At Bark Avenue Daycamp, we offer comprehensive dog and puppy obedience and behavioral training services. Our skilled dog trainers excel at establishing a strong, trusting connection with dogs of all breeds and sizes, enabling them to effectively address even the most challenging behavioral issues. As a dog owner residing in Elgin, IL, or any of the surrounding Chicago suburbs, you’ll collaborate with our dog trainers to acquire the essential skills to bring out the best in your furry companion, ensuring their well-behaved conduct at all times. Our program emphasizes the significance of providing leadership alongside the love and affection you already provide to your pet. Regardless of whether you reside in St. Charles, Elgin, Carol Stream, or Schaumburg, IL, when you sign up for dog obedience training, you’ll forge a relationship founded on trust and respect with your dog or puppy. The harmonious blend of leadership and affection results in an unbreakable bond between you and your beloved pet.

Build a strong foundation of communication and obedience with our Fundamentals dog training class. This class focuses on teaching your dog essential skills while developing focus, engagement, and reliability.

Dogs will learn and practice:

• Attention Getter — Teach your dog to focus on you and respond to your cue.
• Sit — Establish a reliable sit on cue.
• Down — Build a calm, controlled down position.
• Stay — Increase duration, distance, and reliability while remaining in place.
• Place — Teach your dog to settle and remain on a designated spot.
• Heel — Develop loose-leash walking and focused movement by your side.
• Recall — Build a dependable response when called.

Whether you’re starting from the basics or looking to strengthen your dog’s existing skills, Fundamentals provides the tools and structure needed for better communication, focus, and obedience at home and out in the real world.

Recommended for dogs at least 4 months old. If dogs are less than 4 months, we recommend Puppy Pre-School. Note: If your dog is reactive/vocal towards people and/or dogs, please contact us for other training options.

9/30-11/4, Wednesdays, 6:30-7:15pm

10/10 – 11/21, Saturdays, 9:30-10:15am (NO CLASS 11/7)

11/11-1/6, Wednesdays, 6:30-7:15pm (NO CLASS 11/25, 12/23, 12/30)

Take your dog’s training from the classroom into the real world with Everyday Manners! This class is designed to build reliability, impulse control, and calm behavior around the everyday distractions and situations dogs encounter at home and out in the community.

We’ll focus on practical skills that help your dog become a polite, well-mannered companion in a variety of environments.

Dogs and their families will work on:

• Guest Greetings & Jumping — Teach polite greetings and appropriate behavior when visitors arrive.
• Advanced Drop It & Leave It — Strengthen impulse control and build reliable responses around tempting items and distractions.
• Thresholds — Teach your dog to wait calmly at doors, gates, cars, and other boundaries.
• Distraction Work — Build focus and responsiveness around people, dogs, sounds, movement, and other real-world distractions.
• Outdoor Work — Practice skills in more realistic environments where distractions and challenges are greater.
• Begging at the Table — Teach appropriate mealtime manners and calm behavior around food.
• Long Line Work — Develop freedom and responsiveness while maintaining communication and control at a distance.
• Duration — Increase your dog’s ability to maintain behaviors for longer periods of time, even when distractions are present.

Everyday Manners is about creating skills that work beyond the training room. Through progressive practice and real-life scenarios, we’ll help your dog become more focused, patient, polite, and reliable—making everyday life easier and more enjoyable for both of you.

Requirement: Completed Fundaments or equivalent or have Trainer’s approval.       

10/1-11/5, Thursdays, 6:30-7:15pm

10/10-11/21, Saturdays, 10:15-11:00am (NO CLASS 11/7)

11/12-1/7, Thursdays, 6:30-7:15pm (NO CLASS 11/26, 12/24, 12/31)