I didn't know what to expect that first day when I watched him take the leash and lead my dog,…read morebroken in spirit and temperament, and rescued from the street, to the center of the training room. In less than five minutes he brought him back, and as he handed me the leash he smiled and said, "He's a good dog!" I knew then that we had come to the right place. Tim Crawford loves dogs. That becomes clear as you watch him put his charges through their paces each week. His thirty years of experience in training dogs of all shapes, sizes and disposition, shows in the way they eagerly respond to him. Rather than induce pain or punishment to elicit results, Tim believes that tried and true techniques, followed by reward and praise produces the best results. Crawford's Canine Training is not the kind of program priced for elites that requires boarding for extended periods and then additional instruction once the dog is returned home. Training sessions are packed with information and demonstrations that give you the techniques and tools you need for the positive behavioral change you want for your dog. Though we are still beginners, it's been so gratifying to see our dog evolve into the happy, well behaved pet we'd been hoping for. Dennis S.

I am so glad I took my dog for training with Tim Crawford. My dog was very reactive, high anxiety,…read moreterritorial, and had various other behavioral issues, including barking, leash pulling, lunging and leash aggression. Leaving the house was pure chaos and nearly impossible to do. Encounters with strangers and other dogs were complete hell that I tried to avoid at all costs so my dog ended up staying home most of the time. I tried other trainers and anxiety medications for my dog but they provided minimal relief. Once I took my dog to Tim, I started seeing improvement each week. Tim is very knowledgeable about dog behavior and offers a very individualized approach to every dog's needs. He is passionate about dogs and dog training and really cares about getting results for you and your dog. He listens and provides thoughtful insight and helps you to understand and change your dog's behavior so that you have life-long lasting results. He has completely rehabilitated my dog in a way that I didn't think was possible. He really believed in my dog's potential and encouraged me not to give up, for which I am incredibly thankful. His classes are interesting and uniquely designed and focus on a variety of skills so that your dog is challenged and not bored. It has been very rewarding seeing my dog (as well as all the other dogs in the class) make so much progress. Thanks to Tim my dog no longer has to be left behind at home and I can take him with me when I go out. He is much calmer and more confident, listens to commands and gets compliments on his manners. I can now take him on walks, go to parks, the beach, outdoor patios, shopping, etc. and enjoy life and the city together. Even if your dog doesn't have behavioral issues, I really recommend Tim and his dog training classes for basic dog obedience. Even if your dog just needs to brush up on a few skills like listening to commands, leash walking, impulse control, etc., I highly recommend Tim. Having a well trained dog is an invaluable asset, it has really changed mine and my dog's life. Thank you Tim!

Laura Monaco Torelli and her training staff (Valerie & Maggie) are simply the best trainers EVER!…read more I took my 4 year-old CKCS (Ellie) to a basic manners class at the Rainforest Learning Center in the South Loop. The class was small (Laura limits most of her classes to only 4 dogs) which allowed each team an abundance of one-on-one attention. The class really gave my shy Cav more confidence! By the end of each class she was so zonked! She really learned a lot and I am more than impressed with her training. ABTC does offer private instruction as well. The class is 100% positive reinforcement and introduces your dog to clicker training. I just purchased Ellie's brother and plan on taking him to Laura's class, too!

"Laura Monaco Torelli and her training staff (Valerie & Maggie) are simply the best trainers EVER!…read more I took my 4 year-old CKCS (Ellie) to a basic manners class at the Rainforest Learning Center in the South Loop. The class was small (Laura limits most of her classes to only 4 dogs) which allowed each team an abundance of one-on-one attention. The class really gave my shy Cav more confidence! By the end of each class she was so zonked! She really learned a lot and I am more than impressed with her training. ABTC does offer private instruction as well. The class is 100% positive reinforcement and introduces your dog to clicker training. I just purchased Ellie's brother and plan on taking him to Laura's class, too!"

Marty and Heidi were great! We took our dog here for puppy class - I need to come back for the…read morenext level

I gave them a try for my German Shepard - Sasha that needed training, let me say this is the place…read more Marty and his assistant (sorry forgot her name) are great! Not only was the training for my dog but for me too! It was a very informative 5 week class and I do look towards future training classes at this place.

We just sent our 1.5-year-old great Pyrenees to Megan over the holidays for 2 weeks and it was such…read morea great experience. Megan not only has a gift with dogs but also took so much time during pickup to educate us on how to set boundaries and interact with our dog. The difference in our dog's behavior has been night and day. He has a new sense of calm because he better understands our rules and boundaries, making our relationship smoother. I highly recommend Megan to anyone who wants to help their dog be well-balanced and how to provide that life for them.

When our big Great Dane puppy started getting really BIG, we realized we needed to seek out…read moreprofessional training. He was definitely in need of some structured training, and we needed some structured guidance since he is our first dog. Yeah,yeah, I know what you're thinking....why the HECK would you pick a Great Dane as your first dog!?! Anyway, we googled "doggie boot camp" and came across this group of amazing trainers. We made a quick phone call to them, gave them some details, and were contacted quickly by the trainer directly. He explained their program usually lasts two weeks, and they would focus on some of the problems we mentioned. For instance, we explained that our not-so-little puppy was behaving as puppies do, but at his size the jumping, puppy craziness, nipping, leash pulling, and not coming when we called him was starting to be a big problem. We knew if we didn't do something soon, it was going to become an even more enormous problem to deal with! Though the training was a stretch for us on our budget, we took the plunge anyway and committed to the program. A couple of weeks later we dropped Merlin off on his new adventure. The trainer gave us a tour of the facility, and set our minds at ease. In fact, within the first ten minutes Merlin was acting remarkably well behaved with his new trainer! It's no wonder the trainer was like the "dog whisperer"...the trainer explained that he has actually trained with Ceasar Milan, and they use the same training techniques. We felt very comfortable leaving him, and were soon off on our way already missing our pup. It was tough leaving him, but we happened to be going out of town during that time and knew we were leaving him in good hands. Throughout the two weeks, we got occasional updates and pictures to show his progress. Towards the end of the two weeks, we spoke with the trainer and he wanted to keep Merlin for a third week at no charge. Though we missed Merlin, we knew we picked the right trainer because it was obvious that they wanted to make sure Merlin was fully trained to their satisfaction. To be honest, I wasn't that surprised that Merlin was being a stubborn boy! When the third week was up, we finally got to the day we could pick him up! It was bitterly cold outside, but we made sure to bundle up because the trainer said we would spend a couple hours with him working with Merlin. When we got to there, Merlin saw us the window and it was clear he was excited to see his mommy and daddy! The trainer spent a long time guiding us through the techniques, and giving us tips and recommendations. It was clear that this was mommy and daddy's time to get training! Merlin was amazing, so much more mature and calm...and such a good boy! After a couple hours we got to bring him home for some major cuddle time. I honestly believe that putting Merlin through his training has enriched his and our lives. We can take him places now that we never could have before. He goes to the dog park, has walked in parades, has been in the 5k9 walk in Chicago, and everyone loves to be around him. They truly did solve all of the problems we had with him. And the most amazing thing is that my mom, who was previously afraid of dogs, now adores Merlin and is even thinking about getting a dog of her own! The best part of completing the training is that we now have a place to board Merlin when we have to go out of town. We have taken him twice for boarding, and it is great because it is basically a "refresher" on his training while they have him. The most recent time we left him there, he was actually wagging his tail and EXCITED to get there! It was like we were leaving him for his own little vacation. In fact when we got there, he ran to greet everyone and forgot mommy and daddy were even there! I cannot praise this group enough...and I will be sure to bring all of my future dogs to them for their excellent training program. My biggest recommendation is to not wait until your dog has terrible habits...bring your dog in early so that his or her life can be lived to the fullest.

Our dog was having trouble with pulling on his leash, mouthing, and potty training. Brianna…read moreanswered a lot of questions with correcting his behaviors. We love Prestige and happy with how they train our puppy.

I travel a lot for work and don't have much time to train Sky. I reached out to prestige dog…read moreraining for their board and train program since sky wasn't good with basic commands like "sit" and "stay." After just two weeks with Ulyses skys behavior has totally improved. he's way more focused and listens so much better now. I'd definitely recommend prestige if you're busy and need some help with training. Ulyses was super easy to work with and flexible around my schedule. Really happy with the whole experience. 10/10

Sally is by far the best trainer I have ever worked with, and the most knowledgeable. I've been…read moreworking with Sally for nearly half a year after my little buddy Jackson suddenly started experiencing separation anxiety. She was very patient with us, and was great at explaining everything we were doing, how to do it, and why. She has been incredibly accessible anytime I have questions or concerns, or just need a little support or reassurance. After 5 months, the results have been more than I could have hoped for. Jackson has gone from getting stressed within minutes of me leaving to being calm and comfortable alone for 5+ hours. Beyond the separation anxiety training, I've learned so much about dog behavior, nutrition and health from Sally. If you want to see real results, and you are willing to put in the work, there is nobody else I would recommend besides Sally. She's the best there is.

Sally has been extremely helpful to us while managing our rescue's reactivity issues. We learned…read morehow to read his cues and modify his behavior. Her reports are extensive and provide valuable information and exercises. Her experience and expertise is beyond anything we expected. I highly recommend Sally for your training needs!

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....

Highly recommend Noah both for boarding and training. His love for all dogs and the one on one…read moreattention they get really shines through. I couldn't sum it up any better than our dogs run to greet him every time we drop them off before going on vacation. Noah is an expert dog trainer and really helped us "think like a dog." That's so much more effective than sending a dog to training camp. Once again, Noah's approach to individualized attention and working with both the dog and owner to get the best results for everyone shines through.

I recommend Noah to anyone looking for a pet trainer! He has helped us so much with both of our…read moredogs. He especially helped us with our second dog who needed a little extra help with board and training. Once she completed her stay with him, she's like a completely new and improved dog. She is no longer barking at anything and everything on our walks. Our once thoroughly anxious dog is now strutting through her walks with confidence. The transformation she went through is truly amazing and it's all thanks to Noah! 10/10 recommend!