Canine Sports Dog Training Chicago, Illinois

Joe at Canine Sports has been a great help for our pandemic puppy with behavioral challenges. We sent him for immersion training, and it was astounding to see the change. We continue to work diligently, and occasionally with Joe and Canine Sports, to make our pup the best he can be.

This was an absolute life saver. Our dog was a complete monster and it seemed beyond control. We dropped him off for six weeks and received regular check ins, report cards and videos of his progress and what he is learning. Joe is our dedicated trainer and he didn’t s absolutely amazing. The amount of care for our dog and attention to detail is phenomenal. There is no challenge he has not been there to help with. The ongoing resources are more than adequate support to get through the process. I am extremely grateful for all CSDT has done for our dog and in turn our family. Thank you!

I had an incredible experience with Canine Sports Dog Training! Phoebe, my rescue dog, had incredible anxiety and fear. She is so much more confident which has lead to many more enjoyable experiences! A special THANK YOU to Joe! He is one of the trainers and comes to our home to go over training in her environment. He is extremely knowledge, helpful, and most importantly Phoebe loves him! I highly recommend using Canine Sports Dog Training!

Our one year old Poppy is smart, spunky and oh so spazzy. Thank goodness for Joe and the team at Canine Sports. Poppy, while a relatively good dog, had zero manners. Her jumping, leashing pulling, barking and overall behavior had us stressed and creating tension in our house. After a training program (part day train and party board and train) our relationship with Poppy has improved 110%. She knows what we exepct of her and she has learned all of the basic commands, excellent leash manners and how to "place" on her mat and will stay there for long periods of time. We've tried other trainers in the past with our previous dog and Joe is by far the most effective trainer we've worked with. Worth every penny and then some!

I cannot recommend Canine Sports enough- it's worth every penny! Joe Saltarelli introduced us to the Immersion Training Program and it was exactly what our energetic Irish Setter needed. All of the trainers are extremely knowledgable and made us feel very comfortable from the start. Our dog came back more calm and focused than we ever could've imagined. However, it's the one-on-one follow up sessions that truly differentiates Canine Sports. During these follow up sessions Joe taught us how to better read and communicate with our dog- we understand each other and can actually anticipate our dog's needs/behavior. This training has given our dog so much more freedom and has given us peace of mind. Thank you to everyone at Canine Sports!

My dog and I have been so happy with the entire Canine Sports program and team. As a rescue dog and 1st time owner, respectively, the Canine Sports team greatly increased our ability to communicate. I now feel confident when walking my dog because I understand how to keep her safe and polite. The day care component of the training was perfect to socialize her among other dogs and get a leg up on training for ignorant me! All the trainers clearly love what they do and have incredible patience and empathy for their dog and human students. My dog turns into a wiggly pile of affection when she sees the Canine Sports team.

Working with Emily has been awesome. Just the right balance of assertive but calm leadership my reactive fearful dog needs, he’s light years more confident now than he was a year ago. From a somewhat experienced perspective (I’ve owned many …

I have nothing but great things to say about Canine Sports! My 2.5 year old rescue dog, Dally, was bit by another dog over the summer and quickly became leash reactive and extremely fearful; so much so he wouldn't leave our building lobby. I emailed Canine Sports and got a prompt response from the awesome Emily to set up a time the following week. The first meeting Natalie showed up right at the scheduled time, on the dot. It it is such a simple thing but goes a LONG way for me. She spent time reviewing Dally's needs and the program and answering all of my questions. Based on the severity of my dog's condition she was able to confirm his program for a start date within 3 weeks of the meeting. It was a huge relief knowing that we no longer had to live in our tiny bubble for much longer. I chose a 3 week immersive training and while difficult not having my dog for that time, he did a total 180 with his fear and anxiety. After the 3 weeks, Natalie dropped him off and it was amazing. We couldn't walk around the block before he left for Canine Sports, now he is walking past scary garbage trucks, snow blowers and other work trucks; and right at my heel to boot! The biggest peace of mind Canine Sports gave me was offering lifetime classes and lessons for any lingering needs. Natalie comes once a week now that we are a few weeks out of the immersive training and the support she gives me and reinforcement for Dally is invaluable. There have been situations that come up that I need training on in order to reinforce Dally's training and Natalie answers every need with easy to understand tools. I HIGHLY recommend Canine Sports. To top it all off, this is a female owned, Chicago based, small business and it just feels good supporting them.

WORST EXPEREIENCE EVER!! I can not begin to explain how unprofessional, unresponsive, unreliable, flat out rude and money hungry this "company" is. I will never trust a dog of mine with these "trainers" ever again. I have ample pictures and …

Canine Sports taught my puppy how to have manners and set her up for a lifetime of success! Hazel learned so much after her 2 week board and train. The hardest part was getting me trained with the new vocabulary. She walks right next to me on a leash, stays on “PLACE”, and her recall is on point! CSDT is the only training company I found that stands behind their work by offering free training for life with many of the training options. It is nice to have the support of additional training whenever we need it.

We loved our experience with Canine Sports. Our pandemic puppy, Luna needed a lot of help with her nerves. We initially thought having a puppy while working from home would be a great time to train, it is, but we didn't anticipate that it might set Luna up for issues later in adulthood if the world resumed to a normal pace. We wanted to make sure she felt safe outside of our home and help her deal with separation anxiety. She had trouble taking walks in the city. I couldn't get her down our block without her wanting to bolt in the other direction or freeze completely. As a city dog, we knew it was crucial for us to set her up for success and we needed help navigating that safely. The investment for the Puppy Prodigy program accomplished our goals with our Luna girl. We knew the immersion training was the best thing we could do for our pup. They took her training at her pace, went slowly to build her confidence up and gave us good tips for working with her. Her first week, she was scared of everything. By the end of the program, Luna was begging to see her furry friends and trainers. She's now properly crate trained. We can leave the house without separation anxiety. She enjoys her walks and takes her cues from us. While she is still a cautious dog and that is likely the personality of her breed, she is enjoying life in the city WAY more than she was. We have a family that all has dogs and we wanted to make sure she felt safe hanging with them. By the end of the program she made friends with all our family dogs. Every dog is different and has different needs. The trainers at Canine Sports understand this and was flexible with us. We also appreciate that our initial investment allows us access to answer questions from trainers well after she completed the program. You'll still have LOTS Of homework and you'll need practice in-between sessions but we enjoyed the work. Thanks to all our trainers!

My dog Mr. Wudie is a rescue who began barking at large dogs when we were out for our walks. It was not friendly barking, and I didn't want him to be rude or create a dangerous situation for either of us. I called Emily at Canine Sports …

I first turned to Canine Sports for dog training back in April at the height of the pandemic. I was unexpectedly given the opportunity to rescue/adopt an 8 week old Belgian Malinois puppy. I knew that Malinois were a working dog breed and required a lot of physical and mental stimulation; albeit I still felt ill-equipped and I knew I needed a support structure. I reached out to Emily and Natalie with a puppy program inquiry shortly after and the sense of urgency they had was comforting as other trainers that I approached didn't respond for days which led me to feel that they did not deem my request time sensitive. When I brought Tito in he was a firecracker or "spicy" as the CSDT team would call it! He was afraid of the world and would bark and lunge at everything. Fast forward to now, Tito is 10 months and although we are still working through things, he has made fantastic progress and is manageable. Not only did they tailor their training methods to accommodate his working dog breed, but they have also coached me every step of the way (and I mean EVERY step of the way). I even started bringing my mini golden doodle who is 13 months there to polish up some obedience work that my previous trainer failed to instill. I have nothing but positive things to say about this group of trainers and I can truly say that I would not have been able to set my Mal Tito up for success without their help and support. They don't just train, coach, and develop your dog - they make the training inclusive and will correct YOU so that you are set up for success at home. It has been one crazy journey and it isn't over yet but I am glad to have you guys in my corner! Cheers!

Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about Natalie, Emily and the team at Canine. They have saved me, and my dog Penny! She was a disaster who didn't listen, but we had graduated from every dog class we took. I spent thousands on at home private sessions, separation anxiety sessions and basic commands. Finally I had enough, I was at my end - and along came these sweet angels. In less than a week, I had a completely better dog. I was nervous about the correction methods but it has actually strengthened our bond and made her even more affectionate. My friends thought my 1 year old pup was a mess before them and now they love being around her. They literally changed my life for the better. I only regret not going there first. They are AMAZING, affordable, and the most wonderful people in the world.

Seriously some of the best people and trainers on the planet. If you are within a day of driving distance you have to go check them out!

I am a dog trainer and have been a training decoy for over half a decade. Coming to Emily for advice and ideas has taken my craft to a higher level, both with the dogs and the professionalism. I would recommend anyone in the greater Chicagoland area to work with Emily and Natalie.

Awesome staff. I only trust Emily and Natalie to help us with our pooch and for boarding when needed.

I met Emily and Natalie after going through several trainers who couldn't help me with my fearful/reactive German Shepherd. Both of them were so professional and kind to me as I told them my journey with her and was feeling hopeless. They …

Group of amazing trainers! Emily is great at what she does and her dogs are wonderful prime examples of her work. Nice to see trainers who are in dog sports as well and not just your regular type of petsmart obedience knowledge only. They offer a variety of programs to consider for your dog!

Natalie and emily have helped us with both our dogs. They helped us raise our tough beagle pup and then helped us train our other dog to be an amazing therapy dog. I've seen them work harder than any other dog trainers at times. They are out to help the dogs instead of making a huge profit. They are down to earth and tell you how to be better. Don't hesitate to get their help!

I can't recommend CSDT enough! Our labradoodle completed a 6 week puppy training class with Joe that was fantastic and a great starting place for a playful but mischievous puppy. Now that Rafa is a little older, she is doing training with …

Finn and I have worked with Emily for both private lessons and her board and train program. Best review I can provide is she's worth every single penny I spent!! Finn, a young Doberman, is a different dog and I have confidence in my training. Sign up! Do it! Best investment you will make in your dog.

We took group classes from Canine Sports to get started with our training. This was very helpful with the basics. The huge change occurred after setting up private lessons with Emily. She was instrumental in turning our 60 pound pulling machine into an excellent companion to walk with! After 3 lessons we are well on our way to having a dog we can walk off leash.

I wish I could give them more than 5 stars!. I really believe that are the BEST in their field. I just wrote out my whole story about all they have done for me and my dogs and realized it was way to long. The shorter version. I would not …

My pup may be beautiful to look at (truth), but he also has one of the most solid obedience foundations of any family dog I have met. Emily and Natalie are the reason Ash is thriving after a pretty difficult start in life that left him …

Emily has worked with my dog Grizzly on general training, tricks and agility. She is awesome! While Grizzly doesn't present the extreme reactivity that Emily often works with (and I have seen her work magic on other dogs with that!), she …