Pup Start Chicago

Can’t recommend Found and the Pupstart program enough. My puppy, Gilly has been with them since she was 12 weeks old and the results speak for themselves. The trainers and staff are the best. They explain the psychology of the training and really make sure that puppy parents understand the behaviors and how to work with their dogs. Overall the foundations built at Pupstart have helped us develop a much closer bond with Gilly. Looking forward to all the adventures ahead!

Our puppy did a 6-week stint at Pup Start when he was 3 months old, and we loved it so much that he went back for another 6 weeks when he hit the 6 month mark. The beauty of this program is that it doubles as daycare, which is incredibly helpful for working families (especially in the early days of puppyhood when having a dog walker come over a couple times a day is simply not enough). However unlike a typical daycare, your dog is not simply running in circles around a room all day with little human interaction. The staff is absolutely incredible and spends all day snuggling and training your pup—both one-on-one and in groups—covering everything from basic obedience, leash, crate, and potty skills to all different kids of exposure (cats! vacuums! loud noises! water!). They take a very personalized approach and really consider your dog's unique quirks and behaviors, going the extra mile to work with you and your family to ensure your pup can reach his or her potential (kids are even encouraged to go to the weekly class and given the same level of attention as adults). Though this is our first puppy, our senior dog has lots of experience with Chicago's various pet services, and I can honestly say the Pup Start staff is by far the kindest and most passionate in the industry. This is Training with a capital T, and if you put in the work (meaning learn the techniques they teach you in the weekly classes and use them consistently at home with your dog) you'll be amazed with the results. Is it an investment? Yes. But you just got a puppy! You've got years of dog amazingness ahead of you, and Pup Start is honestly the best way to set you and your dog up for success. I simply can not recommend this program enough.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about PupStart and the team they have in the building. We were overwhelmed when we got our first puppy ever and PupStart helped immensely. Your dog will be learning the basics but he will also be bonding to an extended family where the trainers and staff will treat them like one of their own. Our 4 week program turned into several months as we saw how much our dog was advancing at every level with time we just knew we could not put into with our busy schedules. The staff at PupStart are truly the very best. It melt my heart when I would see them shout my dog's name and he would run over saying hi to a best friend. I know I am forgetting names here so forgive me but thank you thank you Anna, Hannah, Jennifer, Julianna, Mariah, Robert, and Tamar for their help in training our pup. Also a VERY special thank you to Jen and Val as I cannot mention their names without tears coming to my eyes for the love they give to dogs each and every day. It is inspiring. To anybody reading this it is so WORTH it to MAKE the investment into your little one and you will not regret it with this amazing team. I am confident you cannot find a better place in Chicago than Found Training Center and the PupStart program.

Really can’t speak highly enough of the multiple trainers we’ve worked with over the last 9 or so months in Pupstart. Thank you to Jen, Val, Nikki, Jen, and Hannah! Our dog Alfie went from an anxious & reactive rescue to a confident, loving, and mostly well-mannered companion. The pupstart program helped expose our dog to new environments, new dogs and much more. The Pupstart team has been wonderful in working with us & our training goals.