The Best Dog Trainers in Grand Rapids, MI of 2026

This is a list of the top dog trainers in Grand Rapids, MI, based on votes from the Sniffspot community and the general public.

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  Jenn Gavin

  CPDT-KA, FPPE

  Aggressive dog training, Deaf dog training, Reactive dog training, Service dog training, Agility training, In home training, Off leash training, Puppy training

  Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon, Cadillac, Baldwin, Ludington; Kent County, Ottawa County.

  Jenn Gavin, CPDT-KA, FPPE is the owner and founding trainer at A Pleasant Dog. She has been rescuing and training dogs for over twenty-five years. For the last ten years, Jenn has focused her practice on anxious and aggressive animals, and has become one of the most trusted trainers working with aggressive animals in our state. Jenn works extensively with veterinarians and veterinary behavioris...

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  Lindsay Carlson

  Aggressive dog training, Board and train, In home training, Reactive dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Lindsay graduated from Central Michigan University in 2009 with her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Biology. In her degree program, Lindsay studied animal learning and volunteered in a rat and pigeon behavior laboratory, deepening her interest in and knowledge of learning and behavior. After graduation, Lindsay worked in the veterinary field for a few years before leaving to pursue educatio...

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  Virginia Brophy

  Aggressive dog training, Board and train, In home training, Reactive dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Gin has a diverse background, but when she adopted her first dog, she discovered her passion and has been training ever since. She has a passion for shaping and confidence building, and loves watching for that moment when it just clicks and the dog starts to figure out what they are learning! Some of her favorite training areas include puppy socialization, leash walking, counter surfing, and do...

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  Pat Parker

  Aggressive dog training, Board and train, In home training, Reactive dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Pat has been around dogs throughout her life. Beginning with training them for her father (a dog breeder) as a child and then teaching her first 4-H class at 15, her experience is varied and well rounded.
  
  Pat has been training dogs in agility since 1996 with her first competitions in 1997. She has titled several dogs in conformation, obedience, and agility. Currently she trains regular...

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  Roxanne Grady

  Aggressive dog training, Board and train, In home training, Reactive dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Roxanne grew up fascinated with horses and rode religiously for ten years. After her dog Oakley found her, though, her passion for dogs and training emerged. Oakley suffers from anxiety and separation anxiety, which drove Roxanne to study positive reinforcement and science based methodology to help him and others. Through this work she learned that science based methods were the only way she wa...

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  Kaylee Benjamin

  Aggressive dog training, Board and train, In home training, Reactive dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Kaylee Cook-Benjamin is our licensed veterinary nurse with a passion for training both dogs AND cats!She is a Fear Free Elite certified professional, Certified Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional, and an Accredited Dog Trainer (ADT) with years of experience working in rescue and shelter environments. Kaylee completed an internship with Dr. Jill Sackman of Animal Behavior Consultants of Michiga...

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  Miriam Kort

  Aggressive dog training, Board and train, In home training, Reactive dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Miriam originally joined us as a client, but her skill in behavior became quickly apparent. Don't let her young age fool you, Miriam is an invaluable member of our behavior and research study teams. She will be starting college at Calvin University soon. Miriam is owned and loved by Bingley, a rough collie, and Othello, a tuxedo cat. In her free time, she enjoys playing cello, walking dogs, an...

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  Parker Sheffield

  Aggressive dog training, Board and train, In home training, Reactive dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Parker has been working with animals through every possible avenue throughout her life. As a child, Parker frequently volunteered at her local animal shelter, started pet sitting in her teen years, and eventually, worked at a grooming salon before starting her dog training career at Petco in 2016. Parker worked there for just under 8 years and became a mentor at the start of 2020. In 2022, Park...

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  Zach Zeneberg

  Aggressive dog training, Board and train, In home training, Reactive dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  A graduate of the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Ecology, Zach's first exposure to animal training was working with non-releasable wild birds of prey at Leslie Science and Nature Center in Ann Arbor, where he was teaching outdoor education programs. When given the opportunity to become a full time professional animal trainer, he moved to Florida and spent a year presenting free-flighted ...

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  Nikki Welch

  Board and train, Puppy training

  Nearing graduation at MSU, I applied for the Foster Puppy program at Paws With a Cause. The day after leaving campus, I received an adorable black lab pup, Flair. To say he was spirited would be an understatement! This little guy was active, quick, and an eater-of-everything. The first months were a roller coaster of puppy management and trying to keep my head above water. My perceived failures...

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  Jason boasts

  Established in 2022, Jason boasts a lifetime of canine expertise. In the late 90s, he immersed himself in the world of wolves at Wolf Park in Battle Ground, IN, conducting hands-on research on wolf behaviors. His passion for animals led him to northern Wisconsin, where he joined a wolf tracking team while volunteering at local dog shelters.In 2020, Jason became a dog trainer for Invisible Fence...

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  Carrie McIntyre

  Aggressive dog training, In home training, Reactive dog training, Service dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Carrie was born and raised in the Detroit area and moved to West Michigan after graduating from Hope College. She's had a passion for dogs since she was young. Carrie loves helping people learn to communicate better with their dog and strengthen their bond, so they too, can experience the joy dogs bring to her. When she's not training, she enjoys spending time with her husband Mike and two Gold...

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  Jessica Maxwell

  Aggressive dog training, In home training, Reactive dog training, Service dog training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Jessica grew up in Detroit, but now resides in Muskegon, MI with her husband, Eric, and their St. Bernard, Sir Rutherford the Brave. She has a background in the service industry and has been grooming dogs for the past 10 years. Through her experiences as a dog groomer, she has developed a knack for calming high energy and anxious dogs. Jessica loves all dogs equally, but holds a special place i...

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  Jeff Somers

  Board and train, Protection/guard dog training, Puppy training

  Jeff Somers is the owner and head trainer of Lakeshore K9 Training. Jeff has been working and training dogs his whole life. Canine training started at a young age with multiple pets growing into training hunting and retrieving dogs. Jeff has been working and training police dogs for the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office for the last 17 years specializing in motivational obedience and positive re...

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  Kellen Dewey

  Aggressive dog training, In home training, Reactive dog training, Service dog training

  Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Kellen Dewey and I am the proud founder of Kellen's K9s, a positive dog training business located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.A career in dog training has come as no surprise as I have held many positions in the animal care world. From zookeeping, to in-home pet care, to training service dogs for disabled individuals, I have seen it all! After working over...

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  Kristie Swan

  In home training, Puppy training

  Kristie was the first trainer in Grand Rapids to be certified through CCPDT. The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers has become the most recognized and respected certifying organization for trainers. She is also a Certified Training Partner with the prestigious Karen Pryor Academy. Kristie is also an evaluator for AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog. Through f...

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  Nikki Koning

  In home training, Puppy training

  Nikki got her start teaching basic obedience classes at Petco. Soon after, she began fostering dogs for a local rescue and found great joy in helping her fosters find their forever homes. This led to her learning more about canine behavior and positive training techniques. As a mother Nikki is aware of the challenges that can arise when raising children with dogs, so she became a licensed Fami...

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  Rachael VanDyke

  In home training, Puppy training

  Rachael graduated from Baker College in 2011 with her degree in veterinary technology. She works in small animal practice with a focus on reactive wellness care, pain management and behavior concerns. She is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner and a Fear Free certified trainer. Her area of interests are cooperative veterinary care training, group dog training classes and feline beh...

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  Amy TOwnsend

  In home training, Puppy training

  Amy is a licensed veterinary technician and manual therapist who has loved training animals since elementary school. Her veterinary nursing career spanned spay & neuter clinics, shelter medicine, emergency/ICU nursing, and day practice before she found her niches in behavioral and physical rehabilitation. She enjoys working with pets and their owners to restore physical and emotional well-being...

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  Erika Gregorian

  In home training, Puppy training

  Erika is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and graduate of the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training and Behavior. She specializes in herding breeds and dogs with special needs. Erika also teaches Nosework classes (Scent-ology). After managing a very successful dog walking company she sought education and certification to further her service to dogs and those who love them. Through her ...

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  Kaitlyn Shamery

  Board and train, In home training, Puppy training

  I've always had a deep love for dogs, and that passion prompted me to attend Bergin University of Canine Studies, the only accredited university in the world to offer degrees in cynology (the study of dogs). There I had the privilege of learning directly from Bonnie Bergin, the woman who first created the concept of the mobility service dog. My university courses included a wide range of classe...

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  Casey DeKam

  In home training, Puppy training

  Casey DeKam, the owner and trainer, provides safe, effective, gentle dog training for dogs of all breeds and puppies of any age, based on positive reinforcement and proper leadership.After years of fostering rescue dogs and volunteering in local shelters, I one day decided that I COULD do more and I WOULD do more!I could no longer sit back and continue to watch great dogs needlessly suffer thro...

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  Alaina Rudin

  In home training, Puppy training

  Alaina is the owner and dog trainer behind Scallywags Dog Training based in the Grand Rapids, MI area. She loves bringing out the best in client dogs and giving them the tools they need to see progress.
  
  Specializing in puppy and new dog training, Alaina helps new dog owners grow their training skills as they learn to communicate with their dog.
  
  Qualifications
  Alaina is cer...

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See The Best Dog Trainers In Other Cities Near Grand Rapids

Ordered alphabetically, only included cities where there is enough data to compile a list

• Ann Arbor, MI
• Detroit, MI
• Lansing, MI

See The Best Dog Trainers By Type In Grand Rapids

• Aggressive dog training
• Agility training
• Board and train
• Deaf dog training
• In home training
• Off leash training
• Protection/guard dog training
• Puppy training
• Reactive dog training
• Service dog training

FAQ: Meet the Top Grand Rapids, Michigan Dog Trainers

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