The 9 best dog trainers in Charlotte
Dog trainers around Charlotte describe their methods in different ways: some say they are force-free and avoid shock and prong collars, and others say they use a range of tools up to e-collars and remote collars. This list covers nine trainers serving Charlotte and nearby towns such as Matthews and Fort Mill, S.C., from South End facilities with board and train to in-home trainers who work in a dog’s own neighborhood. Posted prices run from a $180 eight-week group class to four-week board-and-train stays at $5,800. The list is for new puppy owners, families with a reactive dog and anyone comparing methods before paying for a program. Entries are listed alphabetically, not ranked.
How we chose
Each trainer showed 2026 activity: a website updated in 2026 with current programs and prices, dated 2026 blog posts or 2026 rate changes. Picks are based on the trainers’ experience and credentials as each business states them, with CPDT-KA certifications checked in the public directory of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers where possible, plus the programs on the menu, posted prices and the methods each business describes. Five of the nine work mainly in clients’ homes and list no street address, and two belong to national franchises. A facility whose posted policies dated to 2023 and 2024 was left out. No trainer paid to be included.
Canine Compass Dog Training
Founder and owner Ellie Wheeler worked with elephants and rhinoceroses before focusing on dogs and has trained medical and psychiatric service dogs alongside their handlers, and the CCPDT public directory lists her as a CPDT-KA. The company describes the method as force-free, with no shock or e-collars, prong collars, choke chains or leash corrections. A board-and-train hybrid has the dog stay in a trainer’s home, not a kennel.
Why we chose them
- The two-week Mini-Program is $1,200 for eight sessions, for dogs at least 3 months old.
- The four-week Navigator Program is $2,100, and the six-week Trailblazer is $2,950.
- A virtual separation anxiety program is $1,960 for three months, and the company says most cases take at least that long.
- Trainer Jess Rush previously coordinated adoptions at the Humane Society of Union County.
- For leash walking or recall, the company points owners to the four- or six-week programs.
Address: Charlotte — in-home training across most of Mecklenburg County, no storefront
Dog Owner’s Academy
Founder Turk Akbay has trained dogs professionally since 2008, and the academy’s Train As You Live approach puts trainers in the client’s home, neighborhood and public parks instead of a classroom. Board-and-train options include Jumpstart, which starts with in-home sessions, and Autopilot, a full board and train, with dogs sleeping at the academy’s facility or a trainer’s home. Akbay also founded the #DogsWelcome Initiative, which places water buckets at dog-friendly businesses.
Why we chose them
- Every program starts with a free in-home consultation.
- Prices aren’t posted, so ask for a quote at the consult.
- Graduates can move on to group classes, and every client gets lifetime support.
- Trainer Amya is a Charlotte native and former veterinary technician.
- The site doesn’t describe specific training tools, so ask about methods up front.
Address: Charlotte — 1111 Central Ave., with training in clients’ homes, neighborhoods and parks
The Dog Wizard Charlotte
Owner Danielle Kharman left law school and began training service dogs for children with disabilities and veterans in 2009, and the site says she no longer trains dogs herself; Brittany Cancelmi is operations manager and lead trainer at this franchise location. The 6,500-square-foot facility has a 3,000-square-foot training room, a kennel room for up to 30 dogs and outdoor play space. The business describes the method as balanced training, with tools from food to remote collars.
Why we chose them
- Programs start at $250 after a free evaluation.
- Board-and-train stays run 7, 14 or 21 days.
- Obedience graduates get lifetime access to weekly group sessions.
- Specialty classes include agility, scent work, therapy prep and a baby prep class.
- Visits are by appointment only, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Address: Charlotte (South End) — 216 Foster Ave.
Free Will Animal Training
Amy Blom, PhD, and Emily Greene co-founded this practice, which focuses on aggression, leash reactivity and separation anxiety, and Greene’s bio says she started the business after Zoom Room Charlotte, where she trained, closed. The practice describes the method as force-free and says the trainers don’t use correction collars, naming electronic and prong collars. Blom lists Fear Free certification and a Karen Pryor Dog Trainer Professional certificate.
Why we chose them
- Every client starts with a 90-minute counseling session, $285 in person or virtual.
- Day training sessions with Greene are $125 for 40 minutes, within 5 miles of ZIP code 28205.
- A sample three-week leash reactivity package is $1,695; packages are customized.
- Separation anxiety cases are handled virtually only.
- There are no puppy group classes or board-and-train programs.
Address: Charlotte — in-home and virtual training, no storefront
Happy Dogs Training
Piper M. Novick, the founder and owner, began training in 2009 through agility with her sheltie, Happy, and renamed the business Happy Dogs Training in 2019. The team of nine trainers includes Shari Spiewak, listed as a CPDT-KA in the CCPDT directory. The business describes the method as force-free and reward-centered, and the board-and-train page says the trainers never use shock collars, pain, intimidation or punishment.
Why we chose them
- The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class is $250 for six classes, and pups can start at 10 weeks.
- Adult manners and Canine Good Citizen prep classes are $250 for six sessions.
- Board-and-train packages, with dogs staying at One Lucky Pup, run $3,000 to $5,800.
- Private lessons are $165 each, and 30-minute tutoring sessions are $85.
- Class registration opens four to six weeks before each session.
Address: Charlotte (north Charlotte) — 11607 Reames Road, at One Lucky Pup Northlake, with a training field in Mooresville
Obedient K9 Academy
Training at this South End academy moves out into breweries, markets, the Rail Trail and the light rail, and day training is the most popular format: the dog trains with the team one day a week, and the owner gets a private lesson at pickup. The academy lists IACP membership and NePoPo Silver and Gold certified trainers and says the team uses whatever tools fit the dog, along with positive reinforcement. Trainers here developed the Charlotte Knights’ first bat dogs, according to the academy.
Why we chose them
- The signature five-week program is $2,900, and about half of clients use 0% financing.
- Three- or five-week board-and-train stays happen at the kennel-licensed facility.
- Every program includes unlimited Saturday Club group classes for the life of the dog.
- Foundation Preschool starts puppies at 14 to 16 weeks.
- Start with the free Transformation Session, and bring the dog’s food or a favorite toy.
Address: Charlotte (South End) — 2250 Toomey Ave.
Off Leash K9 Training Charlotte
Owners and head trainers Steven and Lindsey Ward grew up in Northern Virginia, and Lindsey previously worked as an animal control officer. Part of the Off Leash K9 Training franchise, the Charlotte team focuses on off-leash obedience; most obedience and board-and-train packages include an e-collar, and the puppy programs are listed as non-e-collar. The service area runs from Charlotte to Huntersville, Concord, Matthews, Mint Hill, Belmont, Mooresville and Lake Wylie.
Why we chose them
- The Starter Package is $300 for one lesson with the e-collar and a 20-foot leash.
- Four private in-home lessons cost $800, and eight cost $1,500.
- Adult one-week board and train starts at $1,400, and a three-week behavior program is $4,000.
- Puppy lessons for dogs 10 weeks to 6 months are $350 for four 30-minute sessions.
- Basic obedience, from 5 months, is $600 for four weeks or $900 for eight.
Address: Charlotte — service-area business covering Charlotte and nearby towns, no storefront
Rocky Paws Training
Owner and trainer Tori Berardesco lists CPDT-KA and CCDT credentials, and the CCPDT directory lists a CPDT-KA under her full name, Rebecca Victoria Berardesco. Her background includes dog rescue, positive-reinforcement horse training and work as an animal keeper at a wildlife sanctuary. Board-and-train dogs stay in her home Monday to Friday and go home on weekends with a transfer lesson, and she takes one board-and-train dog per cycle.
Why we chose them
- A $175 consultation is required for most services, except the Puppy Package and virtual training.
- Private training is $750 for five weekly sessions or $1,400 for 10.
- Day training runs $1,900 for two weeks to $4,050 for six.
- Board and train is $2,050 for two weeks or $4,100 for four on the program page, but the overview lists $2,900 to $4,900.
- The business also runs dog boarding alongside training.
Address: Matthews — in-home training, with board and train in the trainer’s home, no storefront
Sally Said So Dog Training
Shane Gentry founded and owns this company, which trains dogs in Charlotte, the Triangle, the Triad, coastal North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina and Nashville. The company calls the method Decisions, Not Dominance, a reward-based approach that avoids force and isn’t treat-only, and the team includes Fear Free certified and CCPDT-certified trainers, according to the company. Training starts with a 120-minute Comprehensive Consultation.
Why we chose them
- Relief Right Now is six private sessions in 30 days.
- The Priority program pairs a two-hour in-home session with 12 months of unlimited group classes.
- Fort Mill group classes are $180 for eight weeks for Camp Bow Wow clients, free for program clients.
- Group classes require all eight weeks in a row and a current vaccination record.
- Financing and monthly payments are available through ScratchPay.
Address: Charlotte — in-home training around Charlotte, with group classes at Camp Bow Wow in Fort Mill, S.C.
Prices, hours and opening status last checked November 13, 2026. Call ahead where an entry says to.
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