Big Sky Dog Training

So far so good. This is my third lab puppy and trying to make sure we tackle obedience issues early on. Montana is patient with my pup and has provided great tips. We do not cover too many commands at each lesson so we can practice and master. We have had 3 private lessons and not sure I am the alpha dog but certainly in a better place than prior dogs :

Montana is great! Very patient with my dog and gave great pointers on training. Would definitely recommend her!

Rocky and I have attended Big Sky Dog Training group classes since he was a puppy. Montana is a superb dog trainer! She has helped Sparky grow up to be a well behaved, wonderful dog! I think our experience with Montana has been so positive because she's an excellent communicator, and listens to what we need for our pups. When we ask that some problem be addressed, Montana focuses on that until the problem is resolved. I would recommend Big Sky Dog Training to anyone who wants a great companion dog!

I took Montana's puppy training class at the Winnetka Community House. She was super helpful with coaching us on the basics. It was amazing to see the difference with the dogs from 1st class to last. To have all these active pups in a confined space and paying attention was quite the feat! I love that I can call her anytime with any question even if I'm not in a class or a regular client. Montana is the best!

My pup and I did not have a good experience with Big Sky Dog Training. Montana was nice enough to let us join the beginner obedience class last minute. However, when I got there my dog and another dog in the class were barking at each other from across the room. Montana did not have them meet each other, instead she told both of us to leave class.

I enrolled my 9 month old pup into the beginner class thinking we would get basics obedience training but instead we were dismissed in the first 5 minutes. If you are looking for basic dog training, don't go to Big Sky. My pup and I went to different dog trainer and had a much better experience.

Montana was great with our dog Maggie and is always super informative! She is easily accessible and has a clear, nonjudgmental training approach. I feel very supported when trying to navigate different problems as my puppy enters new stages of life. Great experience!

Montana was very helpful, knowledgeable, and kind during our initial training session. She really understands dogs and gave me great tips for understanding and adjusting my puppy's behavior. She came with booklets, articles, etc, and specific training techniques tailored for our specific needs. I'd highly recommend Montana!

Extraordinarily professional and clearly knowledgeable, the owner, Montana, will make each client feel as though they are receiving the individual guidance they need even in a group class. Like many people during Covid-19, we finally found ourselves with the opportunity to adopt a dog from a local rescue, after several months of deliberation. Per the recommendation of the rescue, we signed up for a group class and quickly realized our 4yo/58lb/ Pointer Mix wasn't ready for a group setting due to her anxiety around other dogs.

After I sent a long-winded e-mail unsure about what to do, I received a prompt call from Montana, who calmly addressed our concerns and offered to do a house call. We live in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, and the Big Sky classes were being held in Winnetka, 30 minutes away. Without batting an eyelash, Montana was in our home the following day, arriving 15 minutes early and ready to hear our worries and concerns.

My boyfriend and I felt relieved to hear her perspective and observations, and couldn't believe how fortunate we had been to have her as our trainer. As a note: The reason we were so impressed was due to her accessibility and a clear dedication to doing what is best for the dog. We had signed up for her 6-week Dog Obedience Basics (only 6 dogs per group, masks required) in Winnetka for approx. $180, and she charged us "only for gas" for the 1-hour house call.

Prior to meeting her for 1 class, we had no relationship with her or experience with many trainers as several of the "premier" places in Chicago were booked. We were essentially strangers to her, and yet we felt like we received personal, premium care and service. Montana has set the bar high for our Dog Trainer expectations. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, compassionate, and dedicated professional, there's no reason not to call Big Sky Dog Training first. If you need more convincing, just remember that whatever you decide, in Montana's own words, "the needs of the dog comes first."

We needed a refreshing as pet owners and getting our last puppy who's 7 months old. Was quick to respond to my outreach and was on time with her bag of tricks. As we talked she could see how my boys a 16 yr old a 2 year old and the 7 month, all Papillion's, interact before we went over our wish list. Montana, went one by one with our list showing us new tips as reminders of past tips with the older boys.

The time went quick said to call her with any questions. It must have made my boys think because after she left they were knocked out rest of the night. Would recommend for all beginners and previous owners she was able to give again great new tips and reminded us of past tips we had used in the past.

We used Montana at Big Sky for one-on-one consultations for each of our two dogs soon after we got them and occasionally since. She was prompt, personable, and flexible in scheduling. Most of her work was really training for me and my adult special-needs daughter, because we had never had a dog before. Montana gave us some valuable guidelines about how to care for and communicate with the dogs both verbally and non-verbally.

One of the dogs was a rescue dog. He was very anxious, to the point that he couldn't bond with us, and Montana helped us learn ways to calm him, so much so that he has now bonded well and will obey in exchange for our approval (okay, and treats)! Montana is really something of a therapist for dogs! We were really pleased and thought her input was worth the cost. I also found her to be unfazed in working with my daughter, something not everyone is able to do. Many many thanks!

We just adopted a 3 month old puppy. While we have been looking for quite some time, when all went through all of a sudden we had a dog, with SO MANY QUESTIONS - about feeding, about how to handle biting, products, how to handle first nights, crating. Montana was very relaxed and knowledgeable - sitting with us in our living room for a long and relaxed conversation as we raised all our questions, with teaching moments arising throughout the visit.

Then we had a nice training session in the back yard going over how to do basic commands and support potty training. Very helpful to have this skilled and relaxed person come to our house the day after adoption, so that we could jump start the learning process and avoid getting into bad habits.

Montana was very thorough and patient with my dog Wilson. She addressed all the problems i told her about, showed me how to tackle these issues, practiced with Wilson and myself. Also sent me articles pertaining to my dog's issues. Definitely knows her business!

Montana provided a lot of useful information and tips. She not only went through the issues I was concerned about, she also talked about my dog's diet and provided a list of different foods to try. My 5mo old dog is doing so much better even after just 1 lesson, I feel like she's more focused and that harness and commands for walking on a leash have made a world of difference.

Montana is great! We met her last week for some basic training commands to use with our 2 month old rescue puppy and she was amazing. Dog responded right away. Montana is knowledgeable and caring. She's always available for any questions we have. Highly recommend her.

With my 7 year old rescue dog, I attended Montana's dog obedience class. It was focused on the basics. She helps each team individually according to the need. She brings equipment to demonstrate. Above all she works hard to help the dog and owner solve specific issues. I also hired Montana privately to help with excessive dog barking. She had good, common sense ideas.

She is willing to consult by phone. I highly recommend Montana and Big Sky Dog Training. My son's family is on the way to adopting a puppy and I will recommend Montana to them

We had an in-home training session and a puppy class for our dogs. Montana gave great instruction and training tips for both our puppy and 4 year old dog. She kindly provided information by phone prior to the lessons and followed up after by emailing training manuals and articles. Very helpful and I highly recommend Big Sky Dog Training. Well worth paying for individual attention vs. group classes. We will be continuing with Montana's training as soon as the Stay-at-Home order is lifted.

Montana is amazing. I am disabled and I'm training my own service dog. He's now a 70lb Aussie and very strong. I have limited mobility in my arms and no hand strength. I could not keep Potato from pulling me down the street. I couldn't find a head halter that my fingers could work but Montana had one. Now I can walk Potato with two fingers! It's like magic! She's extremely kind and easy to work with.

She is flexible with time and responds to emails, texts, and calls very quickly. She doesn't lock you into any contracts or number of sessions and her fee is very reasonable. I recommend her to everyone at my dog park!

I recently enrolled my dog in a canine therapy course, but wasn't able to teach her on my own at home what she needed to know to pass the test. With just two weeks left in the course, I called Montana in desperation. In 14 short days, we went from zero to course graduate. Montana was completely flexible with her time and came to our house for lessons.

She was patient, consistent, and put every minute of the lesson to useful instruction. She clearly knows how to train a dog, and I especially appreciated her calmness. Thank you so much Montana!

I have had a great experience working with Montana over the past few weeks! I have one one year-old Cockapoo who had challenges with jumping, ignoring commands, and acting hyper. After calling several other trainers who claimed they couldn't help or wanted us to go to their facility rather than our home, I was frustrated. A friend recommended Montana and I called her that day. Montana was patient, thoughtful, and taught me a lot of tricks which have improved my dog's behavior considerably.

I also appreciate her continual phone support in between sessions. Her prices are more than fair and it is clear that she loves what she does. I would recommend her to anyone who is looking to see significant behavioral changes in their pet!

We had a private session with our 3-year old which was helpful addressing some very specific training needs. It's never too late for a refresher so we signed up for Montana's basic obedience class at Wright-Way Rescue. The class size is small enough that each dog and owner get specific attention. The skill levels of the dogs in our class varied from high-energy Lab, to newly-adopted puppy, to our relatively calm girl.

I liked Montana's approach of teaching to the appropriate level for each dog (and human) so we didn't feel like we were stuck in the slow lane, and others were able to spend a bit more time on the basics. We put our new obedience skills to the test only a few days after our last class. Our dog killed a squirrel in the yard, and I was able to get her to "leave it, " then "come" to me, and finally "go get" my wife while I was occupied with cleaning up the mess.

Let me start by saying, those of you who have not been happy with Montana's services must not be taking her lessons and continuing them at home. For, my puppy Faith (an anxious pup, who I rescued from an Indian Reservation) was out of control! That was, until I found Montana. Montana was wonderful in explaining the difference between an aggressive dog, and an anxious dog.

Once it was established that Faith was anxious, she immediately gave me tips on how to help her behavior and get her more used to men (she was abused by males).Montana has restored my faith in Faith. I now have a dog pass for dog parks for her, something I never thought we would be able to do because of her anxiety with other people and dogs. Yet, Montana helped me fix that. I've had 4 private lessons and now Montana and I both feel that it is time to sign up for group lessons, in order to continue Faith's exposure to others.

Without Montana, Faith and I wouldn't get to enjoy our, now, calm walks, going to the dog park, and meeting new people who enter my home. Thank you so much & we will see you at our next lesson!

We brought in our 3 month old German Shepherd puppy for the 6 sessions. It is easy to see Montana's love and passion for dogs and dog training, and she does miracles with our puppy. Montana has always given us extra advice and attention, and answers any questions we have. We're so happy with the service. Our puppy can now walk without pulling, sit/stay, and has mostly stopped barking.

I have been taking my dog to training for 3 weeks now but wish I had gotten the refund after the first session. You can start going whenever you want, which means all the dogs are on different levels and are (or at least should be) learning different things. Classes have absolutely no structure and don't start on time. Last class Montana had the dogs put their paws on yoga ball things to purportedly strengthen their core then had them play.

My pup definitely didn't learn anything that class. I have no doubt Montana knows how to train dogs, I just don't think she is able to do it in a group environment.