Nick Smoots

I couldn't recommend Nick and Suburban K9 enough! I worked with Nick during my 10-session package for my dog, Clark. He was able to build great trust with Clark immediately through obedience training, which was the foundation of the rest of the sessions we spent on more advanced behavioral issues. I saw almost an immediate change in my little guy and improvements day to day on his issues (re: door manners, counter surfing, and barking). I really appreciated Nick's knowledge about dogs and his ability to explain to me the "WHY" behind everything he does.

Nick is the man! We've worked with him for a board / train program and individual house calls. He always his time explaining and training our mini-bernadoodle. We have seen a major difference from the training program. He is always available for questions as well. I highly recommend working with Nick S.

Great experience for my pup and I. Nick worked through all necessary/basic commands and socialization. My pup has come a long way with the 10 lessons. I feel confident going forward with the tools and strategies Nick taught us.

We appreciated the individualized attention and plan for training our rescue dog Evie. Nick was firm yet friendly. He did not coddle her and told us when we needed to be more firm ( not repeating instructions ), or how to modify a behavior . This is especially important now that we are taking her to a class that teaches dogs to be therapy dogs - this is toward the end of her one on one training. The first couple of weeks we had her she was shaking upon approach, fearful, matted and malnourished. We could not take her to a group class but very much wanted her to succeed with training as her socialization progressed. She did not respond to treats - as she spat them out no matter which we tried . Also, she is full grown at 11 pounds, so people were more likely to pet her without asking . The last thing we wanted is a bad reaction from her. We attribute her ability to obey given praise instead of constant treats to what we learned from Nick. She is weaning off of the prong collar to a harness over the next few weeks . We are grateful to have a well behaved , friendly dog who can safely be around kids, adults and other dogs .

I called Suburban K9 for help with my new pup and my trainer (Nick) was unbelievably patient, understanding and knowledgeable about the canine mindset. Nick spent time with Lilo acclimating him to new environments, taught me how to “heal” him so he was easier to walk, and demonstrated other training techniques I could use when new behaviors need be addressed. The best part? - Nick adored my dog and Lilo can’t get enough of him! Thank you, Nick!

Our family used Nick Smoots (Chicago area location) to help socialize and train our rescue lab/shepard mix, Lily. Nick was honest about how much work Lily would need but did not oversell us. She had been very poorly socialized before coming to live with us and struggled with the effects of litter mate syndrome. I appreciate Nick’s direct approach for dog training. He identified her trouble areas and helped train Lily (and me) on how to be out in the world or have guests to our home safely and happily. We worked on recall, basic commands and walking nicely as well as LOTS of socialization with people in public and at home and with other dogs. I have owned dogs in the past but felt very overwhelmed with Lily’s needs as she was very scared and that fear maybe her seem aggressive. I now feel safe and excited to have guests to my home and take my dog on adventures and run errands. She is happier too! It was a great experience working with Nick!

Nick did a wonderful job teaching the basics to our very energetic dog and helping us as a family continue to be successful. We now have not just our same loving and energetic dog, but a mannerly and respectful member of the family. Highly recommend both Suburban K9 and Nick!

Nick Smoots was our trainer for our two Whoodle puppies. We signed up for the 15 week in home training. It was quite shocking on how fast our puppies listened to Nick (not us mind you). We thought it was a losing battle with the puppies. We did all the "homework" every day and it was amazing how they responded. We could not have done it without the training from Suburban K9. We worked well with Nick and his training techniques and found him to be very professional and knowledgeable. He has a great personality and the puppies respected him, TOTALLY. We spent a lot of weeks on the "recall" because of us having two dogs. We are going to be fine tuning what we learned from Nick almost every day. If we need any more guidance we will certainly contact Suburban K9 and request Nick. Thank you

Hi, We had Nick Smoots as our trainer for an entire year with our two crazy lab puppies. He was great and did a wonderful job with our pups. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for dog training.

Our family has rescued many dogs over the years. Gordon is our most recent rescue and he is a powerful and stubborn boy. At home, Gordon is cute, cuddly and full of fun. On walks, it’s a different story! Because he is a pit bull, we were worried about how people were reacting to his ridiculous behavior around dogs in the neighborhood. Nick Smoots swiftly came to the rescue!! He assured us that Gordon’s behavior is really no different than many dogs but agreed that because he is a pit bull, he needed some obedience training immediately. I was shocked how quickly Nick’s support helped Gordon learn how to respect us. We needed Nick’s firm approach to Gordon and appreciated Nick’s kind heart as well. Nick always made us feel that Gordon was “A good boy” even though he was quite naughty. I highly recommend Nick to anyone who needs help with a tough pup. You will feel supported and safe. Training Gordon is hard work but it is paying off. I am so grateful for the time we spent with Nick. Gordon can still be ridiculous on walks sometimes but we are equipped with the right skills to redirect him and actually enjoy being in the neighborhood. Than you so much, Nick, for all of your help!

Nick was a great trainer for our very rambunctious golden retriever puppy! Nick was calm, kind, persistent and insistent. We saw definite improvement in our 10 lessons together! Thank you Nick!

Our Trainer, Nick was extremely patient and professional training my 1 year old lab mix. It was a great decision to sign up my dog for training at Suburban K9.

Nick is a patient , knowledgeable and a compassionate trainer. He exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend Nick

I had the pleasure of being paired with Nick Smoots to work with my dog in Board & Train. That man has been a Godsend! His firm and knowledgeable guidance along with loving patience helped set a path for my nervous and hyper GSD puppy to become a well adjusted happy dog that listens. While at B&T he kept me up to date on her progress with emails and pictures which meant the world to me. His commitment to making every dog a good dog is exemplary and I couldn't be happier. This is a constant progression and with his guidance we have found a friend and trainer for life! Thank you Nick and Suburban K9 for this amazing transformation!

Our trainer Nick has done a fantastic job with our wild puppy Teddy! Nick has been very accommodating and always available if we have questions. He has formed such a great relationship with our pup, and he has shown us what we as dog owners can do to be consistent with our puppy's behavior. We will always be grateful for the support from Nick and Suburban K9!