Jeff really knows his stuff and his tips and tricks work really well. Highly recommend!

He's likely quite skilled but very costly. I would look around--$200 for 75 minutes seems excessive. Maybe he has a magic wand.

Jeff was great. Explained training techniques clearly and gave us tools to use that worked immediately! Highly recommend.

We trained with Jeff over the Summer time after an extensive period of research on who we wanted to help us with training our dog, a toy-reactive golden retriever. Jeff helped us contextualize our dog's behavior and understand their psychology better, so we can more effectively curb behaviors we did not want and promote behaviors we do want. As a result, not only has out dog behaved better, but we feel a stronger connection with them. This, in my opinion, is the benefit with Jeff. We all see our dogs as our perfect companions, and when we go through with training we want the outside world to see them the same way we do. Jeff helped us with this; not only does he get you and your dog on the same page regarding training and behavior, but he allows you to springboard your relationship with them to a level of greater understanding. read more

I hired Jeff to help my sweet rescue pup, Judy Jetson, with her anxiety issues. I immediately started seeing noticeable improvements as he showed me how to help her navigate through new situations, places and people. He also gave me tips on how to properly desensitize her to certain noises that were triggers for her. We also worked on basics and she got to show off just how smart she is. He also taught me how to head off separation anxiety before it became a problem. I plan to use him again when we are ready for more advanced training. I am so grateful to Jeff for helping me help Judy Jetson live her best puppy life! read more

Jeff is an awesome trainer! When we first got our Golden Retriever puppy, we hired Jeff to help us get her started with learning how we wanted her to behave. She had a few issues that we didn't want to have grow into problems like resource guarding or reactivity. I know that Jeff's understanding of dog behavior, and his ability to 'train' us to better anticipate and respond, and to be proactive in rewarding the behaviors we wanted to encourage is a big part of how great a dog Teagan has grown into. Jeff's approach is all about understanding your dog and finding the ways to positively reinforce desired behaviors. The closest there is to "punishment" in the training is the use of "time-outs," which turn out to be quite effective. We recently hired Jeff again (Teagan is now 2 yrs old) to help us deal with a couple of issues (more annoyance than 'problem')... like managing her excitement when we have guests arrive, and barking every time the UPS or FedEx truck even drives by! We've had one session on those and we're already seeing improvement! Thanks Jeff! read more

We were referred to Jeff by our veterinarian and we are so happy to have found him! We have a two year old WILD CHILD standard poodle (Lonnie) with sporadic leash reactivity and trouble controlling his excitement when visitors enter our home. Jeff quickly determined that one of the factors contributing to the leash reactivity was the narrow trails we were walking our boy on, which made him feel trapped when approaching another dog. He worked with us at a local park with more open spaces and we immediately saw Lonnie become more relaxed. Jeff also brought his awesome dog Storm to help us understand how to properly introduce Lonnie to other dogs when appropriate. Our most recent lesson was in our home, where he gave us a ton of suggestions for calming Lonnie's excitement and tiring him out with mental work. We are looking forward to scheduling more sessions in the near future. Don't hesitate to contact Jeff for training -- he is a dog whisperer. read more

I wish I could Jeff 6 stars!! He's truly the best. We worked with him (and still do!) on training for our 2 year old Doberman pup we recently adopted, and he taught us the click and treat method for de-escalating on leash triggers for her and we have seen a huge improvement. He also worked with us on a rainy day on indoor stuff like crate training and waiting by the door. He is a dog encyclopedia and puts things in human terms. Love that he also comes to your house so your dog can learn in the day to day environment. He's also very communicative with scheduling which is great! read more

Moses had his first training session with Jeff Millman at our house this week, and now he's in love. So are we. While teaching us, too, Jeff had Moses doing exactly what he told him to do within a minute (swear to God) for every command. He does positive training only - no "e-training', which is the euphemism for shock (electronic) collar training (forget trainers who swear that "it's not really pain" is the only way to train a dog). Moses even likes to watch Jeff's videos. We're looking forward to the next 3 sessions and have plenty to work on in between. Moses' behavior is already much improved. read more

Jeff was absolutely fabulous with our ten month old puppy Phoebe. She is a sheltie and has lots of energy! Jeff helped us come up with great ways to curb her demand barking. He also helped us deal with her fear of cars. I cannot say enough good things about his positive demeanor and his knowledge of dealing with a barky puppy. We purchased four lessons to start and definitely plan to have an ongoing relationship with Jeff throughout Phoebe's life. read more

It was a great and a very informative experience. I would highly recommend him for your dog training needs!!

Jeff was great with my dog! I've had him for about 8 months and I have not figured out how to stop him for barking at people coming into the house. Jeff came over and assessed my dogs behavior and helped me with strategies to make my dog feel more comfortable around situations where he does no stop barking. He gave me great pointers and helped me step by step with solutions. Everything he taught me was straight forward and easy to learn. I highly recommend Jeff! read more

Jeff was GREAT! He traveled to us and spent an hour with us and our new adopted Pitbull, Oliver. We told him what we were concerned about and what we wanted to focus on for this session. I loved that he was was hands on and solution focused and we spent ample time discussing each concern. He explained the reasoning behind Oliver's acts (i.e. barking when someone's at the front door), taught us how best to train Oliver, and then had us actually perform the exercise. We ended the session with action items that we felt comfortable enforcing even after Jeff was gone. Very excited to book Jeff again! read more

I hired Jeff when my dog Misty started displaying signs of fear towards strangers and on our walks. I live on a busy street and Misty was becoming so scared of going outside from all the noise and trucks nearby it was breaking my heart. I found Jeff through Yelp reviews and thought I would give it a shot. I did the 4 session package and Jeff was extremely professional and always on time. He uses clicker training and helped Misty tremendously. By the end of our session Misty was showing improvement and I am aware what I need to do when she becomes fearful. I will have to keep working with her but Jeff gave greats tips and showed me what to do. Thank you so much again for being so good with my pup! read more

Jeff Millman Dog Training - Jeff with my dog Misty - Pet Training Near Me

We found Jeff Millman via the internet when we were trying to help our dog cope with a plethora of anxieties: separation, thunder, fireworks - basically, he's got them all. We left a message for Jeff and received a callback from him within minutes. We arranged for a one hour appointment with Jeff and were amazed at how well he was able to redirect our dog and provide us with the information we needed to help ease his anxieties. The impact was both dramatic and immediate. We've worked with a number of trainers over the years but were definitely impressed by Jeff's professionalism, responsiveness and effectiveness. He was able to help us choose the right combination of training and medical and herbal remedies to fix the problem. Many thanks! read more

I just finished my 4th session with Jeff and was completely impressed. My new rescue dog was having some socialization issues with other dogs. I was hoping to prevent them from turning into aggression issues. Jeff was able to identify, and help me identify, what was triggering Bella's stress. He then formulated a plan to get her more comfortable around other dogs. It was all so logical and well laid out. I am a big proponent of force-free training and was incredibly impressed with Jeff's methods. He is so calm and patient and you can tell he truly loves all dogs. Training with Jeff is not cheap, but you absolutely get what you pay for. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and will if any other issues pop up. read more

I adopted Fiona, a cute scruffy 16 pound terrier mix, when she was roughly 12 months old and walking her was extremely difficult. She barked her head off (almost screaming) at every dog we saw, even dogs a block away and it was very distressing living in a neighborhood with a million other dogs. I resorted at first to walking her extremely early in the morning or late at night and sticking to alleys. No fun for either of us. I did a lot of searching and came across Chicago Paws and Jeff. I read his website and liked the positive-reinforcement only approach. Fiona and I had 6 sessions with Jeff and the turnaround has been pretty amazing. In the first session, Fiona took to Jeff immediately and he was able to take her on a successful trip to the dog park. I was ecstatic! After six sessions, the clicker training and has made Fiona (and more importantly) me, much less anxious to the point where we can walk right past a dog and she is looking at me first and rarely making a peep. It's not 100% yet but as long as I am consistent and diligent with the training, we are improving every day. The knowledge that Jeff has about dog behavior is extensive and during our sessions at the dog park, I learned what to look out for and how to gauge the mood and behavior of other dogs. All of this culminated in a visit today that literally made me get teary-eyed with happiness. We went to the park and Fiona played, chased, wrestled and ran around with another dog and really had a fantastic time, tail wagging and completely exhausted by the end with not a growl or any little issues. Without Jeff, we would have never gotten here. Thank you Jeff and Chicago Paws! I would recommend him to anyone and everyone! read more

Jeff is a courteous, professional and knowledgable dog trainer who takes the time to care for each dog and their owner properly. We rescued a boxer/mastiff/pit about three months ago and were unsure of how he would adjust to his new home and what his temperament would be like. Due to his breed mix we wanted somebody who has much experience with aggressive dogs, for worst-case scenario. Thankfully, our dog has shown only a happy demeanor and is quick to learn. Jeff taught us many techniques for socialization, behavior, leash walking, crate training, dog park etiquette, etc. His "click, treat" reward system worked immediately with our dog and showed us how to create mental stimulation and resource guarding prevention (taking food/toys, touching ears, paws, tail while eating/playing) for our dog on a daily basis. Throughout all the trainings he made it apparent that dogs are capable of learning many behaviors and actually enjoy the challenge. It was fun to see our pup actively thinking and making decisions on his own. His professionalism and personality is top-notch, he made us feel comfortable asking questions and he was able to answer knowledgeably. He reminded us that we need to be consistent with the training to continue with those positive behaviors and encouraged us to email him with any questions, even though we have completed our set of training sessions. Overall, Jeff was a pleasure to have help us build the groundwork for our dog's behavior and I would highly recommend him to anyone that has a dog, aggressive or otherwise. read more

Zizo, Brodie and I just finished our last of 4 sessions with Jeff today. I am so pleased with his philosophy and the humane way he approaches dog behavior. My 8 year old cockapoo suffers from separation anxiety and my 5 month old rescue mixed breed Sheltie/Terrier needs lots of "re-direction. Jeff was able to help me with both of them. He taught me so much and I'm forever grateful! read more

Jeff Millman at Chicago Paws is the best dog trainer in the city. Super patient, loves animals, and offers lots of great ideas. My puppy seemed to be going through the dog equivalent of the terrible twos when we met Jeff, and with just a few quick sessions she was so well behaved that she put those Westminster Kennel Club dogs to shame. Actually, I wasn't quite that dedicated to her training, but she did stop the demand barking, learned to walk on a leash, and got really good at waving hello and goodbye. Jeff uses positive reinforcement and trains using these little clickers that really get the dog to focus. I highly recommend Chicago PAWS to anyone with a new dog or one that just needs a bit of a tune up. read more

Jeff Millman Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I wish I could give Jeff six stars. I got dog training as a gift from my parents when I got a new puppy (Clark). I was very overwhelmed with the potty training and in knowing what to do/not to do in disciplining him. Jeff was patient and calmed all my new dog owner fears. At four months old, Clark is fully potty trained, comes when called (even off leash!!!) doing VERY well in his crate and is on his way to being a great walking buddy. This is completely worth the time and money if you want to raise a great dog. Thanks, Jeff! read more

We adopted a 4 year old dog, Bruno, in March and immediately learned that it was going to be a challenge for him to adjust to city life. He already knew basic commands (yay!) but had shown some fear aggression towards our neighbor and other people we encountered on our walks. I wasted no time searching for a dog trainer on-line and found Jeff at Chicago Paws. Jeff was very prompt in responding to my initial email, as he was in responding to all of my emails and phone calls. He believes in positive reinforcement training which, in my limited experience training our other dogs, is much more effective than harsh physical punishments. After our initial training session (we signed-up for a series of 4 sessions) we knew that Jeff was the right trainer for us. By the end of the session, Bruno, who had been hesitant and fearful of most people we'd encountered, was able to completely relax around Jeff. Jeff spent some time observing Bruno and his behaviors/reactions to Jeff's movements and pointed out cues Bruno was giving whether he was comfortable or "on guard" (it can be hard to tell sometimes, especially with a new dog.) He gave us suggestions on how to make Bruno feel more comfortable around people on our walks and in our home. We spent some sessions working on more advanced commands and it was incredible to see Bruno trying so hard to master them. Jeff gave us easy instructions on how to work on training Bruno on our own and how to provide some mental stimulation for him. Bruno also had some separation anxiety issues and Jeff gave us some solutions that have worked perfectly. For our last session, we met Jeff at a nearby park so we could work on some canine and human everyday interactions. My husband and I have been too afraid to let anyone pet Bruno or to let him approach most dogs. After having worked with Bruno during the other training sessions, Jeff was able to point out that what we thought could have been aggression was really just Bruno being excited and wanting to greet other dogs. Bruno even approached people wanting to be pet by them! Seeing Jeff working with Bruno (and working with him ourselves) in the park, really gave us the confidence we needed to take Bruno's socialization farther. The greatest reward was hearing through the neighborhood grapevine that people are amazed at Bruno's progress and that he seems like a completely different dog now! We never would have heard this without Jeff's help. I cannot recommend Jeff highly enough if you are looking for a knowledgeable trainer who uses humane techniques. It has been a pleasure to work with him and he will be the only trainer we'll use when we get another dog. read more

So, there we were, happy with a 5 year old Spaniel, and for some reason decided to adopt a Terrier puppy. From the get-go, she was an absolute terror. If she wasn't chewing and destroying things, she was peeing on them. We tried to train her, but she was impossible. And worst of all, our spaniel became very sad. It was heartbreaking how he went from wagging his tail at everything, to looking miserable. In comes Jeff Millman of Chicago Paws. Not only was he able to get my puppy in shape, through the most thoughtful and positive training I have ever seen, but now my two dogs actually play together. My Spaniel is back to his old, happy self, and my puppy has actually become calm and well-behaved. Jeff has transformed our home. We have worked on everything from basic commands for my puppy to more complex training for our older dog. Jeff is completely knowledgeable about any issue you could possibly ever have with a dog and how to handle it in a manner that works. He is personable and dedicated to his work, and his methods have immediate results. read more

I couldn't recommend working with Jeff more highly. I echo everything that has been said on these reviews and then some! He is wonderful to work with and of course, unbelievable with dogs! If you're thinking about reaching out to work with him, stop thinking and just do it -- thanks to him we have such a wonderful, loving, well behaved dog and have managed to tackle a bunch of different issues that are now history! read more

I'm a painter and Jeff hired me to do some painting at his house. We got to talking and he told me trained dogs, which was great because I have a toy poodle that not only robs me of my manhood but is an insanely crazy little dog. Jeff gave me some advice on how to train the dog and even gave me a little clicker to use. I've been doing all the drills he's suggested and it has improved her behavior tremendously. It really amazed me that he could make a diagnosis of the problem, a solution to the problem and the details instructions to follow through on it. It was very apparent to me that he really knows his stuff. I'd recommend Jeff and his company to anyone I know with any dog related behavior issues. read more

Jeff is great! My husband and I contacted him for help with our 7-yr-old Papillon, Remy, who has shown signs of aggression and nervousness most of his adult life. Remy has been attacked by other dogs, so we were worried that his fear/aggression was a hopeless situation. After working with Jeff for one session, our entire perspective on Remy's behavior has changed. We learned how to properly use clicker training to handle situations that might normally cause fear/aggression. During our session, we walked past several dogs and were able to utilize Jeff's training method to keep Remy calm and controlled. For us, this was a miracle! My husband noted that Jeff is the first dog professional (trainer, groomer, vet, etc) that Remy has been calm around. Jeff knows what he's doing! read more

I own a dog walking service in the city. We offer a discount for dogs that are adopted thru a rescue. As a consequence, it seems the majority of our clients adopt rescues. These dogs often come with behavioral quirks ... for any number of various reasons and circumstances. Jeff is a behaviorist. He reaches into the psyche of the dog and determines the best course of action to take. He understands that all dogs are different and they may require different approaches. He is always kind and humane. The feedback is pretty amazing from the clients that I refer to him. read more

Jeff is a great dog trainer. I'm very happy I found him. He had a lot of great suggestions for helping me train my dog.

We had a really great experience with Jeff. You can tell that he really loves dogs and they love him. Always encouraging and positive reinforcement training techniques. I appreciate that he answers my questions and helps me understand not only what to do, but why. Since we got a new puppy, we have felt more confident in our training approach. He helped with nipping, crate training and desensitization. Very informative. read more

Jeff did a great job quickly 'connecting' with both me and my 2 year old rescue dog. He gave me some really good (and effective) quick tips on how to help Winston not reach his tolerance threshold and growl at certain unfamiliar people (like my sister). Definitely helpful over the holidays with all the commotion, new people, new dogs and out of his homebase and routine. Thanks, Jeff!!! read more

Jeff did a great job with our two dogs. He is very knowledgeable and was great with our dogs and my wife and I. He is a really good guy who is an outstanding dog trainer. In addition, his dog Sky is a great training assistant. We can't recommend Jeff highly enough! read more

We would highly recommend Jeff Millman for dog training. He worked with our dog, Margie, on her issues with anxiety and leash aggression. Margie was an excessive barker, and she always lunged and snapped at other dogs while on a leash. After just 4 sessions with Jeff, Margie has stopped barking, and she is now able to play with other dogs in the neighborhood! Jeff is patient and incredibly knowledgeable. It is obvious how much he loves what he does. He taught us to identify triggers in the environment and how to stop her anxiety before it starts. Jeff uses only humane methods for training dogs. Margie absolutely loved whenever Jeff came over! He has taught us strategies we will continue to use with Margie for years to come. We literally feel like we have a different dog now. Thank you for all of your hard work, Jeff! read more

I just completed the 12 Session Stay-At-Home Training Package that Jeff offers and have nothing but positive things to say about Jeff and his training style. Our dog developed an inexplicable aggression toward random dogs on his daily walks. To the point where we started to avoid encounters with other dogs by crossing the street when we saw one coming, walking on the opposite side of parked cars as dogs passed, etc. It got to the point where it felt like walking our dog was leading us on the path to an early diagnosis of hypertension... ...then came Jeff. From the first training session our dog made immense strides toward being more comfortable around "strange" dogs on our walks. It was just as much training for the dog as it was for us, maybe even moreso. Even after spending countless hours Googling how to fix the problems we were having and thinking we knew everything, we still learned A TON from Jeff over the 12 sessions. Now that all twelve sessions are over we actually enjoy walking our dog, he can now greet other dogs nose to nose in a calm way and walks are infinitely less stressful on all of us now. I have no regrets about hiring Jeff and some day when we get a buddy for our dog that we will want to train, Jeff will be our first phone call. Side Note: We tried a two-week board & train and a different in-home trainer prior to contacting Jeff...to his further credit, the only one we had success with was Jeff. read more

I 100% recommend working with Jeff. We met him by accident, walking in our Ravenswood neighborhood, and I was so impressed by his calm demeanor and his three dogs' behavior that when we looked for a trainer we didn't look too far. Jeff isn't cheap to work with, but if I had to do over again I wouldn't hesitate to work with him. Marvin, our rescue pup, had been home about 3-4 weeks when we started working with Jeff and it had been a rough transition. Our major challenges were walking on a leash and separation anxiety. Marvin is only 32lbs, but I literally had bruises from trying to hold the leash while he yanked me around town. He also had extreme prey drive - so he chased everything that moved, which makes life in a fairly green neighborhood miserable. Marvin also couldn't be left alone without crying/barking so loud that the neighbors thought he was "in extreme physical pain" -- and he could carry on like that for an entire work day. Our first few sessions with Jeff were at home working on the basics of clicker training and positive rewards. They were really fun and Marvin clearly adored Jeff, but we didn't see the sort of overnight progress I was hoping for (which I realize was unrealistic, but when you can't leave your house you're kind of desperate). However, I will tell you that we worked with Jeff for four sessions and it's been about 3 weeks since our final meet up and Marvin today is a completely different dog. I have to click and treat fairly frequently still, but he bounces right by my side on a very loose leash for the entire walk. We've learned how to mentally stimulate him in the house and that has helped his behavior as well. And finally, Jeff gave us some great tips for reducing separation anxiety. Marvin hasn't overcome that hurdle yet, but he has made really big progress and I don't think we'd be here without Jeff. If you're considering working with Jeff - do it! read more

I can't say enough about Jeff and all he has done for us and our dog (Zoey, 4yrs old). We originally went to Jeff to help deal with our dog's aggression issues, but he went so much more beyond that. Our dog has always been a little 'excited'. I thought her high-energy level was something we just had to live with since nothing seemed to tire her out. Jeff taught us some great ways to not only physically tire her out, but mentally as well. Our home is way more relaxed now and Zoey couldn't be happier. We don't nearly have to put as much energy into getting her energy out. She is content just being still now. As far as aggression goes, we can now walk Zoey down the street without being fearful of her being aggressive towards other dogs. It makes walks so much more enjoyable and not something I dread doing. Jeff really is worth every cent you pay. I would recommend him to anyone. He trained me just as much as he trained the dog. He really does a good job of making sure you understand your dog and exactly what you need to do to train it. Our four sessions together change our relationship with Zoey for the best and she has matured exponentially. read more

Living here in Cary NC, we found ourselves adopting two dogs over a two month period. One a rescue puppy hound/pit mix and the other a mini Sheltie with anxiety. Our dog with anxiety and aggression, Bailey, benefited so much from Jeff's training and trust me we did too! Bailey's sensitivity towards noises and sometimes aggressive nature made it difficult to for all of us to relax and enjoy your dogs. Jeff's positive reward training helped all of us adjust and thrive in our home. Our puppy Bo, is full of energy and the two dogs feed off each other. Jeff helped us learn how to help them get along, go in their kennels, and how to reduce the anxiety and aggression. Jeff's caring nature, explanations and training tips are invaluable. We now love our time with our dogs! We are so glad we had the opportunity to work Jeff Millman and highly recommend him. read more

My wife and I had several private sessions with Jeff for our 2-year-old goldendoodle. We are expecting our first baby, and Jeff was great at tailoring our sessions to helping us prepare for our upcoming family addition. We covered: loose-leash walking, desensitization with house guests, methods of physical and mental exercise, and specific training ideas and methods for us to utilize. In everything, Jeff exuded his practical expertise and knowledge. We are now much better equipped to train our dog and are seeing significant improvement. Working with Jeff was great - Raleigh-area dog owners are fortunate to have him here. read more

Jeff is a true dog whisper. I absolutely endorse and recommend Jeff. I was amazed, after just our first session together, how much progress i made with my dog Oakley. He helped with a myriad of issues including preparing her for our baby. I was amazed that she could even learn such concepts and behavior modifications, let alone in such a fast period of time. Also, Jeff will teach you that such training can be fun for your dog, a bonding tool, a training lesson, and it wore her out. 15 minutes of basic training for her wore her out physically and mentally. And a pooped dog is a happy dog. She loves him even more than we do, which is a very high endorsement. I could not recommend Jeff enough and plan on using his services again and again as our baby and Oakley get older together! Thank you Jeff! read more

I absolutely endorse and recommend Jeff and Chicago Paws. We had four sessions with Jeff to work with our puppy Milo. We were so impressed with Jeff that we already have referred our friends to him and will continue to do so for any training needs, from basic puppy socialization to aggression and other more difficult issues. We have been extremely happy with the results of working with Jeff. At each session after answering our many questions, we worked on some specific issues. Our first session was right after we got Milo at 10 weeks old. We were a little overwhelmed with everything that comes with a new puppy, but Jeff was fantastic in helping us prioritize what was most important at each stage. He gave us the tools, and more importantly, the confidence, to properly socialize and train Milo. Jeff is so easy to work with -- he's flexible in terms of scheduling, agenda and location. He is very responsive to our questions when we called, emailed or ran into him in the neighborhood. He devotes a good portion of each session to answering questions, and he truly listens to understand the issues that we want to address. Jeff has so much experience with training dogs and puppies that there is nothing he has not seen and no question for which he doesn't have the answer. We also were impressed that that he had extensive knowledge of our dog's breed, which is not common, had worked with other dogs of the same breed and could pinpoint certain breed-specific issues that we should be aware of. His demeanor is perfect for his job -- he's calm and unflappable. He relates just as well to people as he does to dogs. Jeff has a gift for providing just enough of the "why" to make you understand why the "how" works. Jeff is a firm believer in positive training methods. Not only do we feel better about using his methods, but they actually work better than punishment. read more

Jeff is a fantastic trainer. I can't believe how much my puppy has improved in only four sessions. He is very knowledgeable, friendly, and informative. I highly recommend his services! read more