K9 Training at K9U Chicago

Judy Louis

Judy Louis is a certified clicker trainer – certified by Karen Pryor Academy. Her goal is to develop the incredible human /animal bond using clicker training. Judy uses positive reinforcement techniques to teach socialization and behavior skills for both her human and canine clients. She will help you successfully integrate your dog or puppy into your home and lifestyle. Judy coaches clients in the comfort of their homes, in small group classes, in board & train programs or via day training based on their desired environment and needs of the animal. Her clients receive daily videos to observe the techniques and cues that are being used to train their dog, and to monitor progress. The videos are invaluable, especially once the training is complete, as they allow you to view them again as needed, ensuring a lifetime of reinforcing positive behaviors and communicating effectively with your furry friend.

Training Options Available: Board & Train, Day Training, Private In-Home Training and Small Group Obedience Training Classes.

Josh Crowley

My journey to the world of dog training was one of not only love, but necessity. My wife and I got our first pup, Newkie, over 10 years ago while in our mid-twenties. She is a beautiful Chow-chow/Australian Sheppard mix who was 8 weeks old at the time. This may come as a surprise, but those weren’t the most responsible years of our lives. Lucky for us she is awesome. Fast-forward 8 years when we finally decide to expand our pack. I was older, wiser, and more responsible. I planned to do this one “by the book”. Newkie came out great with little effort so this is going to be a piece of cake…right? Wrong. Enter 8-week-old Chow-Chow mix, The Fuzz. She is quite possibly the cutest, softest and most innocent looking dog on the planet. Alas, she was the anti- Newkie. Her leash reactivity to other dogs was off the charts. She tore up the wallpaper and trim. She constantly pestered poor Newk. She even ate her own poop! EWWW!!! How could this be? I took it upon myself to figure this out. I got a library card and read every dog-training book I could get my hands on. I volunteered at a local no-kill rescue, PAWS Chicago. I learned about the power of marker training and counter-conditioning. I’ll never forget the day we started to seek other dogs out on walks rather than avoid them. Clicker training then led me to a technique known as shaping, which I used to teach Newkie how to put her toys away. Sooo…if I can teach the “good one” to put her toys away and the “crazy one” to not be crazy, I think I may have found my calling. We have since rescued a 3-year- old male pitty, named Sir Licks A Lot, whom we call SirLee. I strive to help all dogs, from The Fuzz to Newkie, to teach them how to be a dog in our crazy human world. And to help their humans better understand them along the way. Dogs are amazing and have taught me so much; it only seems fair I return the favor. Wag On.

In an effort to help create a “liveable dog,” Josh regularly addresses anything from basic puppy obedience to severe reactivity and everything in between.

Richard Trostel

Richard began his career working with animals as a volunteer at Chicago Animal Care and Control. As a volunteer he focused his energy on rehabilitating shy, withdrawn, abused and neglected dogs and quickly became an advanced handler and part of the Safe Humane Chicago program.

His duties with the program involved manners class (basic obedience to Safe Humane Chicago court case dogs), playgroup (introducing dogs for canine interaction from all CACC kennels), and teaching youth offenders as well as detainees to understand canine body language and interaction as well as teach basic obedience.

Since then, Richard has honed his understanding of canine interaction as a play lot employee with five years of experience supervising both high-volume and smaller structured playgroups. As a trainer, he has continued his dedication to working with shy, withdrawn, and reactive dogs and reforming trouble behaviors using positive rewardbased training treating every dog as a unique individual with it’s own needs and personality.

Richard’s specialties include Socialization, Obedience Training, Loose Leash Walking and Leash Reactivity.

Justin Wilcox

Justin began his training career with working dogs. His ultimate goal is to create clear communication with the dogs in his care and to properly educate both the dogs and their handlers. Justin has a young high energy Malinois named Cora and Justin has used his skills to train her using positive training methods to impact her life in meaningful ways. Justin begins each training session using an open mind without any preconceived ideas about a specific breed or age of a dog. This approach greatly improves the chances of success for both the dogs and their families.

Justin offers services in all areas of Obedience Training, Puppy Foundational Training, In-Home Training and helps those clients with Prep for Canine Good Citizen Training.