We offer a Stay and Train program in Chicago, where we will work on training your dog while here for boarding and/or daycare.
While we don't expect to transform your dog overnight, we do believe it can be very useful to give him repetitions on various commands with our training experts. We can typically identify adjustments that can really cause your dog to respond well. We consistently help dogs achieve a higher level of self-control, listening, and skills than people think is possible.
What is Stay and Train?
With Stay and Train, we can add training during your dog's stay to help strengthen any behaviors you want us to work on. It is also a fun diversion, giving more mental stimulation and breaking up his day.
Behaviors We Can Work On
You would choose 1-2 of the following behaviors during your dog's stay with us:
- Loose-leash walking
- Polite greetings / not jumping
- Sit stays
- Down stays
- Recall
- Leave it
- Drop it
For leash walking, we primarily go on walks outdoors, and can incorporate distractions, passing other dogs, and more.
Program Details
- Session duration: Thirty minutes per day.
- Minimum days: Minimum of three training days of training, not including your checkout date
- Post-boarding meeting: After your boarding stay, we can meet with you to discuss the training we conducted
- Price:
- Sessions: $60 per dog per day.
- Post-training meeting: $60
What's the Difference Between Dropoff Training and 'Stay and Train?'
Even though we train your dog in both 'Dropoff Training' and 'Stay and Train,' each has unique characteristics.
- We would work on a few behaviors, but not a full curriculum like in Dropoff Training.
- Less training time per day than Dropoff Training.
- No in-home private sessions.
- Pay when you check out.
- If your dog is boarding with us, there is a minimum of three training days. If here for daycare, we can train just on that day. For Dropoff Training, there is a minimum of 9 training days.
Dropoff Training:
- More defined curriculum and structure, with a minimum of 9 training sessions.
- Pay in advance.
- In-home private sessions included, plus access to TrainTrack for videos.
- Equipment included.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 312-829-8787 for more information.
FAQs
Is this program like a boot camp?
Not at all. In a boot camp, you leave your dog for several weeks at a time, your dog is in a crate quite a lot, and most of these training businesses do not use positive reinforcement. This can make life very stressful for your dog. In our Stay and Train program, your dog can get training while here during your boarding stay, as a diversion and fun activity. We work on a little bit of training each day, and otherwise your dog would be in play or break time.
Is the post-training progress meeting required in order to sign up during my boarding stay?
It is not required, but is strongly recommended once you come back from your trip. This is where we will review our progress with you, show you how to keep working with your dog on home exercises, plus answer your questions.
Can you work on leash reactivity or other really challenging behaviors?
We are generally able to work on manners behaviors, such as loose leash walking. Anything complex such as separation anxiety, resource guarding, leash reactivity and so forth are outside the scope of this program, but we can address these in our Behavioral Modification program. Just ask us about this.
What if my dog doesn't respond well to the training or is otherwise too anxious?
If it seems like the training is just not working and your dog is possibly too stressed, we can either stop training altogether, come up with alternative options such as working more indoors, or just try again the next day. If there is an issue like this, we can call to discuss. If we do stop for the rest of your stay, you would not be charged for sessions we never performed.
If you work on a behavior such as leash walking, will my dog be fully trained on this upon my return?
Realistically speaking, very likely not. We will be spending some time per day on training, but it is not super intense, and your stay may not be veru long. It can be a lot of fun for many dogs, can be a nice diversion from boarding just for something new, and can start to teach them responsiveness to training. Having said that, there are definitely dogs who make solid progress very quickly. In the post-training meeting, we are going to show you home exercises, so it is helpful that your dog will have already put in some repetitions and started to get the hang of it.
Will my dog be able to focus on training when there for boarding?
When working with dogs on Stay and Train, we get them out on walks, and/or work at our training facility around the corner. They are not receiving training in the pet resort, where they may be more distracted.
What safety precautions do you use when out on walks?
We use a double-leash, including one that the trainers attach to their waist. We can also add a harness. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of your dog.
What if it is too hot, cold, or rainy outside to go on walks?
If the weather doesn't permit, we can work indoors at our training facility. In addition, we can add apparel if necessary, based on the season. For example, we can add a coat and ice-protective boots in the winter, and could add heat-protective boots in the summer. Either way, we would be in communication with you to try and understand your preferences. We will not put your dog in harm's way or in a very uncomfortable situation.
TrainTrack™ Online Portal
Re-Watch Training Exercises on Your Device
The trainer will show you the exercises in person, then you can access TrainTrack to see the homework and other helpful information. Many exercises include videos, and all of them include instructions. It also includes handouts and a documentation of what you covered. This is incredibly helpful because there is a lot of information to take in, and it can be hard to remember everything that was demonstrated and discussed.
In addition, you can log your progress on TrainTrack as you are working on your home exercises. This can be invaluable for ensuring that you spend enough time, in various settings, for your dog to learn the methods thoroughly.
For private lessons, you can even upload videos to your trainer, and they can watch them in between sessions to help provide advice.
TrainTrack works on any Internet-connected device, so you can use it on your mobile phone, even when you're on a walk or working outdoors.
TrainTrack is used for all of our training services, including private lessons and classes.
To access TrainTrack, you must log in to our website. On your Customer Center, you will see the link to TrainTrack towards the top of the page.
Positive Reinforcement Methods
Tucker Pup's only uses positive reinforcement, which combines the use of rewards, an encouraging tone of voice, and relaxed body language.
We do not use aversive methods include prong collars, choke chains, shock collars, poking, yelling, or leash popping. If you are using any of these with your dog, we can help you successfully stop, and still get the results you want.
Positive reinforcement gives you the best chance of success, and can be the fastest way to get results. Aversive methods cause distrust, fear, and potentially pain or discomfort, all of which can be detrimental to getting the results and relationship that you want.
Common questions:
- Do I need to carry treats for the rest of my dog's life? Treats are for teaching behaviors - once your dog can reliably perform, treats can be phased out at your discretion.
- Do I need to carry treats at all times? No. If there are times where you are not carrying treats, our methods can still work.
- Can I use a different type of reward than treats? It may be possible to use something else your dog values, such as a favorite toy.
- Is positive reinforcement too soft for my dog? Not a bit. The best way to build reliable skills is through trust and motivation. Being tough with your dog can cause him to shut down, have anxiety, ignore you, and not truly learn.
- I have tried treats, but they don't work for my dog. You were likely using low-value treats, including from a store. We will recommend high-value treats that work beautifully for most dogs, including in high-distraction environments.
- Will it take longer to achieve results? This is a common myth. Positive reinforcement can create faster results than aversive methods, because your dog is motivated to listen to you, and truly wants to learn.
- Is it bribery? No! All animals learn behaviors from being rewarded, including humans. You wouldn't go to work for free, would you? Motivation + repetition = new behaviors.
If you are hesitant, please trust us on this one and feel free to ask us questions.
Customer Reviews
Yelp has listed Tucker Pup's as one of the top 100 local businesses in the country in 2025. We are the only pet business who made the list from Chicago, and the only pet resort / training business who made the list nationally.
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Neighborhoods We Serve
Tucker Pup's is located in the West Loop / Fulton Market District neighborhood. People come to us from all over Chicago, especially from Bucktown, Gold Coast, Lake View, Lincoln Park, Old Town, River North, River West, South Loop, Streeterville, Ukrainian Village, University Village, West Town and Wicker Park.
