For us, based on our past experience owning an Anatolian Shepherd (a rare guard dog), when we chose to welcome a Hovawart puppy (another rare guard dog), into our home, we understood the commitment and responsibility of properly training and disciplining this type of breed. As a guard dog we learned the Hovawart is a good candidate for Schutzhund training. When we first researched trainers in our area familiar with this style of training, we could not have been more fortunate to have found Carlos and Elly and Wolf's Lair K9. Carlos first spoke with us over the phone to find out more about what we were hoping to accomplish with training. We then set up an appointment for an initial private evaluation and lesson at our home where both Carlos and Elly came to personally witness some of the real living issues we were having with Thor, our then 3 month old puppy, as well as to talk more about what our goals were with his training. We were immediately taken at how qualified and personable they both were with us, as well as with Thor. Before deciding to commit to leaving our new family member with Wolf's Lair K9 for their 3 week "Lodge and Learn" program, it was important for us to see where the training would take place, so we asked if we could come to see where we would be leaving Thor for this 3 week program. Without hesitation, we were invited to their own home where they would be performing all the training. Wolf's Lair K9's training environment is pristine, large, professional, inviting, and considering this all takes place at their own Northbrook home in a quiet suburban neighborhood on a huge lot, we could not ask for anything more. They even invite their student canines into their own beautiful home to spend time with them as if they are their own. I cannot say any more about how happy we are that we found Carlos and Elly. Oh yes, except for our now 6 month old Hovawart puppy has learned to be a disciplined and much more enjoyable companion. Our arms, feet, and hands have finally healed from all of the puppy biting we were not able to stop on our own, and everybody who meets Thor now is always so surprised at how well behaved and disciplined he is at such a young age. Thank you Carlos and Elly! read more

Recently we had our two dogs (Dachsund & Corgi) participate in Wolf Lair's Lodge & Learn program. Before we sent them off to 'camp' Owner-Trainers, Carlos and Elly, came to our house for several preliminary lessons which were really helpful and provided guidance. Our Dachshund is actually pretty good, but we thought having him join his brother for the training might provide them with a bonding experience. We received photos of them and progress reports through out their stay, and when they were dropped off at our house at the end of their training, they were happy to see us, and it was obvious they had been well cared for, and enjoyed their temporary caregivers. Aside from family members in the past who have taken care of our pups while we're out of town, I've never felt as comfortable leaving them with anyone as I have with Carlos and Elly. They love dogs, and dogs love them - it's pretty apparent their business isn't just a business, it's a passion. In a nutshell - I would highly recommend Wolf's Lair. I'm finally able to walk our Corgi without a complete melt-down scene every time a car goes by, a squirrel makes eye contact, or a bird chirps at him the wrong way...AND he doesn't pull on the leash (if you own a Corgi, you KNOW how stubborn and head strong they can be!) Now, when I see other dog walker's coming down the path, I don't feel the need to suddenly dart behind a bush, or slink into a side street to avoid further embarrassing bad behavior - what a relief! It's actually a pleasure to walk him. Our Corgi continues to become a much improved, and well mannered family member as we continue to implement the training Carols and Elly provided for us, and even our little Dachshund has improved upon his almost perfect self. 5 Stars Wolf's Lair! read more

When I was 7 months pregnant, we adopted an 8-week old beagle puppy named Piper. I was convinced our 4-year-old beagle Gracie needed a friend before we had our baby. My husband begrudgingly followed my lead - after all, no smart man argues with a pregnant woman!! The first couple of months were definitely not easy but they were manageable... until... our beautiful son arrived. We quickly realized we were in over our heads to say the least. For every diaper change there was pee on the kitchen floor to clean, for every baby cry there was a puppy whine, for every bottle feeding there was a fight to get each dog to eat their own food, even Gracie who was potty trained years ago decided she wanted to revert back to puppyhood by peeing everywhere, we needed help and we needed it fast!! After interviewing several different trainers, we came across Wolf's Lair K9. Upon meeting with Carlos & Elly, we were immediately impressed with their knowledge and passion for what they do. We began using them regularly for in-home and day training. Wolf's Lair K9 does an outstanding job providing dog owners with the tools to help make dog training simple and effective and not intimidating. Gracie and Piper have become the well-behaved dogs we knew they could be and we have Wolf's Lair K9 to thank. We can't imagine ever using anyone else to train our dogs and highly recommend them - Wolf's Lair will not disappoint. Our only complaint is that sometimes we truly believe Gracie and Piper like Carlos and Elly more than they like us... but then we remind ourselves that is a great problem to have because we always know when our dogs are with Wolf's Lair, they are in the hands of people that love them as much as we do. read more

We have an adorable 11 month old Black Lab Mix, named Harper, that absolutely cannot be left alone in her crate. Since the day we brought her home, she could not tolerate her crate. Left in her crate, she would panic and pant so much that when we returned home, her entire crate would be covered in saliva. Any blankets or toys would be ripped apart. The vet encouraged us to put Harper on puppy Prozac to help with nervous anxiety. It got so bad that we would have to take her everywhere we went or leave a family member behind to keep her company. Boarding Harper at a boarding facility was not an option. So, we considered canceling a family vacation. Until, a friend recommended that we call Carlos and Elly. After one training session, things improved. They helped us understand the nature of her anxiety and educated us on the importance of not only physically exercising her but also mentally. She still can't tolerate a crate but we were able to take our vacation. We boarded Harper with Carlos and Elly. They made accommodation for Harper that would not promote panic/anxiety behavior. She got the best care imaginable. During our vacation, Carlos and Elly sent email updates and pictures to put us at ease. I don't know who was more pleased with the care that Harper received, me and my husband or my 2 very protective boys? I recommend Carlos and Elly to any dog owner. We plan to continue to seek out their services and would not board our dog with anyone else! read more

Like many others, we love dogs. For many years we rescued and adopted, even did some basic obedience training ourselves. We believed our relationship with our pets was as perfect as could be. Little did we know we were about to get schooled by a pair of really accomplished and capable professionals in the dog world. Both our pitbulls, Bella and Paco, attended Wolf's Lair Lodge and Learn program for a little mire than two months when both our personal and professional lives changed significantly. It's not just about obedience training, on any level, but about structure, routine, responsibility and work that challenges both the human and the animal to a deep bonding of mutual respect and love. When it was time to bring Paco and Bella home, we were totally unprepared for what we were to encounter by meeting our dogs for the first time in a couple of months. These were our dogs, but they don't look or act as they did sometime ago. Their physique: lean and fit, their behavior: collected, well mannered and awaiting instruction. All I can say is: there is a sense of empowerment when your dogs listen to you and follow structure and a well defined routine, there is a connection when you and your pet work together towards a goal, and there is a heck of a lot of pride on your pet when everyone else is brimming jealousy and envy because of how well behaved he/she is in varied situations. Kudos and thanks to Carlos and Ely at Wolf's Lair K9 for helping us on this journey. read more

We first got our dog Wilson at eight weeks old when we were in the city, in an apartment building shared with five other dogs. Fast forward four years later, we make the move to a house in the suburbs and Wilson no longer has to share his home, water, treats, or toys with other dogs and children. A few months ago, on separate occasions, Wilson began to exhibit behaviors of jealousy and aggression when another dog or baby visited the house and received attention. It is obviously not acceptable that a 65-pound pup exhibit these types of behavior around our friends and family, especially with our very new niece; we called Wolf's Lair K9 right away. Working with Carlos at Wolf's Lair has been fantastic. He immediately recognized that Wilson is generally a very good pup, and smart one, that just needs more discipline and boundaries. It really is true that training is as much for your dog as it is for the owners! So far, he has taught us and Wilson different tactics to get him to behave (and not always with food!). Wilson has taken to some of the training tactics, and really enjoys his training; he gets pretty tuckered out after we practice or Carlos leaves! We really appreciate the time Carlos has spent with us so far and have found him to be very honest and realistic with what's going on and how we proceed. If we ever adopt a puppy or Wilson has more issues in the future, we would definitely go with Wolfs Lair K9 first! read more

Our family recently got a labrador puppy and since it was not our 1st puppy I figured I had the puppy training under control. Well, I quickly realized with a 5 and 7 year old in the house, puppy traning was going to be much harder than it had been in the past. Everything I worked on with the puppy, the kids quickly undid without even realizing. After much frustration and little sleep, I had seen a few friends post on Facebook about Carlos and their experience with him working with their dogs so I did my research and connected with him. His background was just what I was looking for even though I knew our pup wouldn't need even a 1/4 of what Carlos has training in. Carlos' initial email explained how he works, with meeting our dog in our home to assess him before he determines how to move forward. Within the 1st few minutes of meeting Carlos, I knew he was going to be effective on training me and the kids on how to work with our new pooch. Within the 1st lesson, we had our puppy walking well on a leash, no longer nipping at my kids, a plan for potty training and how to address him waking us up every night. After a few more visits with Carlos, Cowboy is well on his way to being a great dog for our family. We are looking forward to continuing our training and can't wait to see his progress when he spends a few days with Carlos and his Lodge and Learn program! read more

Carlos & Elly have become like family to us! They are amazing trainers who care so much about dogs! We have a 6 year old German Shepard who had kind of a little attitude problem, especially when someone would knock on the door, or when another dog would come over. He is a great dog but he was just a little bit over protective. Through several weeks of training with Carlos & Elly, Dusty has become a lot more tame and manageable! We are no longer scared to bring anyone over our house or take him on a walk. They have really brought out the best in Dusty. Carlos & Elly take the time after every lesson to explain to us how Dusty is doing, and what the plan is for moving forward. They explain to us how they are teaching Dusty and more importantly, they explain to us what we need to do to continue the training at home. The whole family feels so grateful to them for doing such a wonderful job. Now 2 months later Dusty listens to commands and he is even fine with other Dogs at the house. Dusty has improved so much after his lessons that we decided to get another dog, and of course we would only trust Carlos & Eilly to train him. I know that choosing the right trainer for your dog is a big step, but i can say that with all my heart Carlos & Elly are the best. I would recommend them to anyone looking to get the best out of there Dog! read more

Carlos and Elly were recommended to me through folks at the Rescue where we adopted our girl Ella who is a Very High Energy Pit Bull who was recovering from ACL surgery and we needed some guidance on how to help direct this girls' energy -I have met alot of Dog Trainers - and What is unique about Carlos and Elly is they are highly experienced and well versed in dogs and breeds - they work with the dog you have - (breed, energy, condition, potential,) The second i met them -and in the first 5 minutes of our conversation - it was clear they are highly professional, educated and most of all Experienced. In a few minutes had an entire understanding of Ella and how to guide us to work with her and her incredible level of energy - it was amazing and moving to see in action the positive impact on our Ella as a result of their guidance with her - they truly have expertise in dogs and specific breeds and what they require. What is wonderful about Carlos and Elly is they are people you just want to spend time with and as a sideline you get your dog trained as well as you get trained - they are honest, fun, engaging, kind, patient and have a great sense of humor - . I love how they remind us - these are DOGS abd furthermore, our responsibilities as owners to provide them their best life! Thank you Carlos and Elly! read more

I am so thankful that we found Carlos and Elly of Wolf's Lair K9. As a first time dog owner I had no idea what to expect, although I knew one thing, I wanted an obedient dog. I tried a group class and it just didn't work for us. Carlos and Elly came to our home and we instantly knew that this was the right choice for our family. Our GSD went through a 7 week lodge and learn program, after those 7 weeks she was a completely different dog. I cannot even put into words how much of a difference they have made in our lives. We have been working with them for about a year and a half now (specialized training) and continue to see changes every day. They have not only changed our dog, but they have also changed the way we look at training and the way we do things. They include my 3.5 year old son in the training as well myself and my husband. They really took the time to hear our concerns and what we wanted to get out of the training and customized the training to fit us. If you're looking for people that truly love their jobs and actually care about you and your dog, you have found the right people. I would highly recommend Wolf's Lair K9 for all your training needs!!! Thank you Carlos and Elly for everything you have done for our family and all that you continue to do!! You are truly amazing!! read more

I have been thinking about this for a bit on what too say. Carlos and Elly have been fabulous and we can't say enough about them. The second I met them I knew they were the ones too help with the training of our dog. They have made a major impact on our family and our wonderful golden retriever Gibson. He is a work in progress, but what a difference we have seen in him. Gibson has needed lots of help from basic commands too some more involved issues that were not taken care of as a puppy. They truly love our dog and get everyone involved in the training as we have 3 young children. They have become part of our family and have a great wonderful interest in making sure everything is done right. We are working on everything with Gibson from sitting, too staying, too not jumping and appropriately playing with other dogs. Even during our runs now, I can feel at ease when running with Gibson if there are other dogs in our path. Not only do they work with Gibson they are working with the entire family and are doing training in "real" time....3 screaming kids, a dog, stroller, and bikes. They show a deep caring and compassion towards the entire family and the feeling is mutal. There aren't enough thank you's out there too express too Carlos and Elly~ We look forward too continuing and improving Gibson's behavior. read more

We have been fortunate to have been working with Carlos with our wonderful,smart, and strong Belgian Malinois, Chuck(5 yr old male) at both our home and their fantastic and immaculate Northbrook facility since October, '17. Carlos is engaging, professional, and committed, as well as a remarkable communicator with both us and Chuck. He thoroughly knows our dog and intuitively gets us, creatively pushing us and Chuck while always being a patient and encouraging coach with a great sense of humor and loads of dog tales. The customized sessions are productive and positive, full of challenging training and lively conversation. Carlos has reminded us that we are always reinforcing behaviors when interacting with our dogs. He guides us to become more self-aware of those precise behaviors and if we wish to encourage different responses in our canines how to accomplish it. Carlos' nuanced and talented instruction feels like a fabulous dovetailing of interval training workout and pep rallies for us and Chuck. Our experience with Wolf's Lair K-9 and Carlos has proven to be exhilarating, highly effective and collaborative, a tremendous value, and a delightful investment of time. My husband and I leave each session with Chuck energized, and always anticipating our next time to work with Carlos. Gwen and Mike H read more

We have had Standard Poodles for the last 15 years. We currently have 3! A 13 1/2 year old very senior guy and two 1/2 brothers who are 2 1/2 and 1 1/2. We have used/tried probably every trainer in the metropolitan chicago area for all of them. We were the ones that needed the training. We decided to commit and our younger dogs are miraculously improved and obedient. Leash walking ( primary reason we called Wolflairk90 has become 95% completely enjoyable in just 5 weeks. We love the day training mixed with private guidance . My guys are signed up for life!!!! Carlos and Elly are the most professional, kind, knowledgeable people we have ever worked with and they are extremely cool as well!!!! My dogs love them. Carlos inspires us to do good for our dogs, they love structure and pleasing and we just needed the teacher to help us with this. ALSO I must add, Carlos achieves miracles all through a gentle voice and NO negative training. It is all positive and non harmful. He makes them want to keep going, he keeps it fun, so they don't even realize how hard they are working. We feel so lucky and honored to be clients of WolfslairK9. I could go on and on and feel free to contact me for a gushing reference.!!!! read more

Carlos, the owner and trainer at Wolf's Lair K9, has the ability to handle and train all levels of dog behavior, from a new puppy to an "out of control" rescue dog. Wolf's Lair K9 offers private lessons which allow you and your family to be a part of the training process. When you leave, you will know what to do with your dog's behavior. The board and train option is wonderful!! While your dog is with Carlos, it is consistently getting trained. We really liked the board and train because it greatly sped up the training process. We rescued our dog, a strong, 60 pound, out of control mixed breed. We were thinking we made a mistakes of rescuing her, but did not want to give her back. We wanted to give her a chance to be in a home with love. She needed to get trained quickly...undo the bad behavior she accumulated while not owned. After 4 days with Carlos, she knew basic commands, could walk on the leash without pulling, and was calm. She became a dog we wanted her in our home with us. She made a huge turnaround, thanks to Carlos! If you are feeling as if you, and your family, can no longer handle your dog's behavior, it is time for your dog to go to Wolf's Lair K9. Carlos will help your situation! read more

Absolutely amazing!! My 5 year old Rottie is like a whole new different dog! He's so obedient now. Before I went to Wolf's Lair, my 125lbs dog would jump on me when it was feeding time, almost knocking me over & also he is not allowed on the carpet, but Masimo (my dog) would sneak in and lay in the same place, causing a dark spot where he lays and as soon as I walk in the house, he would run off so I wouldn't "catch" him, but I snuck in one day to catch him in the act. He'd also pull me when I walk him. It was impossible. I brought Massimo to Wolf's Lair a few months ago and Carlos & Elly are the best two helpful people I've ever met. They are kind, caring, & attentive to me and Massimo's issues. They even worked with me to change my attitude to let Mass know who is the boss in the house. After a few months, this beast of a dog no longer jumps all over me for food and NEVER sneaks on the rug (I know cause I had it cleaned before we started). He doesn't pull me and now walks beside me when I take him for walks. I should have went to them much much sooner. Thank you so much Wolf's Lair for changing our lives & relationship with each other for the better! read more

We were recommended to Wolf's Lair by a friend and have been thrilled with the service. We have a 9 month old golden retriever and have been working with Carlos since she was 2 months old. Carlos is very professional and passionate about what he does. He listens to what our goals are and works with both us and our pup to achieve them. When we have private lessons he makes the training fun, educational and is quickly able to assess any difficulties we are having and ways to correct them. Carlos emphasis the importance of teaching us how to work with our dog so that the success carries over into our everyday life. When our puppy comes back from day training she is tired, happy, and it is amazing how much she has learned. Carlos is also very honest about what is the best approach to train our dog and does not automatically suggest the most intensive, expensive options. He treats every dog, every owner, every situation differently and caters his recommendations to each client. He is excellent with the dogs and is skilled in teaching everything from basic obedience to guard dogs to service dogs. I would highly recommend Wolf's Lait K9 to everyone! read more

Carlos and Elly were recommended to me by a trusted friend. I am so happy that my friend made the referral, because she knew how much I loved my pup. I had a creme golden retreiver, who is the love of my life! I have to travel at times, and I worried about finding just the right care of my pup. Along comes Carlos and Elly, and I know my pup has a home away from home, and when I pick her up, she has received training too!. She learned in her first stay not to jump on guests, and has not done so since that very first stay! I now have a second pup, just 10 weeks old, who is assilmilating into my home, and the two pups are already attached at the hip. I have total confidence in not only their safety and care when with Carlos and Elly, but that they will receive the wonderful skilled training as well. My goal is to have my pups become therapy dogs, and I'm going to count on Carlos and Elly to help me get there. I consider Carlos and Elly part of my extended family already! I have already recommended them to my friends, and would recommend them to anyone looking to make sure your pups are a loving and trained part of your family. read more

I've been pondering for a few weeks what I wanted to say about Carlos and Elly. They're fantastic trainers and have helped me more than they know. I have a 14 month old GSD, a good dog that needed to be taken to a higher level in her training so I called Wolfs Lair. I just couldn't decide what to say to convey just how good they are until today when it all came together. I took Heidi to the Forest Preserve for a long walk. We walked about four miles off lead. Heidi stopped when told when a bicycle approached, she waited when asked, came by me on command...it was the most amazing walk. I've known she was ready but needed to get over my jitters, I live with her but had no idea she had come this far. I have that once in a lifetime dog and I have Carlos and Elly to thank. Before Carlos and Elly I had a good dog, now I have an awesome dog thanks to the guidance and training Heidi and I received. The bond that develops through good training is remarkable...I forget Heidi is a dog sometimes. I will never stop training with Carlos and Elly no matter how well trained Heidi becomes, its forever. read more

We are first time dog owners ... after adopting our 12-week old puppy, we quickly realized that we needed support. Carlos has been an invaluable resource for us. Our initial visit was at our home, where Carlos was able to assess our puppy, along with listening to our challenges & concerns. I literally cannot state more strongly or eloquently how incredibly patient, professional and gifted Carlos is when working with both the dog and owner. We have trained at Wolf's Lair training facility and it has been an incredible experience. Carlos was tremendous working with my kids (7 and 10) and I have gained so much knowledge and confidence, working with him. It has been such a pleasure working with Carlos and our confidence has grown exponentially. Carlos has the ability to cater to the needs of both the dog and the owner. He quite literally, has changed our life! We cannot imagine life without our sweet dog and we have Carlos to thank for helping us in so many ways! His patience, knowledge & expertise are truly awe inspiring. We are incredibly grateful for what he has done for us. read more