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Canine Life Center

 4501 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
  (773) 942-6445
Open Today Until 6:00 pm
In-Store Pickup, Curbside Pickup, Local Delivery, Same Day Delivery, No Contact Delivery Available

Training and Fitness Center

 5400 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
  (773) 961-8880
Open Today Until 8:30 pm

Urban Pooch Adventures: Canine Good Citizen, Urban Life Skills, and Extracurriculars!

Once your dog has mastered the basics in our Canine Compass: Essential Skills & Manners Program, choose your Pooch's advanced path:

🐾 Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Prep Class

Study with us to pass the Canine Good Citizen test - 10 challenges of your dog's basic training, performed without treats or other training aids. Instructors are certified AKC evaluators, so if you and your dog are ready, you can earn your dog's first AKC title on graduation day!

  • Class 1 - How testing and titling works, Skills review, Practice test
  • Class 2 - Meeting a Friendly Stranger - test items 1, 2, and 3
  • Class 3 - Behavior on Leashed Walks - test items 4, 5, and 8
  • Class 4 - Sit, Down, Stay, Come - test items 6 and 7
  • Class 5 - Review
  • Class 6 - Testing!

All classes will provide an opportunity to work on Separation and Distractions (test items 9 and 10).

Pre-Reqs: Must have passed through Canine Compass Skill Levels 1-3 and/or have equivalent obedience skills. A good question to ask yourself is: Could my dog pass the CGC test as long as I have my treats with me? If the answer is no, you may not be ready.

Age: 6 Months & Up

🐾 Urban Life Skills

Prepare for real-world scenarios like vet visits, patio dining, street festivals, and more, with a combination of skills-building and location-specific practice.

We will be featuring a variety of different classes under this area. Our first will be Patio Season.

Patio Season Class:

This Adventure will prepare you to enjoy Chicago's wonderful neighborhood cafes, restaurants, and breweries as long as the weather holds! We'll review and refresh essential skills and work on applying them to the real world by practicing at one of our favorite dog-friendly patios.

Patio Season Pros can:

  • Remain calm while another dog passes by
  • Walk calmly past other dogs with food/chews
  • Remain calm while food is carried and eaten overhead
  • Stay with a friend while you place an order or visit the washroom
  • React appropriately to "Can I pet your dog?" (whether that means saying hi politely once you grant permission, or working together to say "thanks but no thanks")

🐾 Working Walks Class

This Adventure will help you and your pooch put your classroom skills to work on the walk! We'll review and refresh essential skills for moving through the world together, as well as introduce fun tricks to keep everyone engaged and entertained. Class will take place "in the wild" of beautiful Bowmanville. So please dress for the weather and bring the treats you dog loves outside.

Together we will practice and progress:

  • Loose leash walking - staying within the human's chosen leash length
  • Passing distractions with connection and control
  • Walk-friendly tricks such as Touch, Switch, Spin, Wait/Catch up and Climb/Off
  • Release to sniff - using the environment as a reward

Join us for as many three-week sessions as you like, and make Working Walks part of your weekly routine.

🐾 Extracurriculars

There's more to do with your dog! Check out Urban Pooch's extensive Sports, Fitness, and Enrichment offerings:

  • Rally - Perfect for folks who like to keep their obedience skills sharp, Rally is also a great option for those without a lot of practice space.
  • Drop-in Fitness Circuits - Not just for the doggie jocks anymore, canine fitness is great to build confidence and keep your pup's body and mind engaged regardless of age and fitness level.
  • Agility - Jump! Tunnel! Teeter! This dog sport is a classic for a reason, as it builds communication, confidence, and relationship in a fun format.
  • Treibball - no sheep, no problem! Why not "trei" out this modern twist on herding?
  • Nose Work - Excellent confidence-builder for dogs of all temperaments - and a great spring activity!

With small class sizes, hands-on coaching, and ongoing trainer support—including a private Facebook group and monthly office hours—you'll have everything you need to create a well-mannered, adventure-ready dog!

Class Schedule & Registration

🧡 Canine Good Citizen Prep Class:

🧡 Patio Season Class:

🧡 Working Walks Class:

Ready to Get Started?

Please call us at 773-961-8880 ex. 1 to connect with our Training Ambassadors right away. Tristin, Robin, or J will talk through any questions you may have and get you signed up or fill out the form below.

Absolutely no pressure, ever. Just FUN and Love!

What Our Customers Say

A Mitchell
2025-05-08

Love this place.

Silvia Manrique
2025-05-04

Took my new puppy to their puppy agility class and it was so fun! It helped build my puppy’s confidence even with just one session! Highly recommend this class if you’ve got a wild one on your hands.

Ami Kothari
2025-05-01

Our pup Shay just finished the 4-week Puppy Paw Star Academy at Urban Pooch, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. The difference in her is incredible — she’s more confident, listens better, plays nicely with other dogs, and just seems more calm and grounded overall. It honestly feels like we’re living with a whole new dog (in the best way). One of the things we really appreciated was how involved we got to be throughout the process. Every day, the trainers sent photos, videos, and a quick write-up on what Shay worked on and how she did. It gave us a clear picture of her progress and made it so much easier to reinforce the training at home. And any time we had questions or concerns — even small stuff — the team was super responsive, patient, and happy to talk things through. What really sets Urban Pooch apart is the people. Every single staff member we met was kind, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. They took the time to get to know Shay and made her feel completely comfortable and cared for. She ran through the door every morning, tail wagging, and we never had a moment of hesitation leaving her there. Urban Pooch truly became a second home for her — and honestly, we’re going to miss the daily drop-offs. If you have a new puppy and you’re even thinking about training, don’t wait. This is absolutely the place to go. We’re so glad we did.

Barbara Harris
2025-03-31

I cannot recommend Sharon Cierniak and Urban Pooch dog training facility enough! My dog, Etta, and I recently completed both the Agility and Tricks courses, and the experience has been nothing short of amazing. Sharon is an incredibly talented and patient trainer who has a true gift for working with rescue dogs. From the very first class, I could tell that she deeply understands canine behavior and has a genuine passion for teaching. She was able to tailor the training to Etta’s needs and personality, making sure we both progressed at our own pace. Her positive reinforcement approach created such a supportive and fun environment, which kept Etta motivated and eager to learn. The Agility course was an absolute blast! Sharon broke everything down into easy-to-understand steps, and Etta quickly picked up the skills, even overcoming some initial hesitations. The obstacles were exciting, and it was so rewarding to see Etta grow in confidence as we made our way through the course. Sharon’s encouragement and expert guidance made the experience feel both challenging and enjoyable. The Tricks course was equally fantastic! Sharon has a great way of keeping the classes upbeat and engaging, teaching new tricks with clarity and patience. Etta quickly learned a variety of fun and useful tricks, from simple ones like “sit” and “shake” to more advanced ones like “spin” and “bang!” The best part was seeing how proud Etta became of herself as she mastered each trick. I’ve noticed such a positive change in Etta’s behavior, confidence, and focus. The training we received from Sharon not only strengthened our bond but also gave me the tools to continue teaching and growing with Etta at home. If you’re looking for a knowledgeable, kind, and truly exceptional dog trainer, Sharon Cierniak is the one to go to!

Samantha Bellgraph
2025-03-01

We’ve really enjoyed our first treibball class! Ruby has always loved playing fetch, and treibball feels similar but more with more technique and challenges. With multiple balls, a goal to reach, and a focus on teamwork between us, it really gets her thinking. It’s been fun to tap into Ruby’s herding instincts, though I’m sure any dog would love it. As Ruby gets older, we’re grateful that treibball is active yet low impact. We also appreciate how Ashley makes practicing at home so easy with fun and creative homework ideas. Ruby has gained confidence and learned new commands—this class gets her moving and thinking all while having fun.

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