Positive dog training, walking, and sitting. Designed to enrich the lives of both dogs and their owners by encouraging a bond built on love and trust so your dog is always happy and safe.

 

Certifications:

 

Training Equipment: Treats, balls, toys, clicker, 6 foot leash, 30 foot leash, flat collar, easy-walk harness, gentle leader, and a positive attitude.

 

Training Philosophy: We use positive reinforcement in order to encourage a true bond based on love and trust. Programs are designed to enrich the lives of both dogs and their owners by teaching them to communicate with one another.

 

Locations Served: Northwest Suburbs / Chicago. McHenry, Lake, Cook, DuPage, Kane, DeKalb, and Boone. Woodstock, Marengo, Harvard, Hebron, Long Lake, Old Mill Creek, Poplar Grove, Burlington, Sycamore, Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Elgin, Carpentersville, Waukegan, Mundelein, Barrington, Deerfield, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Bloomingdale, St. Charles, Naperville, Park Ridge, Bartlett, Addison, Bensenville.

 

EXPERIENCE Best In Home Dog Services is a premium dog training, walking, and sitting service run by Richard Hopkins. His lifelong passion for working with dogs started at an early age, learning from a family tree full of dog trainers. He launched a grassroots dog walking and sitting business in 2010, using every opportunity to train clients' dogs to gain experience. In 2012 he met his mentor, Cathryn Jurewicz, while attending her group training class with his sister and her lab Wrigley. Cathryn has 26+ years of experience including obedience, agility, rally, and CGC courses/evaluations. Richard apprenticed under her for six months, and worked along side her for four years learning every day. Throughout his apprenticeship and after, the primary learning sources were the works of B.F. Skinner, Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, and Patricia McConnell. After four years it was time for a new challenge, which came in the form of a position as the manager and head dog trainer of a 1,500 sq ft daycare and boarding facility. When it was time for the next step in his career, he took on the role of manager and head dog trainer of a 7,500 sq ft daycare and boarding facility. After successfully designing and running his own training programs at multiple facilities, from scratch, he decided to go into business for himself. He started Best In Home Dog Training in 2013, and it evolved into Best In Home Dog Services which was registered in April of 2015. Richard has trained, walked, and cared for more dogs than he can estimate, using only positive methods; this has given him extensive experience with dogs of all ages, breeds, and temperaments (many of them with special behavioral or medical needs).