Compassionate dog training in Chicago
Sniffspot’s #1 Dog Trainer in Chicago
What we offer
Private sessions, group classes, and drop-off options to help your dog build confidence, focus, and real-life skills.
Puppy classes
New puppy? We’ve got you.
Our puppy classes cover socialization, confidence building, and obedience foundations to help your dog grow into a well-adjusted adult.
Group classes
Build skills in a real-world setting
Our classes improve focus, confidence, and more in busy environments. Great for reactivity, engagement, and even fun tricks. Located at our Avondale training facility.
Private training
One-on-one, custom training
From basic obedience and potty training to separation anxiety, reactivity and aggression, we offer private lessons with flexible pricing and scheduling.
In-home day training
Training while you’re at work
Our 4- and 5-week in-home programs combine hands-on trainer sessions with weekly transfer lessons to speed up progress and build real-world skills.
Drop-off training
Let our trainers do the heavy lifting
Drop your pup off for half- or full-day structured sessions with our trainers at our Avondale location. Perfect for busy schedules and building consistent skills.
Playgroups
Safe, structured socialization
Beat the weather and the boredom! Trainer-led playgroups designed for small dogs learning polite play and confidence around others.
Behavior & training we help with
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Set your puppy up for success with early socialization, potty training, crate skills, and prevention for future behavior struggles.
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Pulling, zig-zagging, freezing, or overreacting on walks? We’ll help your dog learn to walk calmly and check in with you, even when the world is full of distractions.
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Dogs who lunge, bark, or growl at people or other dogs. Whether it’s fear, frustration, or guarding behavior. We help you uncover the “why” and create safer, more confident responses.
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Nervous rescues, shutdown dogs, or pups who struggle with new environments, strangers, or sounds. We teach coping skills to build trust and resilience.
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For high-energy dogs who struggle with self-regulation like jumping, grabbing, zoomies, or barking when excited. We turn chaos into clarity using positive reinforcement.
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Whether you’re starting fresh or rebuilding a bad association, we help make the crate a safe, cozy spot your dog actually wants to be in.
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Does your dog growl over food, toys, people, or space? We specialize in helping dogs feel safe without needing to guard the things they value.
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Does your dog panic when you leave? Barking, destructive behavior, accidents, or escaping can all be signs of separation anxiety.
We’ll help you build independence slowly and create a plan that feels safe for your dog (and for you to follow).
Why train with Copilot
Positive reinforcement for the urban pup
We train with
kindness
Training should be kind, clear, and fun, for dogs and their people. We use positive reinforcement to help dogs learn and feel good doing it.
We know every dog’s different
At Copilot, our trainers bring a variety of specialties so your dog gets support and tailored training plans that fits their unique needs.
We love our Chicago
community
We’re dedicated to strengthening Chicago’s dog community by offering inclusive, affordable dog training programs — including sliding-scale training for CACC adopters.
We offer flexible
training options
Sign up for group classes at our Avondale location or take advantage of in-home training. Not within our service areas? Try virtual sessions!
Meet the team
owner & trainer, cpdt-ka
Margaret Fraser
Ronnie Gutierrez
trainer, cpdt-ka, sapt
Services: Private lessons, Group classes, Drop-Off Program trainer
Specialties: Reactivity, urban environments, resource guarding, and therapy dog training
Services: Private lessons, Group class instructor
Specialties: Separation anxiety and predation substitution training
Cailin Patracon
trainer, cpdt-ka ctp
Alli Dumphy
trainer
Services: Private lessons, Group class instructor
Reactivity, stranger danger, and confidence building
Services: Group class instructor
Specialties: Canine fitness, agility, confidence building, exploration, relaxation techniques
Services: Private lessons, Group classes, Drop-Off Program trainer
Specialties: Reactivity, stranger danger, enrichment, and confidence building
trainer, cpdt-ka
Services: Group class instructor
Specialties: Canine fitness, agility, confidence building, exploration, relaxation techniques
Susy Vallejo
Jess Kupsik
trainer, cpdt-ka
Services: Private lessons, Group classes, Drop-Off Program trainer
Specialties: Puppy training, Rescue dog training, Dog-to-dog integration, kids/family dog training
Megan Green
trainer
Hailey Mott
Services: Private lessons, group class instructor & Puppy Kickstart program
Specialties: Trick training, Canine Good Citizen, and Puppy Training
trainer, CPDT-KA
Our certifications:
We’re trained to train
Copilot HQ
3266 N. Elston Avenue in Avondale
Our Avondale training facility is where classes, drop-off training, and a whole lot of learning happens. The space is calm, welcoming, and intentionally small.
We’re located across from Brands Park, which lets us thoughtfully work around dogs, people, kids, and everyday distractions in a way that actually translates outside the classroom.
Free street parking is available on Elston, and we’ll send everything you need to know before your first visit!
Looking for expert dog training in Chicago?
At Copilot Dog Training, we help puppies and adult dogs learn the skills they need to thrive in city and suburb life. From puppy training and obedience classes to private dog training sessions and drop-off training, our trainers use positive, practical methods that strengthen your bond.
Whether you’re searching for puppy socialization classes in Chicago or personalized coaching for leash walking, recall, or behavior issues, we’ll meet you and your pup where you are and guide your dog every step of the way.