With Canine Compass: Essential Skills & Manners, we focus on real-world training that creates a well-mannered, confident dog—whether at home, on walks, or in public spaces. Unlike traditional Obedience and Manners classes, Urban Pooch's flexible, drop-in structure allows you to train at your own pace while ensuring your dog builds essential life skills.

PLUS - you can begin at any time - once you sign-up and provide your dog's vaccinations, you can watch our Digital Orientation then jump into your first class! No Waiting for classes to start.

✅ Skills Level 1: Foundations & Focus

A well-trained dog starts with a solid foundation. In this stage, we focus on building engagement, impulse control, and essential commands that make daily life smoother. Your dog will learn to:

• Pay attention to you even in a distracting environment of a group class.
• Respond to treat rewards effectively, creating a positive learning experience.
• Master basic commands like Sit, Down and Touch, which lay the groundwork for future training.

This is where your Pooch starts to understand how training works—and how much fun it can be!—creating a strong bond between you and setting the stage for lifelong good manners.

✅ Skills Level 2: Clarity and Connection

Once your dog has the basics down, we level up their training by focusing on real-world manners that make walks and social interactions more enjoyable. Here, we work on:

• Connected Walking – Teaching your dog to walk with you when asked, staying by your side and ready for further instructions.
• Polite Greetings – Learning to meet people calmly - or to say "no thanks" in appropriate ways.
• Safety Skills – Introducing Drop It, Leave It, Wait, and Stay.
• Building a Strong Recall – Establishing the foundation for your dog to come when called, and understanding how to develop this essential skill over time.

These classes ensure that your dog understands what's expected of them in everyday situations, and can rely on you for guidance as you navigate the world together.

✅ Skills Level 3: Challenge and Confidence

Now, it's time to take your training to the next level—reinforcing good manners in real-life scenarios. In this stage, we work on:

• Handling distractions – Teaching your dog to stay calm and focused on the task at hand, resisting the temptations of other people, dogs, and exciting environments.
• Advanced connected walking – Practicing polite leash behavior for longer periods, and past distractions like people and other dogs.
• Off-Leash Readiness – Strengthening Stay and Recall, adding distance, duration, and distraction so your dog listens reliably.
• Proper Public Behavior – Practicing common encounters including polite interactions and navigating social settings so your dog can join you confidently on urban outings.

This stage transforms your dog into a reliable, adventure-ready companion—one you have prepared for the places you want to take them. Whether strolling through the neighborhood or heading to a café, your pup will be calm, well-mannered, and a joy to be around.

✅ Urban Pooch Adventures: Canine Good Citizen & Urban Life Skills

Once your Pooch has mastered the basics and Skills Level 3 - you can continue your training journey into our URBAN POOCH ADVENTURES options, which are included in your monthly membership.  

See details for these options here: https://urbanpooch.com/chicago/Adventures-training/

🧡 Unlimited Monthly Membership – $275

• Drop into as many classes as you want in your Skills Level; or go back to a lower Skills Level to reinforce skills.
• Comparable to a gym membership - you can drop into any classes you want within your skill level.
• Also includes Ongoing Trainer Support:
  • A Private Facebook Group with our Urban Pooch Certified Trainers
  • Monthly Office Hours via ZOOM with our Trainers

🧡 6-Class Punch Card – $230

(Attend 6 different classes at your convenience.)

EXCLUSIVE TO MONTHLY UNLIMITED MEMBERSHIPS

Urban Pooch Canine Compass Office Hours

Do you have a question you keep forgetting to ask in class? Have you noticed a change in your puppy's behavior lately that has you thinking, "is this normal?" Are you wondering how to apply the Canine Compass curriculum to a particular situation at home?

Urban Pooch Canine Compass Office Hours is your opportunity to join your fellow classmates in a group ZOOM Meeting with one of our awesome Urban Pooch Certified Instructors and get your questions answered. You can drop-in for a few minutes to ask a question or stay for the entire 45 min. session. We're here to provide some extra guidance from your favorite Trainers.

• Exclusive to Monthly Unlimited Memberships
• 45 minutes ZOOM Sessions
• 2-3x/month based on sign-ups
• Different days/time so everyone can take advantage in a given month

Urban Pooch Canine Compass Private Facebook Group

• A chance to connect with your fellow Pooch Parents who are also participating in Urban Pooch Canine Compass
• Ask questions, share your experience, triumphs & victories
• Brag about your Pooch and their accomplishments
• Or get some answers when your wheels are spinning
• Urban Pooch Canine Compass Trainers will also answer questions every day when they check into the forum.

How to Register

All students must attend either an in-person orientation or pre-recorded orientation in order to join the program. Please NOTE: In-Person orientations are for humans only--no dogs.

Registering Via In-Person Orientation

We offer in-person orientations once a month on Sundays at 9:15am.

To begin the registration process for in-person orientations, please fill out this training intake form.

Once you submit the form, our training team will review the form and, if you are approved for the program, reach out to you within 24 hours to schedule an orientation date and collect your payment information. Your membership will begin the day of orientation.

Registering Via Pre-Recorded Orientation

To begin the registration process for pre-recorded orientations, please fill out this training intake form.

Once you submit the form, our training team will review the form and, if you are approved for the program, reach out to you within 24 hours with a link to watch the pre-recorded orientation as well as a link to pay for your monthly membership and to select the start date of that membership.

Age Requirements:

Our Canine Compass program is designed for dogs 4-months or older.

Vaccination & Health Requirements:

Click Here to view our vaccination requirements.

What Makes Canine Compass: Essential Skills & Manners So Amazing?

• Comparable to a gym membership for your dog
• Option for Unlimited training sessions during your enrollment
• More Fun Training = More Learning
• We teach Dogs how to deal with Distractions
• Instead of being restricted to one class at the same time of day each week, you select from a number of weekly offerings, attending as many or as few classes as your schedule allows
• You'll never fret over schedule changes or make-up fees!
• All classes taught by Certified Professional Dog Trainers
• Urban Pooch has taught Thousands of Dogs how to be Happy, Well-Mannered Family Members = Happy Parents!