Three lab puppies - Dog Training Elite offers the best puppy classes in Grand Rapids, MI.

Professional

Puppy Training Classes

Dog Training Elite West Michigan

Request Free Assessment


Request Free Assessment


Our Puppy Training Classes Could Help:

Teach basic obedience commands
Improve socialization skills
Reduce unwanted behaviors
Strengthen the bond with your puppy
Build confidence in new environments
Encourage proper leash manners
Promote calm behavior around distractions
Prepare for advanced training

Professional Training with Dog Training Elite

Puppy Classes in Grand Rapids, MI

Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting time for any family! Puppies love to cuddle, play, and explore, but they also have much to learn before becoming well-behaved companions. Puppies can start training as soon as they come home at eight weeks old, and the benefits of training young will last their whole lifetime.

If you’re searching for professional Grand Rapids puppy training classes, Dog Training Elite is your top choice.

We offer free in-home consultations to get your puppy on the right track from day one. Our experienced trainers work closely with you to customize a program that meets your goals and your puppy's needs.

From basic obedience to socialization classes and advanced service training, Dog Training Elite is here to guide you every step of the way.

Learn more about our specialized puppy training programs and give us a call to start your puppy’s journey toward a happy, confident life!

See Training Packages

Get Your Free Assessment

You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

A girl hugging her pup - deepen your bond and more when you choose Grand Rapids puppy training classes with Dog Training Elite.

Dog Training Elite West Michigan

The Benefits of Puppy Training

Read More
Read Less

Our classes help your pup grow into a well-behaved dog. Here are a few benefits you can expect from choosing our elite training:

  • Deepen Your Bond With Your Puppy: Training your puppy – and continuing training with new tricks as they get older – is a great way to bond closely. Puppies have a natural desire to please and will learn to rely on you for guidance and direction, establishing a foundation of trust and love.
  • Socialize Your Dog: Obedience training, especially with group classes, helps dogs become comfortable and well-socialized around other dogs and people. This is important for when you want to take your dog on walks or invite people into your home.
  • Improve Your Dog’s Safety: Training your dog to listen and obey your commands will help them stay safe in any situation. Learning commands like “down,” “leave it,” “stop,” and “wait” can keep your dog safe from messing with dangerous things like electrical cords and other situations outdoors.
  • Provide Mental Stimulation: Good dogs can become bad dogs if they don’t have a way to work out physical and mental energy. Training as a lifelong pursuit is a great way to challenge your dog mentally and keep them engaged.
A puppy in training with Dog Training Elite professionals.

Dog Training Elite West Michigan

Puppy Training Class Prices

Read More
Read Less

When you train your dog with Dog Training Elite, you get the most bang for your buck. Not only do we offer a variety of programs, but Dog Training Elite trainers are building on over 50 years of experience.

At Dog Training Elite, we are dedicated to open communication, clear timelines, and providing transparent, honest puppy training class prices. Dog Training Elite trainers love what they do and aim to build a community for clients who love their dogs just as much as we do

We specialize in strengthening the bond between your dog and your family. With our focus on positive reinforcement and classic conditioning, we create dogs who truly desire to please from the inside out.

More Classes We Offer

Dog Training Elite West Michigan -
Schooling Your Pup in Obedience
Dog Training Elite West Michigan -
Academy

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Sally Jo Klokkert
    Dec. 19, 2024
    Carrie was so kind and patient with my girl Billy and I. I’m so happy and proud of the progress we have made and would HIGHLY recommend dog training elite west Michigan to anyone
  • Sally Jo Klokkert
    Dec. 19, 2024
    Carrie was so kind and patient with my girl Billy and I. I’m so happy and proud of the progress we have made and would HIGHLY recommend dog training elite west Michigan to anyone
  • sally klokkert
    Dec. 19, 2024
    I’m a 62 year old woman who rescued a beautiful black and tan on hound. She is as strong as a bull and sweet as pie. She pulled me to my knees to many times to count and when guest came over she would almost knock them over with affection.i needed help and a friend found elite training for me. I signed up and with some training myself and a little help with my dog my dog is a well behaved love who will stay put until I give the command. Carrie worked miracles at showing my pup and myself who we could be. 💜
  • sally klokkert
    Dec. 19, 2024
    I’m a 62 year old woman who rescued a beautiful black and tan on hound. She is as strong as a bull and sweet as pie. She pulled me to my knees to many times to count and when guest came over she would almost knock them over with affection.i needed help and a friend found elite training for me. I signed up and with some training myself and a little help with my dog my dog is a well behaved love who will stay put until I give the command. Carrie worked miracles at showing my pup and myself who we could be. 💜
  • Melissa Weining
    Dec. 13, 2024
    We have been blessed with a few wonderful dogs as family pets. But in September we had the opportunity to get a Belgian Malinois puppy, Dakota. She is a joy, but we knew that for her to reach her full potential as our pet, we would need professional help. Carrie and Dog Training Elite West Michigan have been a tremendous help and Dakota is making amazing progress! With each training session we see growth and discipline in Dakota's behavior. My husband and I agree it is money very well spent for our furry companion! Dog Training Elite is convenient, professional, knowledgeable, and all around fantastic!! Carrie takes her job very serious for the sake of our dog and our family, and has exceeded all of our expectations!!
  • Kylie Kamppinen
    Dec. 10, 2024
    Carrie with Dog Training Elite has been absolutely wonderful. My silver Labrador retriever named Opal is so well trained. She has helped us through all of the hard puppy stages. I have gotten so many compliments on how well behaved my dog is and it is all thanks to Carrie.
  • Christy Moore Greenman
    Nov. 13, 2024
    Our puppy has officially graduated from Dog Training Elite West Michigan! Investing in Carrie and her training techniques was the best choice I could have made! We welcomed our puppy into our home with the hopes of him becoming a therapy dog at my school. He has learned so much with Carrie! Although therapy dog training will start a little bit later, we finally enjoy walking him and having people over without him jumping on everyone! If you’ve ever thought about investing in training for your own dog(s), I would highly recommend Carrie.
  • Christy Moore Greenman
    Nov. 13, 2024
    Our puppy has officially graduated from Dog Training Elite West Michigan! Investing in Carrie and her training techniques was the best choice I could have made! We welcomed our puppy into our home with the hopes of him becoming a therapy dog at my school. He has learned so much with Carrie! Although therapy dog training will start a little bit later, we finally enjoy walking him and having people over without him jumping on everyone! If you’ve ever thought about investing in training for your own dog(s), I would highly recommend Carrie.
  • adrian Quintino
    Oct. 30, 2024
    We are 3 weeks into training with DTE and Osito (Mini Goldendoodle)is a whole new dog! We saw improvement after just one day of training which I didn't think it was possible! Carrie helped us make so much progress with Osito. He is so much well behaved and his Obedience has improved so much! We tried other training programs which were based on rewards like treats/food/toys. That type of training failed miserably with Osito. It was so hard to keep him engaged. We highly recommend Carrie and her DTE training program! Carrie is teaching us a system that works fantastic for us and Osito! So much progress in such a short amount of time. Can't wait to see the end result once the program has been completed! Thank you so much Carrie and DTE!
  • Alison Bowser
    Oct. 23, 2024
    Our dog, George, came to us completely untrained and just a mess. Carrie helped us make SO much progress with him. He’s a different dog! He’s so well behaved and he’s become such a great dog for our family.
  • Emma Bailey
    Oct. 2, 2024
    Before Dog Training Elite West Michigan and working with our fantastic trainer Carrie we were at a loss for how to work with our boy Saint. He had so much energy and wanted to rule the roost. We struggled with mouthiness, no listening ears, barking/talking to get attention and more. After our initial zoom call going over what training is we were so relieved and excited to get started. The training has exceeded all our expectations, even after the first session we saw an instant change in his attitude towards listening. He gets so excited to learn new commands and work with Carrie, he’s much more confident, snuggly, and reliable, we can bring him anywhere! Carrie has taught us life long dog ownership skills and changed our lives! We are truly so grateful for Dog Training Elite and we know Saint is too!!
  • Brady Owen
    Sep. 20, 2024
    We are very thankful we chose Carrie and Dog Training Elite West Michigan. I saw the impact good training could have on our dog after the first class. We’re very appreciative of the hard work that goes into training and look forward to each class so not only does our dog learn, but we do as well to become better dog parents!
  • Kyle Smith
    Aug. 5, 2024
    Dog Training Elite -West Michigan was a great option for Wesson, our 4 yr old Labradoodle! Carrie taught us a system that works for our dog and our family. We got our dog during Covid and never enrolled in obedience classes due to the shutdowns. While our dog was never aggressive, we needed help with commands to avoid “over joyful welcomes” with visitors and a way to turn off excessive barking at UPS, Fed Ex and other “invaders.” We actually got way more than we expected. I have a happy dog, happy wife and a happy life! I highly recommend Carrie and her Dog Training Elite program!
  • Jonci Warner
    Jul. 11, 2024
    This was my first dog so I knew I needed an expert to help me train. The convenience of at-home lessons and Carrie’s vast understanding of dog behavior was near priceless. What I noticed over all was how much she cared about our dog and its well-being. She is very passionate about her craft. Now people I meet everyday tell me what a well behaved dog I have. A great experience for sure.
  • Max Sloss
    Jul. 11, 2024
    Our trainer from Dog Training Elite West Michigan helped us train our dog ever since he was a puppy. She has helped us and our dog by training our dog to listen to our commands, and having him learn self control. Our trainer was very experienced and intelligent on what to do with dogs. She taught us as owners what to do in almost any situation that could happen to our dog. Overall this is a great service that I am grateful for and would highly recommend to everyone and I could not be happier with what they have done for us and our dog.
  • Heidi Maroney
    Jun. 23, 2024
    Carrie was wonderful with our dogs. We have 2 dogs. She was on time every lesson. Using E collars is very new to us. So we are still getting used to them. We are practicing with the e-collars daily through out daily activities. They do listen better with them and it has helped a great deal to shut down unwanted behavior. Such as excessive barking, pulling, lunging, and rough housing. It has also helped with walking the dogs with distractions. They have learned to sit and stay while people are passing by on walks. We have not started any group classes yet but are looking forward to checking them out.
  • Kristin Howarth
    Jun. 8, 2024
    We hired Carrie to train our 3 year old chocolate lab Brody. She has done an amazing job! She took the time to get to know our family and worked with us on creating a customized plan that fit our needs. Our dog has responded really well to the training. He is listening better, not jumping as much and is learning to heel. We appreciate Carrie’s hard work and dedication, you can tell she truly loves what she does. We still have a few more training sessions to go and are excited to continue to see the great progress.
  • Mitch Mileski
    Mar. 23, 2024
    Dog Training Elite, specifically our trainer Carrie, has provided amazing customer service, dependability, solutions, and empowerment 100% of the time. Carrie has been working with us and our dog Panchito for the last month or so and all I can say is, “wow!” Her experience, wisdom, and patience shows every session. Our anxious and nervous rescue pup has come so far so fast. Although this is a costly service, the mental sanity that is provided with her direction and guidance is priceless. Every day still has its challenges, but we see improvements day after day with Panchito. His confidence has risen and anxiety is melting away. I would 100% recommend DTE to others and would happily call upon their services again if needed.
  • Meghan Arnson
    Mar. 19, 2024
    Our dog Echo and our family had an amazing experience with Dog Training Elite. Carrie's expertise and dedication to helping Echo learn and grow were truly impressive. She took the time to understand Echo's unique needs and tailored the training sessions to suit her and us perfectly. Under Carrie's guidance, Echo made significant progress in her puppy training. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite and Carrie to anyone looking for exceptional dog training services."
  • Josie Van Dam
    Feb. 14, 2024
    Wallace, my nine month old English Cream Golden Retriever, and I just completed all of our individual obedience classes with Carrie. Her reassurance and patience is exactly what I need and has helped me learn how best to communicate and guide Wallace. We are excited to continue working with Carrie as Wallace moves into training to become my service dog. Worth every penny!

Dog Training Elite West Michigan

Training Essentials for Your Puppy

Here are a few puppy training tips from the expert team at Dog Training Elite! If you have any questions or want to see these methods in action, give us a call. We are more than happy to show you a demonstration and provide you with a glimpse of what our professional team can do!

At Dog Training Elite, we believe in positive reinforcement and yummy treats do the trick! We recommend a high-quality, berry-sized reward that your puppy will enjoy. Rewarding your dog while training teaches them that you approve of that behavior and maintains their motivation to perform well.
Because you’ll be handing out lots of treats, you will probably want a treat bag or pouch. There are many options out there with different sizes, shapes, and ways to carry. The benefit of getting a treat pouch is the ease of access and the ability to reward your puppy quickly. If you aren’t interested in getting a treat pouch, we recommend getting a small bag to carry you puppy’s rewards.
A clicker is a great tool to have along with rewards when training a puppy. With a clicker, you can immediately provide a positive sound when your dog performs a correct behavior, and then you can reward them with a treat. Pairing a clicker with treats is a great way to instill positive reinforcement because you teach your dog that they get a treat when they hear a click. You can buy many kinds of clickers at your local pet store, and they even have helpful clicker apps.
A good leash is another essential when bringing home a new puppy. We suggest a leash made of a durable material like leather and about 6 feet long to allow for comfortable room for both of you. Training your dog on a leash will set you up for fun walks in the future, keep your dog safe, and prevent them from getting lost while out of the house. It is also beneficial for an excited puppy who wants to run around and play while training.
You'll need a sturdy collar or harness to attach a leash while training. Deciding between a flat collar or body harness is up to your personal preference, but it is good to consider your dog's comfort and demeanor. A collar is necessary while training and for safety while out and about. A collar/harness is also the best place to attach the identification for your puppy. If anything happened to your dog, you'd be glad you had a collar with your information on it!
Getting a dog crate is a great way to housetrain your puppy. You will want to get a durable and safe crate for your dog that has enough room for them to be comfortable. You want the crate to be a place of calm and safety for your dog, not a punishment zone. Getting your puppy crate trained gives you a safe space in your home to keep them while they are unsupervised and also prevents unwanted behaviors like chewing or peeing inside.
A group of dogs being trained by the expert team at Dog Training Elite West Michigan.
Dog Training Elite West Michigan light star icon.

Educate, Empower, Elevate, Elite

Victory Begins With Elite Education

A Dog Training Elite trainer and owner working with a dog in Grand Rapids, MI.

Dog Training Elite West Michigan

Start Training Today

Read More
Read Less

The early months of your puppy’s life are crucial for developing good behavior, confidence, and a strong bond with your family. At Dog Training Elite, we offer specialized training tailored to your dog’s unique needs.

We focus on essential skills like obedience, socialization, and more. Our experienced trainers are committed to helping your puppy grow into a well-mannered companion that will be a joy to have at home and in any environment.

Call us today to schedule a free consultation and get a head start on your puppy’s training journey!