Very clear homework each week and our relationships with our dog have never been better. Cannot recommend Back to Basics Dog Training enough!!!

Wendy is the dog whisperer. This is our 6th dog that we are training with Wendy. Actually the…read moreadults get more training!! 500 stars!!

I'm training my 3rd dachshund in Wendy's classes and I can't say enough good about my experience. I…read morenotice a lot of (most) people don't bother to train their small dogs, and because of this, small dogs tend to have a bad reputation. Not mine! The puppy class is a great start to socialize your pup with other dogs and new people in a safe and controlled setting. You learn techniques to manage all sorts of situations and set the stage for good behavior. The obedience classes give you the knowledge and tools you need to train your dog to behave well in any situation. A well-behaved dog can go practically anywhere and will always be welcomed back!

Brooke is an absolutely phenomenal trainer! She's incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and kind. She…read moredid a fantastic job with my boy and, just as importantly, helped educate me on how to be the best leader I can be for my dog. I'm so grateful for her guidance and highly recommend working with Brooke! Thank you, Brooke!

I gave them an unruly and nasty beast and they gave me back the most lovable and well behaved dog…read moreever!!! I cannot say enough great things about Ari and his staff. What they did was nothing short of a miracle! My dog, Wilson, was a stubborn and willful brat but not anymore! He actually LISTENS and does exactly what I command. I am so happy and strongly recommend Downtown Dogs! Thank you Ari and staff for the happiness and peace you have brought to my home.

Frank has been wonderful! We're so glad we found him. We've got two rescued pugs that both have…read morebehavioral issues, and Frank spent three weekend days with us giving us training tips. We've gotten guidance on issues like lunging while on the leash, barking at animals on TV, and jumping and barking when people come over. After spending time with Frank, we felt like we had a plan, which has instilled lots of confidence and motivation in us. We also now board our dogs with Frank when we go out of town for long days or weekends. It's nice to know that they're in someone's home but also around other dogs (Frank's dogs and others that he is boarding), and that they're getting the same training we'd do at home. Frank truly loves dogs, and he's got a clear training philosophy that made sense to us. The first day we met him we could see that he understands dogs and knows exactly what to do to control them. We've been calling him the Dog Whisperer of Rogers Park ever since.

My boyfriend and I adopted a 4- or 5-year-old toy Manchester Terrier from New Leash on Life (a…read morewonderful local rescue organization!) and took him to Frank for some help with minor issues including barking at the door and exhibiting jealousy when we were affectionate with one another. Frank was a wonderful resource. He showed us some training activities to do with Duncan, sometimes demonstrating with Duncan and other times with one of his brood of mostly rescue dogs. We left the training session with a printed handout of training activities and a renewed sense of confidence. I often get compliments on what a well-behaved little dog Duncan is, and I always reply with an enthusiastic referral for Frank. We recently adopted a second dog and we're so grateful that Frank offers a boarding service. It's great to know the pups will be in good hands when we travel to Brooklyn to visit my parents.