Elite, Award Winning Dog Training Services in Jacksonville / St. Johns
All Breeds. All Sizes. All Ages.
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Empowering Owners
We work with dogs of any breed, size or age - and we empower owners with lifelong skills to continue successes.
- Leash & potty training
- Staying & coming
- Destructive chewing & digging
- Stealing food, clothing, or other objects
- Barking, howling & whining
- Food guarding & begging
- Mouthing, nipping & playing rough
- Anxiety & submissive urination
- Jumping up & hyperactivity
- Aggression & anxiety
We strongly believe that the key to sustained obedience and training is to empower owners to be an integral part of the training experience.
Dog obedience classes are held on a consistent basis and are included in most packages. Our dog obedience training classes are designed to place yourself and your dog in public places (surrounded by other dogs, people, smells, and sounds)!
Request your own
FREE In-Home Evaluation
from Dog Training Elite!
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Popular Services
Award Winning Dog Training Services in the Jacksonville / St. Johns Metro Area
Welcome to Dog Training Elite First Coast! We are a professional, family owned Jacksonville / St. Johns-based dog training company with over 40 years of experience that specializes in strengthening the bond between your dog and your family, with a strong emphasis on teaching your dog the highest level of obedience, despite even the toughest level of distractions. Our Jacksonville / St. Johns dog training programs are certain to meet all of your training needs. Unlike a lot of other dog training companies, we understand that each client has different needs, so we tailor our dog training programs to accommodate your unique situation. Dog Training Elite First Coast also trains service animals and dogs ready to volunteer in the community as therapy dogs and companions to those with special needs.
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Meet Our Trainers
(Click photo for full bio)
Our Balanced Theory
We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.
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Empowering Owners
We empower Owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times. -
Personalized
We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis. -
Environment Specific
We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
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Supportive
We support Owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session"). -
Involved
We work with all members of the household. -
Simplified & Customized
We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
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Continued Training
Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training. -
Lifetime Investment
We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term. -
Satisfaction Ratings
Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.
clas·si·cal con·di·tion·ing
PSYCHOLOGY
noun
A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus and is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
Why Dog Training Elite First Coast?
Lifetime Investment
We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term.
Value Priced
We pride ourselves on being able to offer our professional services at prices that are budget friendly.
Local Trainers
All of our local dog trainers are trustworthy, willing to be there for our clients and love what they do.
Simplified & Customized
We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 15 min/day follow-up practice.
Come Meet Us!
We are often at home shows in your area! Our passion for dogs and service sets us apart. All of our local dog trainers are trustworthy, willing to be there for our clients and love what they do. We want to build a community for our clients that love their dogs just as much as we do and once you begin the training process with us, you become a part of the Dog Training Elite family.
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite First Coast, we believe that Service Dogs save lives. It is our mission to make these life-saving companions available to our Veterans, First Responders, Women Survivors, and Children with Medical Needs. Whether it be for PTSD, Mobility Support, or Special Needs, Dog Training Elite First Coast work's with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.
We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!
Amazing work! Our dog is learning so fast and listens so well. She is a bit stubborn so this is just an amazing experience to have her learn so quickly.— Valerie Ortiz
Posted June 2nd 2023
Highly recommend! After getting my first goldendoodle, (Dudley) I decided to begin obedience training to start my puppy off on the right foot. I searched for a while and even visited a few places where they take the puppy for a couple of weeks and return it trained. Frankly, I wasn't a fan of this approach. The dogs were kept in small crates and away from home and their families. I felt bonding with my new puppy was equally important to his training so Elite First Coast was the perfect option. They train in your home, weekly. That way your puppy can bond with the family while learning AND the family learns how to do the training that is needed. The only hesitation I had initially was the training collar. I learned that the training collar is actually nothing to fear! Eric was patient and kind with Dudley and never used it except in a positive way. By the time we finished initial obedience training Dudley is proficient in healing, sit, down, stay, coming when called (recall), not running out the door when guests arrive, and even some off lease work. We have even hired Eric to take Dudley to the next level for service dog training to be an emotional support dog for me. I cannot say enough great things about Eric. If your considering dog training, Eric is your guy!— Julie Davis
Posted April 24th 2023
Eric was SUPER helpful to deal with our dog. He was a stray we found behind a super market and had a few behavioral issues we wanted to tweak, including nipping at strangers. Eric listened to us and our issues and taught us how to communicate effectively with our dog. Like anything worth doing, this is an ongoing process that we have to consistently reinforce, but we were provided the tools to continue our work with our pup and build on his training. Eric was so patient with both us and our pup. I couldn’t recommend them more! We are telling all of our friends about him and his team.—
Posted April 8th 2023
Wonderful program, delivered professionally with great results. Our trainer, Eric is, very knowledgeable and easy to work with! Bitsy thanks you!!— John Henson
Posted March 28th 2023
We have been working with Dog Training Elite weekly for about a month. They are amazing trainer and great at teaching you how to work with your dog. We love taking our 5 month old lab out to Home Depot and other stores and do so with confidence thanks to Eric’s instruction. I highly recommend them!— Skip Cooke
Posted March 25th 2023
Dog Training Elite First Coast has been amazing!! They form genuine relationships with the pup and the owners. The service provided is outstanding and they have proven the success of their training. The trainers welcome all questions and quickly respond to any questions that may arise between training sessions. We look forward to continue watching the growth our pup will make and highly recommend DTE for all your dog training needs!!—
Posted March 17th 2023
Dog Training Elite First Coast has been amazing!! They form genuine relationships with the pup and the owners. The service provided is outstanding and they have proven the success of their training. The trainers welcome all questions and quickly respond to any questions that may arise between training sessions. We look forward to continue watching the growth our pup will make and highly recommend DTE for all your dog training needs!!— Rachel Brandon
Posted March 17th 2023
Dog Training Elite First Coast has been amazing for our dog! Our dog Verdell is only about 6 months old and he has already learned so much! With Eric’s help and guidance he has made great strides! Recommend Dog Training Elite First Coast to everyone!— Kevin Smith
Posted February 27th 2023
My dog and I have been using DTE for three weeks as of this writing. I will say I have forgotten what puppy's are like and how wild they can be. Eric has shown both Hawkeye, my golden retriever, and I how to work together to achieve new task. I can not wait till we start the service animal training. I would highly recommend DTE to any and everyone.— Lee Adams
Posted February 18th 2023
We are very thankful for the work done by Eric and Dog Training Elite First Coast with our 1 year old Golden Retriever, Piper. She had tons of energy, charged the door, begged at dinner, etc. Since completing our 3 at home training sessions, she acts so much calmer & listens to all commands. We are so impressed with how fast they were able to help us & really look forward to watching her grow further during the group sessions. Thanks again!— Margot Faillace
Posted February 16th 2023
Highly recommended! Eric was very patient with our Great Dane pup and we noticed immediate improvement in his behavior. We were given clear directions on what to focus on each week. Training started as Atlas was a bit over 4 months old. We were very quickly able to work through puppy behavioral issues. It is clear that they have great care in their work and are very adaptive to the needs of each pup! Again, highly recommend!— Lee Glosson
Posted February 5th 2023
Our experience was amazing!! Very impressed with how quickly our Great Dane responded! Our trainer was great at answering all my questions!— Lori Ashworth
Posted January 26th 2023
We have been in training session with DTE and our puppy since October. The system is a no brainer for the average family and all of us participate to ensure consistency across the family members and our puppy. Eric is the best, his attitude and attention toward our pet and us is exceptional. Instructing and guiding for every session. At the end of each session he leaves us with clear objectives to perform for the week. It is amazing to see the progress in our puppy from Eric’s training and when each of us practice with her. I would say pull the plug right now, call Eric, your puppy needs Dog Training Elite.— Robert Carroll
Posted December 19th 2022
Eric and Ashley are great dog trainers and people! Our pup loves them, we love them! They both have a calm assertive energy. They include our whole family every session. Our 11 year old has been working with our dog the most and Eric and Ashley really build her confidence and let her know that she can do it and IS doing it. Dog training is something we have put off but we are so happy we finally went for it. We didn’t know it was possible for our bond to be even stronger with our pup but it now is! Thank you Eric&Ashley💕— John L. Sullivan III
Posted December 16th 2022
I was in an urgent situation and Eric and Ashley were very responsive to my needs. They are a wonderful team.They are professional, accessible and passionate. They explain and demonstrate everything so the homework is concise and they easy to follow. My K9 In Training has come a long way in just 2 weeks.— tricia eger
Posted November 4th 2022
The first couple months with our new puppy were wild. We definitely forgot what having a puppy was like…and this puppy of ours is strong and confident. Dog Training Elite First Coast has been so absolutely incredible to work After the very first training session our home has been a calmer place. Eric & Ashley are so wonderful. They have helped us so much to give Ollie what he needs to be a successful part of our “pack”. They come to our house for training. They tailor the training to what works for our home and family. They are super flexible when life happens and they are available to talk anytime I have a question. Most of all, they genuinely care and love to teach. Ollie loves when they come, has fun with them and is eager to do the job. I also think Eric loves Ollie 😊 We are BEYOND HAPPY with the choice to have DTE help us with our pup! They are awesome.— Jessica Galison
Posted September 25th 2022
The first couple months with our new puppy were wild. We definitely forgot what having a puppy was like…and this puppy of ours is strong and confident. Dog Training Elite First Coast has been so absolutely incredible to work After the very first training session our home has been a calmer place. Eric & Ashley are so wonderful. They have helped us so much to give Ollie what he needs to be a successful part of our “pack”. They come to our house for training. They tailor the training to what works for our home and family. They are super flexible when life happens and they are available to talk anytime I have a question. Most of all, they genuinely care and love to teach. Ollie loves when they come, has fun with them and is eager to do the job. I also think Eric loves Ollie 😊 We are BEYOND HAPPY with the choice to have DTE help us with our pup! They are awesome.—
Posted September 25th 2022
Eric and Ashley are awesome dog trainers and great people! They are able to train dogs of all breeds and personalities. They are so patient and dedicated. I loved working with them!— Danielle Sanderson
Posted September 23rd 2022
Eric and Ashley are wonderful people and truly care about improving your relationship with your furry friend. Eric's Veteran background and both of their previous careers as first responders aligns perfectly for providing a high quality service of dog training and exceptional customer service. They are backed by a franchise system that has 40+ years of experience. They are passionate about giving back to the community and want to make a difference in their community through customized dog training solutions. If you are interested in working with fantastic people and get high quality results, look no further!— Kyle Christie
Posted August 10th 2022