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First Place Dog Training

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2519 N Riverside Dr
Lakemoor, IL 60051

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(815) 385-3350
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First Place Dog Training - Lakemoor, IL
First Place Dog Training - Lakemoor, IL
Reviews
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( 5 )

Best

Gracie is staying on the rug, and is no longer pulling on the leash. The instructors showed us with their dogs rather than just trying to talk us through it.

Worst

The frequency and pattern of the reviews (they almost all start with the name of the dog and are all very generic dog names) indicate they were all written by the same person, or ...

Enjoyed learning how to make Ziggy a better dog 7/13/2010

My dog was taught all of his obedience commands, and manners. We enjoyed learning how to make Ziggy a better dog. Everything was explained thoroughly so that when I went home all bases were covered. more
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Enjoyed the progress that my dog made 7/8/2010

Shane improved with his overall obedience and discipline. I really enjoyed the progress that my dog made. The instructors were very patient and made sure we were well informed and understood why each action was taken and what it meant. more
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I enjoyed all the explanations that Vince shared with us 7/2/2010

Toby really learned to pay attention to all obedience commands. I enjoyed all the explanations that Vince shared with us. Jon & Julie R. more
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I now understand that I am the boss 7/1/2010

Bella is now so calm, and is listening to me very well. I enjoyed Vince taking the time to show us how to work our dog. I now understand that I am the boss as well as the pack leader. Paul P. more
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First Place Dog Training ... MY FIRST CHOICE! 2/13/2010

In my personal opinion, the way a dog behaves reflects exclusively upon the owner of the animal. Vince and his team at First Place came highly recommended per my veterinary clinic and now I can see why! They work in larger groups which makes learning from others a huge plus. Vince will also demonstrate what he is talking about and give individual advice. And never be afraid to ask questions; you always get the best answer. If you're doing something incorrect, Vince or a team member will approach you and let you know how to do it correctly. I'm currently in my 4th week of class and see major improvements in my American Staffordshire Terrier. In the future, I definitely plan on attending their intermediate and advanced classes. If you plan on having a well mannered and respectful animal in your home, plan on going to FIRST PLACE DOG TRAINING. I wouldn't trust anyone else! more
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First Place is FABULOUS! 10/27/2009

Vince and his team are excellent! Sending my dog to his boot camp was the best thing we could have done. He is now a well mannered, happy member of the family! We have also used First Place for boarding and always feel very confident that our dog is with people who genuinely care about animals and take care of them confidently, consistently & with kindness. Give Vince a chance to train your dog, listen to his directions to you, be consistent and you will be very happy with the results. more
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Very happy with First Place 6/22/2009

We took our two 8 month old puppies to 1st place and just picked them up. Both went through the two week boot camp program, with one needing an extra week. Regarding the extra week, I discussed that with Vince at the one-week update for the two puppies. We both decided that the first pup would be fine without an extra week, but with some consistent reinforcement of the training from me. The second pup did need the extra work, and we can really tell the difference. The bottom line for us was that we are really happy with the results and the entire experience. Even before taking our dogs there, I read the reviews here and elsewhere. I obviously focused on the negative reviews after the initial reading. At that point, I simply called them and addressed the information in the negative reviews point by point. Kathy and Vince were very happy to answer my questions, and did so in depth and (from what I saw afterward) in complete honesty. From that point, I also did a surprise visit to the si more
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Most amazing dog training experience I have ever had! 6/18/2009

I saved my Siberian Husky from a very abusive/neglectful situation a little over two months ago. She is one, and had never been trained. She'd been locked in a basement most of her life with minimal food and water, and little to no interaction with anybody. As a result she had severe anxiety/trust issues. She had ripped her hair out and bitten at her skin until it bled. After I rescued her, the hair/bleeding quickly resolved itself, but she was still extremely unruly. She wouldn't respond to any training I attempted with her. I had little time to invest in dog training classes, but was recommended to First Place's boot camp by my vet. What they have done with my dog is beyond remarkable. She is a completely different dog. She sits (a huge feat for this one!), lays down, stays on her mat, etc. I actually have a well behaved dog now! Even people who have come to the house have mentioned how much she has changed since the boot camp. I will be bringing her there for follow up training and more
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Great Experience and Great Results! 6/13/2009

We have tried many methods of training over the past 2 + years with our Wheaton Terrier and have been unsuccessful. We went to First Place and sat in on a training session to see how the dogs and humans were trained. We then decided to take Loki in for the Boot Camp. Loki was fearful, uncontrollable and downright crazy prior to us taking him to First Place. We were at our wits end with what to do with him and how to get him trained. When we went to pick him up, he was so excited to see us and was still himself but a much better behaved dog. Vince spent several hours walking us through the initial training session and used each dog as an example. I never saw Loki or any of the other 3 dogs show any fear of Vince when he worked with them. Loki has made a 180 degree turn around and has not lost his spirit or personality. I would truly recommend First Place for anyone who has a troublesome dog that needs the dog trained and needs to become knowledgeable on how to handle their dog(s more
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Great methods, great people! 2/23/2009

I have had the pleasure of taking my last three dogs to classes at first place. In class, Vince relates well to the owners. He's also hilarious! Unlike the other poster, i think the comparison to human anatomy works well, because i see my dogs as people, and its plain rude when you come upon a strange dog and they jump all over you and sniff your crotch! Also, I've been boarding my dogs with them longer than i have trained there, and my babies always go in happy and leave even happier!! more
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The best training in the area 12/16/2008

This is the best place to train your dog. Thank goodness I found First Place, they truly understand dogs, their behavior and have the experience to help dog owners in a way they can understand. (I first wasted my money at one of the Major Pet Stores, with a trainer that knew less than my babysitter). My neighbor and vet, suggested I try First Place, even though it was more of a drive for me. The results were amazing with First Place, the entire class of dogs made amazing progress, and I can honestly say that that the training was positive, informative, upbeat, and fun. \r \r If your looking for results and love your dogs, this is the place to go. more
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Great Results for Our Family! 8/31/2008

My wife and I took the first dog we ever owned to First Place about 3 years ago. We were having a lot of trouble with him as a puppy and he was pushing my wife to her limits! After the training he received there he is the most obedient of our 4 dogs to this day. \r \r We now have our first baby on the way and need to get more control of our home before it arrives, so we took one of our other, less obedient dogs back to go through their basic training too. \r \r The 'rug' technique is a life saver. We can now eat dinner or get what we need to done without having to get up numerous times to keep the dogs from getting into something (or each other!). more
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Highly recommend 8/28/2008

Over the past 9 years I have brought 4 dogs through all the levels of obedience classes offered at First Place. All 4 of my dogs went into the classes as happy unmannered dogs and came out of the classes as happy well mannered dogs. We are really grateful for the training techniques taught by Vince and his staff and we really enjoy attending the classes. They have been really informative and alot of fun! Any issues I have had with my dogs have been addressed and resolved. I highly recommend First Place Dog Training!!!! more
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Puppy Loves First PLace !!!! 7/24/2008

When I first walked into the desk, Chris greeted me with enthusiasm when showed him Lucy, my 3 month old Cockapoo. I told him that I wanted her potty trained and obedience training. After about 1 week of the drop-off program I came back and noticed a significant in Lucy's responses to the commands that the staff implemented. After they showed me the commands, Lucy and I went home very happy. Thank You Very Much First Place!!! more
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World Class training, World class people 7/23/2008

MY experience at First Place was wonderful!! The family and i were going on vacation for 2 weeks and a couple days so we decided to board our one dog for the entire stay, and the other for the doggy bootcamp. I was apprehensive about leaving our oldest dog there, because she gets medicine twice a day and must eat 3 times a day. THe young man who signed me in assured me that she would get the meds and that he would personally watch to make sure she was eating. I asked to view the kennels, and when they were shown, i was quite impressed with the setup. all the dogs in the kennel were barking and had their tails wagging, and compared to other kennels. they had plenty of room for exercise. And their extras are great too. Theyh have a huge yard and training hall, along with dog runs outside so all of the dogs can get a little sunlight and quiet time. This is a beautiful facility and i will bring them back again and again. more
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Wonderful facility, wonderful people 7/23/2008

I really cannot recommend highly enough this facility. We're residents of Chicago with three dogs. We care alot about our dogs so we looked at quite a few kennels to find a place where we would be comfortable leaving our dogs for up to two weeks at a time. Because First Place has such an expansive play area for our dogs, and a very reasonably priced board and train program, we decided to make the drive out to McHenry.\r \r Let me also say that one of our dogs is stranger aggressive. I brought the dog out to First Place so Chris and Vince could meet him and Chris spent a few moments with him and said he would be willing to work with him. Chris gained our dogs trust and had him obeying better when we returned two weeks later than he ever had.\r \r Compared to other boarding facilities, first place has a much more extensive play area for the dogs, a very large and well equipped training center and the people there seem to care alot about the animals. more
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great experience 5/28/2008

I would highly recommend First Place to train your dog. Vince and the staff are very helpful. I did not know the first thing about training my dog to be obedient and to have good manners. After attending the beginners class I now feel confident in teaching my dog to be the best dog he can be. All of the techniques are easy to learn and are very humane. My dog is learning quickly and is becoming a well behaved member of our family. I love my dogs and trust the First Place staff completely. They are wonderful caring people whe ove what they do and love animals. more
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I have more confidence as a dog owner 5/28/2008

First Place is exceptional! I love Vince's teaching manner and his personality rocks! He keep things informative and fun at the same time. I always left class in a better mood than when I came in.\r My pointer never showed any signs of distress or fear. His tail was always wagging! I am so much more confident at training him in the correct way because Vince has provided me with a great foundation. I will continue to take courses there to build off of that foundation. \r I can't wait for the next class to start! more
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Saved my dogs life! 5/21/2008

Our dog was a rescue that was out of control, and we were on the verge of making the worst decision of all. We have owned powerful high energy dogs before, our last dog was a rescued pitbull, but this lab/pointer mix was pushing us to our limits. I have been a professional horse trainer, but I still couldn't get my dog under control. Our vet was fully supportive of us, and encouraged us a lot. When we started looking for someone who could help us with Chiefs agressive nature, she strongly recommended Vince. We had started with another place, but weren't getting far. Again, our vet recommended Vince. So I decided to try. We had been paying for private lessons ($50 for an hour), and the other place required us to have our dog muzzled. Vince asked us to come in early so that he could evaluate our dog, and quickly determined that this wasn't necessary. Within 2 weeks Chief was playing with other dogs in the class, was responding to sit, stay, down, and heel, and stopped tearing u more
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Best dog place in the area!! 5/8/2008

I've been to plenty of kennels around this area and i can honestly say that first place dog training is the best one in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin area by far!! It is family owned and operated, and the staff there is remarkably friendly and helpful. They specialize in plenty of different areas of dog training from the basic obedience classes to the tracking and hunting. Every time I've been there. i have never been dissatisfied with the outcome of my dogs. Unlike a lot of kennels in the area, they do not take other people's dogs and mix them with mine, they do not leave them unsupervised outside or inside, they make every stay a mini vacation for my dogs. I have and will continue to recommend First Place to everyone who owns a dog. more
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Owner Message

  • First Place Dog Training in McHenry, Illinois is your premiere boarding and training facility. We stress positive training methods for effective behavior modification. We offer group obedience classes, private instruction and doggy boot camp programs At our Doggy Bootcamp, you and your pet will become familiar with obedience and proper manners. . We use positive training techniques and are behavior modification specialists, our techniques have helped 1000's of pets to become happy family members again. We also offer tracking and hunting training. We have a large indoor, heated and air conditioned year round training facility.

    We cater to all breeds and ages. With more than 21 years at the same location,we?re very adept in all instructional methods, and can customize the training to for your dog's needs.. Our classes include:

    ? Puppy
    ? Basic beginning
    ? Intermediate
    ? Advanced
    ? Drop Off Training
    ? Doggie Bootcamp

    We?re veterinarian recommended and our owners live on premise. We help pets obtain A.K.C. titles through our proven positive reinforcement techniques. Register with us today and you?ll see an almost immediate improvement in their attitude.

    For schedule information or an appointment, call us today.. Boarding|Leads|Premier|Training

Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Thu 8am-6pm ; Fri 8am-7pm ; Sat 8am-6pm ; Sun 8am-7pm ; Open 7 Days
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa
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