Darn Good Dogs Chicago Inc

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Darn Good Dogs Chicago Inc

Helping busy Chicago dog owners raise calm, confident dogs ready for city life. Reactivity, jumpy/mouthy behavior, separation anxiety, and fear specailists

Offering R+ day training+in-home sessions to make real-life training fit your real-life schedule.

24/11/2025

Training hard, but you want to know what’s harder?

Going into another year with the same problems, same behaviors, still dreading every walk and just wishing you’d started sooner.

The longer you wait, the longer you delay results and real change.

Let’s start 2026 fresh, with a plan, growing confidence and finally a light at the end of the tunnel, knowing you and your dog are heading in the right direction.

So if you want peaceful walks with no explosive reactions or being pulled all over the sidewalk or visitors to come round and not be jumped all over, or an overall calmer, and happier dog. Get in touch your 2026 slot now whilst we still have space!

With our Day Training option, you don’t even have to be there - we’ll train your dog FOR you!

Book your free Discovery Call today with one of our experienced trainers to kickstart your 2026 training goals. This time next year you’ll be thankful you finally started when you have a totally different dog! 🙏

20/11/2025

Imagine coming home after a long day and finding a happy, calm, trained dog waiting for you.

No more stressing about walks, outings, or visitors. Take your dog for an autumn stroll in Jackson or Wicker Park, or enjoy a coffee date at Hexe without worrying about barking, lunging, or jumping. Invite friends over without the chaos and finally feel confident that your dog is well-behaved and relaxed.

If juggling work, kids’ schedules, and training your dog has left you overwhelmed, our Day Training / Train for You service in Chicago is here to help. We do most of the training for you, fast-tracking progress and giving you back your time and freedom.

Book a FREE call today to see how we can help your dog become the calm, confident companion you’ve always wanted to share your life with! It's a no brainer, right?

19/11/2025

Make your next vet visit a positive one with these easy steps

When your dog faces loud noises, new smells, other dogs, and strange people all in one visit, it can lead to trigger stacking, when small stresses build up until your dog can’t cope anymore. No wonder it feels overwhelming!

Scroll through this post for easy steps to make sure your dog avoids this altogether!

You don’t have to sit in a crowded waiting room, you don’t have to say “actually, sorry mine isn’t friendly”, or have them in a restraint. You can avoid all of these things.

It’s okay to advocate for your dog; your vet should help make visits easier!

And remember, cooperative care and consent-based handling at home can make a huge difference. Teaching your dog that they have a choice helps them feel safe and builds trust for future vet visits.

What’s your secret tip to keeping your dog calm at the vet? Let us know the comments!

13/11/2025

Please come meet us...🥹

Senior dogs are so often overlooked, but they have just as much love to give (and then some). 💙

November is Senior Dog Month, so let's celebrate by introducing some sweet seniors who need a forever home to our Darn Good followers!

With an older dog, you skip the sleepless nights, potty training, and wild puppy phase. You get a calm, gentle companion who already knows how to be part of a family.

Many of these dogs have lived happy lives in homes before. They’re usually house trained, fine being left for a few hours, and happiest with a quiet walk and a cozy snuggle on the sofa.

Please don’t overlook a senior dog; they still have so much life, love, and deserve to live out their days in a safe and loving home.

If you’re interested in any of these amazing dogs, drop us a message and we’ll send you direct links to their profiles, or you can find them on the PAWS Chicago or One Tail At A Time websites.

12/11/2025

Scroll to find out what these darn good dogs needed help with 👉🏻👉🏻

These are just some of the amazing pups of Chicago we saw last month!

As you can see people need our services for a variety of different reasons, and we’re always happy to offer our support in a range of different areas - that’s what makes our job so exciting and rewarding!

Can you spot your dog this round up?!

10/11/2025

“You walked past three dogs yesterday and didn’t react. What’s so different today?”

If that sounds familiar, your dog might be dealing with something called trigger stacking — when little stresses build up over time until your dog can’t handle one more thing.

Just because you didn’t see the triggers doesn’t mean they weren’t there. Your dog’s hearing and sense of smell are far stronger than ours. They might have noticed barking dogs down the block, a new smell in the hallway, or a sound we’d never pick up on.

So when your dog suddenly reacts, it’s not them "ignoring you" It’s their way of saying, “I’ve had enough for today and I my brain has no more space!"

If you want to figure out your dog’s unique triggers and learn how to manage them to live a calmer, and more peaceful life - message to book your free Discovery Call today!

08/11/2025

We’re not just your average trainers 😌

Here at Darn Good Dogs Chicago, every training plan is bespoke. Every animal and their human is met with kindness, and with over 30 years of combined knowledge and understanding.

We see dogs as individuals, and this is taken into account when devising training plans, and when training you, their owner, on how to help your dog enjoy life with you again.

If you’re stuck dreading every walk, every home visit, and every knock on the door, and you want a dog you can take on adventures (or simply just walk around the block without a barking and lunging frenzy), get in touch today to change your current situation. We can help!

Book your FREE Discovery Call with one of our Chicago-based, qualified, and highly experienced dog trainers today!

04/11/2025

If a dog is already feeling nervous or fearful, using tools like e-collars, prong collars, or leash corrections won’t “fix” the problem; it will likely make it worse.

When a dog feels scared and then experiences pain or discomfort, they start to associate that trigger (whether it’s another dog, a stranger, or a sound) with being hurt or frightened. Imagine being scared, and when you express this feeling, you receive pain. If this were you, would this cure your fear?

Remember, our dogs usually react out of fear, pain, anxiety, or frustration, or maybe genetic traits. Not to be "bad", therefore don't deserve punishment.

At Darn Good Dogs Chicago, we take a different approach. We use kind, ethical, and force-free methods that focus on building confidence, reducing fear and anxiety, and creating positive associations instead. This helps dogs feel safe, calm, and ready to learn.

If your dog’s reactivity, fear, or anxiety is making walks or daily life stressful, book a FREE Discovery Call today through our website, or comment below, and we'll send you the link! Let’s start your journey toward understanding your dog and building a plan that helps them feel secure and confident again.

02/11/2025

Got leftover pumpkin from the weekend? Don’t toss it! 🎃

Pumpkin is packed with fibre and great for your dog’s digestive health, helping to keep things moving just right. Add a sprinkle of parsley for a natural breath freshener and a boost of vitamins.

For some easy recipe inspiration, we’ve taken notes from wiggleworthy.com, they’ve got tons of healthy, dog-safe treat ideas using simple ingredients you probably already have.

We love a no-waste moment here at Darn Good Dogs Chicago, and this is the perfect way to use up leftovers while baking dog-safe, friendly, and gut-loving treats!

If you try these, make sure to drop a picture in the comments, we’d love to see your homemade treats and happy pups!

01/11/2025

My betrayal list as a dog trainer in Chicago!

We thought we would jump on this trend and let you all know what betrays us 🤣

Let us know what betrays you on the daily below 👇🏻😆 we like a laugh at Darn Good Dogs Chicago!

29/10/2025

So here’s the truth:

A huge number of dogs that display undesirable behavior, behave this way because they are in fact in pain.

As we know as humans, pain can make us cranky, we avoid situations that have caused us pain in the past and we would be scared of others if we thought they could cause more pain!

This is what your dog is doing when they bark, lunge, refuse to move, snap, or may display a sudden change in behavior.

They’re communicating in the only way they know how, and this may have worked to avoid the situation in the past so they repeat this cycle.

As dog trainers, it’s important we take in the whole picture when training with you and your dog, that’s why we often suggest a vet check to rule out any pain, injury, discomfort, or illness. We have to discover the underlying cause, there’s no point in just sticking a bandaid over it and ignoring the root of the problem.

Book a free Discovery Call with us today for non-judgemental and kind support that looks at the whole picture, and addresses the root cause to ensure training actually works!

27/10/2025

Lylla is a 5-year-old Plott Hound and bully breed mix who started life in Hawaii, likely living on the streets before being rescued. When her dad brought her to Chicago, she joined a new family that included a Golden Retriever named Max and a cat named Basil.

After settling near Eckhart Park, her family noticed that Lylla struggled with anxiety. She was often scared to go outside on a leash and sometimes had accidents in the house.

To help her feel braver, her family incorporated games into her training instead of relying on traditional methods. They started with simple confidence-building games, like “Peekaboo,” and the 1-2-3 Pattern Game created by trainer Leslie McDevitt. In this game, Lylla’s dad counts “1-2-3,” and Lylla gets a treat. Over time, this helped her stay calm and focus on him when loud noises, fast cars, or other triggers felt overwhelming.

Along with a consistent potty schedule, a quiet resting space, and positive reinforcement, Lylla’s accidents have nearly stopped. Because of her Plott Hound side, she naturally loves training, and her confidence has grown enormously. Her tail, once tucked low, now wags proudly on her walks.

By making training fun through games, Lylla learned that feeling safe and connected can be rewarding. This approach turned stressful moments into opportunities for learning and bonding, proof that when dogs enjoy the process, the training sticks.

💙 If you’ve tried training before and it hasn’t worked, it might be time for a new approach. Book a FREE Discovery Call today to get a bespoke training plan designed around your dog’s personality and breed traits that actually works! We also do discount for rescue dogs! 🤩

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Opening Hours

Monday	14:30 - 21:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 21:00
Thursday	09:00 - 21:00
Sunday	14:00 - 20:00

Telephone

+13127341015

Website

https://linktr.ee/darngooddogschicago, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd82sjyZLVjsRjN-ysWwUSoY4M4RAFhgr5DmGGwE

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