Urban Pooch Canine Life Center

Your canine will have a great time spending the night with Urban Pooch. Comfy beds and blankets provided – No cages ever.

Urban Pooch believes all dogs have the right to a safe, healthy, and enjoyable environment. When your pooch comes to join us, we require the following to ensure the safety and health of your best friend(s):

Dogs may not be dropped off or picked up before or after these hours. You may pick up or drop off your dog between the hours of:

We offer several different types of classes: Obedience (beginner, intermediate, advanced), Puppy Classes, Nose Work and Brain Games - all taught by professionals with experience in both training and competitive competition. Our staff is also available for private 1-on-1 training. Price varies by class - new classes are announced via our newsletter. All Nose Work Classes are taught by Roger Lautt, who is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) and a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI)

Get in on the new rapidly growing sport, K9 Nose Work®. This 6-week class will follow the guidelines and suggestions of NASCSW. The objective is to introduce dogs and their owners to this new fun sport known as K9 Nose Work®. The focus on all of our Nose Work classes will be for the dog and owner/handler to have fun. Intro, as well as the advanced classes, are well suited for all dogs with the exception of human aggressive dogs. The sport will strengthen the bond between dog and owner and build the dog’s confidence, especially the fearful dogs. This class teaches the foundation skills necessary to progress with this sport, for mere enjoyment or for competition. Intro to Nose Work will enable your dog to discover and enhance his/her natural hunt drive while having fun.

We will also be offering the following advanced Nose Work Classes - which progress from the basic - Intro to Nose Work - Level 1 to the Master Class - see order of how they progress below and details of classes below. Prerequisite is Level 1 or instructor approval. This class builds on the foundation skills learned in Level 1 and focuses on skill building. We facilitate the building of the dog’s intensity for the hunting game; eventually they will hunt for a particular odor. This class will use treats or toys depending on the dog. Over the course of these classes we will gradually increase the difficulty and challenge while making sure the dog is successful. By the end of this class we will progress to some blind hides, some elevated hides and some out of the box.

According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) "The primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life……For this reason, the AVSAB believes that it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated. Dogs are always learning, this is an opportunity to build a positive foundation for learning. We are starting this NEW PUPPY SOCIALIZATION CLASS. Only Puppies between 8 weeks and 20 weeks old will be allowed. Note: This is NOT a basic obedience class. It is a primer for basic and helps puppies learn as detailed below.

We currently have 3 Basic Obedience training classes scheduled for early January, see below for details. If you're interested in attending a future class, please call us at 773.942.6445 or email Training@urbanpooch.com to discuss. We have new classes that form on a regular basis to accomodate your needs. Classes are Limited to 6 pooches (and their owners). Puppies (4 months and older) are welcome! In this class, you and your pooch will learn how to better communicate with each other, learn the commands - heel, sit, down, stay, come - plus one surprise trick. The best (and most fun) outcome of the classes is that you and your pooch will bond and become closer with each other. The cost for our Basic Obedience Class is $165. A $50 deposit will reserve your space as this class is limited to ten pups so the trainer can give each dog the individual attention they need.

We currently have one class starting soon - see details below. If you are interested in this class - please contact us at 773.942.6445 to inquire and register. This class is for pooches who have already participated in any basic obedience class. We will refresh all the basics: heel, sit, down, stay and teach your pooch (and you): A finish heel, Long distance down, Long distance sit, Long distance come, Every command taught in Sign Language and in any language of your choice, A Special Trick - sure to impress both canines and people! As an added bonus, you'll learn what is required to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test, which will be covered in our advanced class (see below). This is usually the first step to therapy dog certification. The best (and most fun) outcome of the classes -- you and your pooch will bond and become closer with each other. Cost for the class is $185, with a $50 deposit required. Space is limited to 7 owners and their pooches. Please call (773.942.6445) or stop in to sign-up.

You must have completed Basic and Intermediate levels and/or be evaluated by Tilman for approval. Advanced Level I is a "testing" class for the Canine Good Citizen certification. Trainer will help the handler give cues to their pooch to achieve success but pooches should have already learned the skill-set in the Intermediate Obedience Class. To earn certification your pooch needs to pass the following 10 tests: Accepting a stranger, Sitting politely for petting, walking on loose lead, walking through a crowd, Sit and down on command and Staying in place, Coming when called, reaction to other dogs, Reaction to distraction, supervised separation Cost for the class is $200+$25 for CGC test, with a $50 deposit required. Space is limited. Please call (773.942.6445) or stop in to sign-up.

You must have completed Basic and Intermediate class levels, in addition to passing the Canine Good Citizen certification. Our Therapy Dog International (TDI) Class, taught by Tilman, our Head Trainer, is the only TDI Class taught in the downtown Chicago area and our results have been amazing. The cost of class includes training to prepare you for the TDI test, and the actual cost of the test, that is administered on the last night of the class by a Certified TDI Evaluator. You and your pooch will really enjoy this class and, once certified, you both can go to local hospitals and nursing homes to spread the joy and unconditional love that our pooches give so freely. Therapy Dogs International (TDI®) is a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions and wherever else therapy dogs are needed. To belong to Therapy Dogs International (TDI®) all dogs must be tested and evaluated by a Certified TDI Evaluator. A dog must be a minimum of one (1) year of age and have a sound temperament. Each dog must pass a TDI temperament evaluation for suitability to become a Therapy Dog. The test will also include the evaluation of the dog’s behavior around people with the use of some type of service equipment (wheelchairs, crutches, etc.).

Class is designed to be a fun, challenging and rewarding experience for you and your dog. You will learn to use some teaching tools like free-shaping and targeting. We will also cover how to capture your dog's behavior and how to lure and guide behaviors. You can teach an old dog new tricks and enjoy doing it. Our Tricks and Brain Games program is guaranteed to teach you a fun way to interact with your dog, learn the basic skills of animal training without the use of force!

Pooch Camp is led by our certified trainer, Tilman Colbert Jones. Tilman has competed with his Belgian Malinois on Regional and National levels, receiving high scores and always on the podium either in 1st or 2nd place. He has a passion for training dogs and loves to see owners happy when their dogs are happy doing obedience. Tilman wants to instill the same behavior and enjoyment that his dogs have for obedience into other dogs and show dog and owner alike that training is fun, fun, fun!!!

These lessons are for those dogs that choose not to participate in group class or cannot attend daycare because of aggression or time constraints. The trainer can work with the pup and owner at Urban Pooch in a private setting or can visit the home to evaluate and train. NOTE: any private training sessions MUST be paid in full in advance - and any cancellation must be called in 24 hours before scheduled time or you will forfeit your fee. So please take extra care in scheduling your appointment.

All options include: Choice of Hypo-Allergenic or Oatmeal Shampoo, Nail Trim (filing upon request +$5), Scooty Booty (outer anal gland expression). Prices vary based on size of dog, breed & condition of coat. Choose From One Of These Packages:

Upgrades range from $10-$30, depending on size of dog.

We give you everything you need to make your dog shine like a champion! Enjoy a hands-on experience with your pooch without any mess or drama at home. We even supply the kids with raincoats to enjoy the fun of washing the family canine! Our facility can accommodate dogs of all sizes with state of the art tubs and K-9 hair dryers. Self Wash Hours: Monday - Friday - 7a - 6p, Saturday = 8a - 5p, Sunday = 8a - 4p

when purchased with Self-Wash:

By the hour flexibility. Whether it’s for a full day or for a few hours while you go out shopping or to eat, your canine can socialize with his/her pals. Free belly-rubs for each canine customer.

Second Pooch in family gets a 20% discount! NOTE: Daycare hours cannot be used for Boarding. Special Promo Packages are available at a discount:

Urban Pooch believes all dogs have the right to a safe, healthy, and enjoyable environment. When your pooch comes to join us, we require the following to ensure the safety and health of your best friend(s):

Dogs may not be dropped off or picked up before or after these hours. You may pick up or drop off your dog between the hours of: