Photo by St. Paul Dog Training Club
Agility Dog
This group offers on-site and in-home training options from the basics to therapy animal training, and the e-course for training a socially well-behaved dog is just smart. Mpls., 651-686-9059
Classes are sorted by age, experience level, certification, and situation, getting as specific as Holiday Manners and Canine Neurobics. A class on how to chill during nail trims? Genius. Private training for dogs in Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and northern Iowa, too. Classes in Burnsville, Eagan, Northfield, Rochester/Oronoco, St. Charles, and St. Louis Park, 507-624-0190
Brings pups and their people to obedience class five days a week for super fast results, and you can top it off with an in-home training session. Mpls., St. Louis Park, St. Paul, and West St. Paul, thek9coach.com
Twin Cities Obedience Training Club
Competitive obedience is a sport, and this stalwart training spot opened in 1945. The volunteer-run nonprofit’s also a hub for flyball, agility, tracking, and therapy dog training. Mpls., 612-379-1332
You probably know a neighbor who should sign up for the Freak on a Leash class, and the Early Bird Special class for keeping senior dogs’ minds sharp warms our gray muzzle–loving hearts. Day care, boarding, and grooming are also on the menu. Eden Prairie, 952-224-4491
Lauded by one client as “the dog whisperers of Minneapolis,” trainers here are passionate about preventing and fixing dog behavior problems and operate under the belief that dogs are socially brilliant and should be treated like the smartypaws they are. Mpls., 612-440-2344
Want to skip juggling your schedule around multiple training classes? This group offers multiweek board-and-train boot camps for pups and dogs that will get your furry friend ready for prime time. Hugo, 651-653-3770
Dogs also benefit from exercise of the mind. Let her show you what she’s got.
Agility and competitive obedience
Dogs of any breed can do it, and dogs of any age can start. Twin Cities Obedience Training Club (Northeast, Mpls., 612-379-1332) and Agile Canines Training School (St. Louis Park, 612-220-0663) are great spots to weave, jump, sit, and stay.
Doggy day care
Does your pup have the zoomies? And you’ve got to work? Hightail it to a tail-wag fest like these pet-approved picks: Furball Fitness (North Loop, Mpls., 612-210-2750) or Stone Mountain Pet Lodge (Brooklyn Park and Blaine, stonemountainpetlodge.com) for A-plus social, mental, and physical stimulation.
Flyball
With 1960s California origins, flyball is now played all over the world. The competitive relay team sport combines hurdle racing with retrieval of a tennis ball from a launching apparatus. Learn the ropes at Bloomington Obedience Training Club (952-888-4998) or Twin Cities Obedience Training Club (Northeast, Mpls., 612-379-1332).
Nose work and scent work
Dogs can smell up to 10,000 times better than humans, and these sports let them put their snoots to great use while sneaking in some low-impact exercise. Try nose work at St. Paul Dog Training Club (South St. Paul, 651-455-2431) and scent work at Cloud Nine Training School for Dogs (Maple Grove, 952-939-9174).
