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Dog Training Elite in Carmel / Fishers, IN

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Doug Pfaff - Owner / Trainer
Doug Pfaff
Owner / Trainer
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers
Tessa Smith - Director of Operations
Tessa Smith
Director of Operations
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers
Olive - Demo Dog, Semi-retired
Olive
Demo Dog, Semi-retired
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers
Bean - Demo Dog Team Lead
Bean
Demo Dog Team Lead
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers
Elijah Turner - Lead Trainer
Elijah Turner
Lead Trainer
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers
Josh George - Assistant General Manager
Josh George
Assistant General Manager
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers
Marlene Campbell - Customer Service
Marlene Campbell
Customer Service
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers
Anika Hobbs - Trainer
Anika Hobbs
Trainer
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers
Sonia Padjen - Trainer
Sonia Padjen
Trainer
Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

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About Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers - Our Reviews. DTE in Carmel / Fishers, IN

Reviews

Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers - Careers. DTE in Carmel / Fishers, IN

Careers

Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers - Our Gallery. Dog Training Elite in Carmel / Fishers, IN

Gallery

Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers - Local Dog Trainers in Carmel / Fishers, IN. DTE

In the Community

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Alexander Voris
    Oct. 3, 2025
    We do not even know where to begin when it comes to how grateful we are for Dog Training Elite. Before attending the two week day camp, Hoosier, our year and a half golden retriever mix, struggled significantly with meeting new people. He would bark and lunge at them in an aggressive manner. The two week camp provided Hoosier (and us) with the tools for interacting with new people. This is just the beginning of his training as he will continue to attend weekly group sessions that come with the two week day camp package (which is amazing). We cannot say enough good things about all the trainers here. They have done such an incredible job with Hoosier, and we are so thankful for them.
  • Elizabeth McIntire
    Sep. 26, 2025
    From Doug and Anika and the other talented trainers, our experience was great. Training is a team effort between the pet owners, the pet and the trainers. Highly recommend.
  • Patricia SICA
    Aug. 26, 2025
    Elijah worked PLACE with distractions ++++ good lesson- he never is demeaning but instructive esp. with donato so puppish at 5 months..
  • James Reddick
    Oct. 1, 2025
    Joshua arrived as planned to start our puppy program and our first session was great. He gave us an overview of what the first training session was going to be covered, demonstrated puppy command (off, crate, using the leash, name recognition, using training treats) addressed our questions and coached us on training dos and don’ts. Overall it was a great first lesson and we are looking to the next puppy training session.
  • Shane Nesbitt
    Aug. 30, 2025
    We really enjoy working with Elijah. He’s friendly and funny and enjoys what he’s doing and he really knows dogs
  • Matthew Varas
    Sep. 30, 2025
    Josh was fantastic. Everything I had hoped to get out of dog training was achieved and he gave me all the tools and advice to do it. And he was very patient when we were doing the first few sessions and my dog was aggressive.
  • Mandy (Wellspring RN)
    Sep. 27, 2025
    We just had a second session with Dog Training Elite today. We are very impressed with the two staff members we have worked with, Elijah & Josh. Both were very patient and attentive to the needs of our family and our puppy. They were happy to answer our questions. We are excited to continue working with this group
  • Ashley
    Sep. 26, 2025
    I can't say enough about Dog Training Elite. They are an incredible group of trainers. They are sweet, thorough, knowledgeable, and extremely professional. The facility is beautiful and IMPECCABLY CLEAN. I will forever be a DTE customer/client.
  • Tracy Ellis
    Sep. 22, 2025
    Doug was great gave us excellent advice. very excited for classes!
  • Alex Bowman
    Sep. 20, 2025
    I have just been so impressed by the trainers, staff, and coaching at Dog Training Elite! Doug, the owner, personally came out to my house and met my dog Lola to see if she had a good demeanor for service dog training. Since then, we have completed Elite Training Camp with Lola (a full obedience training camp) and had one in home session with Elijah. The staff is so incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, smart, and supportive of Lola and our family. We are starting group classes soon to get Lola ready for service animal training, and I just know we will be seeing the same excellence as before. It is very worth the time, effort, and money to have your dog trained with this team.
  • Brian Stockman
    Sep. 18, 2025
    Great experience in meeting Doug and talking about options for training our puppy! Look forward working together on our training.
  • Jeffrey Schillinger
    Aug. 22, 2025
    Anika, Josh, Sonya and the rest of the team did a great job during our dog's two weeks of training. We look forward to the group classes and to watching our dog even further master the commands. We highly recommend Dog Training Elite. Josh came by a few weeks after the class ended to work with our dog. He was very patient and taught us a lot of things that will help our dog master his commands. We look forward to our continued relationship with Dog Training Elite.
  • M. A. Pinnick
    Sep. 15, 2025
    Excellent overview of the services and procedures of the training.
  • penny g
    Sep. 15, 2025
    Sir and I had our first home session with Annie Kasper today and she was phenomenal! She arrived on time (actually respectively early), professional, at the same time very warm, making for a comfortable environment! She was informative and confident in her abilities and I really appreciated that! DTE sure has a gem in her!
  • Anne Weinblatt
    Sep. 13, 2025
    Josh spent time with us on a Saturday morning working with Apollo. He is always great with us. He offered some good advice for working with our boy. Highly recommend Dog Training Elite.
  • Peter Leistensnider
    Sep. 10, 2025
    Josh is amazing! I would want todo dog training with anyone else. Friendly, clear instructions and confident
  • Donita Covington
    Sep. 10, 2025
    Great experience! My dog and I are both learning.
  • Only1Sable Travels (Only1Sable)
    Aug. 22, 2025
    We successfully completed 2 weeks of camp and just had our first of two at home visits. The amount of change we have seen in our dog is just remarkable. He's following commands so well, is much more attentive and enjoys the 'work' he's been doing. I really can't say enough great things about the trainers! Josh, Anika and Elijah were all fabulous with our dog, as were all the other trainers and the whole team! The communication from everyone from my very first panicked email to the team looking for guidance, to the long call with the owner Doug to get a game plan together, and the quick placement into the camp all helped put our mind at ease. And once he started camp, we received all the necessary tools and equipment for our dog, detailed daily Google drive videos of his progress with instruction and printable training recaps of each lesson. And review of each days progress with the trainers at pickup for us to practice. This level of engagement, along with the genuine love of dogs, care and can-do spirit of all the trainers and team have exceeded all of our expectations!! We are so happy with the outcome of the training, and know we have a lot more to go to continue to make his training second nature, but this is an excellent program. Plus, the ability to bring him to weekly group classes on Saturdays is also a huge comfort to us! Knowing we have the support and resources of Dog Training Elite Carmel/Fishers every step of the way is just wonderful!
  • Tabbitha Dixon
    Sep. 6, 2025
    Josh has been great! He really is patient with us learning our commands and offers reassurances when we need it!
  • Katie Koenig
    Aug. 18, 2025
    Our pup came home each day learning something new. She received great care and learned a ton!
  • Alexander Voris
    Oct. 3, 2025
    We do not even know where to begin when it comes to how grateful we are for Dog Training Elite. Before attending the two week day camp, Hoosier, our year and a half golden retriever mix, struggled significantly with meeting new people. He would bark and lunge at them in an aggressive manner. The two week camp provided Hoosier (and us) with the tools for interacting with new people. This is just the beginning of his training as he will continue to attend weekly group sessions that come with the two week day camp package (which is amazing). We cannot say enough good things about all the trainers here. They have done such an incredible job with Hoosier, and we are so thankful for them.
  • Elizabeth McIntire
    Sep. 26, 2025
    From Doug and Anika and the other talented trainers, our experience was great. Training is a team effort between the pet owners, the pet and the trainers. Highly recommend.
  • Patricia SICA
    Aug. 26, 2025
    Elijah worked PLACE with distractions ++++ good lesson- he never is demeaning but instructive esp. with donato so puppish at 5 months..
  • James Reddick
    Oct. 1, 2025
    Joshua arrived as planned to start our puppy program and our first session was great. He gave us an overview of what the first training session was going to be covered, demonstrated puppy command (off, crate, using the leash, name recognition, using training treats) addressed our questions and coached us on training dos and don’ts. Overall it was a great first lesson and we are looking to the next puppy training session.
  • Shane Nesbitt
    Aug. 30, 2025
    We really enjoy working with Elijah. He’s friendly and funny and enjoys what he’s doing and he really knows dogs
  • Matthew Varas
    Sep. 30, 2025
    Josh was fantastic. Everything I had hoped to get out of dog training was achieved and he gave me all the tools and advice to do it. And he was very patient when we were doing the first few sessions and my dog was aggressive.
  • Mandy (Wellspring RN)
    Sep. 27, 2025
    We just had a second session with Dog Training Elite today. We are very impressed with the two staff members we have worked with, Elijah & Josh. Both were very patient and attentive to the needs of our family and our puppy. They were happy to answer our questions. We are excited to continue working with this group
  • Ashley
    Sep. 26, 2025
    I can't say enough about Dog Training Elite. They are an incredible group of trainers. They are sweet, thorough, knowledgeable, and extremely professional. The facility is beautiful and IMPECCABLY CLEAN. I will forever be a DTE customer/client.
  • Tracy Ellis
    Sep. 22, 2025
    Doug was great gave us excellent advice. very excited for classes!
  • Alex Bowman
    Sep. 20, 2025
    I have just been so impressed by the trainers, staff, and coaching at Dog Training Elite! Doug, the owner, personally came out to my house and met my dog Lola to see if she had a good demeanor for service dog training. Since then, we have completed Elite Training Camp with Lola (a full obedience training camp) and had one in home session with Elijah. The staff is so incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, smart, and supportive of Lola and our family. We are starting group classes soon to get Lola ready for service animal training, and I just know we will be seeing the same excellence as before. It is very worth the time, effort, and money to have your dog trained with this team.
  • Brian Stockman
    Sep. 18, 2025
    Great experience in meeting Doug and talking about options for training our puppy! Look forward working together on our training.
  • Jeffrey Schillinger
    Aug. 22, 2025
    Anika, Josh, Sonya and the rest of the team did a great job during our dog's two weeks of training. We look forward to the group classes and to watching our dog even further master the commands. We highly recommend Dog Training Elite. Josh came by a few weeks after the class ended to work with our dog. He was very patient and taught us a lot of things that will help our dog master his commands. We look forward to our continued relationship with Dog Training Elite.
  • M. A. Pinnick
    Sep. 15, 2025
    Excellent overview of the services and procedures of the training.
  • penny g
    Sep. 15, 2025
    Sir and I had our first home session with Annie Kasper today and she was phenomenal! She arrived on time (actually respectively early), professional, at the same time very warm, making for a comfortable environment! She was informative and confident in her abilities and I really appreciated that! DTE sure has a gem in her!
  • Anne Weinblatt
    Sep. 13, 2025
    Josh spent time with us on a Saturday morning working with Apollo. He is always great with us. He offered some good advice for working with our boy. Highly recommend Dog Training Elite.
  • Peter Leistensnider
    Sep. 10, 2025
    Josh is amazing! I would want todo dog training with anyone else. Friendly, clear instructions and confident
  • Donita Covington
    Sep. 10, 2025
    Great experience! My dog and I are both learning.
  • Only1Sable Travels (Only1Sable)
    Aug. 22, 2025
    We successfully completed 2 weeks of camp and just had our first of two at home visits. The amount of change we have seen in our dog is just remarkable. He's following commands so well, is much more attentive and enjoys the 'work' he's been doing. I really can't say enough great things about the trainers! Josh, Anika and Elijah were all fabulous with our dog, as were all the other trainers and the whole team! The communication from everyone from my very first panicked email to the team looking for guidance, to the long call with the owner Doug to get a game plan together, and the quick placement into the camp all helped put our mind at ease. And once he started camp, we received all the necessary tools and equipment for our dog, detailed daily Google drive videos of his progress with instruction and printable training recaps of each lesson. And review of each days progress with the trainers at pickup for us to practice. This level of engagement, along with the genuine love of dogs, care and can-do spirit of all the trainers and team have exceeded all of our expectations!! We are so happy with the outcome of the training, and know we have a lot more to go to continue to make his training second nature, but this is an excellent program. Plus, the ability to bring him to weekly group classes on Saturdays is also a huge comfort to us! Knowing we have the support and resources of Dog Training Elite Carmel/Fishers every step of the way is just wonderful!
  • Tabbitha Dixon
    Sep. 6, 2025
    Josh has been great! He really is patient with us learning our commands and offers reassurances when we need it!
  • Katie Koenig
    Aug. 18, 2025
    Our pup came home each day learning something new. She received great care and learned a ton!
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Doug Pfaff - Owner / Trainer
Doug Pfaff
Owner / Trainer | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Doug grew up in Greenfield Indiana in an animal-loving home where dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, fish, reptiles and even a free-roaming chicken named "Chicken Pox" could be encountered at various times. Most of his adult life was pent in Virginia where he worked in sales, sales training, coaching and management roles. A move back home to Indiana in recent years brought the opportunity to purchase the Dog Training Elite Franchise and the chance to work with pups and their owners. He takes pride in bringing a new standard of Elite Dog Training to the Indianapolis area and to improve the quality of life for dogs and the humans who love them.

When he's not training dogs and their humans, Doug hangs out with his own 2 pups. Olive, a 5 year old Vizsla and Bean, a 2 year old Yellow lab, who's also his running buddy. Doug and his partner Tom, live in the Meridian Hills area of Indianapolis. When he can find time, he loves to spend time with his 2 granddaughters in Virginia and 2 grandsons in Indiana.

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Tessa Smith - Director of Operations
Tessa Smith
Director of Operations | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Tessa is a native Hoosier who grew up in Southern Indiana. Her love of animals began with the family pet, a pot-bellied pig named Max. After earning her degree in Business Administration and wanting to do something that helped satisfy her love of animals, Tessa joined Dog Training Elite of Indianapolis. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching documentaries and traveling with her daughter.

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Olive - Demo Dog, Semi-retired
Olive
Demo Dog, Semi-retired | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Olive is a 5 year old Vizsla who lives to chase the furry critters that find their way into her yard. She's been known to go after squirrels, raccoons, foxes, deer and even an occasional coyote! When she's not working at Dog Training Elite with Doug, she loves to lounge by the pool and watch cooking shows with her other dad, Tom. She's often seen at the front window of the DTE shop intently watching the birds at the bird feeder or hanging out the window of the DTE Jeep enjoying the wind in her ears.

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Bean - Demo Dog Team Lead
Bean
Demo Dog Team Lead | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Bean is a 2 year old Yellow Lab. He is the lead demo dog and attends many of the in-home assessments and also comes to many group classes and events with the DTE Trainers. He comes from a long line of medical alert dogs and may eventually be certified as a therapy dog. When he's not working with the DTE team, he loves to retrieve a frisbee, ball or anything else anyone will throw for him, and go for runs with Doug. He also likes to wrestle with his sister, Olive. But his favorite two things in the world are snacks and naps.

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Elijah Turner - Lead Trainer
Elijah Turner
Lead Trainer | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Elijah is a born and raised Hoisier. He grew up on the far eastside of Indianapolis and his love of dogs started at a young age. Before his father passed he gifted the family with their first dog in his remembrance. Since then dogs have had a special place in his heart. When he’s not training dogs, Elijah is hanging out with his Bloodhound, King. He enjoys long walks and hiking trails with King. Trails are his favorite because he gets to see King do what he loves best, which is sniff everything! Elijah’s been training dogs for four years now, and can't get enough of how much we learn from the dogs. His goal is to bring a happy balanced home to our clients!

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Josh George - Assistant General Manager
Josh George
Assistant General Manager | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Josh grew up in Ohio and then moved to Indiana after meeting his wife Sammie. He lives in Castleton with his wife and dog Lilo (yep as in Lilo and stitch). When he's not training dogs, he is at a park, taking pictures, watching Ohio State football, or playing guitar and every single one of those activities is with Lilo because she goes everywhere with him.

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Marlene Campbell - Customer Service
Marlene Campbell
Customer Service | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Marlene has been in the Administrative/Customer Service role in the corporate world and after 25 years decided to take early retirement and has been enjoying life. Her puppy, Jimmy went to Dog Training Elite day camp for training and she couldn’t be happier with the results. Now she and Jimmy are enjoying life together. After becoming a client, the opportunity arose to work part time for Dog Training Elite. Quote from Marlene: “I’m loving getting back into the workforce with the nicest group of people”. Marlene likes to spend time with her family and most of all her grandchildren.

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Anika Hobbs - Trainer
Anika Hobbs
Trainer | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Anika grew up in Noblesville, Indiana. She has always had a strong love for animals, and knew she wanted to work with dogs when she realized how in tune her golden retriever was with her emotions and could comfort her during anxiety attacks. She worked as a veterinary assistant for 3 years before becoming a dog trainer.

In her spare time, Anika enjoys riding roller coasters with her husband Jacob, spending time in the ocean, and taking her dogs Sampson, Rylee, and Moxie for adventures.

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Sonia Padjen - Trainer
Sonia Padjen
Trainer | Dog Training Elite Carmel / Fishers

Sonia grew up in Czech Republic and now lives with her husband and two boys in Carmel, IN. She had a long career in the medical field, but her love for dogs led her to pursue dog training. In her free time, she loves walks with her pups Bella, Piper and Levi, she enjoys hiking , skiing and most of all traveling.

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