The Best Dog Training in St. Louis, MO

Riverboats, paddle boating, Citygarden, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Museum of the Dog, and The Doghaus: These are a few of the many dog-friendly activities one can enjoy in St. Louis. Due to its many dog-friendly attractions, the city is perfect both for resident dog lovers and tourists who have brought their pooch along.

However, dog-friendly as the city may be, you may struggle to enjoy these activities if your dog lacks manners or is reactive. What should be a fun outing turns into you trying to keep your dog calm. What if you could enjoy St. Louis with a well-mannered pup by your side?

It’s totally possible with the help of dog trainers in St. Louis. We’ve put together a list of the best dog trainers in the area who can help with any of your dog training needs, whether your dog is aggressive or fearful or just needs to learn how to greet people nicely. Keep reading to learn more about the best dog trainers in St. Louis.

A Quick Look at the Best Dog Training in St. Louis

Here, we’ve put together a chart that provides an overview of the best dog trainers in St. Louis. We will be providing in-depth information on each of these trainers later in the article, so keep reading.

Online Vs. In-Person Training in St. Louis

Both online and in-person training can be effective. Online training tends to be more convenient as you can study from anywhere with an internet connection. It is often the most affordable option as well.

In-person training is great for socialization for both your dog and you! It’s a great way for your dog to build confidence and learn how to listen around distractions.

Both online and in-person training have their pros and cons, but both are effective ways to train your dog. Therefore, which you prefer is entirely up to you.

Perks of Online and In-Person Training in St. Louis

Here’s a quick chart outlining the perks of online vs in-person training.

The Best Dog Training in St. Louis

St. Louis is chock full of dog trainers, so much so that it can take a fair bit of time to sort through them all. Lucky for you, we’ve already done all the work and provided summaries of what the best dog trainers in St. Louis have to offer. Take a look!

Dog Academy

• Online or In-Person: Online and In-Person
• Types of Training Courses: Obedience Classes, Behavioral Issues, Puppy Training, Psychiatric Service Dog Training, Emotional Support Animal Training, Specialty Classes (e.g. Canine Confidence, Separation Anxiety)
• Price Range: $49.99 – $349.99
• Link to Website: Dog Academy Basic Obedience Training Program
• Phone Number: (605) 223-1971

Dog Academy has dog training solutions for every type of need. We offer online classes, group classes, and private training. We have a dozen experienced trainers servicing every city in the US, including St. Louis. If in-person training isn’t your thing, check out Dog Academy’s extensive catalog of online courses.

You can find puppy training, basic obedience, psychiatric service dog training, emotional support dog training, leash manners, trick training, crate training, and more classes on Dog Academy’s website. There are even courses addressing problem behaviors such as barking and reactivity.

Dog Academy offers human training, too! You can learn lifesaving skills such as canine CPR and first aid administration. Or, you can save some money by learning how to groom your dog at home.

All of Dog Academy’s classes are designed by American Kennel Club-certified trainers with over 25 years of experience. If you need to get in touch with a trainer, you can do so via phone, email, or the contact form on Dog Academy’s website.

Greater St. Louis Training Club, Inc.

• Online or In-Person: In-Person (virtual add-ons available)
• Types of Training Courses: Puppy Training, Basic Manners, Obedience & Rally Obedience, Canine Good Citizen Prep
• Price Range: $250 Behavior & Training Seminar; Group Classes $125 – $150 for 5 sessions; Virtual Support (for students already enrolled in a class) $25 per 1-hour session
• Link to Website: https://gsltc.org/classes/our-classes/
• Address: 5200 Shrewsbury Ave, St. Louis, MO 63119
• Phone Number: (314) 832-3647

The Greater St. Louis Training Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education to dog owners. They also sponsor AKC competition events. They provide a plethora of force-free dog training classes from basic skills to competition classes at an affordable price.

Most courses do not cost more than $150 for five 45min to 1-hour long sessions. However, before one can enroll in a class, they are required to take the Behavior & Training Seminar ($250) as it teaches the basics of dog training and explains how to handle common behavior problems.

Classes offered include puppy kindergarten, foundation manners, off-leash obedience and ring preparation, rally obedience (several levels), and Canine Good Citizen preparation. The Greater St. Louis Training Club would be a great option for anyone looking to get started in competitive dog sports or for those who want to teach their puppy or dog basic skills at an affordable price.

Beyond the Dog

• Online or In-Person: In-Person
• Types of Training Courses: Puppy Training, Fear, Aggression, Reactivity, Obedience, Manners
• Price Range: Private Training $1,170 – $2,266; Board and Train $3,825 – $5,110
• Link to Website: https://beyondthedogtraining.com/st-louis/dog-training/
• Phone Number: (314) 873-1213

Beyond the Dog is led by Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, a certified applied animal behaviorist, and Sean Savage, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant. All of the trainers under their leadership use science-based, non-aversive methods to train dogs.

Beyond the Dog can help with several behavior problems such as fear, reactivity, aggression, and the problem behaviors that stem from them. Of course,  they can also help teach your dog basic obedience and manners.

Beyond the Dog offers boarding and training or private in-home sessions. The private sessions are unique in that the trainers will work with your dog one-on-one for any number of sessions and then, afterward, have a session with you to provide instructions and teach you the training they used with your dog.

St. Louis Obedience Training

• Online or In-Person: In-Person
• Types of Training Courses: Puppy Training
• Price Range: 4 Group Classes $125; Private Training $110 per 50 min session; 4 Group Classes + 2 Private Lessons $335
• Link to Website: https://www.stlobediencetraining.com/
• Address: Brentwood Community Center, 2505 S. Brentwood Blvd Brentwood, MO 63144
• Phone Number: (314) 884-8804

St. Louis Obedience Training provides puppy training services for dogs 6 months old or younger. They offer group classes, private training, and a package that contains a mix of the two. They use positive reinforcement training so that your puppy can learn new skills in a way that is fun and humane.

The group classes give puppies the opportunity to build confidence through interaction with other dogs and people. Puppies will also learn how to greet strangers without jumping. The class addresses common challenges such as housebreaking, puppy biting, chewing, and crate training.

Private, in-home training is a great option for those who want a more customized training plan for their puppy. It covers many of the same training challenges as the group class, but, of course, can be tailored to one’s needs. It’s also great for puppies over 16 weeks of age, as the group class is limited to pups 16 weeks and younger.

Good Dog Enrichment & Training

• Online or In-Person: Both
• Types of Training Courses: Puppy Training, Obedience, Trick Training, Agility, Canine Good Citizen, Reactivity, Leash Walking
• Price Range: Day Training $180 – $1,750; Private Lessons $45 – $380
• Link to Website: https://www.gooddogstl.com/
• Address: 3801 Wyoming St, St. Louis, MO 63116
• Phone Number: (314) 279-3949

Good Dog Enrichment & Training offers a number of services such as group classes, private training, day training, and workshops. They also host events like socialization days for both adult dogs and puppies and group walks or hikes.

Group classes offered include dog reactivity, puppy 101, surviving puppy adolescence, leash walking, trick training, foundations obedience, advanced learner, intro to dog sports/agility, and Canine Good Citizen certification.

Day training and private lessons take place at Good Dog’s facility and address your dog’s specific needs. Virtual private lessons are also available. Good Dog Enrichment & Training uses only positive reinforcement techniques, so you know your dog will be treated right.

Pet Impact

• Online or In-Person: Both
• Types of Training Courses: Puppy Training, Beginner Dog Training, Intermediate Dog Training, Advanced Dog Training (Canine Good Citizen Prep), Trick Training
• Price Range: Group Classes $125 – $475; Private Training $250 – $475; Virtual Classes $400 for 5 weeks
• Link to Website: https://www.petimpact.com/
• Address: Wolfgang’s Pet Stop (Central West End) 330 North Euclid St. Louis, Missouri. 63108
• Phone Number: (314) 226-5609

Pet Impact offers private dog training and a plethora of dog training classes. Programs available include puppy training, beginner dog training (for dogs 7 months and older), intermediate dog training, advanced dog training, and trick training.

For many of the programs, you have the choice of attending a class, taking private lessons, or taking a virtual class. You will have noticed that the programs go through levels, so a dog at the intermediate level will need to have taken the beginner-level course. Beginner dog training focuses on basic cues as well as behavior issues such as fearfulness, barking, guarding, and jumping.

Intermediate dog training focuses on training skills with greater amounts of distraction and a greater distance between yourself and your dog. Advanced training includes Canine Good Citizen prep. Pet Impact only uses positive reinforcement techniques.

No Leash Needed

• Online or In-Person: In-Person
• Types of Training Courses: Puppy Training, Obedience, Reactivity, Anxiety, Agility, Dock Diving
• Price Range: 10 Days Puppy Day Training $600; 10 Days Adult Day Training $900, Private Lessons $60+; Group Classes $200 for 6 sessions
• Link to Website: https://www.noleashneeded.com/
• Address: 2649 Hampton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139
• Phone Number: (314) 476-1852

No Leash Needed is a one-stop shop for all of your pet care needs. They are on this list because they offer training, but they also provide dog boarding, doggy daycare, and dog grooming services. No Leash Needed offers group classes, day training, and private lessons.

They can help with many different training needs, whether your dog is reactive, suffers from anxiety, or just needs to learn some basic obedience. They also offer canine sports training such as agility and dock diving. Of course, No Leash Needed doesn’t just cater to adult dogs — they have puppy training programs available as well.

No Leash Needed uses positive reinforcement methods, so you can be sure that your dog is being treated right.

Find the Right Dog Training for You

St. Louis is home to a number of experienced, humane dog trainers. Even with our list of only seven of them, it can still be hard to choose. Consider what your priorities are.

If you aren’t willing to travel and want to train in your own home, Dog Academy and Pet Impact are all great options. If your dog has a more serious behavioral problem like aggression or fear, try Beyond the Dog.

If you’re interested in dog sports or competition, check out No Leash Needed or the Greater St. Louis Training Club. For puppy training, St. Louis Obedience Training and Pet Impact are experts. No matter what dog training goals you have, we know that with love, patience, and consistency, you’ll be able to achieve them.