| Top Five - Best Dog Trainer Category
Our trainer Debbie was voted in the top five in the Best Dog Trainer category in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in the Chicagoland Tails Readers' Choice Awards.
She was also voted as the 'Runner Up' in the Best Agility Instructor category in Chicagoland in the 2010.
View all awards
|
Current Training Promotion:
|
- Sign up for any of our 6-week training courses and receive a free night of boarding, free day of daycare, or 50% off your next grooming reservation. Does not apply to training competitions.
View all promotions
|
|
Did you have a great experience with us and want to post a testimonial? Send it our way! |
After reading the comments below, be sure to check out testimonials about our other services:
Want to see more comments?
Click here.
Good Manners 1 was a nice experience. It helped me learn a simple process to communicate with my dog and teach him/train him on the behaviors that I want him to have and eliminate the ones I don't want him to have. I enjoyed the other "humans" and dogs in the class. We covered a lot very fast, which at times seemed overwhelming. But Debbie was good to stress that it is a process and that you and your dog are not going to get everything in the six weeks. I thought Debbie did a nice job giving us perspective on what to expect and how to deal with it.
You could tell that Debbie "knew her stuff" and was a great role model in how to communicate and work with your pet.
My dog is more calm and focused. Me, too! As we moved through the class, I think the most important thing I learned about my approach was how inconsistent I was in the use of commands and in how I communicated with my dog. So that is my challenge to continue to work on. As I get more consistent, my dog gets more consistent.
For me the class was worth the time and investment.
- Pam Strand
I am very very pleased with Nico's improvement. Everyone around us has noticed great changes in her behavior. I feel that Debbie fully understands how to communicate with dogs and her knowledge is really helping us. Nico and I are really understanding each other. Debbie has great ideas and helpful homework handouts. She also makes training do-able for any dog, no matter what their level is. Also, Debbie gives us as owners great tools to work with. I feel equipped to carry on with our training after our classes are over. I am excited every week to come to class, and Nico is too!
I really mean it, I couldn't imagine a better more knowledgeable and effective teacher. Thanks so much!
- Desiree Madah-Amiri
Debbie is great. Charlie learned a lot and we are very happy with his progress. One thing we would like would be able to contact the other people in the class so we could get the puppies together to play.
- Dave Feldstein
We greatly enjoyed the training course and will be enrolling in polite puppy II. The skills that our dog has learned is helping us to manage his lifestyle better.
- Jay and Noelle DiPrizio
The CGC class was great! This was our second class we've taken with Debbie at Tucker Pup's so we knew we would be in good hands. She is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. One of Gunther's major hurdles to pass the CGC was to allow friendly strangers to pet him without shying away. After a couple of classes and a couple of great tips from Debbie, we started seeing a major improvement! He passed the test with flying colors and is now a Canine Good Citizen.
It's so great to see him more comfortable when strangers (and friends) pet him!
Great class, great instructor, and well worth the time, money and effort!
- Kara Fromme
I think the class is great. Debbie allows you to realize that your dog's behavior is a reflection of the owner's behavior. It was also refreshing to see there is hope for your little one. She also makes it look so easy. I learned the timeout technique and it really works.
- Ceta Walters
Good Manners training with Debbie was just what the doctor ordered for my 8 month old Puggle named Bailey. I rescued him from a puppy farm when he was no longer a puppy, so he had some bad habits. Debbie showed me how to correct his bad habits using positive reinforcement, which made me and my dog both happy in the process. I recommend Debbie and any of her training classes very highly.
- Marnie Ratner
I just wanted to send a quick repsonse back over to you about the puppy course.
Everything did meet our expectations and the trainer was wonderful, knowledgeable and patient with is something I get a bit nervous about when Oscar tended to act up in certain situations. I would definitely recommend to a friend based on the success and progress we've seen with Oscar over the past 6 weeks. I felt it was time and money well spent and have noticed a significant increase in obedience and maturity since starting the course. With the methods covered in class I am confident we have a much better understanding of the tools we need to use in the future to continue to move forward in a positive and trusting relationship with Oscar.
My fiancee and I will be discussing the Good Manners 2 course over the next several days and will likely be back in touch.
Thanks,
- Jeff Eisel and Megan Moser
I loved the course and instructor! I\'d recommend it to friends definitely! I learned a lot, and so did my dog. It was a lot of fun.
- Sara Baillie
The training program was great. Our pup Moose has learned so much from the training class as have we. Debbie is a great trainer and we are so happy that we decided to go with the positive reinforcement approach. We will be coming back for more training for sure. We have also used Tucker Pup's for grooming and were very happy with that service as well.
Thanks again.
- Tom & Beth Walsh
Tucker Pup's Good Manners 1 course is excellent. We brought our two four year old Westies to the class, and we were pleased with the class setting, with Debbie Bickford and with what we have learned. Debbie is very knowledgeable and clearly conveys the principles of training. She also led us to reading that will help reinforce our learning and expand our training skills. Our dogs are better 'leash walkers' now, and are also getting better at coming when called which were two main issues for us. When we have the time, we would definitely consider taking additional classes with Debbie.
- Lisa Curcio
Since moving to the West Loop and using Tucker Pup's services, I have been very pleased. My dog, Scout, has been groomed at Tucker Pup's, and we recently finished the "Good Manners 1" course. Scout tied in first place as class valedictorian (or valiDOGtorian, as I call her). Whenever I take Scout in to Tucker Pup's, the staff are very friendly and kind to me and my dog. After grooming, Scout is clean as a whistle, and always in high spirits.
I chose Tucker Pup's because I had heard many good things about the organization, and because the website was so friendly and easy to navigate.
I have a dog walker from another local business, but would have hired Tucker Pup's as walkers if they offered that service.
I plan on taking more discipline classes when my schedule allows.
-Rebecca Fons
First of all, I want to confess that we are a bit biased. We met Debbie Bickford about 8 years ago when she led a training class at PetSmart, where our first Boxer was enrolled.
The training methods Debbie taught us were so effective that when we got our second Boxer we knew we had to track Debbie down for a refresher.
I am happy to report that she not only provided a refresher but also taught us new techniques as well as provided some new insight into the psyche of dogs.
My wife and I are very pleased with the results of the training techniques we learned at Tucker Pup's. Not only is our dog better behaved, but more importantly has made a connection between learning and fun which will facilitate future training.
Thanks again and God bless,
Manuel and Belinda Parilla
We loved the Good Manners 2 class! We had gone through the puppy class and then proceeded on to this one. It is impossible to say enough good things about this class. Not only does Debbie help you train your dog, she trains you! Our dog loved going to class and not only did our dog learn in class, she worked hard on the homework too. Our 5 month old puppy now will wait for us to walk through doors, walks like a dream next to us and doesn't pull at the leash, sits when meeting new people, doesn't run after dropped food, and loves learning new things! I had a lab when I was younger and he was never this well behaved! The best part about the class is that Debbie teaches you how to work with your dog towards good behavior instead of "at" your dog. "Yes!"
I can't wait for the agility class to begin! I would highly recommend, borderline insist, that anyone who has a new dog enroll in a training class with Debbie. Once you do, you will wonder what took you so long to sign up!
- Kristen Walter
My little wapoo (chihuahua/poodle mix) , Tank, was only 2 months old when he started going to Tucker Pups and he LOVES it! Everyone there takes such great care of him and he is always so happy to go play when I take him in.
He is now 4 months and still loving it! The grooming services are fantastic and the Polite Puppy training classes are really working!
Thanks to Tucker Pup\'s I have a well socialized happy puppy!
We were incredibly excited to have our dog, Tyson, attend the Manners I course with Debbie. It was a very convenient location given that Tyson spends his days at Tucker Pup's - and he was comfortable enough in the surroundings to actually listen and learn! Debbie was patient and gave us great insight as to how our dog perceives us humans. He has been much better at his stays, sits, and comes since the class, among many other commands.
- J.P. Machuta
Debbie is an excellent instructor! She is extremely knowledgeable and had very helpful and effective techniques and suggestions. My dog loved her immediately!
- Lesley Ahlberg
I just wanted to let you know how well the obedience class went. This was Jake's second go around in organized training sessions, and as you could see, the first group (given by a different trainer and pet-care center) didn't go so well. Debbie is a phenomenal trainer, extremely knowledgeable, and had all the answers. She made it very entertaining and seemed to have everyone's attention 100% of the time. Jake and I continue to train and see improvements on a daily basis. Thanks again.
- Ryan Nelson
Jason, Ripley and I think that Debbie must be a goddess. No, scratch that, we KNOW that she is a goddess!
I am a farm girl. I've spent years with a panoply of species and Jason and I spent a long time preparing for our 'city-puppy'. Seriously, I read no less than a dozen 'training books' and bring my background w/ animals to the table so I thought I knew what I was doing. Within six weeks Debbie made all that history come to life and she added so much more. Her course was common sense, kind, intellectually stimulating and the best thing that we could have ever done for our family. I just wish she trained cats, as we have three that could use it.
Sorry, to be so long-winded, but I am so overwhelmingly impressed with Debbie and Tucker Pup's as a whole. And I am NOT easily impressed. Understand, that Jason and I are singing your praises everywhere we go. And the proof is in the pooch! Daily, people remark on how well behaved Ripley is and we say the same thing: 'Tucker Pup's. Debbie Bickford. Do yourself and you dog a favor and call them A.S.A.P.'
I look forward for a long and loving relationship w/ y'all! Thank you for all the fabulous work that you do.
My sincerest best,
- Amber Almanza-Wade
The agility training course was excellent. Debbie is an amazing instructor. It was clear that she put 100% into helping all the dogs do their best. I would definitely be interested in an agility 2 or agility 1.5 class!
- Grant Tucker
We are delighted with the training we received from Debbie Bickford at Tucker Pup's. We took the Agility 2 class with about half a dozen other students and their two-legged companions. The class had a relaxed atmosphere and everybody was comfortable with the pace and content. We've been training in Agility for over two years, with a couple six-month breaks to recover from cruciate injuries - once for Ski and once for his primary trainer in our own neighborhood. We enrolled in Debbie's class because of our extended layoff, having heard from others what a great trainer she is. We were extremely impressed with how much the other students had learned having taken only a single six-week Agility 1 class from Debbie. They were able to run the Agility course along side us, and had great fun doing so. Debbie regularly adjusted the course content based on feedback from the students, focusing on what people enjoyed and had an interest in. Debbie made learning easier by incorporating games and even prizes into a curriculum that can sometimes become challenging. And, of course, Graduation was a great time! I now understand why Debbie is so well thought of in the community of dog trainers, and look forward to future classes with her. And, yes, we also look forward to challenging Nigel on the CPE course some day......
Sincerely,
- Rich Tamborski and Noble vom Kolinstrasse (aka: Ski)
Thank you for offering the great adult dog training classes with Debbie. Her techniques are practical and easily applicable to Jack's every day doggie life. She is a great human trainer who is also excellent with dogs! In addition, because Jack already loves going to Tucker Pup's for daycare, he is right at home and comfortable during our training sessions.
- Morgan Russell
This course was fabulous, but more importantly Debbie was fabulous! She was the perfect mix of teacher and friend. She was genuinely excited when my dog did as it was told and very fun. She was the bomb....I am very excited because of her. I would love to have her knowledge and her job! She was an excellent communicator as well as a stern teacher. We are taking our pup to Intro to Agility so we will have more time with Debbie, which is great.
I learned a lot....and I thought I knew a little bit about training a dog! Although my dog isn't perfect she definitely minds much better and now we have some serious tools in order to help train her!
If I can afford it, I'll continue taking classes here periodically...obviously to learn but also because it is fun to have some educational, structured activity with your dog.
There are things we still need to work on but Miley Rae is an excellent dog. Mostly we need to work on leash walking, but that is not perfect most likely b/c we have not practiced enough.
- Nicki Deckert
The Outdoor Adventure class was fantastic. There are not many classes out there that focus on outside work (where, at least in my mind my dog has more issues - behaving indoors without the world going on around her is easy, outside, not so much, she as ADD and has a much harder time focusing on me).
The class met all of my expectations, we learned lots and are having much more relaxed walks thanks to the class (i.e. less pulling on the leash). Debbie did a great job of explaining our dogs' behavior and also why we were practicing the exercises that she showed us. I'm an inquisitive person by nature, so I very much like to understand the hows and whys of things so her explanations were very helpful.
The leashing walking help was more than worth it, plus Rudy can at times, be reactive on the leash so this class was a great challenge to both of us. For me to keep her calm and for her to remain calm and overall she behaved very well.
Our walks are a lot more enjoyable - she is more focused on me and less focused on dragging me down the street.
I've already recommended Debbie to a few people.
- Katie Lehan
Debbie was great! We enjoyed the training so much, and now Webster is a little gentleman out and about...most of the time. We will definitely continue to take obedience classes with Tucker Pup's and maybe delve into agility...Webster certainly has enough energy!
Thanks again Debbie and Tucker Pup's!
- Gina and Sean Boyland, and Webster :)
Want to see more comments?
Click here.
Meet our trainer
Refer a Friend