Tucker Pup's Dog Activity Center

Our Services > Training

Top 5 - Best Trainer Category, Best Agility Instructor Category

Congratulations to our trainer, Debbie Bickford, who was voted as one of the top 5 trainers and agility instructors in Chicagoland in the 2009 Chicagoland Tails Readers' Choice Awards!

View all awards

This video shows sample training behaviors taught in our Good Manners 1 course (the same behaviors are taught in our Polite Puppy course).

Click here to watch all our training videos.

Tame that Beast!

Tucker Pup's offers many training options to help your dog

Listen to what you say the first time
Walk politely at your side without pulling
Keep four on the floor and not on your guests, the counter, or your furniture
Come directly to you, even when highly distracted
Learn fun games and exercises
Leave something alone or walk away from something
Not act like a maniac around new people or other dogs
Not rummage through your garbage can
Not pee in your home
And learn many more behaviors.

We also offer people-only aggression seminars to help address aggression issues that you may be encountering.

We offer a full training lineup to help, and courses fill up quickly.

Think you don't need training? We've heard it all before. Click here for our answers to the top objections we have heard.

Upcoming Courses:

All of our courses are offered on weeknights, so your weekends will be free and you can travel or do what you want without missing any classes.
Course	Start Date	Start Time
Good Manners 1 Class is full; Class postponed on Sept 2 for Labor Day Weekend	Thu, Jul 29, 2010	7:00 pm
Good Manners 2	Tue, Aug 3, 2010	8:15 pm
Polite Puppy	Wed, Aug 11, 2010	7:00 pm
Good Manners 1 Class postponed on Sept 2 due to Labor Day Weekend	Thu, Aug 12, 2010	8:15 pm
Aggression Seminar	Mon, Aug 23, 2010	7:00 pm
Good Manners 1	Tue, Aug 24, 2010	7:00 pm
Polite Puppy	Wed, Aug 25, 2010	8:15 pm
Outdoor Adventure Class postponed on Sept 6 due to Labor Day	Mon, Aug 30, 2010	6:00 pm
Outdoor Adventure Class postponed on Sept 6 due to Labor Day	Mon, Aug 30, 2010	7:30 pm
Intro to Agility	Mon, Oct 4, 2010	8:15 pm
All of our courses are offered on weeknights, so your weekends will be free and you can travel or do what you want without missing any classes.

Click here to view a summary of course descriptions. Click on any class name for lots more detail.

Why Tucker Pup's Training Services?

We are among the relatively few training facilities in Chicago that only teaches positive reinforcement techniques. Many trainers across the country, including in Chicago, use dominance, force, verbal abuse, shock or pinch collars, and other negative reinforcement methods (we call it the "do-it-or-else mentality"). Many try to spin it as "positive," but exerting dominance through force is not positive in our opinion, and in the opinion of many other leading trainers. If you've seen Cesar Milan (the "Dog Whisperer") or read his book, you may think this is the preferred way to teach a dog. Have you ever noticed that on the show, treats and praise aren't even mentioned? The problem is that dogs don't learn well in a do-it-or-else environment, and while they may comply in the beginning in order to avoid punishment, it likely won't last. You don't want to spend the next 14 years poking your dog, jerking his collar, or constantly shocking him, do you? We suggest you return your book and go to classes that only use only positive reinforcement techniques. Tucker Pup's is one of the few training businesses in Chicago that only uses praise, food treats and other rewards, love, and patience (we're not saying we're the only ones or that we're unique, just among the trainers who share this philosophy). We believe the results are far better and than other methods, and have a higher likelihood of lasting a lifetime, assuming you do your part. We only hire trainers who agree with us.

We're not the only ones who feel this way about Cesar Milan's methods. Click here to read an article called "He Ought to Call Himself the Dog Screamer," by Steve Dale, a leading dog expert and advocate in Chicago who runs a popular radio show about dogs.

Still not convinced that positive reinforcement methods are the way to go? The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) is a group of veterinarians and research professionals who help educate other veterinarians about dog training. In other words, this is the group that vets typically turn to for behavioral advice. Click here for their position statement about dominance methods. Click here for their position statement about punishment. Both links require Adobe PDF Reader.

Friendly, experienced trainers. Tucker Pup's uses experienced trainers who have trained plenty of dogs, seen all types of behaviors, and can answer all of your questions.

Weeknight courses. All of our courses are offered on weeknights. This may not seem like an intuitive advantage, but stop and think about it - now your weekends will be free, so you can travel or do what you want without missing any classes.

Large training floor. We have a large training floor with adequate space to accommodate plenty of people and their dogs. This means that everyone can spread out and have some breathing room, which is important so you can focus on learning the task at hand.

Limited class size. Some training facilities believe in huge class sizes. At Tucker Pup's, our maximum class size is 8. This has many benefits, such as helping ensure that you get the individual attention you need, that the dogs can spread out, that you can adequately hear the trainer, and that your dog is not overwhelmed.

Free parking. You can pull up right in front of our building for the training classes. If no spot is immediately available, there are normally plenty of spaces right across the street.

Rubber flooring. Our large training area sports a rubber floor that helps your dog make soft landings when she jumps, and to turn corners without slipping. This minimizes injuries and stress to the joints, while increasing your dog's effectiveness on the training floor.

Centrally located. Being located in the West Loop means that we're close to most Chicago neighborhoods, including River North, Lincoln Park and Lakeview, Gold Coast, South Loop, Bucktown, West Town, River West, UIC, and many more.

Agility training offered. In addition to basic obedience classes, Tucker Pup's offers full agility training, including with competition-level equipment. This is a really fun activity for you and your dog, and can sharpen each of your skills and communication level. It doesn't matter if your dog isn't a speed demon - it's just for fun. With the proper training and practice, most dogs learn to walk the balance beam, go up and down the ramp, through the hoops and weave poles, and over the jumps with little problem. Who knows - maybe you'll take your show on the road and join the big dogs on Animal Planet!

Training reinforced in daycare. When your dog comes to us for daycare, our staff will be using consistent commands to what you learned in our training classes. This is an enormous benefit of having both services under one roof, because it means your dog won't get mixed messages.

Our Services > Training

Why Tucker Pup's Training Services?

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