Puppy Crate Training in Albuquerque / Santa Fe, NM

I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to Kayla D., our phenomenal dog trainer from Dog Training Elite. When we first met Kayla, my dog Jack was full of energy but lacked discipline. I wasn’t sure if he could ever become a regular and well-behaved dog, but Kayla saw his potential from the very beginning. Kayla D. brought professionalism, warmth, and an evident love for her work into every session. Her calm, confident approach helped both Jack and me grow in ways I didn’t think were possible. She didn’t just train Jack—she taught us how to work together, understand each other, and succeed as a team. Thanks to Kayla’s expert guidance and encouragement, Jack is now a well-mannered service dog who has successfully passed the Public Access Test. What once felt like an impossible goal is now our daily reality, and we owe it all to Kayla. She was incredibly patient with both of us, never rushing the process and always celebrating our progress. Her dedication to her profession and Jack’s success truly set her apart. It’s clear that Kayla isn’t just doing a job—she’s changing lives, one dog at a time. If you’re considering professional dog training, I wholeheartedly recommend Kayla and Dog Training Elite. They have made a world of difference for us, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Thank you, Kayla D. You are a gift to every dog and owner lucky enough to work with you!

My experience with Dog Training Elite was AMAZING! Kayla was an expert at training a reactive dog. She also taught me how to properly handle my dog. She was professional and compassionate when training my dog. It was well worth the cost, effort and time. Thank you Dog Training Elite and Kayla!

We worked with Kayla over eight sessions to get our dog Chloe better behaved in public and on a leash. After just a few sessions, we were already seeing the results we wanted. We have been set up with the tools to keep working on Chloe’s manners to make her the best dog she can be! The depth and range of dog training and behavior knowledge we received was wonderful and very helpful to Chloe’s training. I would highly recommend training with Dog Training Elite - you won’t be disappointed!

Kayla is our trainer. She is a very knowledgeable and positive trainer. Our Great Pyrenees male, 2 1/2 yrs old is very reactive and wouldn't listen to commands and wreaking havoc in our home. He now responds to commands like place, come, sit, off, down and we are working on heeling but he does pretty well. He still needs daily training. Kayla let us know what we were doing right and practices we needed to stop doing. We are working on his behaviors with the skill she taught us. She has changed our lives.

John was a fantastic trainer for our shelter rescue. He’s super patient, great at teaching, and genuinely cares. Our dog started out with a lot of aggression issues, and from day 1 we saw immediate results, which really improved our day-to-day quality of life. After the full program, we have amazing control of her and we can easily go to public places without issue.

John and Dog Training Elite are incredible! He has an innate understanding and vast knowledge of dogs, and he immediately understood my energetic and slightly anxious Husky/Shepherd mix. The tools we gained through training enabled us re-direct our boy's energy and happily coexist. We started early at 13 weeks, and John went at a pace that felt happy and sustainable for our young boy. There is an overwhelming amount of contradictory information about dog training on the internet, and it has been invaluable to have a professional trainer to ask questions (without judgment!) and guide me through the process of first-time dog ownership. If we ever get another dog, we know who we are calling!

I had such a wonderful experience. Stephanie was our trainer, and we cannot say enough about how perfect she was for our family and our puppies. Everywhere I go with my service dogs, people ask who trained them. I am so glad to say, "Dog Training Elite!!!" I could not have made a better choice.

Wow! Kayla worked wonders with our very large golden retriever puppy. He loves the training! Kayla patiently explained every aspect of the training and guided us through the process and progress of our sweet pup. Thank you, Kayla!!!

Love this company! And Stephanie was the BEST! We got our Winnie three months ago from a small rescue that had to place her with three different fosters. A one-year-old border collie cross with massive separation anxiety and tons of energy. Smart, yes, but too smart for her own good. She would tear through the house when left alone. She would try to destroy her crate, even breaking a tooth in doing so. We needed help FAST! Elite gave us that help with practical, realistic training and advice. We saw improvements within days of the first session. It only got better after that. Is Winnie perfect? No. Does she jump over the fence every time she goes outside? Also no. No to getting up on kitchen counters or diving into the trash. The best part is the closeness we now have with Winnie. She’s a happy and exuberant dog who loves us as mush as we love her. I bought the platinum plan and it was WITHOUT A DOUBT the best money I’ve spent. I can’t recommend these people enough! Forget all the weird folksy advice you might get from others. Hire these people!

Stephanie was the best trainer, was very patient very knowledgeable and sweet with the dogs. Very professional in Getting our dog service trained. Thank you. from Henry

Elite Dog Training, was fantastic for my pitbull mixed collie Keto. Kayla worked very hard, she was very patient with me and my puppy dog. She arrived on time, very supportive, definitely would recommend this service. She even took the time to work with my other two dogs

Training was extremely effective in helping us deal with unwanted puppy behavior, as well as teaching some basic obedience and manners to our puppy. Dog Training Elite uses a balanced approach to dog training, which includes corrections in addition to positive reinforcement. Or instructor, Stephanie, was an excellent teacher (for people as well as for the dog). She was a joy to work with. She also made accommodations to the training based on our personal needs.

Kayla was absolutely amazing! She was patient, took her time with our pup! It truly made a difference from the first class to our last! She’s the right one for the job! Wouldn’t pick anyone else, will always recommend this dog training/ trainer! Thanks for being so awesome and helpful through out the whole process!

I recently had the pleasure of working with New Mexico Dog Training Elite, and I couldn’t be more impressed. From the moment we started, the team was incredibly friendly and welcoming.The trainers were not only professional but also highly knowledgeable, providing clear, effective training methods that were easy to understand and implement. They took the time to customize the training to fit my dog’s specific needs, which made all the difference. Overall, the experience was fantastic, and I highly recommend New Mexico Dog Training Elite to anyone looking for quality training in a supportive and expert environment!

I purchased a package from Dog Training Elite New Mexico, which included an Elite trainer coming to my house for an individual session once per week. We started with the basic training course, where my dog mastered commands, such as come, sit, down, heel, off, place, and free. We then progressed to the second part of the course, which consisted of three sessions in a public area. The goal was for my dog to take commands in a setting with distractions like crowds, traffic, and random noise. The third part included two sessions for service dog training, where we returned to my home to learn a special task for a specific disability. The total package for dog service training consisted of ten individual training sessions with the same trainer, John, in Santa Fe, NM. It also included no-charge options like group classes at local parks and malls, and optional group visits to the Albuquerque International Airport, where we took our dogs through TSA to get accustomed to airport procedures. Each session with John was outstanding. He came equipped with both formal and intuitive knowledge of how to get a dog to follow commands. John clearly loves dogs and paid individual attention to my four-year-old male miniature poodle, Ruben. A large part of the training involved teaching me how to train my dog, so I was learning alongside Ruben. John entrusted me with the task of working with Ruben for 20-30 minutes every day between weekly sessions, which I mostly did. The most challenging task was training Ruben to consistently heel on command. After ten weeks, Ruben now heels and adjusts his position if he starts to get ahead or behind when I click his e-collar as a reminder. He heels both off-leash and on-leash. Another challenge was getting him to drop everything and come when I say “come!” Ruben is 99% compliant, sometimes hesitating for 10 or 15 seconds but never more. He sits like a soldier at attention on the “sit” command and is compliant with “down” (lie down) 90% of the time, and 100% after a little encouragement. The other commands have been relatively easy. Elite provided me with a text number and an email address and have always been responsive to my questions and comments, usually replying within minutes or at most a few hours. The optional, free group classes have been immensely beneficial. Ruben was initially frightened of large dogs but has progressed extremely well and now takes their presence without fuss. One issue remains: Ruben’s fear of large interiors like malls, big box stores, and airports. However, Ruben recently took his maiden flight from Santa Fe, NM to Tampa, FL and handled it with aplomb 85% of the time. We are still working on it, but he has improved. John assures me that Ruben and I can participate in Elite’s monthly group classes for life. With that and visits to our local mall, I am confident Ruben will overcome this last challenge. John was an excellent trainer, always sensitive and adaptable to the needs of Ruben and me. We went to coffee shops where Ruben learned the command “under” to go under my chair or the table for proper etiquette at restaurants. Because I was worried about Ruben’s upcoming airplane trip, John made a special excursion to meet downtown and board a local public bus. John gave me lots of pointers as we rode around town. The bus was a much rougher ride than the airplane turned out to be, so the experience was especially helpful. After that, Ruben took the airplane ride with amazing equanimity. All in all, I hold Elite in deep respect and would recommend them to anyone wanting to take on the challenge of getting their dog to obey basic commands, and if needed, to become a reliable service dog.

My service dog Leo and I were able to attend the Airport group training and it was an excellent experience. I have been diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression and felt extremely anxious before we started the class and before each stage in the training session. As usual, when working with Dog Training Elite and their fantastic staff, they were able to help me have an amazing time training, staying patient with me and moving forward at my pace. They never stop offering additional knowledge, encouragement, understanding and guidance for me and my service animal. Thank you for another wonderful experience!

OMG - John is so fantastic!!! I have a 1 year old poodle who was super hyperactive. John was always so sweet and loving and had so many tips. He has trained us how to get him not jump on people, place, sit, lie down, stay and how to come ( that was a hard one) but, now I don’t have to chase him when and or if he gets out. So pleased! Highly recommend!

When I first started looking to adopt a dog, I was watching way too many videos on instagram of dog trainers. I was overwhelmed. Then the big day came when I adopted Zoey. She was scared, not confident, needed direction and huge seperation anxiety from being in the shelter. I knew training would help her become more confident and obedient. I also as a first time dog owner needed the confidence and guidance to have a well rounded dog. That's when I came across Dog Training Elite New Mexico. Justin came by and did an at home evaluation and saw first hand how Zoey was and ensured me that the training would help. We got paired up with Kayla as our trainer and Zoey instantly feel in love with her and her patience to teach us the commands. Going through the training program gave myself and Zoey the confidence we needed. There is still work to do but we are in the right direction.

John was insightful, supportive and great to work with. He adroitly answered all our questions, gave good homework between sessions and provided encouragement as the lessons evolved.

Dog Training Elite trainer John was the kindest, most skilled, patient, supportive trainer we could have ever hoped for! With his guidance and consistent positive support, our puppy is now firmly on his way to being a well rounded, well behaved pup we can bring anywhere. I would highly recommend John for any dog, with any issue. He is the best!