About Laura Kelly

Welcome! I’m glad you’ve found Best Choice Dog Training!

Whatever challenges you may have with your dog, I can understand.

• My first dog chewed absolutely everything he could find, and he pulled so hard on the leash that I fell several times.

• My second dog hated walking on a leash and was much more interested in other dogs than in me.

• My third dog was friendly and outgoing until she was attacked twice. Then she became anxious, unfriendly, high strung, and extremely barky.

• If you’ve been to other trainers whose methods made you uncomfortable, I can relate.

• Nothing I was told about alpha and dominance theory seemed to fit my dogs. They seemed more complicated than that.

• The first four trainers I tried made my dogs more distrusting instead of more responsive.

• I didn’t want to scare, startle, force, hurt, or threaten my dogs, but that’s what trainers said to do, until I found a different trainer with modern methods.

I’m Laura Kelly, and I’ve loved dogs my entire life. My mother, a devoted cat lover, often told about my excitement about seeing dogs when she would take my brother and me for walks, even before I could speak. My dad agreed, remembering the time Mom called him and asked what to do when I cried as she hurried me away from a dog. Dad said to ask the owner if the dog was friendly and let the owner decide if I could touch his dog. The dog was friendly, and that was the beginning of my lifelong love of dogs.

But my cat-loving mother refused to let us get a dog. I had to wait until having a home of my own.

The time came, and I adopted a Boston Terrier named Byron. He was a puppy mill survivor who was terrified of almost everything, which made us “fail” a basic obedience class. We were referred to a specialized dog trainer who required all dogs to wear a prong collar. It never felt right to subject a terrified dog to a collar that caused discomfort and pain, and I immediately abandoned it after we finished the class. Byron had horrible leash manners. But I didn’t care, as long as he was happy. I had no idea that there were other ways to teach leash walking without painful collars. If you’ve had similar experiences and frustrations, I understand.

My second dog, Buddy, was a carefree and goofy Shiba Inu-Pug mix, but he hated walking on a leash. The only time he was content was at the off-leash dog park. But we couldn’t go there every day. I just knew that he wanted a fenced yard where he could run free and play with other dogs. But living in a condo, I couldn’t give him a yard or a fence. And I couldn’t afford a second dog for him to play with. I urged the rescue to find him a home where his needs could be met, and they did. Today, I would know how to help Buddy, but I didn’t know back then and neither did the trainer I took him to.

Annie, a Boston Terrier-Italian Greyhound cross, is my third and current dog. When I adopted her, she was friendly and eager to meet other dogs, regardless of size. But she changed dramatically after being attacked by a neighbor’s off-leash dog. I took her to two trainers who recommended scolding her, threatening and intimidating her, and giving her “leash corrections” for acting mean and out of control. It felt wrong. I knew she was afraid, not mean. The trainers gave stern warnings that Annie might be beyond help without strong intervention. I followed some advice but refused to put her in a prong collar and to use harsh punishment. Training helped some but made other things worse because it never addressed her real issues of fear, anxiety, and stress.

In 2018 after a second attack, I searched until I found an online force-free dog trainer in England who specializes in reactive, fearful dogs. She not only taught effective solutions for Annie, but saw something in me and began nurturing my love for helping other dog owners. That set me on a course that led me to leave my job and pursue my life-long passions of teaching and working with dogs. I’ve learned what to look for in a trainer and how to find the right person to help with complex issues. I’d be happy to help you and your dog.

I am a graduate of the respected Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior (VSA) as a VSA-Certified Dog Trainer (VSA-CDT). Victoria’s positively.com website helped me to find that English dog trainer who changed my life, so I felt compelled to enroll in her academy.

All VSA graduates have been rigorously assessed for both skills and knowledge in dog behavior and intelligence, canine body language, learning theory, science-based training methods, teaching behaviors to actual dogs, and solving common problem behaviors like jumping, leash pulling, and escaping.

When Annie developed health issues and I couldn’t work with shelter dogs because of pandemic restrictions, I worked online with friends and their dogs in Wisconsin, Tennessee, and England, exceeding VSA’s usual requirements to work with one’s own dog and local shelter dogs.

Additionally, VSA’s industry-leading curriculum places great emphasis on effective and empathetic human communication skills. As someone with a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in communication, that appealed to me. This unique focus results in professional dog trainers who are prepared not just to train dogs successfully using powerful force-free, positive reinforcement-based tools and techniques, but also to help dog owner clients learn how to truly transform canine behavior and set their dogs up for success using the latest in modern behavioral science methods.

The comprehensive course curriculum requires students to engage via online studies, practical experiences, and hands-on skills assessments under the one-on-one guidance of a VSA Faculty Advisor who is a highly skilled professional dog trainer and behavior specialist.

VSA in-person studies were suspended from March 2020 until late 2021 due to pandemic restrictions and Victoria’s travel schedule. Instead of waiting for the in-person track, I chose to graduate and move on with continuing education opportunities to further develop my professional skills.

I took the initiative to shadow (follow, observe, and assist) Mary Thompson of Happy Hound University, whose philosophies and methods are compatible with mine, to gain real-world experience, network with other local trainers, and learn about the dog training needs and trends in Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, and neighboring communities.

Then I became an assistant with I Got This SIT, working with puppies, adolescents, adults, and fearful and reactive dogs. Every day is an adventure with different dogs.

I am a member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), the only US-based professional association for dog trainers who are committed to “no shock, no pain, no fear, no physical force, no compulsion based methods.” PPG provides many opportunities for continuing education.

I have earned the respected Fear Free Pets certification to help dogs who are fearful of the veterinarian, groomer, and common objects like vacuums. I would be delighted to show you how to prevent or relieve fear, anxiety, and stress for your dog or puppy. Additional continuing education includes the Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT), Control Unleashed, canine nose work, business development for dog trainers, and much more.

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