Psychiatric Service Dog Training in Durham and Chapel Hill, NC

My dog and I have been working with Kyle, the trainer, who has been amazing! He is patient, kind and so good at communicating. He has helped me get my Rottweiler from barking, growling and jumping at strangers to now where he can heel, stay in a down position, be calm with distractions and even stay when I let go of his leash. This change has happened in six sessions because Kyle knows what he’s doing and reads dogs so well. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to get a stronger more loving bond with their dog because they can now trust you and follow your lead.

Oz was 3 years old when we reached out to Dog Training Elite for help with reactivity and getting Oz to be neutral and obedient around other dogs and humans. Kyle, Cindy and David have been wonderful to work with as we continue our dog and human training journey. We can't recommend DTE highly enough no matter where a dog is at in their training journey. I have worked with tons of animal professionals in my previous career, including trainers, groomers, wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians, etc. but never met anyone quite as in tune with how dogs communicate as Kyle is. And he's just as amazing at explaining it to the humans. He brings a rare kind of warm, calm, steady presence to all training sessions that puts everyone at ease, and we are forever grateful for the impact he's had on Oz and our little pack. 🙏🏼

These folks are THE BEST- we are moving soon and these are some of the people we will miss most from here! Kyle is so loving and intelligent and has a real connection to the dogs and a great ability to identify each dog's needs- even when there are a few at group class together with different needs. He always makes you feel like you and your dog are making progress even on tough days and has great tips and advice for outside of class. My dog loves every trainer he worked with and the owners are truly members of the community and are clear about the process and goals and are a real part of the training with you! We've seen AMAZING change and confidence in our dog's behavior with other dogs, he learned the commands so quickly with the trainers and he really trusted them to learn in a way that we could never have done on our own as the owners. It was so critical for our dog's growth to have a trusted trainer and we couldn't have made a better choice with Dog Training Elite!

We had a wonderful experience training our pup to become a service dog with Cindy and Kyle. All the process was super professional and the trainers were very supportive of us and our dog. Truly recommended!

We loved working with Kyle! He was incredibly knowledgeable and patient while training our puppy. His consistency and calm demeanor really helped our family learn how to train properly train our puppy. Our family is extremely grateful, and will continue to participate in the group classes to keep learning and improving!

Kyle was great. Our dog is like a new pup...would highly recommend

I just completed the individual training sessions with Elite Dog Training, and I couldn’t be happier. Each lesson was structured in a way that allowed my dog to absorb what he was being asked to do, and then they built upon the previous lesson while adding the new lesson. Kyle was gentle yet firm at the same time and you can tell that he really knows dogs well because what he predicts ends up happening. He also employs distraction tactics by bringing his own dogs to act as distractors. This is important because any dog can be well trained when there are no distractions. I also found the company as a whole very easy to work with as far as scheduling or rescheduling appointments.

Kyle was outstanding with our dog - patient and clear with instructions and how to improve. A huge improvement seen!

I learned so much about myself and the need to be consistent. Kyle was great. He taught me what to be consistent with and how to progress. The opportunity for unlimited dog sessions in the park is incredible. Really a game changer.

Dog Training Elite has been truly incredible. A few months ago, we adopted Biscuit, a really good dog with a great temperament. Both my son and I are on the autism spectrum, and having Biscuit at home has been a huge blessing, especially for my 7 year old. Our psychologist even recommended having a dog for the positive impact it could bring. At the same time, we were dealing with real challenges. Biscuit would chase squirrels, pull on the leash, and if he got loose, catching him was almost impossible. This made it difficult and sometimes unsafe for my son to walk him. After connecting with David, Cindy, and Kyle, at Dog Training Elite team, everything started to change. In just a few sessions, the results have been amazing. Biscuit can stay in place even in open areas, walk calmly without pulling, ignore distractions, and respond when my son calls him. Seeing that level of connection has been incredibly meaningful for us. What they have achieved in just a few weeks has been truly life changing. On top of that, their warmth and genuine care make the whole experience even better. Highly recommended. Note: I couldn’t upload videos no matter how hard I tried, so I’m sharing these photos, even though they don’t do justice to what my son and I experienced.

If you’re looking for a dog trainer in Raleigh, I cannot recommend Dog Training Elite enough—especially our trainer Kyle. We came to Kyle needing help with reactivity in our cattle dog, right as we were preparing to bring a new puppy into our home (who will be my service dog in training). Needless to say, I was anxious and wanted to make sure I was doing everything right for all of our dogs. Kyle has completely transformed our home and our pack of three, a laid-back senior girl, a reactive cattle dog, and our incoming puppy. He truly feels like a dog whisperer. He is incredibly patient, kind, and takes the time to explain everything in a way that actually makes you feel confident as an owner. The biggest win? Our cattle dog, who used to struggle with strangers, is now OBSESSED with Kyle and gets so excited to see him at every session, and does well in group sessions! That alone says everything. I ask a million questions because I genuinely want to learn and build the best possible bond, especially with my service dog in training, and Kyle never once makes me feel like I’m “too much.” The entire team, from the owners to the trainers, has been so supportive, patient, and understanding of my anxiety through this process. I’m so excited to continue working with Kyle and the Dog Training Elite team as our puppy grows through continued obedience and service training throughout the year. This has been such a positive, confidence-building experience, and I’m grateful we found them! Thank you Cindy, Kyle and David! Highly, highly recommend!

We had a great experience with Dog Training Elite and Kyle our trainer. All of our sessions were extremely productive and we saw really great improvements in our pup over the course of the 5 sessions. Highly recommend!

DTE provides a very organized plan with clear reachable goals for your dog. My trainer Kyle has a wonderful way with dogs and answers all my questions.

Had a wonderful experience with Dog Training Elite. Will absolutely be sending friends and family to them. They’re amazing trainers, but also amazing humans. My service dog Tucker and I are forever thankful. Highly recommend!!!

I couldn't be more pleased with Kyle's training. He kept it simple, making it easy for my tiny poodle and for me to learn to work together. What a wonderful experience!

My Willow the Service Dog received almost a full year of training from these wonderful people. She is such a help to me now. They train from the heart. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite.

We are so grateful to have found this company! Kyle is a knowledgeable, patient, and calm trainer. His guidance and help has changed our dog for the better. Our dog is so so well behaved now and can heel on and off leash. Our dog’s manners have increased and so has his confidence! He helped with problem behaviors too. I recommend Kyle and dog training elite highly! The group sessions are also so helpful!

How can I start to explain how amazing this training group is? I honestly have zero complaints or negatives about them. They are hard working, helpful, patient, considerate, and actually care so much. As a disabled individual, one thing I really enjoy that I haven’t seen as an option from other places is they come to your house for most sessions. They also work with your schedule- you and your pup come first. I feel like they genuinely care and don’t treat everyone like “one size fits all”, they treat you as an individual and meet you where you are at. I’m going to them for service dog training, started with obedience and at first was really worried about the financial part because I don’t make a lot and some of these companies have quoted me a ridiculous amount. Dog Training Elite isn’t like that though. They worked with me with a payment plan and like other things they meet you where you are at in a compassionate and caring way. They are really down to earth and empathetic and I haven’t met someone I hadn’t liked from there. Elliot, my dog, has come such a long way and I’m so proud of him. They make training fun and effective for the both of us through clear communication, patience, and kindness. I will say one thing that might have people on the fence at first is the use of a training collar- I was worried about it too - however it’s not what you think at all. There is a misconception it’s for correction and it’s not- it’s kind of like one of those training clickers , it’s a marker. They explained to me how it worked and even had me try it on my hand so I could see for myself what it felt like and it really put me at ease. They also include praise and treats and have you and your pups best interest at heart. In conclusion, I know this is a long read, I can’t fit all my gratitude and appreciation for these people in a singular post- I really truly felt heard, seen, and supported. I hope you give them the chance to do the same for you!!

Our experience with Dog Training Elite has been fantastic. We adopted a very extroverted and excited pittie, Jobim, from a shelter back in late January. We realized that we would need professional help to provide Jobim the best environment. We contacted Dog Training Elite. We started dog training early in April --so over 4-5 months ago. Jobim's improvement has been outstanding. Kyle is a fantastic trainer. His patience, knowledge and commitment have expedited Jobim's learning and improvement. Kyle is also helping us to be better owners by teaching us several concepts of dog ownership. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite services and Kyle!

Fantastic experience with Elite Dog Training! Very organized with paperwork, expectations, scheduling and support. Kyle is a like a “dog whisperer” and worked so well with both of my dogs: Koda a young, full of energy, give me attention now and Barnaby my sweet, elderly but stubborn you can’t make me dog. This has been a rewarding and effective experience and I highly recommend Kyle and the company to anyone who wants a better managed fur baby experience!