Dog Training in Bourbonnais & Kankakee County
From family dogs that need manners to working K9s built for the PSA field. Custom K9 Dog Training brings 25 years of experience to your home, where real behavior happens.
Start Training Call (815) 549-6428100+
Dogs Trained
5/5
Google Rating
25
Years Experience
Veteran Owned • U.S. Navy • In-Home & On-Site • Family Dogs & Working K9s • (815) 549-6428
Custom K9 Dog Training provides professional in-home dog training in Bourbonnais, IL and across Kankakee County. Owner Mark Harwood, a U.S. Navy veteran with 25 years of experience, trains family dogs, behavior cases, and working K9s where the behavior actually lives: your home, your yard, your neighborhood. Training packages start at $600 for 5 one-hour sessions.
No group classes. No shortcuts. No facility your dog will never live in. Just structured, honest training built around your dog's temperament, drive, and job, whether that job is greeting your kids calmly at the door or driving down a PSA field.
Dog Training Services in Kankakee County
Every program is customized to the dog in front of us. These are the four ways owners in Bourbonnais, Kankakee, Bradley, and Manteno work with Custom K9.
In-Home Dog Training
Training where the problems actually happen: your door, your leash, your kitchen. Obedience, manners, and structure built into your dog's real daily life.
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Family Dog Obedience
Jumping, pulling, ignoring commands, chaos at the door. We build a calm, reliable family companion and teach your whole household to handle the dog.
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Behavior Modification
Reactivity, aggression, fear, and guarding. Serious cases get an in-person evaluation and a plan built on safety first, structure second, controlled exposure third.
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Working K9, Protection & PSA
High-drive dogs need a job. Foundation through advanced work for protection, PSA sport, and working K9s, built on control first and drive channeled with purpose.
Learn MoreOne Trainer. Two Kinds of Dogs.
Most trainers do one or the other. Training both is the advantage: family dogs get the precision of working-dog structure, and working dogs get the patience of a family trainer.
For Family Dogs
A good family dog is not born, it is built. We train in your home so the results live where you live.
- ✓ Calm greetings, no jumping, no door chaos
- ✓ Loose-leash walking through your actual neighborhood
- ✓ Reliable recall and commands the whole family can use
- ✓ Puppies started right, rescues given structure
For Working & PSA Dogs
High-drive dogs are not harder, they are different. Drive without control is a liability. Control without drive wastes the dog.
- ✓ Foundation obedience under drive and distraction
- ✓ Protection and PSA sport foundation through advanced work
- ✓ Malinois, Shepherds, and high-drive breeds handled daily
- ✓ Off-switch training so the working dog can live in a home
Training Packages Start at $600
5 one-hour in-home sessions. Obedience, leash work, manners, and owner handling. No hidden fees, and the full pricing breakdown is published, not hidden behind a phone call.
Meet Mark Harwood
Mark Harwood is a U.S. Navy veteran and lifelong dog trainer with 25 years of experience across family obedience, behavior modification, sport, protection, and working K9 disciplines. The military background shows up in the structure and follow-through. The 25 years show up in the patience.
Every dog comes with a temperament and a drive. Training does not fight it. Training channels it, whether that nature belongs on a couch with your kids or on a PSA field.
From Mark: I train your dog in your home because that is where your dog lives. A dog that behaves in a training facility and falls apart in your kitchen is not trained. My job is not finished until you can handle your own dog, in your own house, without me standing there.
Trusted by Dog Owners Across Kankakee County
Families and working-dog owners in Bourbonnais, Kankakee, Bradley, and Manteno rate Custom K9 Dog Training 5 out of 5 stars on Google. Every review is a dog trained with structure, patience, and 25 years of experience behind it.
Read Our Google ReviewsDog Training in Bourbonnais: Common Questions
Who is the best dog trainer in Bourbonnais, IL?
Custom K9 Dog Training in Bourbonnais is owned by Mark Harwood, a U.S. Navy veteran with 25 years of dog training experience, over 100 dogs trained, and a 5-star Google rating. He trains family dogs, behavior cases, and working K9s in-home across Kankakee County.
How much does dog training cost in Bourbonnais?
Training packages at Custom K9 Dog Training start at $600 for 5 one-hour in-home sessions. Behavior modification and advanced K9 programs are quoted after an evaluation. The full pricing FAQ is published on the Custom K9 blog.
Does Custom K9 train both family dogs and working dogs?
Yes. Custom K9 Dog Training trains family companions, puppies, and behavior cases, plus high-drive working dogs in protection and PSA sport work. Every program is customized to the dog's temperament, drive, and role in your home or on the field.
Where does Custom K9 Dog Training serve?
Custom K9 Dog Training serves Bourbonnais, Kankakee, Bradley, Manteno, and surrounding Kankakee County, Illinois. All training is delivered in-home or on-site, where real behavior happens, instead of a facility your dog will never live in.
Ready for a Dog You Can Trust?
Call or text, tell us about your dog, and we will build the plan around it. Family dogs, behavior cases, and working K9s across Bourbonnais, Kankakee, Bradley, Manteno, and Kankakee County.
Contact Custom K9 Call (815) 549-6428