Your Dog’s Best Friend

Your Dog’s Best Friend offers a range of programs designed around their “Dogcentric” philosophy. Dogcentric Workshops are interactive, hands-on events covering topics like leash walking, separation anxiety, aggression, fearfulness, and integrating babies with dogs. The Emotional Support Dog Program is a three-part service including dog selection, comprehensive training (private sessions and group classes like Dog Raising, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, and Canine Good Citizen), and consulting for organizations.

Private Dog Training provides one-on-one coaching, available in-home or at their training center, tailored to specific goals and behavior issues such as reactivity, fearfulness, anxiety, and resource guarding. Their Board & Train program involves dogs living with trainers for immersive training, with a strong emphasis on training the owners to ensure lasting results.

Beyond Obedience is an advanced group class for dogs 6 months to 12 years, focusing on frictionless communication and natural responses in dynamic environments, suitable for therapy, emotional support, public access, and sport/task training. In-Home Puppy Training offers private, responsive communication strategies for puppies under 1 year, addressing common issues like biting, chewing, and hyperactivity, alongside proactive parenting.

The Puppy Raising Class (Level 1) is a group program for puppies 8 weeks to 8 months, focusing on social etiquette and preparing puppies for advanced obedience. This leads to the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy (Level 2) and AKC Canine Good Citizen (Level 3) group classes, which prepare dogs for official AKC distinctions and tests. They also offer continual education classes like Pack Walks, Shy Dog Class, and Reactive & Rowdy Dog Class, as well as Dog Rescue Seminars for organizations.

Pricing Summary

Dogcentric Workshops cost between $85 and $135 per workshop, with tickets purchased online in advance. The Emotional Support Dog Selection & Training Package is $1,450, including dog selection, private training, and multiple classes. Private Dog Training is offered on a “PAY AS YOU GO” model with no session minimum, and costs vary based on trainer experience and location; an initial phone consultation is free. Board & Train has a base rate of $1350, which includes two private sessions at the beginning and end of the program, and is stated to be about 1/3 the cost of competitors. The AKC Canine Good Citizen class costs $375 for 6 classes, and the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program costs $325 for 6 classes. For the Puppy Raising Class, clients can receive $55 off the program by requesting enrollment information. In-Home Puppy Training offers a free initial consultation, but no specific pricing is listed.

Policies

For workshops, tickets must be purchased online in advance, and events typically sell out. Tickets may or may not be available for sale at the door on the day of the event. For Board & Train programs, the company states they will not simply sell the service but will help clients make a good decision, implying a consultation process to determine suitability. No explicit cancellation or rescheduling policies are provided.

Your Dog’s Best Friend offers “Dogcentric Training,” a unique approach that focuses on understanding dogs as socially brilliant beings who think like good people. Their method involves responsively relating and communicating with dogs in a meaningful way, aiming for a dog that can easily go everywhere and do everything with their owner. They emphasize teaching dog owners to be “parents” rather than “owners,” drawing lessons from how dog mothers raise their puppies.

They provide a variety of programs including workshops, emotional support dog training, private training, board & train, in-home puppy training, puppy raising classes, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, and Canine Good Citizen classes. They specialize in behavior solutions, addressing issues like aggression, fearfulness, separation anxiety, and leash pulling, as well as proactive prevention of behavior problems.

The business was founded in 2009 and is recognized as Minneapolis’ only 5-star rated service in Puppy Training & Behavior Solutions. They believe in a “positive” training approach, which they distinguish from “positive reinforcement,” by focusing on natural dog communication and building trust, respect, loyalty, and love. They also offer continual education, pack walks, and classes for shy, reactive, and rowdy dogs.

Accomplishments

Your Dog’s Best Friend was founded in 2009. They are recognized as Minneapolis’ only 5-star rated service in Puppy Training & Behavior Solutions. They report that over 90% of their Board & Train clients feel expectations were exceeded six months after their dog returns home, significantly higher than the industry average of below 30%. Their team includes experienced trainers like Neil Kapphahn, who has over 10 years of experience and serves as a leader and mentor. Max Bitterman, the founder, is referred to as “Max The Dog Relater” and is praised in testimonials as a “dog translator” and one of the “dog whisperers of Minneapolis.”

How to Get Started!

To get started with Your Dog’s Best Friend, clients can book workshops directly through the website by clicking “Book Online.” For Emotional Support Dog, Private Dog Training, Board & Train, In-Home Puppy Training, Puppy Raising Class, Beyond Obedience, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, and Canine Good Citizen programs, clients are directed to fill out an online inquiry form. Private Dog Training and In-Home Puppy Training offer a free initial phone consultation. The business also offers a complimentary dog behavior consultation for general inquiries.