My partner and I reached out to Megan after realizing that we were in over our head with our newly-adopted dog Juice, who was having issues with leash reactivity and acclimating to our resident cat. Megan was awesome from the jump - she responded quickly, patiently answered all of our (insane) questions, and showed us different exercises to help Juice learn to stay calm around the kitty. She has remained a fantastic resource through follow-up training and beyond by continuing to answer questions over email. Thanks to all of the insight that Megan gave us into Juice's behavior, continuing to work with our dog has become something we look forward to doing together every day. All of which is to say, Megan is the best and I can't recommend her enough! read more

Jennifer taught my family different techniques to calm our dog when she got overexcited. She is very defensive when new people come into our home. Jennifer taught us a command that we are still using and reinforcing with other commands as well. She was a great help! read more

Megan is absolutely fantastic! I adopted my dog Harriet from One Tail at a Time, which recommended Megan's leash reactivity class when my good girl started displaying remarkable levels of aggression towards skateboards, motorcycles, older men, and any dog within a 50' radius. Due to COVID, we took the class virtually, and it didn't seem to matter at all. Megan kept the group engaged, provided real-time feedback, shared videos to demonstrate technique, and gave individual device as needed. She's compassionate, dedicated, and seems to truly understand dogs' motivations and emotions and how to train accordingly. Harriet and I have made tons of progress - we can get through 4/5 walks with little to no reactivity, which is a huge victory in just a couple of months. I'm looking forward to training with Megan again when we're ready to move on to more advanced skills! read more

We took Megan's 4 week, virtual course and it was the perfect setting for learning techniques for better leash walking for our dog, Masey. Some items that worked really well for us - 1.) The 4 week structure was great to hold us accountable to work on training throughout the week. 2.) The training builds on itself from week to week so that our progression was guided 3.) With the zoom call format, we were able to get live feedback and a chance to ask questions, without Masey being distracted by other dogs. 4.) Megan was very accessible throughout the week with any questions we had outside of the scheduled time. I highly recommend using Megan for training needs; we're definitely planning to enroll in additional classes in the future! read more

We got a new puppy, who was apparently rescued from a hoarder, and is terrified to be outside. My theory is that she has never actually been outside, so moving to an urban environment was a challenge. Megan came to our home to help us, and had fantastic suggestions for us. We had tried a number of things and were not sure what the best course of action was - after implementing a few of her suggestions, our pup is already seeming less afraid of our walks. Megan is a great listener, and able to give training tips and general advice on a lot of dog-related issues (we talked diet, flea/tick prevention, etc.)...definitely recommend her if you are having any issues at all with your pup! read more

I would recommend Capricorn to anyone who is looking for a trainer. I adopted my first dog earlier this year; a 7 yo little guy who was an owner surrender from the South. I found Capricorn after scouring local FB Neighborhood Group recommendations and am so glad Megan was the first to reply to my anxiety ridden pleas for help (Leash reactive! Can I go anywhere with him? Oh my god!). Not only did she put my new dog owner worries at ease through conversation, but over two private sessions she armed Mack and I with the tools we would need to conquer our neighborhood (and eventually the world!). Her demeanor is delightful, I like her vibe, and we both enjoyed our time with her. We miss you, Megan! read more

Yes, this process is long and should be more clear that u are still evaluating accepting our pet for training. Other dog training places have a simple form and let u know UP Front their process is based on availability, with in hours of my email. Your process is slow wasted my time and u should know how far is to far... You were referred, and informed the referring party of your process and they agreed... I hope this review is helpful to you. read more

We reached out to Megan after adopting our rescue chihuahua mix, who was a little nervous and growly with new people (and sometimes with us), and with just one virtual session, we've seen so much improvement. It was especially helpful to learn about how dogs express consent/boundaries, which has made it easier for us to tell if he wants to be petted or left alone. Our dog is also going through intensive heartworm treatment right now, and Megan was very well versed in the treatment and medication involved and how that might affect his temperament and behavior, which was really impressive to me in particular since I work in Veterinary Medicine. Megan had a lot of good information for us and sent us some great training videos as well. Her hourly rate was super reasonable for a 1 on 1 virtual session, and we're considering taking a virtual group class of hers in the future. Thanks so much, Megan! read more

As you can tell by the quality and quantity of 5 star reviews, Megan is as good as it gets when it comes to helping your dog overcome his or her problems. Our pup Oliver was a shelter dog. He's 6 years old, and he was neutered just prior to joining our family. Given his older nature, Oliver was very stuck in his ways, and he was absolutely psychotic any time we left the house. Every walk was a source of shame as he barked incessantly at every passing dog. After several training sessions with Megan, Oliver was able to become significantly more present with us on his walks. His focus on sniffing and combat declined, and my wife no longer had to pull in jest as he attempted to attack every animal and plant in sight. Additionally, Oliver's in-house listening skills and behaviors improved. He's learned several commands (sit, stay, leave it, etc.). He has become very receptive to behavioral training, and we are now able to easily amend his bad habits given the strategies and tactics that Megan employed. On top of behavior modification, Megan has a true love of dogs and experience commensurate of an expert. She was, sadly, able to diagnosis Oliver with seizures (which we confirmed with our veterinarian). She also has a network of dog care professionals, and we now use her recommended dog walking service, which is also top notch. When it comes to training, this is the best investment we could have made in Oliver. read more

Megan has been phenomenal. We adopted our first dog back in April (a 9 month old Pit bull mix) and he turned out to be extremely leash reactive - lunging at bikes, jumping at people, and barking his head off at other dogs walking by. Megan immediately helped us learn not just what to do but why to do it - that is, how to read our dog's mood and react accordingly. She's truly been a godsend, I used to be anxious on even the shortest of walks but now we can go for 30+ minutes without fear. Our dog no longer cares much about bikes or people and has improve dramatically with other dogs. And even when he does act out, we actually have the tools to deal with it. I cannot stress enough the value of the peace of mind we got through employing Megan! read more

Two weeks into adopting my adult rescue Blue Heeler/Corgi signs of aggression starting popping up once she bit my roommate I knew I need professional help. Unfortunately my dog also suffers from motion sickness making classes we had to travel to not really something that would work for her. I also wanted to address her specific issues. I thought an in home trainer was out of my price range but Capricorn was so reasonable. Megan was able to see us right away and get my dog on the right path. We talked about all the quirks of my dog's behavior and the best way to correct them. I really like her style of training. I am very pleased to be training my dog in a way that respects her and doesn't involved anger and yelling. She has quickly responded to all e-mails and has encouraged me to keep her updated. She truly cares about the outcome of the dogs she works with. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a trainer. read more

We rescued our pitbull in December of 2013. He is an amazing and lovable dog who has change my husband's and my life! He is a 65 lb almost, 2 year old, high energy super dog! We needed some help with his walking (pulling us down the street) and other various things. Megan was recommended to us by our dog walker. On the first visit with Megan (she does house calls) we noticed a HUGE difference. She didn't do anything magical with our boy, she just gave us some really practical tips and showed us how to put into practice what we'd been shown. We had a few more visits with her and now our walks are so nice and so relaxing. It's hard to believe the difference a little practice makes. Megan is a dog gal. She gets 'em. She does house visits and other various types of training in class. The cost is fair and even pretty low, in my opinion. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a dog trainer. read more

Megan is my go-to dog resource! My rescue mutt (shepherd-beagle mix with a large dose of anxiety) needed a good way to refocus his energy, and he was in dire need of some basic obedience. We took both a beginner and an intermediate class with Megan, and I'm thrilled at the results. Megan's great at keeping the pace of training moving to ensure that your dog remains engaged. She "gets" the ins and outs of each dog's behavior and offers tips that are unique to his/her personality. My dog and I both learned so much, and we both enjoyed meeting with her every week. She's also been available via email for any random, subsequent issues that may crop up. I absolutely trust her judgment and advice when it comes to my beloved pup! read more

Capricorn Dog Training is a must if you are looking for help with your unruly pup! We worked with Megan who was wonderful with our two Old English Sheepdogs and perhaps more importantly with us as well. She assesses what you are trying to accomplish as a dog owner and creates a curriculum that is manageable for dog owners who arent experts in dog behavior while also providing suggestions on products that will help as well. Megan manufactures an environment thats fun for you and your dog and also maximizes time (one thing no one has enough of). In just three meetings with Megan Daisy and Pepper were walking on a leash better and we saw an immediate improvement in their response to simple commands (Sit, down, bed, stay). We definitely recommend Capricorn Dog Training to anyone in need. read more

We are so grateful to Megan for helping us manage our teenage pup! She helped us understand his anxiety, work on recall and gave us lots of strategies for managing his behavior during meal time - his and ours! She spent a long time talking with us about our dog and our lifestyle to understand the kind of training we were comfortable with and then provided us with tools to help us with our specific requests. it felt very personal and not at all like she had a one-approach-fits-all method like I've experienced with other trainers. If we could give a 6th star for helpfulness AFTER our session, I absolutely would. Megan has answered tons of questions via email as we move toward our next session and has really gone above and beyond our expectations. She even helped us identify the breed of our shelter hound and we know now that he's actually part Collie! She's incredibly warm, professional and our dog absolutely loved her. We're continuing to work with her and would aboslutely recommend! read more

Gravy is an older female Shar pei mix that was being a little overly protective especially when we had guests over. Megan was able to give us plenty of helpful exercises and ideas on how to work with her and we have already seen a difference just days after her visit. Megan was professional and went above and beyond what we were expecting for a quick 1 hour training session. Highly Recommend read more

My dog and I did a virtual leash reactivity class with Megan and it was a game changer! My dog is so much more confident. I'm so much more relaxed. She taught me things that I'd never heard of in 35 years of owning dogs. I can't recommend this business enough!! read more

Can't recommend Megan enough! She worked with our 1 year old Shepherd mix and we saw a world of improvement in just six weeks. She gave us a personalized training plan, answered all our questions, and gave great recommendations. Our pup had pretty bad separation anxiety but thanks to Megan's suggestions (and some consistent reinforcement), she can be left alone for longer periods of time now. It's always a work in progress, but she's doing better and better the more we work on training. We also found Megan to be very responsive over email when we had questions or wanted more training recommendations. I literally can't say enough great things about her! Stop reading Yelp and contact her now (your pup will thank you for it)! read more

I WISH I had found Megan right when we got our puppy. She's incredible. Totally knowledgable and helpful. I can't say enough wonderful things. I had taken my dog to training before and didn't feel I got half the information and confidence in solutions that Megan gave me in half that time. If you need any sort of dog training, Megan is the best. read more

Megan helped us training our Siberian Husky who was struggling with anxiety. She did an amazing job providing practical exercises and tools to address behavior issues. Megan responded very quickly and always found effective ways to deal with problems and set backs. I would definitely recommend working with Megan! read more

We called Megan to help us with our sweet rescue puppy who was extremely nervous and fearful around strangers and new people. Megan is knowledgable, caring and reliable! We noticed a change for the better in our puppy almost immediately. She became more securely attached and bonded to us, and in turn was more relaxed around strangers. We know she'll never be the pup that cozies up to new people, but thanks to Megan, she can now relax and we have the tools to help her feel safe! I can't recommend Megan and Capricorn dog training enough! read more

Megan is the best! She is kind, patient and incredibly knowledgable. Our dog is very anxious and she has helped him blossom into an amazing dog. We took her 4 week virtual leash reactivity class and its like we have a truly different dog. We also had a one-on-one with Megan where she helped us so much with our dogs anxiety. She also referred us to a behavioral vet, who only charged us for half of our visit, since we had done so much work with Megan. I highly recommend Megan to everyone!! read more

I love Megan, she's the best at reading dog behavior, and makes it so straightforward, so easy to achieve success. This is our 3rd dog we've gotten her help on (we are seemingly attracted to challenging little terriers!). She even sends notes, so even if you don't process it all in the visit, you've got something to refer back to. I highly recommend! read more

We have a high-anxiety Border Collie who was afraid of everything, especially living in the city. We took her to three different classes, Megan's "Teen Wolf Class" being the third and best for our special needs pup. We learned methods that would help keep Nellie calm when under stress. She did great and we saw so much progress in her. Then, the Cubs season started in our neighborhood and Nellie began to rapidly regress with all the action on our block - she would not even leave our front gate and was having accidents in the house. Since Megan really understood Nellie and her quirks, we made an in-home appt. and came up with a plan. We established a daily routine and put her on some medication. A few months later, she is a confident pup who loves to go on walks and runs around the neighborhood! We are so thankful to Megan for being a sounding board and providing our family with so much invaluable advice. We highly recommend Megan, especially to anyone who is struggling with a special needs dog - she gave us so much hope and results! Thank you! read more

Megan has been fantastic with my puppy Cash. Not only has she taught us different training techniques, she has worked with me to create strategies with my puppy that that are specific to his and my needs. She always brings a very positive attitude and builds confidence in me in training my puppy. When I initially looked into training I considered several group classes, but the one on one attention from Megan can not be matched. I highly recommend Megan and Capricorn Dog Training for whatever your dogs needs may be. read more

Megan came to give us newbie dog owners some insight to how to train our pup to be more friendly with strangers that make him nervous. We really appreciate the time she spent with us and our dog. She gave lots of tips and tricks to help up move forward in a positive direction. Thank you Megan! read more

Megan is freakin awesome!!! My husband and I were expecting our first child and quite nervous about our 9 year old Welshie who is very nervous and does not like kids at all. Megan helped us teach Winnie basic skills that would keep her calm around the baby. It's actually made Winnie a better dog overall. She also taught us how to crate train, which is no easy feat for a dog of Winnie's age and temperament but now Winnie loves her crate. Megan is personable, incredibly clear and makes it all look easy. After working with her, training Winnie does seem easy! Megan was even there when we brought my son home from the hospital to introduce him to Winnie. She helped us step by step along the way and made us feel confident that the whole baby dog situation would be fine. I highly recommend Megan. Also, her prices were very reasonable and we got so much bang for our buck. Thank you, Megan!! read more

We took our puppy (6 months old) to a class with Megan at Dogaholics. There were two other dogs in the class and our pup was definitely the most energetic/easily distracted. Megan never made us feel bad about that and always took time to approach things a little differently with our pup as needed. The class was great and Megan knows how to explain certain things about dog training that made us really understand more about it. You can tell she is such a dog lover! I definitely recommend her to anyone looking for help with their dog. read more

I worked with Megan on helping my 4 1/2 year old English Bulldog feel calm and work on his anxiety. Megan came over to my house and we spent the first half of the sessions going over his history (how long I had him,environment he was raised in, his "triggers", etc, etc). Megan then laid out a plan for us to work on as well as how to supplement with a potential Vet plan and calming aids We then spent the latter half working with my dog on different techniques to help "listen" to me more to help him focus on me rather than the scary situations. After our session, Megan sent a comprehensive review as well as articles on other tips/tricks for my dog. Overall, a positive experience and looking forward to using the techniques on my dog. read more

In 2016 I adopted two dogs (one in Jan & one in Dec) and Megan has been with me every step of the way. My first dog, Tallulah, had terrible separation anxiety & a lot of anxiety in general, and Megan offered a whole variety of different solutions to try to minimize that and help her become comfortable in all situations. My second dog, Zelda, is just a wild little thing so Megan is helping us work on walking nicely on a leash, and we're working on overall leash reactivity with both dogs. She offers so many great tools that put you on the road to doggie greatness. And the email support after the sessions is out of this world. She just understands dogs and she really goes above and beyond to help us silly humans understand them too. Tallulah, Zelda, and I all agree, Megan is the BEST!! read more

If you are looking for a dog or have a dog and are looking for a dog genius to help train him or her, drop everything and call Megan! Megan has been such a big help in both our search for, adopting, and training our shelter baby, Pippin. We originally had her come to our house for training after we adopted two bonded shih tzus from Paws. She was very honest with us about these dogs and their myriad of issues including how much work and training they required (they seemed to be puppy mill dogs and had no housetraining or any other type of training, barked like crazy, and hated our cat), and when we had to make the painful decision that these dogs needed more help and care than we could provide, Megan was very supportive and honest with us that we had made the right choice. Megan helped us search for a dog that would suit our needs--we told her we wanted a small dog that would not try to attack/kill our cat. We wanted to adopt a shelter dog, but we had difficulty finding a shelter dog on our own (they all have their own applications and criteria and we found it tough to work with many of them). Megan took over our search and sent us emails/pictures of dogs she thought might work. She knows the different shelters in town and was very active in our search. Right around the New Year, she sent us an email with the subject "Yorkie alert!" She went and me the Yorkie and a week later, we met and adopted this dog, who is now a joy in our life! Megan has been to our house to help train Pippin several times. She has a great approach to training--positive reinforcement is the name of her game. I was very nervous around Pippin at first; he was pretty reactive and tends to resource guard. It took him some time to "warm up" to our household. Megan has worked with us extensively and has been a key element in helping us bond with and train Pippin. Megan is extremely professional and timely. One of the best aspects of her work with us has been her responsiveness to questions and concerns via email. She has sent us and responded to countless emails about all types of dog issues and has helped us when we were at a loss about what to do next. She also referred us to a leash reactivity class for Pippin and recommended our current dog walker and a kennel that we have used. She is very honest and direct and won't sugar-coat how much work/time is required to get the results you want from your fur baby. It's very clear that she loves dogs and her main goal is to improve your bond and relationship with your dog. read more

We loved Megan at Capricorn Dog Training. We have a nervous young German Shepherd mix named Nashville who needed a big boost of self confidence. Megan came to our house and spent a good deal of time really getting to know us and our dog. She then created an action plan to address his nervousness with both positive reinforcement and by more proactively controlling his environment. We really liked Megan's customized and practical approach to finding training methods that fit into our lifestyle. Thanks Capricorn! read more

We had Megan for a one-on-one session, then took her virtual group class on leash reactivity. She is an extraordinarily good trainer. Her knowledge and understanding of the canine brain are incredibly deep, and more importantly, she knows how to train humans to help us better understand our dogs. Megan is very honest about the time, patience and persistence needed to make changes, so you'll have realistic expectations of what you need to do. My husband and I are going through very busy times at work, so we really appreciated that she records class so you can watch or review it later. She also provides links to short videos reviewing specific concepts discussed in class, which is helpful because it's a lot of info to process at once. Megan has a wonderful style of delivering information--warm and funny--and never makes you feel dumb when you don't grasp something or are having trouble making a concept work. The end result is that both you and your dog's confidence are boosted and you both feel better equipped to handle challenging situations. Very highly recommended. read more

Megan is amazing! We have two Parson Russell Terriers and like most terrier owners, a little (ok, a lot) of training is needed for them when they first arrive in a new home. Living in a high rise in downtown Chicago presents some unique challenges in terms of training, but Megan is the answer. She is highly knowledgable regarding the Jack Russell and Parson Russell Terrier and can customize her training to your unique needs as a pet owner. We have had Megan come to hour apartment several times and would highly recommend her to other pet owners. She has an unquestionably responsible and loving demeanor with dogs, which puts them at ease immediately. She is very responsive to emails and will even send you "homework" to practice with your dogs between appointments. If you're looking for customized in-home dog training, look no further. read more

I began working with Megan in late April 2015 to help me with my rescue dog, Henry, who has aggressive behavior towards other dogs as well as separation anxiety. Megan is warm, funny and friendly, which was important for me, to relieve any anxiety I had about finding the right trainer. She immediately recognized Henry's behavior issues and not only began the training process, but gave numerous ideas to help Henry get a faster start. Henry is doing well with his training, and so am I. Megan's positive training has been great for both Henry and myself. Her knowledge and compassion, and especially her love of animals has made this process so much smoother and less stressful. I highly recommend Megan for your pet training needs!!!! read more

I've hired Megan on several occasions to help us with on various issues - separation anxiety, socializing with my then boyfriend's/now fiance's dog and aggression to other dogs when we're out for a walk. She's been fantastic every time. She really knows dogs and understand the personalities and behavioral tendencies of different breeds. After each session, I've had very practical and effective training exercises to address the issue at hand. I'd hire her again in a heartbeat and recommend her to anyone looking for help with their pet. read more

Megan is amazing! We had her come to our apartment for a consultation with our pug, Beau, who's been suffering from some separation anxiety, and the time she spent with us and our dog was well worth it. First, she gives actionable advice and training tips that proved to be quickly beneficial. But more than that, she was able to explain to us why Beau might be the way he is, where the problematic behavior could come from, and what steps we might take going forward with compassion, enthusiasm, and deep affection for our pooch. We've also experienced vets and trainers before who lacked tact and sensitivity when it came to dealing with the actual pet owners. If you're seeking the help of a trainer, chances are you might be feeling vulnerable about your own ability as an owner and a little sensitivity from the trainer / vet goes a LONG way. Megan definitely gets this, and we loved having her help us better care for our Beau! read more

I normally don't review on yelp but I just have to share how awesome Megan is. For starters, she was highly recommended by a random couple that I met walking my dog. For a word of mouth recommendation taken by complete strangers, I have to thank them immensely. Megan has come to my house to work with my puppy on general puppy behaviors as well as specific behaviors I wanted to work on. She is such a pleasure to be around and provides countless training resources as well as summaries of all sessions and is easily accessible for any questions or concerns by email or text. After a few in home sessions, I decided to enroll in a group puppy training class. My pup has learned so much and I am complimented all the time on behaviors displayed by my pup because of Megan's passion for her job and her expertise. Thank you Megan! read more

I would highly recommend Capricorn Dog Training. Megan is very patient and truly understands dog behavior. We've done 1 session with her so far and are already scheduled for more. read more

Megan helped me with my dog Oliver so much. Oliver is quite anxious and would try to bite myself or my roommates, nip at walkers/runners/bikers, couldn't crate train... the works. Within 1 visit, Oliver's behavior was remarkably improved and she was so helpful in correcting new behaviors that came up. Without Megan, I wouldn't have the strong relationship that I have with my dog and I'm truly so thankful that she was able to help us. Couldn't recommend Megan more!!! read more