The Best Dog Trainers In Toronto

Toronto is home to over 230,000 dogs. And that means there are a whole lot of pups in need of quality training.

If you’ve just adopted a pup in Toronto or need to instill a bit more training in your pet, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’re looking at some of Toronto’s best dog trainers, the types of services they offer, and why you should consider these options for your furry friend.

Read on to learn more.

The Centre for Canine Education is one of the most respected and well-known dog trainers in Toronto.

Located on Carlaw Avenue, the center offers many different training services and packages for your canine companions. Whether you need basic puppy training, leash training, or separation anxiety classes, the Centre for Canine Education has got you covered.

On top of that, they also have specialized classes such as puppy socialization, webinars, private training sessions, and even leash reactive dog training. That way, pet owners can find just the right package for their pups that will help them reach their goals.

Puppy socialization classes are available for small dogs and breeds as young as 8-16 weeks old. However, if you have a larger dog breed, then you have to make them join the classes while they are between 8-12 weeks of age for the best results.

To ensure the safety of your dog and the other dogs in the class, all pups need to be vaccinated against Distemper and Parvo as well as present proof of deworming from a vet, a negative fecal result, and be illness-free in your home for at least seven full days.

The regular dog training programs at the Centre for Canine Education spans over 12 weeks with six sessions. For more information about the Centre for Canine education and its services, feel free to check out their website or give them a call at 647-893-5580.

Founded by Katie Reid, a certified dog trainer with Animal Welfare and Behavioral Education from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, this center offers some of Toronto’s best and most comprehensive dog training.

All of Katie’s years of experience and knowledge of dogs and pets have allowed her to create an effective program for training dogs.

At Katy K9, you can opt for specialized training such as on-leash, basic, advanced, and even off-leash training. Alternatively, you can opt for group training sessions that start at $70 an hour, or you can also hire private training sessions, which can cost up to $85 an hour.

For more information about the prices and packages of Katy K9, you can always refer to their website, where you can find all the information you need as well as the contact details so you can set up an assessment session for your dog.

Deena Cooper founded the Deena Speaks Dog training center in 1996. And since then, she has perfected her method of effectively training dogs through positive reinforcement. So, instead of getting scared or fearing their trainer, the dogs learn to love their trainers and owners by building genuine connections with their pups.

Deen Cooper has made multiple media appearances for her methods and even introduced a First Aid Kit for Pets in 1998, which was a first in Canada.

Additionally, she is a mentor at the Animal Behavioral College and a member of the Canadian Professional Dog Trainers, which means she has all the accreditation you would want and expect from a qualified and professional dog trainer.

There are many programs and packages available at Deena Speaks Dog. To start, they have a Puppy Conditioning program that lasts five weeks and costs $175. There is even a Canine Good Neighbor Program available that lasts 8 weeks, costs $260, and includes 12 tests and even certification from the Canadian Kennel Club.

Deena Speaks Dog offers a wide variety of programs designed for specific needs. You can even opt for Outdoor Tune-Up or an exercise and agility program that can help your dog when you’re out and about together.

Zen Dog Services has been around since 2013, and in that time, they have built a reputation for themselves as one of the best dog trainers in the Toronto area. Currently, the center is located on Church Street in Toronto and offers various training options.

One of the most popular options at Zen Dog Services is the one-on-one training sessions that can focus on the specific needs and personality of your pet. Typically, a 1-hour personal training session for your dog will cost you $100, but it includes comprehensive training that covers all bases.

Additionally, they even offer puppy socialization classes and teaching of basic commands like sit, stay, come, and even leash handling. Four of these training sessions will cost you around $199.95 and is a great option for new pet parents looking for help in training their pets.

As a comprehensive service center for dogs, Zen Dog also offers daycare, boarding, and even grooming sessions for your pet.

Raising Rover has been around and helping dog owners in Toronto for over 15 years. Headed by Caroline Applebee, Raising Rover offers group classes for socialization, one-on-one sessions, and even training to teach your dog nose games.

Raising Rover offers a comprehensive training package for customers. Additionally, customers can choose from a wide variety of different packages designed for different needs. For example, they offer on-leash training, off-leash training, and even clicker trick training.

If you want to enroll your puppy in the group classes, they need to have had at least one set of shots. This is designed to protect your pup and the puppies around them from diseases and other health complications.

For advanced life skills sessions, you can expect to pay around $300. For individual lessons, the rates start at $175 per session. However, keep in mind that the rates may vary depending on your dog, its needs, and personality.

To serve such a wide customer base over a decade and a half, Raising Rover offers many different packages. That way, customers can opt to train their dogs exactly how they want, making for a more personalized and specialized experience.

When Hounds Fly hasn’t been around as long as other training centers. But while they were only established in 2010, the company has let in over 7,000 dogs into their training program.

The founder of When Hounds Fly, Andre Yeu, was the first-ever person in the Greater Toronto area to get a certification from the Council for Professional Dog Trainers. On top of that, he also took education from the Karen Pryor Academy of Animal Training.

When Hounds Fly provides a comprehensive training package. When you enroll your dog in their basic program, you can expect a professional team of expert dog trainers to take your dog through all the necessary training.

The beauty of the When Hounds Fly method is that it’s centered around trigger training. That way, no force or negative reinforcement is used, which is better for the overall health of your dog. Additionally, this training method is highly effective in teaching dogs basic commands and even advanced skills.

When Hounds Fly can handle dogs of all ages and breeds. This is evident in the fact that they offer puppy socialization, foundational skills, and even at-home private training sessions for your dog.

At When Hounds Fly, prices can vary depending on the program, your dog, and other factors. However, the average cost for training can range between $187.50 of the puppy socialization cost and as high as $240-$260 for private training sessions.

For more information, feel free to contact When Hounds Fly through their website.

The good thing about Healthy Houndz is that pet parents can choose at-home private sessions or training sessions at the Healthy Houndz center along Haddington Avenue.

The training center is headed by Karen Cohen, a professional dog trainer with years of experience and knowledge on her back. The center is also fully insured and bonded, which is very important for many dog owners to know before training sessions.

When opting for in-home private training sessions, you can specify your dog’s individual needs and requirements. That way, you get comprehensive training that works.

On top of that, during private home sessions, you can also learn what the trainer does and what techniques you can apply to your pets.

A typical at-home training session from Healthy Houndz can cost you around $120, but the whole process starts with a phone call interview wherein you can discuss the needs of your dogs and your personal goals with the training.

From there, the trainer will create a custom training program for your dog. On top of that, all of the training equipment is covered with an additional fee.

The difference with Progressive K9 is that they primarily specialize in one-on-one dog training. However, if other dogs are needed as distractions or to help with aggression, then Progressive K9 has their own dogs that they use for this purpose.

Progressive K9 applies a variety of different proven techniques to train your dog. They also tailor all of their programs to meet your dog’s needs and to fit your dog’s personality.

At Progressive K9, you can bring your dog in for behavioural training, aggression training, protection training, and a bunch of other board and train programs. That way, you won’t have to worry bout going through the process on your own.

Progressive K9 even offers scent detection, protection training, and other specialized programs that can help you reach your goals with your pet.

You can find Progressive K9 along Malley Road in the Greater Ontario Area. If you want to learn more about the different services and programs they offer, you can always proceed to the website, where you can find all the information you need on their programs and pricing.

Captain K9 has two specialties: raw dog food diets and dog training.

If you really want your dog to live a long and healthy life, you need to care for their diet. And while a raw diet isn’t for all dogs, they could be just the right option for your pet. To start transitioning your dog to a raw diet, you can approach Captain K9 for more information.

But on top of their raw dog food diets, Captain K9 can also assist you in training your pet. Their classes include potty and crate training, clicker and obedience training, as well as socialization, desensitization, and even home management.

If that weren’t enough, trainers at Captain K9 are fluent in both English and Mandarin. So, if you would rather your dog learn commands in Mandarin if that’s the primary language spoken in your household, you can approach Captain K9 and let them know about your needs.

A typical set of training sessions at Captain K9 will cost you around $199, which is inclusive of 5 different sessions. Depending on the type of training your dog needs, you can learn the difference between handling and training, teach your dog to socialize with other dogs, and even make behavioural changes if your dog is shy or aggressive.

If you’re on the hunt for advanced training, sports training, or even protection training, Captain K9 has also got you covered.

To learn more about the extensive range of services that customers can avail themselves of, you can check out the Captain K9 website for more information.

Another excellent option for pet parents in the Toronto area is Dog Gone Right, which you can find on Danforth Avenue in Toronto.

The founder of Dog Gone Right is also the head trainer of the facility and a behavioral consultant. Margaret Pender founded the center back in 2004, but it was only in 2011 that they set up their brick-and-mortar location.

Before that, their training sessions were usually done privately in clients’ houses. Currently, you can find obedience, first aid, agility, and even Sport Scent detection training services at Dog Gone Right.

Throughout the years, Dog Gone Right has established itself as a top option for pet parents needing dog trainers in the Toronto area. They also have different workshops available, which you can read more about here.

If you’re interested in Dog Gone Right for your pet, don’t hesitate to book a session or ask for a quotation through their website.

One of the most important aspects of training your dog is building a relationship with them. And at Calm and Balanced Canine Inc, this is a top priority.

The center teaches pet parents and dog owners to develop a proper relationship with their pets and establish good communication. That way, training and living life with your pet, in general, is much easier.

The mantra of Calm and Balanced Canine Inc is “lead with confidence, not dominance.” This is a modern take on dog training, and it’s shown to be highly effective. The way you interact with your dog can greatly affect their behavior.

So, at Calm and Balanced Inc, you will learn the difference between an obedient dog and a trained dog. On top of that, all the sessions for you and your dog are completely private, which allows for a more tailored and specialized experience for you and your pet.

Generally, a dog training course through Calm and Balanced is done in four phases. However, if your dog is older than 8-16 weeks, then you can skip through phase one.

Customers also have the option to choose which phase to enroll their dog. Prices for the different phases at Calm and Balanced Canine Inc range between $270-$840, including all the training equipment and sessions.

All About Dogs has been around for a while. Originally established in 1996 by Renee Devilliers, the company offers various training services.

Founded by a certified dog trainer with tons of experience in the field, if you bring your dog into All About Dogs, you are ensured of a quality training program that gets the job done.

On top of having a Pet First Aid certification, Devilliers also has experience training dogs for sports agility competitions. She also has numerous certifications from reputable associations and even has numerous TV appearances under her belt.

It’s safe to say that All About Dogs has all the experience needed for you to be a quality dog trainer. In fact, if credibility is a big deal for you, then All About Dogs has about all the certifications and accolades you would need from a quality Toronto Dog Trainer.

Like most other centers, All About Dogs offers a wide range of different programs. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to contact them through their website, where you can find information on their classes, scheduling, and pricing.

Gemini K9 Obedience was founded in 1996 by Christopher Rolow, a member of Professional Animal Behaviour Associates as well as having tons of experience in a variety of dog training methods.

Rolow has experience in clicker training, positive reinforcement, target training, and operant conditioning. All this knowledge allows him and the trainers at Gemini to come up with effective training programs for dogs to serve their individual needs.

You can find Gemini at 643 McCowan Road, Scarborough, Ontario. When you bring a dog in for training at Gemini, rest assured that the training will be administered by experts in the field who know all the different ways to satisfy a dog’s needs and instill basic commands and behaviors.

Gemini K9 obedience offers a variety of training packages. They offer bite training, leash training, basic obedience, and even tracking and scent discrimination. So, if you’re looking for highly specialized training programs to teach your dogs specific skills, you might just find it at Gemini K9 Obedience.

Gemini can train a wide range of dogs. For puppies, they offer basic commands and obedience training if they are between 3-4 months old.

For older puppies, there’s a program called Puppy Intermediate that is designed for 4 to 5-month-olds with more advanced training such as distractions and socialization.

Even if your dog isn’t a puppy anymore, Gemini can still train them. They have advanced obedience classes for dogs that can be done privately. That way, you don’t have to take your dog out of the confines of your home to get them trained.

For pricing and available packages, you can head over to their website, where you can find all of Gemini’s contact details.

This center was founded by Jon Fowles and Danielle Hodges, two experienced and certified dog trainers who have been in the field since 2010. This extensive experience makes them great with dogs and allows them to deliver very effective results with your pet.

Their most popular course is a 6-week course that costs $210. This is designed for young puppies and teaches them basic obedience, commands, and leash walking. This is a great foundational course for your pet, as it gives them a solid base from where you can start building.

They also have basic training classes for more mature dogs. And if you want to take your dog’s training to the next level, they also offer advanced training classes. Rates can vary depending on the program and your dog, so for more information, check out their website.

Bark Busters is one of the most experienced dog training facilities in Toronto. This is because they operate in over seven countries with over 252 different locations. Throughout their history, the company has serviced over a million dogs effectively, which is a testament to the quality of its training programs.

As the name suggests, Bark Busters offers in-home dog training.

So, instead of having to bring your pup to classes, a dog trainer will come to your home personally and give your dog basic training. That way, they can address your dogs’ specific needs and adjust their strategy according to your dog’s personality.

This dog trainer focuses on training the human as well as the dog. When you enroll your dog in these training sessions, you will be taught to get on your dog’s level and establish clearer and more effective communication. That way, the training will last, and you can even teach your dog new commands using the information you learned from Bark Busters.

They can handle a wide range of different training needs, from leash training to aggressive dogs, all the way to basic puppy training.

Conclusion

Dog trainers are an essential part of owning a dog. If you’re struggling to teach your dog basic obedience and commands, you may want to consider bringing a professional into the mix. That way, you have a much easier time training your pets. If you’re in the Toronto area, any of these dog trainers will serve you well. But when choosing a dog trainer, make sure to select a trainer that can fit your needs and preferences. That way, you get the smoothest possible experience while teaching your dog new commands.