Chicago Dog Trainer has been helping families throughout the Chicago metropolitan area build better relationships with their dogs for decades. The practice operates both online and out of the Little Dog Farm in suburban Chicago — a training facility near I-90 where boarding school programs, private lessons, and pack leader sessions take place.
Chicago Dog Trainer is lead by Marc Goldberg, an author and long time trainer of other dog trainers. Marc leads the practice alongside a team of dog trainers who share his philosophy and his commitment to results that hold up in the real world, not just in a training session.
The goal in every program is to help you have a dog that understands what’s expected of it, has genuine freedom within those expectations, and has a relationship with its owner built on clear communication rather than force or fear.
Our philosophy is simple. Improve the life of both dog and family. All too often, unruly dogs do not fully enjoy life because their families constantly become upset and frustrated with them. This is difficult for both family and dog.
Our mission is simple. Make both dog and family happy.
What does is take to make your dog happy? He will thrive when you give him leadership and attention.
Marc Goldberg started training dogs as a child. By age thirteen he was taking on private clients — schoolteachers and neighbors who had heard about the kid who could actually get results. What started early became a career spanning several decades, a nationally recognized training philosophy, three published books, and a reputation that has made him one of the most credentialed and widely respected dog trainers in the country.
The Monks of New Skete are among the most influential figures in American dog training. Their books — including The Art of Raising a Puppy and How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend — have sold millions of copies and shaped how generations of trainers and dog owners think about the relationship between humans and dogs.
Marc Goldberg co-authored three books with the Monks of New Skete, all available in bookstores and on Amazon:
All three books are co-authored with the most recognized names in the field, published through major publishers, and available in bookstores across the country and through Amazon.
Marc holds the CDTA (Certified Dog Trainer and Behavior Advisor) and PDTI (Professional Dog Trainer Instructor) titles from the International Association of Canine Professionals — two of the most rigorous professional designations in the field. He served as president of the IACP, an organization dedicated to the education and professional development of dog trainers worldwide, and was subsequently inducted into the IACP Members Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the profession.
He also trained under some of the best dog trainers in the country at the Philadelphia Dog Training Club, where he was the youngest voting member in the organization’s history.
Marc has personally trained hundreds of professional dog trainers who have gone on to apply his methods and the techniques from his books in their own practices across the country. His training methodology forms the foundation of how many working trainers in the United States approach behavior modification and obedience work.
Marc’s training philosophy is captured in the ForceFree Method™ — an approach to dog training that teaches dogs to behave well as members of a family while still letting them be dogs. The goal is not a mechanically obedient animal. It’s a dog that understands what’s expected of it, has genuine freedom within those expectations, and has a relationship with its owner built on clear communication rather than fear or force.
The ForceFree Method produces dogs that come when called — every time, on or off leash. Dogs that walk on a loose leash. Dogs that sit and stay reliably, don’t jump on guests, don’t charge through doors, and don’t bark and destroy when left alone. More than behavioral outputs, it produces a relationship between dog and owner that both of them can enjoy.
Marc and his team at Chicago Dog Trainer offer a range of training programs for dogs and owners at every stage:
Every program is built around the same outcome — a dog that functions well in daily life and an owner who has the tools to maintain that behavior long after the program ends.
Marc’s in-person training facility in suburban Chicago — Little Dog Farm — provides the physical environment for boarding school programs, private lessons, and pack leader work. The farm gives dogs the space, structure, and consistency that residential training requires, and gives owners a real facility rather than a garage operation.
Little Dog Farm is located near I-90 in suburban Chicago, accessible from throughout the Chicago metropolitan area including the North Shore, western suburbs, and city neighborhoods.
Chicago Dog Trainer serves the full Chicago metropolitan area, with clients throughout the city and suburbs including Chicago, Evanston, Naperville, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Oak Park, Wilmette, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Hinsdale, Barrington, Northbrook, Wheaton, Downers Grove, and many other communities throughout Cook, DuPage, Kane, and Lake Counties. Remote training extends Marc’s reach to clients throughout the United States and internationally.
To connect with Marc directly, call or text 224-407-2131 or reach out through the contact form on the website.
