Elite Dog Training in Chicago's North Shore

We highly recommend Rich Ehrenberg at Elite Dog Training. We recently brought home a 10 month old Wheaton Terrier. He was sweet and playful and immediately became part of our family. Other than normal puppy behavior, there was one problem. Every once and a while, he would growl at our granddaughters, which made us consider returning him to the breeder.

Enter Rich, who was recommended by our Vet. Within two weeks, not only did he have that problem solved, he made him stop jumping and be more obedient when outside and at home. We know Rich is there whenever we need him for a “refresher,” which is a very secure feeling. He is truly amazing at what he does.

—Nettie and Richard I.

Rich Ehrenberg has been the best possible resource for us with dog training. We engaged Rich to work with our 9-week old Bouvier, Maurice. What was best about Rich’s method is that he not only worked with our dog, he worked with the whole family. He encouraged us to learn and to practice, and the experience was worthwhile and memorable. Rich brings to the training process a wealth of knowledge and insight about canine behavior, health issues, personality and breeding. His training was customized to fit our dog, our family lifestyle, and our desire to have our dog be a true companion and part of the family. Rich helped us minimize common puppy issues like biting and nipping, and we rapidly progressed to commands, off-leash training, and establishing boundaries on our property. Our experience with Elite Dog Training was enjoyable, valuable and worthwhile. Rich’s kind, and friendly demeanor, along with his firm and authoritative teaching style was the perfect combination. Without hesitation would I recommend him to anyone who wants to truly enjoy their dog as a obedient family member and companion.

We have a wonderful large Irish Doodle. She is a great dog with two big issues, she wants to meet and play with everyone in the neighborhood and she is frightened by bikes, strollers, and joggers. She would bark, lunge, and pull on the leash. She has knocked me down several times and the last time I ended up with a wrist injury. She also is afraid to get in the car. We had to lift a 70 lb. dog to get her in the back seat.

All I can say is the second day of training she jumped into the car without assistance. She now walks beside me, sits at every curb and is a perfect lady. She sees bikes, jogger, strollers, and pet friends. She sits, looks and doesn’t move until she is told she has permission.

—Phyllis Mandel

Rich is really a miracle worker! He changed our Bagel for the best. We really struggled with walking Bagel on a leash to the point where we gave up on walking him. Rich changed that for us. Bagel is now perfect on leash. He sits, stays, and walks perfectly next to us.

We take our Bagel for walks everyday now. Rich is one of a kind. He was on-time, reliable and prompt. We HIGHLY recommend Elite Dog Training. We love working with Rich. We will only work with Rich moving forward!

What can I say about Elite? I know why Rich chose that name because that’s what they are to my family, and our spunky Aussie pup Jones! Rich had an immediate connection and rapport struck with Jones that can only come from years of successful training and handling of all kinds of dogs. Rich and Becky have been nothing but accommodating to work with our schedule to come this summer for 2 weeks, an hour per day to get Jones started on the right foot early….he had been very active and employing his “herding” activities around young kids which we needed to nip in the bud asap…Rich was able to get that fix in the works right away and gave us all the tools to work on while he wasn’t with us. Basic commands as well as off-leash training are the bookends for what Elite really brings to anyone fortunate enough to obtain their services…we would be in a tough situation without them. I can’t thank them enough, and their unmatched mastery of obedience and training have been such a blessing for my family, and especially Jones!! Thank you!

—Jason

As a bias dog parent, I thought I had done a rather good job with the basics, but still wanted my golden doodle, Theodore, to be properly trained. It wasn’t until he started training in home with Rich that I recognized the ample room for improvement. Rich has been thorough, professional and friendly every day in our house helping us achieve goals both on leash and off leash. He establishes a foundation during his sessions as well as a course of “homework” for you to maintain all progress. Rich shared that just because you have a well mannered, respectful, dog doesn’t mean you have to stop loving, playing, and cuddling them, and I couldn’t agree more.

Thank you Rich and Elite Dog Training more for shaping my puppy in to the fun loving obedient dog he is!

—Carly Hoffman

Rich is an amazing trainer. He started with our super high energy Macy when she was a puppy. With her high energy we knew that we needed Macy to be well trained early and Rich came highly recommended from friends. We couldn’t be happier with not only what Rich taught Macy, but what Rich taught us about Macy and how to connect with her.

Training isn’t something that happens once and doesn’t need reinforcement and what Rich taught us as parents/owners allowed what Macy learned to stick.

—Garrett and Shannon

Have you heard of a horse whisperer? Well I have had the privilege of meeting and working with a dog whisperer. In my opinion, Rich of Elite Dog Training, is truly a whisperer. My golden doodle came into my life in January. Not the best time of year to start training a puppy. By April, I knew I needed help. Like most of us I started with a google search, used the Next Door app and contacted the vet. Rich was highly recommended by all and I placed the call.

Rich was exceptionally skilled at communicating with my puppy and me! He came to my home everyday and worked with my dog. He never raised his voice, he was stern and loving at the same time and only whispered to my puppy. After a few days, a change was noticeable. The dog was a better listener and more calm. I cant say enough about Rich. I am so glad that I hired him, I would recommend him any day to anyone. Dont think twice, give him a call!

Rich spent countless hours coming to our house, talking on the phone, texting dozens of times, and recommending products to help with both training and Lola’s diet and skin issues. He really went above and beyond to be a kind, thoughtful, dedicated trainer for months. And on top of it all, Lola LOVES Rich! She even knew when his car pulled in the driveway, and was always waiting for him by the door. She was so excited every time she saw him!

Rich has really helped make Lola an amazing family member!!! And we feel like through it all, he has become a part of our family too! We are truly grateful and thrilled with all of Rich’s hard work! Thank you for everything you have done for all of us! Rich is the best and I highly recommend Rich to everyone!!!

—Nikki Newman (and Lola)

Rich has trained all four of our rescue dogs over the last 15 years. Our latest is a 3 yr old lab/husky mix. Rich works miracles. He treats each dog with the utmost respect by being calm, gentle yet firm, patient, and providing consistent praise as a reward for appropriate learned behavior.

Rich is so knowledgeable about the nuances of different dog breeds and backgrounds that he is able to tailor his work based on the unique disposition of each dog. He is also an excellent human trainer, as well! And yes, we owners do need training! LOL. Rich is a pleasure to work with and we highly recommend him. He’s the best there is!

—Joni Reed

A lively Aussiedoodle puppy was re-homed with me after his elderly owner suddenly passed away. Rich got right to work and Buddy is now a well behaved 1 year old pup.

Rich is fun, easy to work with, professional and courteous. He explained his process and with plenty of practice, Buddy is thriving in his new home .

I highly recommend Elite Dog Training.

—Megan O’Meara

Rich is the BEST! He cares for your dog like family. He helped us choose the right dog for our family, advises us on so much more than just training them.

Prior to Rich, we tried so many trainers with no progress. Once we started with Rich, we never looked back and he has successfully trained many of our dogs turning puppies into the most beloved, well trained dogs for our family.

He is trustworthy, reliable and dogs absolutely LOVE him! There isn’t a behavior he can’t handle. Your dog deserves the best and Rich is exactly that!

—Katy Silvers

Rich has been lifechanging for our family. We have two large dogs, including a 4 year old dog who had some bad habits and a puppy. Our goal was to be able to walk them without being pulled and without barking and reacting to every little thing.

Rich came in and showed us how to change our management of them. They LOVE practicing their training skills and walking together.

I can now enjoy walking my dogs!! We could not be more grateful.

—Stephanie Cohen

Rich is amazing! He has helped our family so much with our new Australian Labradoodle puppy.

In a very short amount of time our puppy knows basic obedience and Rich has also worked wonders on helping us with some resource guarding that our dog had with his bones. His passion for what he does shines through when he is working with our dog. He is so patient and calm with our dog and has so much knowledge. I learn something new each time we see Rich.

We are so grateful that we found him!

—Nicole Derzsy Rubin

Amazing dog trainer! We called Rich before we even brought our puppy home. He came highly recommended to us by friends that had used him and now we understand why!

Not only did he do an excellent job training our puppy and teaching her basic commands, but he also equipped us with the tools to continue training at home.

Rich’s patience, expertise, and positive reinforcement methods were incredible. We’re so grateful for his guidance and support. Highly recommend!

—Ellen Stern

I am so grateful to Rich for the dog we now have. Through his training, us more than the dog, she is the wonderful pet outside that we see at home. This has all been accomplished with leash training and consistency on our part. As we continue to work with her she continues to improve.

I highly recommend him to anyone who has a dog that needs some behavior help. If you have issues with your furry child Rich is the guy!! A giant THANK YOU!!

—Phyllis Mandel

Rich is the absolute best there is!!! Our chocolate lab puppy tore her ACL and was on strict rest for months while she recovered from surgery, and all of her earlier training had gone completely out the window. Our house was total chaos.

He has only been working with her for only a few weeks so far and the change is already incredible. A true dog whisperer-cannot recommend highly enough.

—Jamie Pollack

Rich doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. When we first adopted Macy and Rich started training her, we thought she was a certain combination of breeds and he tuned his training to those breeds. Macy wasn’t responding the same way he had seen those breeds respond in the past. At about the same time we received the results of a DNA/Breed test and the results showed a different combination of breeds. Rich adjusted his training approach and it was effective immediately. His many years of experience first as a Vet Tech and now as a trainer really show!

Everything that Rich did to train Macy as well as to teach us about Macy has been invaluable and Rich/Elite is the only trainer we recommend when friends ask. Thank you Rich!

—Garrett and Shannon

Great trainer – Rich worked well with both me and my puppy.

He listened to my long list of issues regarding my 8 months old mini labradoodle and they were resolved!

It was worth waiting for him – we have retaken ownership of our house; our shoes are back on the floor and we can put them on without being attacked!

—Elizabeth Richman

Rich has been fantastic with our Pomeranian mix puppy. She had an attitude, loved to bark and had an aggressive streak.

Rich quickly and gently changed her behavior, and now she is absolutely the sweetest little thing. Her behavior is great now and she follows commands.

He’s very attentive and constantly follows up to check in on her.

—Randi Mutnick

There is no better person equipped for training your pups than Rich at Elite. The patience, knowledge, professionalism, and good-natured qualities are best experienced in action when you see not only results but the respect your dog will have for him as well as you with his patient methods.

Rich came highly recommended to us in 2020 and we would tell anyone to look no further for training and obedience…Rich has worked on our 2 Aussies with diligence and passion, and the proof is irrefutable.

Highly recommending Rich to any and all in need of training, please look no further.

—Jason Ratskoff

Rich Ehrenberg has changed our relationship to our English creme retriever.

Because of a traumatic experience with another dog at 8 months old, Frankie had serious leash aggression putting me and Frankie into dangerous situations. After 2 weeks with Rich we had a different dog and just as important, I learned my responsibilities as an owner as well.

He is a phenomenal trainer and I would use no one else ever!!!

—Kristine Citron