I will start by saying I was very hesitant to do training sessions in the home rather than sending my dog to a training school. I have always had retrievers and all of them would put Marley to shame with their antics. In-home training had never worked in the past. So when we got our Golden puppy I was expecting something similar. This time I couldn't bear to send him, so we contacted Jeff. We had wanted to start with a preliminary puppy course at one of the various training places in the city before starting with Jeff, but due to the dog flu outbreak we missed our window. So Jeff was getting a puppy with zero formal training. I will admit I wasn't thrilled that Jeff only used positive reinforcement because Sebastian had certainly come to learn the word NO. Nevertheless after our first meeting, I knew Jeff was just the right trainer. First of all Sebastian absolutely adored him. Second, Jeff is probably the nicest human being on the planet. And Lastly, despite my hesitation Sebastian became an angel puppy. I will note that Jeff is not necessarily opposed to every technique that he doesn't practice. His policy is that if its not harmful and it works, that's ok too. We did 12 sessions and every session began with us asking a 1000 questions about some new behavior we noticed. Jeff was able to answer and then demonstrate how to correct every single one of them. He even showed us how to cut Sebastian's nails without him going ballistic. That in and of itself was a miracle. Even our vet had trouble with it. We miss Jeff and will likely be buying more sessions with him in a few months because Sebastian loves him so much and refreshers are always nice. Jeff specializes in dogs with anxiety and aggression but he was just what the doctor ordered for Sebastian. I HIGHLY recommend Jeff to anyone. We trust Jeff implicitly with Sebastian's health, happiness, and success. What more could you ask for? read more

I cannot believe the amount of improvement we have had with our dog after working with Jeff Millman. As first time dog owners of an 82 pound blue weimaraner, Pacer, we loved our playful 1 year old pup, but a combination of his energy level paired with a stubborn streak and some poor habits (probably reinforced by us before we knew better) left us exhausted at the end of the day. We booked a few sessions with Jeff and the change and after the very first one was dramatic. We have learned cues and repeatable behavior that has produced a dog willing to learn and listen. We had been good at physical exercising and training our dog, but Jeff really emphasized the importance of mentally exercising him too. After a quick intro and a talk with Jeff on our background and attempts to train Pacer, we immediately jumped into training. With just the simple commands Pacer already knew Jeff was able to give us on the spot feedback, and tips from his decade of experience. I will always be able to recall the first few moments that Pacer was intently looking at me, waiting for my next command and wanting to do well. It was amazing to see the "gears" turning in his head. In subsequent sessions Jeff always asked us what our goals were and we continued to build on the commands and teach our dog patience. Jeff also related stories from other dogs he worked with... it was so nice to know that we weren't the only ones! We love our dog, and we didn't want to remove or replace any of his energy. Jeff taught us how to get Pacer thinking, making him a more responsive and attentive companion while still retaining his playfulness. The continuing support from Jeff and his willingness to work with us any time we have a question speaks volumes about his professionalism, and how much he truly cares about our pets. read more

Jeff is an AMAZING TRAINER - HIGHLY Recommended!!! Thank you so much for your amazing work on our two dogs Chloe and Doug! We previously tried other trainers and "boot camps" which were very unsuccessful and we thought we had lost all hope until we found you! Your training techniques are GREAT with 100% positive reinforcement. Chloe being 1-1/2 years old, used to beg for food, eat everything off the ground during walks, barked at other dogs, got distracted easily and was not potty trained. Now, after your training she is fully potty trained, no longer bothers us while we eat and is very trained during her walks. We recently adopted Doug, our 3 year old pug who had no previous training and barely knew his own name. Now, after your training Doug is very alert, listens to all his commands and knows how to sit, down, stay, give paw and so much more! You not only taught our dogs basic training skills, but you taught them life skills. You taught them how to be patient and get along with each other which is one of the best things we could have asked for! You were great with scheduling appointments and are extremetly flexible. My husband and I both work and have very busy schedules and you were able to accomidate us. You would come during weekday evenings and even on the weekends! I think it is great that you offer in-home training where our dogs are in their own environment where they are most comfortable. Thank you so much for all of your hard work. You can really see your passion for training and it shows how much you care about making peoples lives happier by training their dogs to their specific needs. Thank you so much!!! Doug and Chloe say HI! - Jessica and Jonathan Aaron read more

Not a single behavioral problem that Jeff hasn't been able to effectively train our girl Jayma on. Jayma looks so forward to training with Jeff. She WANTS to please him and she's constantly trying to figure out what he wants her to do. He's super kind (to our dog and to us) while still educating us every step of the way and creating success after success with Jayma. Yesterday I told him I felt overwhelmed with everything we need to train on. He helped me to break it down into manageable steps and processes. My daughter and I are feeling confident and we're proud of how far Jayma has come. Jayma started with high anxiety and was starting some aggressive behaviors. I fully believe that with Jeff's professional help, we are well on our way to a much happier and confident canine. I'm also impressed with how much Jeff packs into each session. Dog training isn't cheap, but I ALWAYS feel like we got our money's worth. We do work (training) in our home, but we've also spent a great deal of time out where the problems occurred - on walks and in the dog park. This makes the training SO relevant and exactly what we need. We run into our neighbors often, who may also be struggling with their own dog's behaviors. Jeff never judges or makes them feel uncomfortable. Actually, I'm getting calls from them asking how they can get in touch with him too. We feel blessed that we found him. It's already been life-changing for us. I don't often give recommendations, but it is without a single hesitation that I would recommend Jeff to any dog parent with any behavioral issues. (He does obedience training too (very well!), but he's so much more than that!) read more

Jeff is outstanding! If you are considering hiring a dog trainer but aren't quite sure yet, I fully recommend giving Jeff a call and talking through your needs: he is friendly, professional, and has the best interest of you and your dog in mind. When we first adopted Wilma (7 month old Whoodle) she had just come from the shelter and although she seemed happy she could be a little aggressive (mounting and nipping). Additionally, our first time leaving her home alone was a disaster! Within 20 minutes of leaving, we received an email from our upstairs neighbor asking if everything was okay because Wilma had been barking and howling so much! We gave Jeff a call not sure of what to do. Jeff spent almost an hour on the phone with us (before we even committed to training) really trying to understand the full situation. His personalized approach to the conversation and commitment to getting all the details before trying to fix the situation let us know this would be a good fit. We had 4 sessions with Jeff over a 2 month period where Jeff trained Wilma (and us!) using the clicker method. Jeff's dynamic approach was both a pleasure to watch and helped us understand how to continue the training in easy, enjoyable ways. The training was further validated during our HOA meeting a couple of weeks ago when our upstairs neighbor said "did you get rid of the dog? I haven't heard her bark for months!". We couldn't have been happier to tell her that no, she was still around, but thanks to Jeff she was not only happy but calm and very well behaved! read more

I contacted Jeff when I needed some help with my pug, who was acting aggressively toward big dogs when he was on leash. It got to the point that I was afraid that either he was going to bite a dog, or provoke one to attack him. Jeff did one session with us, during which he took control of the walk, and my dog did not bark once. He showed me ways to distract my dog and re-establish his reactions during walks. That was about a month ago, and my dog is already much, much better. Jeff was gentle and positive and now my dog thinks it's his *job* to spot big dogs -- then simply look quietly at me to make sure I've noticed them, too! He looks at me with a big grin, like, "See, see, I noticed one!" But no barking. I have actually laughed out loud at this on the street, I'm so tickled by the change in behavior. He looks to me to set the tone as to what's going to happen, instead of lunging into the situation aggressively on his own. It was also very helpful for Jeff to show me what to do, physically -- with juggling two dogs, clickers, treats, lots of other people and dogs on the street -- it was just very helpful to learn the "body language" that needed to happen to make the training go smoothly. He has also been available for followup questions, even tangential ones. We had a great experience with Jeff, and I have already recommended him to friends. read more

I can't recommend Jeff enough. After rescuing our mastiff/boxer mix, Buddy, who came from a shelter in Oklahoma, we quickly realized he was out of his element in the city! Although really sweet and calm inside the house, the walks were a whole other story. He was lunging and reacting to other dogs, barking his head off, sometimes snarling and scaring everyone, including us! In a neighborhood where we see maybe 15 dogs every walk, this was a huge problem. We saw a different trainer who only helped us manage him and said he wouldn't ever be comfortable with other dogs! Seriously? FML. Desperate, we considered other trainers who used vibrate/shock collars but couldn't stomach it. Finally, we found Chicago Paws. The minute we talked to Jeff, we realized he could integrate with other dogs socially if we worked according to his plan. Jeff quickly realized he was nervous and taught us how to calm him down with click/treat method before he even met another dog. He sent us a huge 26 page document explaining symptoms of him being nervous, which made us realize he was even nervous hearing sirens, etc., which gave us a roadmap to train him. After only a couple weeks, we have successfully introduced him to other dogs, and have now even let him in the dog park! Plus, Buddy really loves him! Five stars, have you ever seen a yelp track record this good?!! read more

We are so thankful for Jeff's expertise and patience with our dog, Frannie. We adopted Frannie from a rescue over 1.5 years ago and she is such a sweet dog. However, she has major anxiety around new people coming over to the house, which includes door knocking and door bell ringing as well. Her response is to bark and bark and bark and it really takes a long time to calm her down. But after just one session with Jeff, we began to notice an immediate difference in Frannie's behavior. Jeff showed us several different methods to practice with her so that she would develop a positive association to new people entering the house or ringing the door bell. The best thing about what we learned is how easy it is for us to practice (and of course how much Frannie loves the exercises as well since they involve treats). Just one day after our session with Jeff we were able to invite a friend inside and Frannie hardly barked at all. We have continued to practice what he taught us everyday and each day we see an improvement in Frannie's behavior. Jeff is clearly an expert in what he does - he's knowledgeable, gentle and patient with dogs, and knows how to teach these things so lay people (like myself) can easily understand. I will recommend Jeff to anyone looking for an excellent dog trainer. read more

We moved with our golden retriever from Texas not long ago and our dog was struggling with the adjustment: the cross country car ride; a change from a house in a neighborhood with a large yard, to a condo building in the city with no outdoor space; loud traffic noises and lots of people/dogs that frightened him; and space restriction inside our condo. Plus he had behavioral issues that other trainers were unable to help us with - pulled horribly on walks, counter surfing, too rough in play, etc. Prior trainers primarily touted the "pack leader" mentality as the solution for all of the problems but this was not the answer for our dog/us. Jeff has a different mindset that clicked with us and our dog. He is calm and kind and his methods make sense. We hired him for 12 sessions and our only regret is that we did not know Jeff when our dog was a puppy. We could have had a well-trained dog some years earlier and we would have enjoyed our pet a whole lot more. We definitely recommend Jeff and Chicago Paws 100%. He has been in the business a long time, is very committed, easy to work with, very bright and our dog loved him and responded beautifully to his training. An all around great experience. read more

After looking through the numerous dog training sites in Chicago, we came across Jeff & Chicago Paws, and really appreciated his method of positive reinforcement/clicker training as opposed to shock collar training. Our puppy Lu had always been shy, but thanks to adopting her during the height of the dog flu in Chicago last year, we weren't able to properly socialize her the way we'd have hoped out of fear of her (and our other dog) getting sick. Fast forward a few months later, and with a newborn at home, and we needed someone to help us figure out a way to start breaking through Lu's fear. Enter Jeff. After the first few sessions with Jeff, and practicing what he'd taught us during those sessions, we immediately began to see changes in Lu's behavior. Although she still has some reactions to other dogs while walking on leash, she's made HUGE strides from where she started when Jeff first met with us. And also, thanks to Jeff's suggestions, we were able to find a doggy daycare/boarding location that has continued to help us work through Lu's "social awkwardness". Thanks to the tips and tricks we learned from Jeff, we care continuing to see progress in Miss Lulu. We couldn't be happier! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Jeff! I adopted my boy, Chief, in April and immediately felt woefully unprepared for training. Despite reading numerous books and watching what felt like a million YouTube videos, I still couldn't get Chief to do something as basic as sit! Thankfully I ran into someone during a rather frenzied walk who mentioned "Chicago Paws" and I went straight to Google to find out more. Roughly a week later, Jeff was working with Chief and me and there was a complete transformation. Jeff was incredibly patient and kind. He took his time to explain the thought process and psychology behind his training techniques. Jeff sent me an extremely helpful "game plan" filled with ideas and strategies prior to our first training session which I can now refer back to any time I have a question. Not only that, but he was very clear that I could reach out any time if I had any questions or concerns even though our official training sessions are over. While not cheap, this was definitely the most worthwhile investment. Not only does Chief now know his basic commands, but we are working on a few fun commands like "bed". read more

i recently finished my third/final training session with jeff for my golden retriever puppy, bella and would highly recommend him. let's be honest, i was the one really being trained:) i made sure to properly socialize my puppy but after our crazy winter the hibernation had taken her excitement levels to new heights! jeff has an awesome demeanor, is knowledgeable and you can tell that he has your dogs best interest at heart. i loved that we were on the same page in regards to motivating through positive reinforcement vs fear or pain. jeff's techniques are very simple yet effective. admittedly you have to put in the time on your end to see results. however, jeff makes sure to have you practice not just watch him during your sessions so that he can give you feedback and you can feel comfortable training on your own. jeff gave me the tools and the confidence to continue to train with my dog moving forward. bella is an awesome dog and has shown noticeable improvements. she will only continue to be stellar the more we work together. i will definitely consider jeff in the future for more advanced training as we progress. read more

We loved working with Jeff and learned SO much from him. Our vet recommended him to us and said he was the expert on herding breeds. He absolutely is. His calm and professional demeanor is not only perfect for a pet in need, but as an owner it was even more encouraging. We did puppy training at Petco and while helpful with a newly adopted pet to learn some basics, I always felt like they were talking down to me. Jeff is the opposite. He listens and will address any question, no matter how tough or silly it may be. He gave us amazing 'homework' to practice and also some fun games to challenge our dog. He immediately picked up on the mental stimulation she needed while also giving us tips to cope with some of her anxiety issues. He also is upfront on what should be a daily thing vs a longer time commitment, but also gives useful tricks so that we too could get in a habit to make training an easy and attainable thing. I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants a professional they can trust. I would work with him again in and instant if we run into more behavior issues. read more

AMAZING! Could not recommend highly enough. First: ignore that 1-star review. Spend five minutes with Jeff, and you'll see it's clearly not him. His dedication will be is very apparent. He's about as good as it gets. He starts every session asking what YOU want to work on, what're your pressing concerns. He's very attentive throughout, and unlike other trainers we've worked with, he's very kind and not condescending at all. One of the things that's most helpful is that when something's not quite working, he's very good at getting a sense of where the problem is, stepping the back a bit, and getting the dog back on track. And he explains why the dog is responding the way it is. It's very impressive and very helpful, especially when we were working with our dog on our own, which really is the most important thing. He was able to accommodate our schedule and stuck to it even though the winter weather seemed to make it impossible to get anywhere, which we really appreciated. I'm sure if we want to get more advanced we'll be getting in contact with him again. read more

Jeff is phenomenal!! My little mutt was dog reactive when I got her, and I wanted to do everything I could to get her to at least tolerate being near other dogs. He helped me immensely in not only explaining the reasoning for her reactivity, but how to work on it using clicker training and positive reinforcement. Her reactivity has reduced soo much since I've been working on the methods he taught me, and I'm hoping that I can get her completely comfortable with them in the future. :) The second time I worked with Jeff was because my dog and my roommate's dog were resource guarding toys, food, and even my roommate and I from each other. He gave us awesome tips on how to work on this in our apartment, so that they associated each other with positive things. Not only did it work to get them to tolerate each other, they now lick each others ears and snouts when we wake up in the morning. Huge change!! I can't praise Jeff highly enough, and I've recommended him to every friend I know who has a dog. read more

Jeff was the consummate professional, punctual, friendly, authoritative and most of all really good at what he does. He's very responsive and communicative throughout the whole process. Non-judgey too, which I think gets overlooked a lot. I'm not a perfect dog owner, but I really try and I'm glad he didn't try to give me a hard time about my Weird Dog. He was a wealth of knowledge when it came to our Weird Dog and her Weird Dog Behavior. He gave us some fresh perspective and some new things to try, which was mana from heaven considering we were at whits end when it comes to training her. He helped us to understand our dog's mental state, their perception of our actions, even when they seemed disconnected or unrelated to their feelings/attitude. All in all, it was probably the best money we've spent on her yet. I would happily recommend Jeff to friends, family, strangers, acquaintances, whoever! He's great and we'll definitely be calling him up again soon. read more

we hired jeff to help us with our rescue dog who has aggression issues with other dogs. the sessions were ineffective and a waste of time. we paid roughly $460 for 4-5 sessions... we ended the training at session 4. he was ineffective and one of the training he sat under a tree telling us to walk our dog back and forth... this went on for the whole session. we decided to bring our dog to a different trainer and he has improved with his doggy aggressions... we were extremely disappointed with the training provided by jeff... not worth the time and definitely not worth the money... i could be a dog trainer if i used his training methods. 8/4/14 Thank you for your response Jeff... you could not control my dog and since you have responded, I've still have 1-2 session remaining. If possible, I would like refund since my dog has already gone through an effective trainer. read more

Jeff is fantastic! He is an incredibly knowledgeable trainer. He helped us with our 3 year old pitbull that we adopted 6 months ago. She is a fantastic dog, but on walks when meeting other dogs she gets too excited and sends the wrong energy to other dogs (and owners). This results in her and the other dogs she encounters getting agitated. Through Jeff's desensitization techniques we have been able to begin to address her over-energetic tendencies. It's a work in progress to reverse 2.5 years of bad/no training she received at her previous owners, but my husband and I feel prepared and well-equipped to continue training her on our own thanks to Jeff. We cannot say enough good things about his attitude, wealth of knowledge and passion for what he does! It was a pleasure working with him and if we need a refresher we will hire him again without hesitation. read more

See all the 5-star reviews for Jeff Millman and his Chicago Paws training company? If I could give him more stars, I would. He started to work with us and our crazy dog Dizzy about two months ago. After the four-session course, Dizzy's behavior is vastly improved and we are now confident that we can continue helping him become a calm, easy-going sort of dog. Jeff is deeply knowledgeable about behavior-modification techniques for animals and gets his superb results from humane techniques only: no choke-, shock-, or prong-collars, no bullying the dog, no harsh treatment of any kind. He despises the alpha-dog theories popularized by TV dog "experts" and used to justify smacking dogs around. If you need help with an undependable, fearful, potentially-aggressive, or just ill-behaved dog, Jeff is absolutely the person you should call. read more