The Best In Home Dog Trainers in Washington, D.C. of 2026

Welcome to the Sniffspot list of top-rated dog trainers for In home training in Washington, D.C.. Based on feedback and votes from our In home training community, we've curated a list of top-rated trainers in the Washington, D.C. area.

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  Liana Burgoyne

  CPDT-KA, CCFT, CCFC, AKC CGC® Approved Evaluator, NASM-CPT

  In home training

  Washington DC, southern Maryland, northern Virginia

  LianaFit Canine ConditioningLiana Burgoyne, CPDT-KANorthwest & Northeast DCwww.lianafit.comlianafitcanineconditioning@gmail.com757-773-4709Private lessons (in-person and virtually) plus group classes for manners, behavior modification, and canine fitness in the DC area. Also teaches classes for puppies and adult dogs at Colby's Dogcare in northeast DC. Also certified as Canine Fitness Coach and...

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  Joe Ryan

  PMCT-1, CPDT-KA, FFCP (Trainer), VSA-CDT

  Aggressive dog training, Reactive dog training, In home training

  The DMV area

  Joe specializes in behavior modification with a focus on reactive and aggressive behaviors. He's studied under Pat Miller at Peaceable Paws, Victoria Stilwell, and world-renowned aggression expert Michael Shikashio, and The College of Scent Dogs. His knowledge of canine behavior, mixed with his force- and fear-free training philosophies, puts him among the most sought-after trainers in the regi...

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  Kayleigh Sullivan

  KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA

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

  NW Washington D.C, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, McClean, Arlington

  I have been training animals for over 10 years. For eight of those years I have trained elephants using positive reinforcement-based training. I graduated with a BA in Animal Sciences with a focus on Animal Behavior. I have experience working at veterinary clinics, animal shelters in behavior departments, and many years working with exotic animals in sanctuary and zoo/aquarium settings. I beli...

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  Avi Israeli

  ABCDT

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

  Washington, DC

  I received my certification from Animal Behavior College in 2012, and have been training full time since then.

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  Sophia Turshen

  AKC CGG evaluator, Positive Rewards certification

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

  I service the Washington DC Metropolitan area! Central and Southern MD, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia

  Sophia brings a wealth of experience in training well-behaved, well-adjusted dogs and equipping pet owners with the confidence, knowledge, and tools to maintain that training at home. Sophia is certified in Dog Training and Animal Nutrition and has worked in the field of pet care and training for over five years. In addition to running her own professional pet care and training business, Sophia...

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  Tara Murtagh

  CBCC, CPDT-KA, Fear Fear Certified Animal Trainer

  Aggressive dog training, Deaf dog training, Reactive dog training, In home training, Puppy training

  Washington DC, Potomac, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Alexandria, Arlington

  Tara has a bachelor of science degree from Suffolk University in Boston, MA. She is a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA) and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She is also a certified Fear Free Animal Trainer.
  
  
  Tara comes to Dog Latin from Homeward Trails A...

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  Jutka Terris

  In home training, Puppy training, Agility training

  Jutka (yoot-ka) Terris trained her first German Shepherd Dog at age 11 in her native Hungary. Today Jutka is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed by CCPDT, the only organization that actually tests and certifies dog trainers and screens them for using positive methods only. Jutka is also an approved trainer for the American Kennel Club's S.T.A.R. Puppy Program and a certif...

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  Laura Sharkey

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

  Laura opened WOOFS! in 2002 with the aim to improve the lives of dogs and their people in and around Arlington. A puppy development specialist, Laura brings nearly two decades of experience to helping dogs and dog owners, having taught hundreds of public dog training classes and worked one-on-one with dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments. Laura's strong scientific background she has a Ph...

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  Carrie Williams

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

  In addition to her role as Director of Operations, Carrie is involved in all three of our training programs at WOOFS!. She teaches a number of group classes from Basic through Canine Good Citizen, trains pups directly in our Day School and Boarding School program, and works one-on-one with you and your dog to solve challenging behavioral issues.
  
  Carrie also volunteers with a non-profit...

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  Jennifer Thomas

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

  Jen works with our Day School and Boarding School dogs, teaches many of our group classes and also meets with private training clients to solve behavioral challenges. Jen is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior.
  
  Jen is a recovering lawyer who is delighted to now be working with dogs full time. Though she has dabbled in agility and trick training, her f...

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  Joelle Cuprak

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

  Joelle has been training professionally since 2017, and has worked with dogs for far longer as a dog walker, assistant veterinary technician, shelter volunteer and as a foster home for rescued dogs. Like many trainers, Joelle originally became interested in behavior and training while helping her mixed breed dog Geronimo with his reactivity. Joelle enjoys teaching humans as much as teaching dog...

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  Sarah Hampel

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

  Sarah works with our Day School and Boarding School programs as well as assisting with several of our Basic Obedience classes.Sarah has a master's degree in Special Education and taught elementary school children with learning disabilities for more than 10 years. She has always had a love for animals and is delighted to be working with dogs and their people.She finds it immensely rewarding when...

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  Eryn Rolison

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

  I've had dogs my entire adult life and wanted dogs my entire childhood. A likely story of a dog trainer, right? But it was after adopting a severely leash-reactive dog, Hossa, that I sought professional training help and changed the course of my relationship with dogs forever.I use positive reinforcement to create a fun and cooperative relationship between pet guardians and their four-legged fa...

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  Sandy Modell

  In home training, Puppy training, Agility training

  For over 25 years, Sandy has taught people how to train their dogs using rewards-based, positive reinforcement methods. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), a licensed, certified Family Paws Parent Educator (FPPE), a member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), and on the list of national...

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  Tricia Lude

  In home training, Puppy training

  Tricia is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), a Pat Miller Certified Trainer level 2 (PMCT-2), a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor (CCUI), and has completed Susan Friedman's Behaviorworks Learning and Living with Animals behavior analysis course. Tricia has also been a positive reinforcement based trainer for over 25 years. She has trained and competed in Obedience, Conformat...

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  Heidi Meinzer

  In home training, Puppy training

  Heidi is a Cerified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI®) and trainer and teaches all levels of K-9 Nosework®, along with Levels Training, and other specialty classes in Northern Virginia. Her dog Boomer has his NW3 title in Nose Work, and he is also a Canine Good Citizen. When Heidi is not teaching people and their dogs, she focuses on animal law issues and helping companion animal owners and pet car...

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  Dolores Murray

  In home training, Puppy training

  Dolores Murray is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and is a professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and the Pet Professional Guild (PPG.)
  
  Dolores is committed to providing the most effective and results oriented solutions for our clients and their dogs, She helps them to build a solid foundation of life skills and a relationship base...

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  Christine Yeannakis

  In home training, Puppy training

  Chris interest in dog training began in early 2010 when she adopted two young adult rescued dogs. Both needed training and help with behavior challenges. After lots of reading, viewing videos and volunteering for Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, Chris decided she wanted to become a certified dog trainer. In January 2014, she entered the apprentice trainer program at a local training center. Many ...

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  Nina Tingley

  In home training, Puppy training

  Born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany Nina grew up with a family dog since the age of 12. In 2014, her and her husband adopted a one year old German Shepard-Collie Mix named Mickey, who had prior lived on the streets of Romania. Overwhelmed by all the triggers in Mickey's new environment, his behavioral challenges soon made it necessary for Nina to reach out to the helping hands of a dog train...

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  Paul Johns

  In home training, Puppy training

  Growing up, Paul enjoyed playing with his friends' and neighbors' dogs but wasn't able to have his own dog until later in life. On February 14, 2020, Paul drove to Stuart, VA to pick up his first dog: a 10-week-old border collie puppy named Ria. Some people would think that getting a highly intelligent and energetic border collie puppy would be a bit of a challenge for an apartment-dwelling, si...

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  Brett Peer

  Aggressive dog training, In home training, Reactive dog training

  Growing up with dogs, Brett was enamored at an early age. By age 12, he began tagging along his father (Dog Coach Michael Peer), to training appointments. This passion naturally evolved into a career, and in 2019, Brett officially joined our team.In just a few years, Brett has established himself as a skilled trainer with a dedicated following. Clients consistently return for personalized one-o...

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  Jen Shearer

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

  Jen (she/her) was a devoted cat person until she rescued her first dog, Della Rae. The two quickly became inseparable, and as a first-time dog owner, Jen failed to recognize that Della's reactivity, fear of novel experiences, and hypervigilance foretold a lengthy training journey ahead.Together, they plunged into the confusing and unregulated dog training industry and experienced both highs and...

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  Sam Wolfman

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

  Sam WolfmanSam (she/her) specializes in reactivity and adolescent dogs. Her dog, Nola, is highly dog reactive. On Sam and Nola's training journey there were a lot of mistakes made along the way. Once Sam discovered the power of positive reinforcement, Nola began to progress in a way that Sam never thought would be possible.Sam is the former Director of Behavior and Pathway Planning at the Anima...

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  Gabriela Hubbard

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

  HFDT offers force-free, reward-based dog training from puppy I to adult "shy", "fearful" "reactive" "aggressive" dogs. I work with ALL ages, sizes and breeds and tailor classes to promote demonstrable learning, real life skills, and a happy dog.
  
  Offering in-home training services. For those clients who prefer to use Zoom, virtual training is always an option.
  
  Scheduling is f...

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  Missy Dilla

  Puppy training, In home training, Board and train

  Missy is a top Maryland trainer dedicated to positive reinforcement, force-free & free training methods. Driven by a lifelong interest in human and animal psychology, Missy's commitment to understanding the science, emotion, and feeling beneath the surface fuels her passion for dog training and behavior modification. She shares the 4 On The Floor belief that a strong foundation, built on mutual...

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  Mimi Tello

  Aggressive dog training, Puppy training, Herding training, In home training, Board and train

  Mimi adopted an Alaskan Malamute from CHAAMP.org and volunteered so much that she became Vice President Treat Giver. CHAAMP was having trouble finding rewards-based R+ trainers and needed support. So, she started her dog training journey and met Kelly who became her mentor and friend.Her focus is building healthy relationships based on two-way communication with kindness. Positive reinforcement...

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  Kimberly Agzigian

  Puppy training, In home training, Board and train

  Kimberly's dog training journey began as a result of volunteering for collie rescues. She was shocked to see so many young collies being surrendered or returned due to behavioral issues. Kimberly met Kelly when she and her collies became certified therapy dog teams with National Capital Therapy Dogs (NCTD).Kimberly is an AKC evaluator for S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Community CGC...

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  Janine Castorina

  Puppy training, In home training, Board and train

  Janine has been training and competing in the sport of agility for several years and training dogs for over 10 years. Agility and tricks are her favorite sports.Janine finds teaching agility, tricks and training in general to be a uniquely rewarding experience. She loves being together with the students and the dogs are great. She enjoys watching them progress in dog sports and grow as teams. I...

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  Morgan Stroup

  Puppy training, In home training, Board and train

  Morgan's goal is to help foster a better relationship between dogs and their owners using positive training methods and activities that are both fun and practical. She puts a high emphasis on a solid foundation between teams utilizing pattern and engagement games. She participates in a wide variety of canine sports, including but not limited to: Agility, BarnHunt, AKC Conformation, Trick Dog, F...

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  Brittany Hassan

  Puppy training, In home training, Board and train

  Brittany has been working in the Professional Dog Care industry since 2021 when she first started as a dog walker for a fear-free company in Alexandria, VA. After moving back to MD in 2022, she started working at Patrick's Pet Care where she learned that she had a knack for not only dog walking, but also dog training and behavior, and decided to pursue a career in the field.
  
  
  Britt...

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  Liya Lachovizer

  Puppy training, In home training, Board and train

  After adopting her dog, Phoebe, Liya became interested in dog training. Using her BSc in Psychology from Ithaca College, Liya started researching about dog training until she decided to pursue it as a career. She became a certified trainer through Marker Training Academy for Dog Behavior and Modification, a force-free training school using KPA techniques in Israel, in 2022. She started taking o...

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  Griselda Zelaya

  Aggressive dog training, Puppy training, Herding training, In home training, Board and train

  Her first job was at a small retail shop where they offered training. She slowly became more and more amazed with dog psychology and behavior.
  
  Griselda earned her dog training certificate CDTK through Catch! Dog Trainer academy and first aid/CPR certification.
  
  She wanted to work with all kinds of behavior challenges, so Griselda also received her dog aggression certification t...

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  Caelyn O'Neill

  Puppy training, In home training, Board and train

  Caelyn has had a lifelong connection with animals with a special interest in canine psychology and behavior. She is a handler for her multipurpose service dog, Tobias, and has over 7 years of experience working with dogs.
  
  She is excited about dog sitting for 4 on the Floor and hopes to become a professional dog trainer in the future. Caelyn has previously worked as a dog daycare attend...

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  jackie moyano

  Aggressive dog training, Puppy training, Herding training, In home training

  Jackie Moyano transitioned careers from a respiratory therapist to dog training. In addition to caring for patients, she also taught both patients and respiratory therapy students. Jackie's medical teaching experience lends itself well to teaching people how to train their dogs. Pssst! Dog training is really people training! Jackie's dog training expertise and education comes from completing 3 ...

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