Where to start...how about the fact that I firmly believe without Megan our dog would not still be with our family? Flash back to 2012-my husband and I moved to Chicago from DC with our high anxiety Border Collie mix rescue. We initially called Megan to help us with barking issues when we would leave our apartment. We had worked with another trainer in DC who had taught us negative reinforcement methods. Megan right away identified that with our dog's high anxiety,he needed more positive reinforcement. With these tools we noticed a drastic improvement (even after the first visit) with our dog. Improvements and progress that we never saw with the previous trainer. My husband and I loved working with Megan from the start. She truly has a way with animals and humans alike. Our dog was quickly at ease with her as were his humans. Megan also served as a resource throughout our initial training and beyond-recommending vets, various products, websites for additional training-the works. So when my husband and I found out I was pregnant, we called Megan to prep our dog for this transition. We did another round of one-on-one training as well as some behavior classes. Despite this prep, the introduction of the baby into our home proved quite traumatic for our dog. We did everything textbook to prepare our dog for this introduction. But when we brought the baby in-he freaked, and so did we. He was sent to stay with our parents in Indiana while we sorted this out. This all happened Memorial Day weekend last year. We e-mailed Megan with emotions running high. Despite the holiday, she e-mailed us back immediately. We had a plan in place within 24 hours, which put this post-partum mom's mind at ease. She came to meet with us and had the hard conversation that no one wanted to have with us. And I respect her so much for that. She laid out a plan and certain expectations that our dog would have to meet. If he didn't meet those expectations, she felt it would be in our family's best interest to re-home our dog. With a lot of work and guidance from Megan, our dog did meet those goals and expectations. And I'm happy to say he is very much a part of our family. He gets a big squeal from our son when he greets us at the door and he is always "at the ready" near our son's high chair at meal time. My husband and I are so grateful to Megan. For her amazing ability with our dog (and us), for her humor, and for her honesty. I would recommend Megan whole heartedly to anyone facing behavioral issues with their pups, to expectant parents, or to the first-time dog owner. Thank you Megan!! read more

I have a 60lbs dog who I just adopted, who pulled on leash like crazy and making walking difficult (I'm about 100lbs). Thanks to Megan - who gave me a simple magic tip: simply stop walking when he pulls, I had the first calm, lovely walk today instead of spending my walk yelling screaming pulling at my poor dog and generally being a nuisance on the sidewalk. My dog passed out after our walk and I'm very very very happy. If you want simple, effective training from someone who cares, contact Megan. read more

Megan is a dedicated and very hard- working trainer. She single-handedly took our darling five-year-old schnoodle...a frisky little guy...and turned him into an obedient, well-trained canine, who was able to pass his Canine Good Citizen test with flying colors! Usually, much younger dogs are best suited for this, but Megan, with her extraordinary training skills and knowledge of the test, was able to teach both of us how to be a good owner/canine team!! If you are having any dog-related issues at all, or are interested in pursuing a Canine Good Citizen certificate, then Megan is your best choice! read more

Megan was amazing with my senior rescue beagle Bob. I wanted him to do some obedience training to keep him mentally sharp. Megan totally understood what I was looking to do for Bob and came up with some tasks appropriate for our particular scenario. Bob took to it very quickly (I was hesistant, you know, old dogs/new tricks). But Megan had Bob doing all kinds of fun things in less than an hour. We have practiced everyday since her visit. I think Megan trained me more than she did Bob! Megan came highly recommended to me and I am passing on that high recommendation. Thanks Megan! read more

MEGAN HAS BECOME A TRUSTED ADVOCATE FOR MY WINGMAN, 1 YEAR OLD TERRIER, HUMPHREY. He is a wild man, but with Megan's help he is becoming a shining little star. Dog training doesn't encompass all that she does; also adept at human training, human calming, human encouraging! I am forever indebted to her and we will continue our work together for a long time to come. read more

We first met Megan through Dogoholics by attending the Puppy 1 class. This was a basic training class that was perfect for our dog, and for us as new parents. We have also done some one on one training with Megan in our home which allowed her to provide us with specific help catered to our puppy's needs/challenges. In both cases, Megan was really great to work with. Her knowledge and understanding were impressive and she's great with the dogs and owners, keeping it easy and fun while also providing solid advice along the way. We have definitely seen major improvements with our puppy and look forward to working with her again! read more

I recently adopted a very sweet boxer who turned out to be highly reactive on the leash when she sees other dogs. Knowing a group class was out of the question at this point, I called Megan for a in-home session. Megan has a calm energy that Mabel responded well to (so well, in fact, that she flopped down on her side after a few minutes), and she's clearly very knowledgeable about breeds and behaviors. The simple exercises we learned are making a noticeable difference during our walks. Of course, dog training is a marathon, not sprint. And I will absolutely reach out to Megan for additional sessions once we're ready to take on bigger challenges. Money absolutely well spent. read more

I have a 9# Chihuahua mix, Henri, who when on his leash has 90# of attitude, when he meets new dogs. We attended basic obedience with Megan, an advanced Growl class, and a private session! She worked wonders for us and he has become a wonderful little guy! We are looking forward to continuing with advanced classes. Henri loves "Teacher Megan," and I love the relationship she has helped me build with my dog! read more

We recently adopted a 13-year-old dog whose previous owner left him at animal control. He's a sweetheart but understandably has some issues. We did two sessions with Megan and were able to mitigate his problems almost immediately. When Megan was over for the first session she noticed that our dog was drinking more water than he needed, and since he had checked out medically, she recommended parcelling out his water in smaller increments. She explained that old dogs sometimes drink too much for their bladders. Before that he was peeing in the house nearly every day, since then he has only had two accidents. He was also a little aggressive when we wanted him to get off the couch--that was a big concern because we have a small child. Megan ran through exercises with me and the dog during both sessions and he's now much more responsive when we need him to move. The sessions helped me get a lot of insight about our dog's separation anxiety and the behaviors he engages in when overstimulated. Very glad we hired Megan. read more

We were referred to Megan by the group we rescued our dog from--needless to say, she was amazing! Our dogs would often bark when people entered our home, left, got up too quickly, ect and Megan helped with the issue right after our first session. Not only does she give you the tools/tricks to make easy changes, she really get into the psychology of the dog, which is not only informative, but fascinating. We would definitely use her again, although I'm not sure we will need to! Thanks Megan! read more

Megan helped us with our 6 year old chihuahua who has significant behavioral problems. During her first visit, Megan asked us a series of questions and was able to explain the behavioral dynamic amonng our three dogs in a way that not only made perfect sense but showed clear insight into how we should train/treat each animal. Her training tips as well as behavior modifications have created significant improvements around the house. In addition, she provides follow up and always responds promptly to questions. Finally, she genuinely cares about animals and am happy to recommend her. read more

Megan was referred to us by two of my coworkers- and I was NOT disappointed! She was awesome. Just adopted a 1 year old Cockapoo, Levi- and within and hour she got us all on board with a few techniques to help with his anxieties as well as some pointers on potty training. All in all, she really helped us understand Levi's "world." Megan put being a pet parent in a perspective we wouldn't have gotten at all- she not only got through to Levi but to us (which is likely a bigger challenge). Will definitely be using her again! read more

My boyfriend & I adopted a dog back in July. She's the best, but like all dogs, and especially recently rescued ones who have gone through trauma, she definitely needed some training. Megan was able to schedule us quickly, and our initial session with her was extremely thorough and well worth the time and money. She taught us some great exercises, gave us training we could practice on our own, and helped us understand what our dog was going through and why she was exhibiting some of her behaviors. Our dog also loved Megan, and I could tell she really enjoyed our time. Highly recommend, and looking forward to our next one! read more

We didn't think it could be done, but Megan succeeded in finding us the perfect companion for my children AND our crabby and highly neurotic 6 year old Havanese. Determined not to spoil our new pup's lovely nature, I hired Megan to help keep us on the right track. From curing our older dog's barking habit, to nipping Tillie's separation anxiety in the bud, Megan has proven herself invaluable. I simply can't recommend her highly enough. read more

My husband and I recently adopted a 1yr Pitbull mix and though incredibly sweet, was displaying all the *fun* teenage behaviors adolescent dogs can have. He was nippy, jumpy, super reactive on the leash - we were then determined to train our pup (and ourselves!) so that his behavior would not get out of hand. We had met Megan through puppy classes at Dogaholics and felt an instant connection and sense of trust. She was warm, outgoing, fun, and incredibly knowledgeable. We decided to hire Megan for some private in-home sessions and could not be more impressed with how well she worked with us and our pup. She immediately recognized our dog's behavioral issues and helped us better understand what he needed in order to remain and happy and stimulated pup. She gave us so much confidence in working with our teenage dog and after just two in-home sessions - our pup is SO much better behaved, happy, and peaceful. It wasn't only the techniques that we found helpful, but the dog psychology Megan taught us about too. There is still work to do, but my husband and I feel totally equipped. We highly recommend Megan and her team at Capricorn Dog Training. She is the bomb and we are FOREVER grateful. read more

When Megan was first recommended to me, my rescue pup's separation anxiety was so intense that he couldn't be left alone for 5 minutes (literally) without harming himself and destroying carpets, doors and crates trying to escape. Not even Rx meds helped. I heard Megan had helped another dog with similar problems, so we reached out. Megan coached us through what has sometimes felt like a slow process, but after just three sessions over a few months, my dog can now be alone for hours at a time (just two hours so far, but still!) and he has become so calm and sweet in general. I thought I was going to have to find my dog a new home. Megan made it possible for us to stay together. We will forever be grateful! read more

I contacted Megan before we even picked up our puppy, a Sottish Terrier, as my fiance and I were about to be first-time dog owners and had tons of questions. Megan was amazing right from the start. She met us at our apt, gave us a great overview of what to expect, looked over everything we had already acquired, and gave us pointers on where and how to set everything up... i.e. the pen, the crate, etc. Megan's in-home session pricing is extremely reasonable, and so are the (small) group training classes she runs at Dogaholics' facility (https://www.dog-a-holics.com/training, ask Megan which classes she's teaching). We have done both Purely Puppy I and II, and learned a great deal during both that we are applying at home with our Scottie pup. Megan gives very clear direction and hands on instructions, and then it's up to you to follow through with doing your homework with your puppy. Megan is personable, flexible, professional, and incredibly natural and knowledgeable with both dogs and their humans! We can't recommend her services highly enough. read more

I can't recommend Megan enough for dog training. We have had a dog for 7 years that we did a lot of training, and although he is not perfect he does really well. However, the dynamic changed once we added a second dog to the household and Megan has been incredibly helpful in teaching and guiding us on not only training the new dog on basic manners, but also on how to make the new dynamic work with both of them. read more

We have been using Megan to help with our puppy who is very leash reactive. After just two visits, his behavior on leash has completely changed. We still have some work to do but we are very hopeful! Megan is extremely patient, knowledgeable and kind. She is so good with our dog and is so helpful with my fiance and myself as his owners. We have learned SO much from her and will continue to work with her. I would HIGHLY recommend Megan! read more

Megan was a lifesaver for my husband and I when we got our new puppy. We met her as our instructor in puppy class, and then worked with her separately for private sessions. She was wonderful assessing the challenges we were having with our puppy and providing effective, but simple tips and instructions to help us train our dog. She follows up with written info - recapping what she discusses with you in person, and is easily accessible via email if you have any questions along the way. She helped us get our pup potty trained and her training is proving effective in easing some of the challenges we have with our needy puppy. Could not recommend her enough! read more

I'm so thankful we decided to schedule a consultation with Megan at Capricorn Dog Training. Our dog struggles with welcoming strangers into our home and we knew we had to do something. We worked with a couple of other trainers but we hadn't found the right fit for our dog. Megan was highly recommended to us by other pet parents in Chicago. She helped us understand why our dog behaves the way he does under certain circumstances, and gave us the tools we need to help reduce his stress and manage his behavioral issues. She was calm and nonjudgmental. She listened patiently and explained things in a way that made sense. After our lesson, she sent us a summary along with some useful information we can use to support our training goals. I feel so much more confident. Thanks Megan! read more

Meeting Megan (through Yelp) was such a blessing! She is simply THE BEST! Knowledgable, caring, and kind, with a keen understanding of dogs and their breeds. My husband and I will be forever grateful to her. read more

Jennifer was referred to us by our dog walking service, Pawlosophy. Our dog started displaying some unwanted behaviors such as pulling on the leash and barking at nearby people/dogs. With just one session and a few adjustments, she has made major improvement! Her pulling and curious/territorial barking has majorly subsided. Jennifer is extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. We look forward to continuing to work with her in the future. read more

Megan from Capricorn worked with us and our anxious sometimes reactive and nervous dog whom we adore. I could not recommend Megan more. She asked us what we wanted to work on before we met and when she got here she jumped right in. We had worked with another trainer at a different company who was helpful but when certain issues persisted we felt we needed more help. training does not come cheap so we really appreciate that Megan gets down to business but in a way that makes you feel understood and that she really gets your pup. She gave us some great tools to help us work with him and things we can build on over time. Highly recommended and we will definitely consider working with her again as we need fine tuning. read more

Megan is so nice and knowledgeable about everything regarding dog behavior. She helped me with my recently adopted dog and some new stranger fear/aggression he was exhibiting. She gave me great ideas on how to make him more comfortable. She even was able to give me advice on his allergies. read more

I cannot recommend Megan enough! We recently adopted a one year old dog who had a lot of emotional issues. After Megan's first meeting our dog became more comfortable in his new home and with us. She gave us so many tools to help us practice what we learned each session and was always responsive when we had follow-up questions. She sent lots of information so we could look back on what we learned and use the directions to practice with our dog. She helped our dog learn to connect with us so that we were able to communicate with him better. He now responds to touch, sit, down, and is learning how to go in and stay in his crate. Our dog used to be aggressive toward other dogs on walks, but Megan helped us train him through positive reinforcement (yummy treats and back scratches). We don't dread walks now since we know we can get him to focus back on us when he sees another dog. She also helped our dog with his separation anxiety. Through giving us clear procedures and sayings to practice, as well as recommendations for products that have helped our dog relax. We are so thankful for Megan's guidance! read more

Trust me when I say that you should call Megan if you have any training needs for your dog...she is FANTASTIC! Our girl, Nopa, is a rescue and while she is super sweet, she's really nervous and worries about everything....she's also reactive and taking her out was becoming more and more of a challenge. We had worked with other trainers in the past and while it helped somewhat, Nopa seemed to be regressing. Needless to say, it was time to bring in more help and we're so thankful that we did. Megan is super knowledge, explains things in a way that is easy to understand, and gave us a ton of insight into Nopa which helped us to better understand her behavior. She also calls it like it is....Nopa recently started to exhibit some threatening behaviors and on top of her being so nervous/worried all the time, Megan encouraged us to consider anti-anxiety medication for her. While I realize medication isn't appropriate for every dog and situation, Megan helped us better understand how this could make a world of difference for Nopa....and she didn't make us feel bad that we have a dog that needs some extra 'help'. And on top of everything else, Megan is just really cool...like the type of person that you'd want to hang out with. She's really warm, funny, and an all around a really nice person. Just call her...you'll be happy that you did! read more

Megan is great! She did an in home training with our newly adopted pup and was extremely knowledgeable and supportive; providing steps going forward to help our new dog adjust to us and her new home. She's straight forward and a great teacher. She was extremely knowledgeable about the developmental stages of learning, and was able to explain how to best tailor our training goals to our dogs needs. She even reached out after the training and provided detailed notes so we could continue our training at home. I would recommend Megan to any dog owner! read more

Megan is awesome. I adopted a 3 year old boxer who basically had no leash training and was not comfortable in the city. She was pulling constantly and distracted by every dog, person and squirrel we walked past. I had 2 sessions with Megan and learned many techniques to refocus my dog and improve our bond. There's still a lot of work to do, but I no longer find walking stressful and have much better control. Megan's prices are also beyond reasonable for the amount of time and personal attention she provides. read more

Megan is amazing! We took our 7 month old mini goldendoodle for BBB class. He is a new dog! He's so pleasant. He's getting better at going with us to public places/outdoor eating. AND our friends and family tell us all the time that he makes them want to get a dog! We owe this all to Megan and her amazing training and advice for continuing the work at home. read more

Megan was my Nellie-dog's trainer. 2 1/2 years later we continue to use her treat-driven training techniques for brush-up reminders especially after we've naughtily hand-fed her from the dinner table! It's always our fault LOL!! Now our dog is the most relaxed obedient amazing dog in Chicago...no in the the world. "Place Nellie!!" She automatically goes to her mat-place when I tell her and actually goes there before I even ask mostly! Thanks to Megan she keeps out of my kitchen while I'm cooking or how about every time she hears a crinkly food wrapper! Thank you Megan for this and for many other tips! read more

Two years ago I adopted my first dog (since childhood) and had no idea what I was getting into...except unconditional love from my little fluff-ball Stella. Megan has helped Stella since Puppy 1 class, and has helped me along the way too. We continued on with Teen Wolf and also had a private session or two when Stella started to develop some anxiety from other dogs in our building. Megan's training techniques are achievable and effective!! The work we've put in has proven results and has given us the confidence to get Stella ready to be a therapy dog one day. She has now passed Canine Good Citizen (with training help from Megan) and is on her way to "officially" sharing her love with others. read more

I met Megan through a training class at a local kennel. She could tell right away that I was seriously struggling with the 70 lb. Coonhound that a well-intentioned but incredibly naive rescue organization had placed with us (me, husband and 2 boys, then ages 4 and 6). When the dog tried to bite our rescue-loving vet, she advised that the situation in our home was dangerous. I was a wreck, and called Megan for advice because I felt so guilty about a failed adoption. Megan was supportive and realistic, without ANY judgment or superiority that I have frequently experienced with rescue folks. Over the next few months we met a lot of rescues looking for homes, but none seemed to like our kids (who are pretty low-key). Megan saw a great little terrier in one of her classes, and recommended we contact the breeder. I felt guilty for going to a breeder, but Megan reassured me that no dog benefits from being mismatched with the wrong family. Not long after, we brought home a hearty, resilient Cairn terrier who is the most even-tempered dog I know. Megan recommended this breeder b/c she noticed that the dogs had a strong ability to remove themselves from a situation that irritates them, rather than taking their discomfort out with aggression. I had never thought of that, but Megan was 100% right. When Daisy found the boys annoying, she simply walked away. About a year later, we wanted Dog #2. This time I told Megan I wanted a rescue, and that we would wait for the right match. About 6 weeks later, I got the call to come meet a dog at Anti-Cruelty. We applied, were accepted, and a wacky little min pin came home with us. Never thought in a million years I'd want a min pin, but he is a lover and hilarious and brought a whole new vibe to the family. I know Megan is a great dog trainer, but I think her gift is matchmaking. She has a sixth sense about dogs, and can assess both dogs and humans very quickly. If you think you want to adopt a dog, do yourself a favor and have Megan help you through the process so that you and the dog are set up for success. Oh, and 2 years later, she returns my emails within 24 hours. Seriously? That's customer service. read more

Megan is absolutely fantastic! After the loss of our senior dog last fall, we were ready to bring a new dog into our family. With 3 cats and a chill dog already at home, we needed to find the perfect match. Megan absolutely understood our needs and advised us on the personalities that would fit best. Once we brought home our rescue, a very shy adult lab, we had Megan come immediately to do an assessment to get an idea of what we were working with. Megan gave us so much insight into our dog's behavior, set reasonable expectations for the type of dog she would be once settled, and started immediately with obedience training to increase her confidence. Within a week or two the dog that wouldn't walk thru doorways was now a dog who was wagging and loving training time. A few months later she is running laps on the dog beach! Megan continues to be a fantastic resource, always returning emails quickly. For us, it was so important to find a trainer who was also a behaviorist. Megan "got" our house the minute she stepped into it and we are so grateful to have her in our lives. read more