Monika transformed my 2 year old German Shepherd buddy with her two week training course. Honestly…read morecan't believe how well he's responding and listening to commands. Asking Monika for help was the best decision I've ever made. Highly recommend - it was worth every penny

Leaving a great review here for Monika because we just had an excellent conversation about my dog…read more She made the time to discuss my 10 year old Pit Bull's current behavioral status regarding potty training in detail. It's clear her advice comes from experience in training as well as her knowledge on health and diet. I will definitely schedule training and would recommend her in a heartbeat.

Debbie & I met Stu while walking our newly adopted two year old dog Daisy in Sunset Park. We…read moreobserved him working with a man and his dog and stayed to watch the class. It was remarkable how well this dog responded to his owner and how confident both dog and owner were. We asked Stu if he would work with us while we were in town for a few weeks and he agreed. He assured us we'd need to work hard to achieve results and we have. Our Daisy has gone from a timid rescue from a backyard breeder to a self confident happy go lucky pup. She looks forward to her classwork with us too! If you're looking for a good instructor for your family and dog, look no further!

After spending years going through trainer after trainer and pouring thousands of dollars into…read moretraining classes, we finally found something that actually works. Stu has been a complete game-changer for our German Shepherd, Nova. We all know taking the time to practice and train each day can be tough- which was honestly what my husband and I struggled with most- but Stu holds you accountable. He consistently follows up to see what's working and what needs improvement. Each session, he challenges both you and your dog in real-life scenarios (trains, sirens, bells, whistles, grooming tools, skateboarders, kids baseball/football games, strollers, men with hats, kids with backpacks- YOU NAME IT!) which has made all the difference. He also brings his own dog to training sessions from day one--something we'd never experienced before. Because Nova was extremely reactive to other dogs, having a calm, well-trained dog present right off the bat was crucial. It allowed her to learn how to stay composed and focused in a controlled environment, and the progress we saw from this alone was incredible. In addition to having his dog present in every session, he also offers group classes most Sundays. This gives us the chance to work in close proximity to multiple dogs and put our training into real practice. This consistent exposure has been essential for Nova's progress--and is truly an opportunity you won't find elsewhere. Stu doesn't rely on treat training like so many others. He focuses on helping you build respect with your dog, which truly is the only way to achieve long-lasting results. The transformation we've seen is unbelievable. Before working with Stu, my confidence walking our high-energy German Shepherd was shaky at best. The second another dog came into sight, panic kicked in. Now, I can walk her calmly (sometimes even with a stroller!) and feel totally at ease, knowing she won't pull me into traffic or react to other dogs. Don't waste another minute--or another dollar--searching for a dog trainer. Stu is your guy. Absolutely recommend!

There are a lot of different dog training methods out there, and to each his own. However, I chose…read moreCandy's Canines specifically because they claim to use Chris Bach's "The Third Way." My observations are that they don't practice what they preach. This class was more or less a modified "yank and crank" style of dog training... prong collars and reprimands with a few treats thrown in for good measure. The instructor yelled at (and I do mean yelled) and manhandled my 6 month puppy for jumping up on him. He scared me, so I'm sure he scared my puppy! It was a miserable experience for me and my dog, and I left after one session of class (despite paying up front). The instructor did say one thing that I agreed with: that no dog should be punished for something that it hasn't learned yet. Amen to that! It's just a shame that they're all talk when it comes that philosopy at Candy's Canines. Be sure to observe a class to make sure that their training style matches your own. Lesson learned for me -- I should have followed that particular piece of advice myself.

I am not sure about the experience of the first Yelp reviewer, but that is NOT my experience. I…read morehave been with Candy's Canines for over 15 years with my THIRD dog. I've NEVER been told to do something I felt unsafe for myself or my canine companion. Cheryl has guided me throughout my years of agility training to earn multiple advanced/elite titles on all my dogs. I've only trained one day a week for an hour and have earned many advanced national agility titles on my dogs. I think that Cheryl bends over backwards to help people and that this previous evaluation shouldn't be the only consideration on Yelp. Many, many people in the northern IL / southern WI area know that their dog training success has come from Cheryl Carter.

I was considering re-homing my two Bernedoodles. I loved them, but they were unmanageable…read more Christina helped me turn them around in just a few months - to the point where I have hopes that they might become service dogs some day! She is 100% organized and reliable, with a wonderful personality and incredible dog training skills. She showed me how to build their skills in a systematic way for maximum success, and trained me how to work with them between sessions. I can't recommend her enough.

My dog is responding to Alex well. We have used him once a week for an hour a week and I am…read morenoticing a difference.

I've used this wonderful kennel from 1989 to 2019, for all three of my dogs…read more Can't say enough wonderful things about the care and attention given to my three dogs. Spotless, caring and a healthy environment is what you will experience.

I have trained 4 greyhounds(soon to be fifth) with Frank. Each dog had a different personality and…read moredisposition and Frank was able to access each dog and make recommendations to help me communicate with each dog. I learned that to train the dog, you have to "train" the owner. Wouldn't rain anywhere else or board anywhere else.

All their training is positive reinforcement. That is, the dogs are never forced to behave, rather…read morethey are allowed and encouraged to behave through treats, praise and attention. I had one of their trainers make a house call for my 4 1/2 month old German Shepherd puppy that I got less than a week ago to ensure that I was clicker training her correctly. He was very professional, knowledgable and it was worth every penny even though I was already doing everything right. He showed me how quickly clicker training can be effective, and gave me a plethora advice from keeping training sessions short to where I could find shepherding school to keep my girl busy. All in all, it was such a wonderful experience I had to write a review. I visited the training facility itself the following day and they had a cornucopia of healthy treats, humane harnesses, dietary supplements, and toys in front and a nice, clean, large, padded area for dogs to play and learn in. With regards to another review I saw on here about communication issues, I've had the best luck with email. We did get ahold of each other via phone but we played a little phone tag first, which was as much my bad as his. To end this on a positive note, my puppy came knowing two words - "sit" and "come." Five days later she knows "sit," "down," "paw", "target," "roll-over," "no," "her name"(means make eye contact,) and "come." In fact when I was bragging about this to my mother, my puppy started whining at me b/c I was saying all her words and she was sitting and I wasn't paying her attention. It was adorable. She's so bright!

We have attended 2 classes at Root with our golden retriever and I have to say I have never seen a…read moreteacher as good as Jody....She is a true expert. Her perspective on training dogs is unbelievably refreshing....100% positive reinforcement....We have brought our kids as well and her willingness and ability to work with our kids was nothing short of unbelievable. Keep in mind that Jody bought the business from someone else....So any of these older reviews are not valid. I couldn't recommend Jody more.

Thank goodness for Robin's dog training skills. She trained my rescue dog while she was on…read morevacation!! He was jerking on the lead and totally oblivious to me when outside. I learned Robin was in town vacationing and she agreed to work with my dog. She had such a way with him. Learning from her was a game for him. He was always so happy to see her. In a short amount of time, the dog was behaving so much better. She also gave me instructions on how to continue with the training. She still checks on us to see how we are doing. I also saw some of her videos of the dog shows. Looks like so much fun for everyone, especially for the children. Wish I could see the show in person.

Robin is great at what she does! I met with Robin for some private training session when my dog was…read moreyoung and it made a huge difference. My dog has a bit of an anxious disposition and is very protective of our family. Robin shared a variety of strategies to help manage and modify her behavior. I liked her approach and would recommend her to anyone!

After a couple of weeks of training with Tyra for my two friendly GSD's Luna and Koa (when off…read moreleash) has learned so much! She has helped with not only the basics but also to stop pulling and reacting when on a leash. Next we will work on basic scent and CGC training. Tyra is AMAZING! Highly recommend anyone looking for a certified dog trainer!