If you have taken our Puppy or Adult Manners course, this is the perfect next step in order to help your dog reach his potential.
Now that your dog knows the basics, it's time to make all of the exercises much more challenging. We add the three D's (distance, duration and distractions) plus introduce some new commands in order to help your dog build and keep his focus. The goal continues to be for your dog to do what you say the first time, without repeating yourself.
By the end of the course, your dog should be able to excel at many foundational behaviors, even under highly challenging circumstances.
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Intermediate Manners Graduation Day
Intermediate Manners Graduation Day
Program Snapshot
- Price: $250 for the course
- Frequency: One hour per week for 6 weeks
- Location: We are located in Fulton Market / West Loop in Chicago. Most courses are at our training facility at 1046 W Fulton.
- Parking: There is typically free parking on the streets north of us, or there is metered parking right in front
- Maximum class size: 6 dogs
- Skills taught: See the "What is Included" section below
- Positive reinforcement methods: We use positive reinforcement, which is the fastest and most effective approach for your dog's learning and development
Why Tucker Pup's is Your Training Solution
- Experienced, professional trainers with strong credentials
- Positive reinforcement only - no shock collars, choke chains, coercion, raised voices, or other negative methods
- Class specifics
- Our classes are fun and highly interactive - much better than a Zoom class!
- Spacious classrooms. In a store like Petco, classes are in the middle of the store, and the area is very small
- Variety of times and days of the week to choose from
- Many types of classes, enabling you to continue building important skills
- Warm, professional atmosphere with a total commitment to customer service
- Proven track record of training thousands of dogs just like yours. For most dogs, our method can work over its lifetime, if implemented properly
- TrainTrack™, our proprietary online tool enabling you to watch videos of the exercises you have learned, log your progress, and track what needs the most work.
- Our trainers offer private lessons if you need help with behaviors not covered in class
- 1,035 Google Reviews 4.9 overall rating
- In business since 2006
What is Included
Now that your dog knows the basics, it's time to make all of the exercises much more challenging. We add the three D's (distance, duration and distractions) plus introduce some new commands in order to help your dog build and keep his focus. The goal continues to be for your dog to do what you say the first time, without repeating yourself.
By the end of the course, your dog should be able to excel at many foundational behaviors, even under highly challenging circumstances.
The course includes:
- Training Skills, including:
- Walk next to you politely (even without a leash), including through a crowd of people and past noisy distractions
- Stay for a long period of time, even from a distance, with your back turned, as you walk away
- Go to a place, such as a mat or crate. This is ideal for times such as when you have a guest come to your home
- Automatically go to your side when coming to you
- Leave things alone unless given permission (even really tempting things, like a pile of treats)
- Spin around in front of you
- Go into a sit and down from a long distance
- Initial steps towards preparation for the optional Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test and certification
- Access to TrainTrack™
- Videos of the exercises taught in class. This helps you remember all of the tips once you get home.
- Written descriptions of the the exercises taught in class
- The homework for each session
- Ability to log your exercises and keep track of what you need to work on next
Don't just stop at one Manners course and think you're finished - take the next step and enroll in Intermediate Manners so your dog can continue to improve and learn crucial lifelong skills.
The Tucker Pup's Training System
The Tucker Pup Training System is a comprehensive, cohesive approach to training — built around home exercises and supported by our TrainTrack platform, so real progress continues between sessions and everything stays organized and on track.
Key parts of the system:
Carefully curated home exercises
We teach you the best home exercises, so you can build repetition and real learning in 30 minutes or less per day
Step-by-step training videos
Clear instructional videos that demonstrate how to perform the home exercises, so you easily remember all of the steps
Personalized recommendations
Daily adjustments designed specifically for your dog, goals, and home environment (private lesson programs only)
TrainTrack platform
Access everything in one place so you maximize your success — view videos of your assigned exercises, read handouts, and track your progress (additional features available in private lesson programs, including video uploads to your trainer and more)
Watch Videos of Home Exercises on Your Device
A Happy Intermediate Manners Customer
Jessie is amazing - she taught our puppy, Rupert, in the beginner class as well. She is very knowledgeable, a dog whisperer, and a parent whisperer as well!
Sunghee Sohn-Wasmuth
Upcoming Schedule
Afraid you will miss a class?
That's OK - you can watch exercise videos on our TrainTrack portal to see what you missed.
That's OK - you can watch exercise videos on our TrainTrack portal to see what you missed.
Questions, or want to enroll over the phone?
Call us at 312-829-8787
Call us at 312-829-8787
Enrollment Details
- Classes per course: 6 classes (once per week)
- Duration per class: 1 hour
- Price: $250 for the 6-week course. You pay when you enroll.
- How to enroll: Either by clicking the Enroll button below, or calling us at 312-829-8787
- Maximum dogs per course: 6 dogs
- Prerequisites: Adult Manners, Puppy Manners, or Dropoff Training at Tucker Pup's
- Requirements:
- No age restriction
- Not overly reactive towards other dogs or people (unless it's a Leash Reactivity class) - "Reactive" means snarling, aggressively lunging, trying to bite, and for forth - excitement or simply trying to jump is not considered reactive
- No contagious conditions
- Proof of vaccinations for Rabies (if 7+ months), Distemper, Parvo, and Bordatella (these are standard vaccinations)
- Missing a class: If you need to miss a class, that's OK!
- You will have access to TrainTrack, so you can watch videos of any exercises covered in class.
- You could attend another class for the one you missed, without your dog.
- We don't recommend missing the final class, as this is the graduation. If you do, it is still possible to get your certificate.
- Parking: There is typically free parking available on the streets directly north of us - otherwise, there are parking meters
- If two people: If there are two of you, we encourage both to attend
- If two dogs: You would need one adult per dog
- Seating: Chairs are available
- Graduation certificate: You'll receive a graduation certificate, which could be helpful to show a landlord, condo association, or homeowners insurance
Have questions?
Call us at 312-829-8787, 365 days per year between 7am and 7pmNot sure?
You can have a free consultation with one of our Training Advisors to help decide if this is the right class for youDon't delay - classes fill up quickly! We take enrollment 365 days per year, and answer calls from 7am to 7pm each day. Any request submitted after 7pm will be processed the next morning.
FAQs
Why Training Classes Are So Beneficial
- Affordability: Classes have a lower cost per session than private lessons. You get a lifetime of skills for a very low price.
- Group exercises: Sometimes in class there are group exercises that cannot be simulated at your home, such as your dog walking past all of the other dogs in class without becoming distracted. This adds a level of difficulty that helps strengthen the behaviors.
- Hear other questions: Hear questions from other people, some of which you may also have, and some of which you may not have thought of yet.
- Regularity: Classes are on a weekly schedule, which can be helpful for many people and dogs due to its regularity. With private lessons, you may not be able to get the dates and times that you want due to the trainer's schedule.
- Distraction-based learning: It can be very beneficial for your dog to learn in an environment with distractions, instead of just your home, as this strengthens the skills and is a better representation of real-world scenarios.
Why Hiring Us Beats Going it Alone
It’s not as simple as it looks. Many people try, then either give up — or unintentionally make their dog’s behavior worse before reaching out to us.
Why our training is better than DIY:
- Avoid wasting many hours sifting through conflicting, incomplete advice that is often detrimental — follow a structured, proven plan instead
- Get immediate expert feedback on your technique and what your dog is actually experiencing
- Avoid common mistakes that can severely limit your dog's progress
- We'll show what adjustments to make when your dog isn't responding
- Use TrainTrack to rewatch videos of the exercises, plus track progress
- Stay consistent with guidance and accountability throughout the process
- Eliminate the frustration of trying different methods that don’t consistently work
Reviews from Customers
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
Our reviews speak for themselves. See what other people are saying about us!
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 are irresistable 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.
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 and Bucktown and Gold Coast and Lake View and Lincoln Park and Old Town and River North and River West and South Loop and Streeterville and Ukrainian Village and University Village and West Town and Wicker Park.
Sections
- Intro
- Program Snapshot
- Why Tucker Pup's is Your Training Solution
- What is Included
- The Tucker Pup's Training System
- A Happy Intermediate Manners Customer
- Upcoming Schedule
- Enrollment Details
- FAQs
- Why Training Classes Are So Beneficial
- Why Hiring Us Beats Going it Alone
- Why Hiring Us Beats Going it Alone
- Positive Reinforcement Methods
- Courses in Progress
- Neighborhoods We Serve