I'd like to introduce you to my agility dog, a two-year-old deaf and visually impaired catahoula…read morenamed Fleur. We've been enrolled in the agility course at Urban Pooch for the last few months, and in that time, Fleur has gone from scaredy-cat to confident, curious dog. Agility is an amazing activity to get a dog involved in. It bolsters confidence, increases communication, and engages dogs on many levels. I wanted all these things for Fleur and knew, despite her physical challenges, she'd love agility if given the right chance. Fleur cannot hear me call to her, so we must stay visually and energetically connected every time we work together. Her vision is not good, so I have to stick close and always be in her sight-line. I needed a training facility and trainer that would work with us at her level and comfort. Enter Urban Pooch Training Center. Having gone through basic obedience, Fleur and I had already developed our own language, which Jim Bahr from Urban Pooch Training Center immediately understood and helped us deepen. Seeing how we interacted, Jim coached me on how I could best support Fleur on the course, and wow, did she ever need support at first. Fleur's visual impairment means that she is not always able to see an obstacle well enough to understand what's going on in front of her. Dark areas make her nervous. Sudden movements can make her jump. She's a playful, loving goofball, but these challenges left her very scared of most obstacles on the agility course when she first encountered them. I couldn't make soothing or encouraging noises she could hear, so Jim taught me how to encourage her with well-timed treats and clear body direction. The first day, she took one look at a short tunnel (which was more of an arch, really) and decided it was going to eat her. I was worried I'd made a huge mistake -- that agility would only terrify and traumatize her -- but Jim assured us that wasn't the case. We never forced her into or through it, and instead worked on changing her association with it and building her comfort around it. The care and patience with which Jim had us approach each new obstacle means Fleur only ever had positive experiences at Urban Pooch Training Center. If we had pushed Fleur past her comfort level even once, she would have left afraid. Because Jim works with each dog and trainer based on where and who they are, Fleur's gone from a nervous scaredy-cat to a dog who bounds onto the course when it's her turn and can't wait to get to work. Now, if I don't tell her what to do, she runs to loop the tunnels over and over again. They are her favourite obstacle on the course. And because she had an opportunity to develop confidence when she faced her first fear, she knows she can trust us. That we would never ask her to do something that could hurt her. After she conquered the tunnels, Fleur looked on obstacles I expected to terrify her without fear; she runs over A-frames, bounds across dog walks, and leaps onto teeter-totters without hesitation because Jim gave us the tools we needed to develop trust and communication. I can not recommend Urban Pooch enough. The facility is excellent, and the staff is outstanding. They have the knowledge, patience, and passion to help you and your dog reach your training and communication goals.

They cut up my dogs ear and hid it from me. I moved here from Madison, WI a few months ago and was…read morelooking for a new groomer for my elderly Bichon Frise (he's almost 19!) He's usually a very chill dog but as he's gotten older he's become a little more fidgety especially when talking him to new places. When I came to pick him up, the lady at the front desk told me that he had tried to bite the groomer which I was so surprised by because I had never heard of him doing that before over many years of taking him to many different groomers. When we got home, I noticed he was shaking his head a lot but he's usually dramatic after getting a big haircut (somewhat like he's embarrassed by his new look haha) so I thought nothing of it. He has big floppy ears and a few days later I check under it and he has a huge scab. So he was shaking his head in discomfort the whole time because his ear had been cut! I understand that mistakes happen and he's an old dog with a new groomer but the fact that they hid this from me instead of even acknowledging it much less apologizing is extremely disappointing. Besides this, they honestly did a great job with the haircut so I would've come back but covering up injuring my dog is unacceptable.

Bruce is fantastic. He brings practical, gentle, positive methods to the table. He's thorough in…read morehis assessment of a dog's behavior and extremely patient and understanding. We felt so comfortable with him the entire time he was working with us and our leash-reactive dog and he provided some great tools to help us make walks much easier to manage. Highly recommend.

From the owner: Every animal has a unique personality and disposition. Because of this, every animal needs to be…read moretrained differently. This requires a unique trainer, with a wide range of experience and a wealth of knowledge. Whether you want to train a young animal, or an older animal, you need expert guidance to effectively train your animal. If you love your animal, you can count on The Dog Trainer Pro to train with love and compassion.

Dan is a gem. An absolute gem. You will not find a person who is more committed to your pet or more…read moregracious with his time. We have a particularly troubled 75 lb Mastiff and Dan stuck with us even after she chomped down on his knee! He could double his fee and we would pay it in a heartbeat. What's more, he's just a great person!

Dan has watched my fur cat babies on several occasions, and I am always so amazed at how my cats…read moreare at such ease with him. One of my cats in particular doesn't like many people, but he comes right up for snuggles. His easy going and friendly demeanor allows pets to trust him. I've also seen his meticulous care to detail with schedules and even medication distribution to pets who need it. Also leaves the house cleaner than when I left it;). Definitely would hire him again.

Kim is a very caring and strong trainer. She has done wonders with our dog Noah and I highly…read morerecommend her. I really appreciate how she connects with both the people and the dogs. She really cares about both the dogs and people, and makes you realize she is in fact training you!

Well, of course. Kim is at the Bark Bark Club, so she's going to be five stars!…read more I took my dog, Sonic, a notorious twerker, to Kim's class at the Bark Bark Club and really enjoyed it. Kim's style is no-nonsense and direct - just what you want with these crazy, four-legged beasts we take into our homes. Classes are very clear, and she gives handouts so you don't forget what went on in the class. It's training the owner as much as training the dog. I'm happy with the progress my pup made, now it's up to ME to reinforce that. I'd definitely take another class with her. Oh, and it's obvious Kim adores dogs - but really, who doesn't?

I have had help with my dogs for over 20 years,but nobody's come anywhere close to Jason!…read moreJason IS a terrific dog walker, (he varies the routes, never watches the clock, really notices everything about your dogs excretions and behavior, and report back), but he is MUCH MUCH more than that! My dog loves Jason and he loves her! He cares for the whole animal AND the animals whole environment! He recently hurried home ,drove over, lifted my sick 85 pound dog in his arms, carried her down 2 flights to HIS car, drove us to the vet, came in the examining room and participated in the session. He checked with me and encouraged me throughout the day, then took me back to get Abbie. Not once did he mention fees! Then he nursed us both back to health.

Owners Jason and Paula Purcell both have spent over 20 years in the service industry. After…read moreadopting their dog Hana from Paws Chicago they decided to take their expertise to the dog service industry. After observing their dog Hana and other dogs they realized that dogs and their owners would benefit from a more customized approach to dog care.

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)!

He was , very caring and experienced with dogs , my dogs were happy , when I came home , he spoiled…read morethem .

From the owner: I treat all animals as if they were my own. I give them as much tender, loving care and the…read moreattention that they need depending on their behavioral issues. And/or their sure that they get along with my dog's Zelda. And my cat Winnie so I always do a meet and greet before I take on a quiet. I am bonded and insured. You might say I'm a bit of an animal whisperer. Have yet to have any issues in the three years that i've been doing professional dog sitting dog training and pet care

Last night, I had to take myself to the emergency room around 9 o'clock at night and we have been…read moreto bark Park club before and my dog loves it, but I also know the hours. They are always there 24/7,but they have specific drop off and pick up times. They made an exception for me and my condition. I showed up way past their close time and they were waiting outside to take care of my best friend "Grumpy" So I could concentrate on taking care of my health while they took care of him. I would never assume this is something OK in the future, But it surely was appreciated

Stopped in to grab my friend's dog a treat for our outdoor happy hour (so he wouldn't feel left…read morebehind). I was pleasantly surprised at the wide selection of treats. Decided to go with an ice cream for the heat and a cookie, he loved them both.