We took an introductory puppy training class with Mary and the techniques she taught us were very helpful! She uses a combination of positive reinforcement and voice inflection/commands to guide the dog. Her approach is to "train the trainer", so that you are not accidentally giving mixed signals to your dog. We adopted our puppy during the pandemic, and she has always been scared of other dogs and people despite our best efforts to socialize her. The training techniques Mary taught us helped our dog to focus on us, instead of outside stimuli in public places and helped her be a bit less afraid out in the world. We're looking forward to going back for more lessons! Thanks, Mary! read more

The Obedience Center - Our doggo - Pet Training Near Me - Rolling Meadows, Illinois

We were so optimistic when we came in for training. Mary sounded pleasant on the phone. We were told that it would be socially distant, but it was anything but.. I found myself in a dingy, tight, and cramped basement with too many people wearing ill-fitting masks. COVID-19 aside, I don't know how The Obedience Center has remained in business for so long. They don't value building relationships with your dog. Their "training" includes screaming "quiet" at dogs, grabbing them by their mouths when they're puppy biting, and spaying peppermint breath spray into their mouths. Mary is a genuinely unpleasant individual. She'll make you feel like you're back in elementary school with a miserable teacher that needs to retire. I was so hopeful for this place, but I never returned. I've met people at the local dog park with similar experiences, and so I'm glad it wasn't just me. I found a better training place that fosters human/dog relationships and imparts knowledge helpfully. It's true, there are tons of ribbons on the walls, and I have no reason to believe that her authoritarian training regime scares dogs into compliance. I have different values and have found success without her methods. If tyranny and cruelty isn't your preference, I'd suggest you avoid this place at all costs. read more

Mary is an outstanding teacher. She teaches you how to train your dog, rather than her training your dog for you. The group setting is even more ideal for training with distractions. After working with Mary, I feel so much more confident training my dog and my bond with my dog is so much stronger. Mary has so much experience with training award winning show dogs and that made it so much easier to listen to her suggestions. I could not recommend her courses more, if you are looking for a stronger bond with your pet, while having fun with others and their dogs! read more

We adopted a 1 yr old Doberman who exhibited aggression towards other dogs & people. After taking the beginning puppy class she was a totally different dog! Mary really knows her stuff . We learned so much from the classes (we went on to the advanced class too) and now we have a loving dog who is friendly & obedient. read more

This is an excellent place to train you dogs in obedience. I have had 3 dogs go through her basic obedience classes and all of them improved greatly form the training. Having other dogs in a group setting is great experience for dogs who do not have other dogs in their homes. read more

I got Mary's number through my friend, that trained her Doberman with her. I was not impressed when I went on the website with reviews but I gave a shot and that was the best decision I've ever made. I have a Doberman and he needed a lot of work. Mary is not only knowledgeable but she is dedicated to her job. She went with me and my dog for a walk on Saturday morning, because I had no idea how to make him walk. She helped me to understand the nature of a dogs. I'm still staying in touch with her and she never gave me a bad advice. I highly recommend The Obedience Center for your dog training. read more

The Obedience Center - Pet Training Near Me - Rolling Meadows, Illinois

We just finished a puppy class with our recently adopted 1-year-old Great Dane. He learned so much from this class, and "graduated" with so many new manners and skills! I love that the class was a mix of obedience and helpful tips/information about various puppy habits (chewing, greeting someone at the door, running away, etc). Having an assistant there to help show the commands with a puppy was super-helpful as well! It was also fun watching our dog do the agility course. . . who would've thought a 110 pound dog could climb through a swinging tire or crawl through a tunnel? Mary had high expectations and constantly reviewed the lessons from the previous classes before building on them. The first night was a bit overwhelming as our dog would not stop barking. Mary showed us different ways to stop this, one being the Binaca spray. I read through several reviews on this page about this tactic, and I can assure you, Mary tries different positive reinforcement approaches before resorting to Binaca. While there are some punishment-type corrections discussed, these are only brought up after positive strategies have been exhausted. They are NOT abusive in any way. I realize that some people may be uncomfortable with this, but in reality I need to be able to control my dog. . . this is why I am taking him to obedience in the first place. Mary constantly asked if there were any questions and really got to know the dogs and their owners. Our dog gets overly excited when seeing other dogs on walks, and Mary checked in with us several times throughout the sessions to see how he was doing with this and offer suggestions. She can come across as strict at first; however, she is doing this because she wants what's best for you and your dog. Just like in school, listening and following directions is imperative if you want to learn the lesson. I am planning on signing our dog up for the next level class. I can't wait to see what he learns next! read more

Tried calling to learn about the training program on a Saturday and she decides to scold me about calling her on the weekend / evening. If she was a pro two things would have happened... one she would have a business phone and two she would not scold people for calling her. I see why she has hardly any reviews clearly this is not a professional trainer. I told there was no reason to "scold people, you can just not answer your phone if you don't want to talk." She gave even more attitude and told me to call back and leave a message... yeah right, I don't think that is going to happen. I wouldn't deal with anyone that runs a business like this. Good luck. read more

Called in to learn about the class for my new puppy. When I called in, I was already aware my puppy was too young to be accepted into the class but I wanted to know their schedule and other type of programs that they offer when he is ready to accepted. Instead, Mary started aggressively explaining how many vaccinations my puppy needs. I understood her concern and I told her he is up to date with his shots but still not ready for other shots as he is too young. She would not stop or understand why I called in. If I wanted to hear about what vaccinations my puppy needs, I have a vet to go to. She did not explain anything about the course to me which at that point I had to hang up on her as she would not let me speak. Horrible service. read more

Update: My boy Jax is on his way to obtaining his CDX in obedience and starting to train for the highest title in AKC obedience - the Utility title. Jax placed second and third during his CD and BN runs and has tuned into a fantastic sport dog. Mary's training has been invaluable and we could not be where we are today without her expert help. read more

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This was our second time going through the obedience center. The first time was approximately 14 or so years ago with our miniature pincher. We recently finished up our puppy training class with our new miniature pincher. They are not the easiest breed to train, but (both times) we had great success. We highly recommend the obedience center!! Thanks again for all of your help!! read more

we brought our 5 month old puppy to a new puppy class and we were at first overwhelmed with the behavior of two other dogs and their owners. one owner was very lax in the holding of her leash of her giant 8 week old lab. while mary did sternly talk to the dog it was the owner that needed discipline! mary had to ask her more than once to grip her leash tighter and the woman ignored her. her dog was aggressive and yet she didn't care. the other dog was lunging and guttural growls were coming from him. we talked about not going back, but decided to go at least one more time. we are glad we did. the two owners were asked not to come back and we had a great time with the other owners and their dogs. mary taught us so many things that really work on out puppy! it is not a glamorous place, but i want a well behaved dog, not a fancy training facility. we may go back for the advanced class. our dog loved it! read more

I would recommend The Obedience Center to anyone who wanted effective training for their puppy. Mary not only breeds doberman but she is a thorough trainer. She is understanding of your schedule and works with you to make a lasting impact on your dog. I brought my doberman puppy to her after trying other trainers, where i was without change in his behavior. After attending her classes I was able to communicate and create a healthy relationship with my pup so that he is able to be corrected appropriately. I have attended her Puppy star class and her Canine Good Citizen class. Her classes are reasonably priced and worth every penny. We have much more work to do since my dog is only 7mo old and it doesn't just stop at the close of class. But with Mary's foundation I am excited to continue his training. read more

I would like to say first, the price is really great. It's definitely not a waste of money. Mary is very knowledgeable. I have a dog who is aggressive towards other dogs when she approaches them on the leash. She barks, growls, whines, and lunges at them. I personally believe she is leash reactive. Mary thought we could solve this problem. I went consistently with my dog until school/family things came up last minute. My dog didn't get much better with the aggression. When I talked with Mary earlier she did warn me that there may be nothing she can do because some dogs are just like that. I agree with that, but I recently took my dog to Doggie Playhouse, just to kind of see what happens...she was aggressive when we walked in there. I called a few hours into her time of being there to see how she was doing. She was doing great. When I picked her up, the man said she was playing the whole time with about 50 other dogs. She didn't growl or bark or do anything aggressive. That's the reason I give this 3 stars is because I felt, there was no effort to get to the bottom of my dogs aggression. They had me spraying Binaca (peppermint spray) into her mouth when she was barking and being aggressive. This did help, but not by a lot. They told me just to keep spraying and correct her with a stern "quiet!" and she will not do it anymore. That wasn't true and I was very consistent with this training. My dog was in the puppy training class but she was 1.5 years old. This was because I had just adopted her and she needed a touch up with training and major touch up with the aggression. The training is excellent for the average dog/puppy whose owner just wants their dog to respect them and listen to them. My dog had an understanding of the commands taught before we signed up for the class, but it helped her master them (because I didn't know which way was best to learn). It didn't do anything for her aggression. My theory is that she didn't have a bad experience with another dog as a puppy, because once she is in a room around dogs she is perfectly fine, and not nervous at all. It's always the initial greeting. So again the reason I give it 3 stars is, my dogs aggression is something that clearly could have been fixed, but I felt she didn't get the attention she deserved from the trainers. The classes I went to they always focused on a puppy, or any dog really that wasn't mine. This class is great if your dog is young and needs training, not for aggressive dogs. You won't get much advice except spray this stuff in their mouth and demand quiet. Okay experience, not great. read more

Came in for an interview to meet the trainer. She told us about the positives reinforcement training she does with the dogs. During our first class, Mary demonstrated choke collars. While she was doing this, our 4 month old puppy was a little barkey and she screamed "quiet!" at him. She asked me to make sure he was on the floor so he wasn't trying to protect me. Okay, sure. But then, he barked again. And she asked if someone had "the spray." She said my dog needed to be "punished" for his bad behavior and needed to be sprayed in the mouth. It will burn she said. I refused- this isn't positive reinforcement. Others in the class said it works for their dogs, they're immediately quiet. Yeah, I'll bet, their mouths are burning. I said no. Mary's response, "Excuse me?" No, I'm not spraying my dog. "Well he has to be punished somehow." We left. This is not positive reinforcement and I have no desire to hurt my dog. read more

I'm currently training my 2nd dog at The Obedience Center. Mary has decades worth of knowledge. This is my 4th time training a dog. Mary is the only trainer that discusses dog development at various stages of life, how they learn and what to expect from certain breeds. One must consider what a dog is bred to do, it's instincts and energy level. Don't get a large dog to keep kenneled in an apartment. Don't get an energetic dog if you don't have time to exercise it. Some reviewers hate the Binaca trick. I have had great success with it. Minimizes nusance barking and puppy chewing on items. 6 years after completing all 3 classes and I just have to show the Binaca to my dog and he stops barking. I used it sparingly when he was a pup. I brought my older dog back with my puppy for drop in Rally and Agility. My dog hadn't been there in over 6 years and cried (from excitement) when we pulled in the parking lot. When I took his leash off he ran the agility course as of he had still been training. He had a great time and loves training. I'm not sure why other reviews gree talk about punishment. My training at OBC is based on positive reinforcement/reward. We can bring treats and toys to motivate our pups. I do occasionally pull on my dogs collar to correct her. I want her to listen in public and off leash and not just when I'm dangling a treat in her face. Both of my dogs live training and get very excited on our way to OBC. Mary is very knowledgable and shares a lot of good advise. Her classes are a great balance of positive reinforcement/reward, fun and verbal corrections. read more