Dog Training Services in Wilmington, NC

I had an exceptional experience working with Katy Filger from Dog Training Elite of Wilmington. Her professionalism and expertise truly set her apart as a dog trainer. Katy’s attention to detail is remarkable—she provides clear, concise instructions that are easy for both dogs and their owners to follow. Her training sessions are highly interactive and engaging, creating a positive and productive environment for learning. Katy’s ability to connect with both the dogs and their humans fosters a collaborative and effective training experience. I wholeheartedly recommend Katy and Dog Training Elite of Wilmington to anyone seeking top-tier dog training services!

I just moved into a summer rental with my big dog Henry. He refused to go down the stairs. I called Elite and Katie was here within 3 hours. She was able to get him up and the stairs and treated him so well! Elite saved our vacation. Thank you Katie and the Elite Team! We are so grateful.

We really enjoyed having Miss Katy our trainer and so did Bella . Bella has learned so much so have my husband and I. They have a wonderful training program . We can really see the difference in Bella so glad we chose Dog Training Elite Wilmington give it a try you and your pet will really benefit from it. Very sadisfied 😊

What a wonderful experience we have had with our trainer Katy! She was patient, knowledgeable and extremely easy to work with. Our Emma, a one year old lab was having major jumping up and leash pulling issues. Katy taught us how to handle these issues and reinforce positive behavior. Emma is doing very well. We will continue to practice what we have learned. She is a work in progress. My husband and I are looking forward to Saturday group lessons with Emma. I highly recommend Elite Dog Training.

Amazing service, professionalism and patience needed for this phase of training! Thank you! Would highly recommend

Katie was amazing. Personable and professional. We noticed improvements with our dog throughout the process. Thank you!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can’t say enough good things about my experience with Katy and this amazing dog training company! From the very first meeting, Katy was kind, professional, and genuinely invested in helping my dog, Tallulah, become her best self. Tallulah had been struggling with leash pulling and reactivity toward other dogs, and I was honestly feeling a little overwhelmed. But Katy came to my home, got to know us, and created a calm, supportive environment right from the start. Her approach was gentle, clear, and incredibly effective. The progress Tallulah made under Katy’s guidance was honestly more than I hoped for. Walks used to be stressful, but now I look forward to them—and I know Tallulah does too. Katy didn’t just train my dog—she gave me the tools and confidence to keep building on everything we learned. If you’re looking for a trainer who truly cares and knows what they’re doing, I couldn’t recommend Katy more. She was a joy to work with, and I’m so thankful we found her.

I reached out to Elite out of desperation… I rescued a dog from the streets, she was abused and sick; skinny and with sores. After bringing her home, she and my Aussie had several major altercations that were scary and dangerous. After bringing Trainer Katy into our home for training, things turned around beautifully. She said we will prevent these altercations through obedience, and it worked! I am so thankful. The 2 dogs are co-existing, and even showing playful antics toward one another. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite! It’s been miraculous!

I am looking forward to continuing the training of our dog (Daisy) with Katy her trainer. Katy was professional and easy to work with. She showed great patience with my wife and I because we have never been through a training course with any of our dogs. She deserves the praise. Hank Barr

We are so pleased with Daisy's results from working with Katy. She is soooo good at what she does. We've never used a dog trainer before and she exceeded all our expectations. I know it was a team effort between Daisy, me, my husband and Katy. But Katy was the one who made it happen. Thanks!

This is a fantastic group of people. Our golden is training to be a therapy dog and has gone from pulling to healing, staying and following all commands. Both Katie's are excellent. I love how our trainer, Katie, provides positive feedback as we work together. She provides just the right amount of instruction so I am not overwhelmed. It is evident that I am the one in training so Sally Mae and I are both learning to obey. If you are looking for a great program to train your puppy or dog, I highly recommend Elite! Sharon

Katy was professional and knowledgeable about training our mini dachshund. He has learned new skills of how not to be reactive, basic commands, how to heel and walk with us, how not to bolt out the door when it’s open, be obedient and proper meet and greets with other dogs. She helped train us as the dog owners too, which is half the battle!

We have a young Aussie doodle named Rocco. We were bound and determined to have a well trained dog this time around. After much research, we focused on Dog Training Elite Wilmington. We scheduled a consultation in which Kati came to our home. My husband and I were very impressed by her professionalism and the knowledge. We signed up for the premium package, even though the price tag seemed high at the time. Our dog trainer, Katy was on time for her all scheduled visits. Again, we were very impressed by her knowledge and how she immediately started working with Rocco from the moment she walked in the door. She explained everything that she was doing and why it was important. Ronco has just graduated with his 10th lesson and I have to tell you Dog Training Elite Wilmington is worth every penny. Rocco is still a puppy yet he can do all the basic commands and recalls. Katy even met with us in public places where I was having difficulty controlling Rocco. We are now able to walk through a busy store and Rocco will stay by my side, sit on command, lay down, and leave things alone, even when his sniffer is extra curious. I cannot say enough about Katy‘s knowledge, patience, and calm, cool collective approach she gives with every lesson. If you let her know of something that is not working, she immediately has a way to help solve it. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite Wilmington - you will not be sorry.

Kati was very efficient and she helped me with one of my dogs Vader. She took her time to help my mom and I train him. Highly recommend Kati.

Katy was absolutely amazing! She was consistent and reliable! She didn’t just help train our dog, she helped us with a system that can easily be maintained! Highly recommend!!

Excellent professionalism and experienced trainer. Working together we accomplished a lot with my Frenchie. Highly recommend.

The training for my golden was a fantastic experience in all aspects ! I was dealing with a lovable, energetic, sweet 4 year old pup that would not walk on a leash and immediately would hide when I would bring the leash out. Katy immediately developed a bond with her and soon developed a trust with her. Katy was patient and knowledgeable in her techniques. It was surprising how fast my dog began to respond to her training. I highly recommend Elite to anyone with a dog in need of training. Katy provided excellent recommendations and was professional and pleasant to work with even for the owner who also may need training! 😃

This program was a wonderful fit for me and my dog, Finn. Our trainer, Katy, is excellent to work with. Katy is patient, kind, knowledgable and Finn loved her (and I did, too!)! I purchased the platinum plan which includes 10 in-home training sessions and then unlimited group classes. Katy came to our house each time on time and ready to work, and Finn really responded to the training techniques. I feel confident that I have better command of Finn now and he learned a few cool tricks, as well. I would absolutely recommend Dog Training Elite of Wilmington and we look forward to beginning our group classes on Saturday! Thank you, Katy! We will miss our Mondays with you!

My name is Shirley and my dog Brandy. We live in a suburb of Wilmington, N.C. 4 years ago, I rescued Brandy from a shelter. She was 10 months old. She has from day one, been a very energetic and friendly, loving dog. However, she displayed the following behavioral issues: 1) pulling on the leash (I had to stop walking her, 2) jumping on people, 3) not coming when called 4) Very aggressive when seeing other dogs. She now is 5yrs old and continues to be sweet and loving. But she had been far from obedient. I had enrolled her in a number of dog training classes including a 3week stay at a boot camp obedience program that all proved to be unsuccessful. At the boot camp. I was informed that she did well there. On her last day of training, I was given a demonstration of how obedient she was with the trainers. However, as the dog owner, I was provided with less than 2 hours of training instructions. After the amount of money that I had paid for what I thought would be “good training” turned out to be extremely disappointed. I had resigned myself to never having Brandy becoming an obedient pup. It was disheartening. And then I discovered while browsing the WEB, “ELITE AWARD WIINNING DOG TRAINING***** in Wilmington. After reading their positive reviews, their mission statements, and meeting with the Owner, I enrolled Brandy in their training program. Darren and Katy who I now refer to as “my Angels” provided the training and so much support. All training was done at my home where Brandy was the most comfortable. The results far exceeded my expectations for both Brandy and myself. Darren and Katy are phenomenal trainers. Their philosophy in training dogs is unique and uses gentle guidance. The training session were always fun and engaging for both Brandy and me. Every training session began with playing with Brandy and ending the session with play time again. She always looked forward to their visits. Katy and Darren were always patient and supportive, answering all my questions and addressing all concerns. Their support included checking in with me between training sessions and addressing any questions/concerns I had and providing recommendations as needed. This never occurred with any of the prior training programs. I was also given homework assignments and tips to practice at home and reinforce what was learned during each training session. After only a few weeks of training, Brandy is a completely different dog. She... • No longer pulls on her leash nor gets distracted. Our walks are longer and enjoyable. • Comes immediately when I call her. • Greets people without jumping on them. • Does not try to “escape” when someone comes to the door. • Has become sweeter and more loving. • Is a happier dog and I am a happier human. Darren and Katy helped me achieve all my goals. I am so very grateful for all their work and all their support.

Loved the service came out to my home and trained my 13 week old shi tzu zak the trainer was lovely and very helpful definitely recommend