Trying to send your dog to a "board and train" or "boot camp" in Chicago? Our Dropoff Dog Training Program is a much better solution for both you and your dog, and it is one of the fastest ways to improve behaviors. One of our professional trainers will work with your dog several days per week using positive reinforcement methods, he goes home at night to sleep his own bed, and we meet with you each week to review progress. Your dog will potentially learn much more than boot camp, the learning will be much longer-lasting, and it is a far better experience. Read below to learn how our Dropoff Training Program is transforming lives for people and dogs!
Sample Behaviors Taught in Dropoff Training
How it Works
With our Dropoff Training option, you drop off your dog at our training facility two non-consecutive days per week for four weeks, and one of our trainers will work one-on-one with your dog to instill a full set of manners, listening, and self-control skills. We work both indoors and outdoors, depending on the weather, and spend a lot of time walking your dog in the neighborhood.
Once per week, you meet with your trainer at our training facility for a progress meeting, so you can learn how to keep using the exercises at home. We also answer your questions and make sure that we're all on the same page.
Dropoff Training also has the option to include daycare each day that your dog is here. This socialization can be an important factor for a dog's behavior. In our daycare environment, we separate the dogs into groups based on size and temperament, we have the nicest outdoor area in Chicago, and staff members monitor the dogs at all times.
By the end of the program, most dogs have made massive progress, and our customers are delighted that they have a great listener.
Space is limited, and reservations are required.
Why Choose Tucker Pup's for Dropoff Training?
You may find other businesses offering some version of in-house training, and may be wondering why you should choose ours. We can't comment on other businesses, but we feel confident that when you ask lots of questions of others you may be considering, the choice is clear.
- Our Dropoff Training program is run by experienced trainers. Our trainers have many years of combined experience and numerous industry-standard credentials. We do not just hire people who call themselves a trainer.
- Your dog will gain exposure to multiple trainers and staff members, which is important for socialization purposes.
- We only use positive reinforcement. No choke chains, shock collars, prong collars, or dominance methods. We are very transparent and have nothing to hide. The fact that some call it "Boot Camp" should be your first red flag that they may be using domination, which is not necessary and is very outdated.
- Your dog goes home each night. For places that offer a "Boot Camp" where your dog is gone for 2-3 weeks (or longer) this can be very stressful and demoralizing for them. Our format helps your dog build his relationship with you, and he will be able to sleep in his own bed at night. Dropoff Training dogs typically come bounding through the door the next day and are happy to be here.
- Training is a major component of our business and we take it very seriously. We have the largest and most comprehensive dog training program in Chicago, including with classes, private lessons, puppy socials, and more. This is not something we just happen to do on the side.
- Your dog has the option to be in play for a portion of each day, for socialization purposes. The play includes our outdoor play area, which is the nicest in Chicago and includes grass meant for dogs, pools, and playground equipment.
- We train indoors and outdoors, including on walks around the neighborhood. Our training facility is spacious and is great for indoor exercises, such as with the use of cones.
- We have a very structured system, where exercises build on each other and get more and more difficult. By the end of the program, your dog should be able to perform a wide range of skills very reliably.
- We include several retail items in our package, such as a walking harness and treat pouch.
- You meet with your trainer once per week at our training facility for progress meetings, so you can stay consistent at home and have a deep understanding of what we are working on. In many other businesses, you only have a brief meeting at the end, if at all, and it can be very overwhelming to take it all in.
Benefits of the Dropoff Training Format
Dropoff Training can be effective because our trainers work with your dog in a highly-focused manner, day after day, to create great listening. Learning new behaviors takes repetition, and we have the time and energy to put in these repetitions. Typically, when we work with a dog in this manner, he becomes very responsive to our methods, and we can train him very rapidly. Your dog can make massive strides in a four-week period. This rapid development is not as realistic in other training formats. Therefore, we're giving you a head start and overcoming frustrating behaviors that your dog may be exhibiting. Most of our Dropoff Training customers don't have the time, energy, patience, or knowledge to make this progress in such a short period of time.
Program Details
Included in your tuition:
- Initial in-person consultation with a trainer at our facility, to review your goals, answer your questions, and discuss the plan.
- Eight days of training at our facility (two non-consecutive days per week, on weekdays). You drop off and pick up your dog each day. Multiple sessions each day with a trainer.
- Multiple daycare sessions per day while here for training. This helps with socialization, which is an important part of training.
- Free trial daycare day for your dog, to help become acclimated to our play environment.
- Equipment
- Starter set of treats that we recommend
- Treat pouch
- Walking harness
- Optional clicker
- Four progress meetings with your trainer, once per weekend for one hour each, at our facility. We will show you what we've been working on and how to be consistent at home.
- Access to TrainTrack™, our online platform that enables you to:
- Rewatch videos of exercises that we reviewed with you in progress meetings
- Log your home exercises
- Upload videos to your trainer, and vice-versa
- Read handouts and other helpful information
Please note that if you pay for the daycare option, but group play is not working well once the training begins, we can discuss options with you.
Payment options:
- Credit card, including over the phone or in person
- We can split the invoice into two monthly payments
- PayPal Credit, where you can pay over time, and pay no interest if paid in full within six months. Learn more
- Cash or check
If you are considering starting in the near future, we strongly encourage you to reserve it in advance, so you get the dates and days of the week that work best for you.
It may be possible to start right away if you are interested. Feel free to inquire about availability.
Here are some options to consider:
Option 1: Adult Manners
- Loose leash walking
- Coming to you (recall)
- Waiting for permission
- Focus and attention
- Leaving items alone
- Staying in place
- Not jumping on dogs or people (polite greetings)
- Minor leash reactivity
Option 2: Puppy Manners
- All behaviors in Adult Manners, plus:
- Crate training
Option 3: Intermediate Manners
- Add difficulty to all Adult Manners behaviors listed above
- Off-leash heeling (walking at your side while staying very focused on you). Please note that when walking outdoors, all dogs stay on a double leash at all times, for safety purposes.
- Go to a place, such as a crate or mat
- Finish (end up at your side after coming to you)
- Sit, down and stand from a distance
- Emergency stop
- Front command (come directly to my feet and give me eye contact, in the sit position)
- Basic tricks
In order to take Intermediate Manners, your dog must have already gone through Dropoff Training or a manners group class.
Option 4: Confidence Building
We can work on building confidence in different scenarios and environments, including but not limited to:
- Walking outside
- Noise sensitivity
- Anxiety about touching his collar / putting on a harness, etc.
- Fear of stairs
- And more
Option 5: Mix and Match
- We can customize a curriculum to your specific needs, mixing and matching behaviors you want us to work on
- Please note that some advanced behaviors may not be possible until going through basic behaviors first. You would need to discuss with your trainer for what is realistic, and together create a plan
Behaviors We Cannot Work On in Dropoff Training:
We CANNOT work on the following in Dropoff Training, as these are specific to your home and not conducive to a facility. These would require private lessons.
- Potty training
- Dog-human aggression or reactivity
- Separation anxiety
- Barking
- Major leash reactivity
- Correcting off-leash play behaviors such as biting or playing roughly
Tucker Pup's Training Center
1046 W Fulton Street
Chicago, IL 60607
This is where we work on exercises indoors. We have traffic cones, wide-open spaces, and other equipment to help teach your dog the exercises.
Tucker Pup's Pet Resort
219 N Carpenter Street
Chicago, IL 60607
This is where you will drop off your dog, and where we have daycare and the boarding suites.
- At least four months old
- All vaccinations up-to-date, including all boosters for puppies, for canine influenza (H3N2 or bivalent), Bordatella, distemper, and parvovirus. Rabies is required for dogs 7 months and older.
- Spayed / neutered if 4 months or older
- Not reactive towards people
- No crate / kennel aggression or reactivity
- If choosing the daycare option, able to be in play with other dogs
- No contagious conditions, including but not limited to giardia and coughing
- Sign our Liability Waiver and Dropoff Training Agreement
- More defined curriculum and structure, with a minimum of eight training sessions.
- Pay in advance.
- Multiple private sessions included, at our training facility.
- Treats and equipment included.
- We train your dog while here for boarding or daycare.
- We work on a few behaviors, but not a full curriculum like in Dropoff Training.
- Less training time per day than Dropoff Training.
- Pay when you check out from boarding or daycare.
- 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 eight training days.
- Private session available at our training facility, after your boarding stay, in order to review what we worked on. This is at a reduced rate from our normal private lesson fee.
- Treats and equipment sold separately.
Positive Reinforcement Methods
Tucker Pup's only uses positive reinforcement methods. We do not use prong collars, choke chains, shock collars, poking, yelling, leash popping, or other aversive methods. Dominance can easily cause your dog to distrust you, and to only comply in order to avoid a negative outcome. This isn't truly learning, and can cause your dog's behaviors to become much worse.
Positive reinforcement is much more effective for creating long-term learning and a stronger relationship with your dog. Dogs love training when this style is being used, are much more responsive to their owners, and are much happier in general. In short, positive reinforcement gives you the best chance of success, and can be the fastest way to get results. If you are hesitant, please trust us on this one and feel free to ask us questions.
Positive reinforcement combines an encouraging tone of voice, clear instruction, relaxed body language, the use of rewards (e.g., treats, favorite toy), patience, and empathy.
If you are concerned about giving treats, keep in mind that they work very well for most dogs, you can phase them out at your discretion, and it is possible to use something else that your dog values, such as a favorite toy.
FAQs
What if I want to mix and match behaviors that the trainer works on?
This is very possible, depending on the behaviors and your goals. You should speak with one of our training advisors about this.
What if it is snowy or rainy outside?
If the weather doesn't permit on any given day, we would work indoors during that time - it is not common that poor weather lasts the entire day, so we can head back outside when it clears up. During the winter, we encourage you to bring boots and a jacket for your dog. We can put them on your dog before going outside. It can be helpful to still work on outdoor walking, to teach your dog to not pull you in icy conditions. If we feel it is too cold for your dog, we would head back inside.
What if I need transportation?
Tucker Pup's does not provide transportation, but can put you in touch with transportation companies. You can also schedule rides with companies like Uber and Lyft - you just need to tell them you are bringing your dog.
What if my dog is too anxious to learn?
Every dog comes for a free trial day, just to get their feet wet and see how everything goes. If you decide to move forward, we try to give dogs ample time to adjust, and our trainers go out of their way to help every dog be as comfortable as possible. We can also work with dogs on what may be causing them fear or anxiety, and our trainers have a lot of patience and empathy. After two days of working with your dog, we should have a strong sense of whether the training is working well. We are very honest, and if it seems like it's just not working out, we will call and tell you. If we jointly decide to stop, we would prorate your remaining amount as a refund or credit for other training formats such as private lessons at your home. After two days, if your dog is responding well to the training, Dropoff Training is non-refundable, because by giving you a space, we took it away from someone else.
Can I bring my dog if he is reactive?
It depends on the severity and conditions that cause reactivity. If it is minor leash reactivity, that may be OK. If your dog goes ballistic when seeing any other dog, that would be very challenging in this environment. Our trainers also cannot work with a dog who is human aggressive. You can certainly feel free to discuss with a training advisor, who may suggest other alternatives such as our Leash Reactivity class, or our behavioral modification program at your home.
What if I can't make it on a particular day?
You may be able to work out a customized schedule with the trainer, if done in advance. If you simply didn't show up, or cancelled with less than one week advance notice, we would still consider the day as used, because by giving you a space, we took one away from someone else.
What if I need to keep my dog there a few nights?
If you need your dog to stay here on certain nights, that is certainly possible, but the program in most cases is meant to be for dogs getting dropped off twice per week, with at lesat one day of rest in between. If you do need to board during the program, you can mix and match which days you drop off, and which days your dog will stay with us overnight. It's very flexible. You just pay the extra fee for the overnight option at the end of the program, based on how many nights your dog actually stayed here. The price for staying overnight is $60 extra per night.
Will my dog be fully trained and I never need to do anything differently?
No trainer in the world can say that they can fully train your dog and you will never need to do anything differently. We are going to put a lot of repetitions on your dog and help him become very responsive to positive reinforcement training. We are going to show you how to continue the improved behaviors at home. If you are consistent with our methods, you should have a happy listener on your hands!
A Happy Dropoff Training Customer
Our experience with Tucker Pup's was more than we could have asked for! Murphy just finished up Dropoff Training with Natalie and we are so happy with the progress that he made. Natalie was absolutely the best and was so great with Murphy. We are excited to continue training with Natalie and at Tucker Pup's!
- Madeline Schmaltz
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.
See the List
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.
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.
