Holly Wengerski

Trusting your dog’s training with Suburban K9 couldn’t be any easier! In 2019 we searched for the right trainer for a new puppy, after trying 3 other companies we finally found Holly at Suburban K9 in Chicago’s North Shore. We loved Holly so much, that when we got two more puppies over the last 4 years, we just knew we needed Holly, and she’s been with us each step of the way. Holly is a natural when it comes to training, she has an individualized approach based on all 3 of our dog’s personalities and different behaviors. Holly does an excellent job of balancing her client’s needs and expectations with their dog’s training. She treats our dogs like they were her own and we really love the socialization our dogs get from meeting other pups she is working with or when she has her sweet Anakin with her! She goes above and beyond! She is always available if we have a question or want to share our progress with her. Thank you, Holly, and Suburban K9 for taking the stress out of dog training and making it a fun and enjoyable thing for us and our 3 dogs!

I am really grateful to Holly Wengerski and Suburban K9. When my dog was involved in a bite incident, Holly came to assess my dog and immediately identified triggers and behavior we could begin to change. We went from a single appointment to a year long commitment for both of our dogs. The investment was well worth it - I can easily walk 200 pounds of dogs, they don't lunge and bark at other dogs and I'm really proud of them (and us)! Sincere thanks to Holly and suburban K9!

Cooper and Abby, our 5 months old adopted puppies were a large challenge for our household. Being older adults, we were very apprehensive about taking on this challenge. We really want our puppies to develop into friendly, social and obedient companions. Having Holly and Doug, our Suburban K-9 trainers, work with our puppies and us over the past two months has shown the potential for success and how to make it happen. They are professionals with amazing experience and ideas, combined with energy, discipline and compassion. We are beyond happy that we signed up for the Year Plus In Home Training program. We highly recommend Suburban K-9 for making your dog or dogs a great part of your family. Thank you, Holly and Doug!!

We contacted Suburban K9 to help with training our very sweet but very strong and very stubborn 90 pound, two year old Golden Retriever puppy. We worked with Holly Wengerski and we thought she was terrific. Admittedly, at first I thought she might be too tough (this is our first dog so we have no point of reference) but I very quickly realized that Holly had sized up how Ranger "operated" and in order to achieve the training goals we had for him (better walks- no pulling on the leash and dragging us along, stopping and refusing to walk, coming (the first time) when we call him, not charging at guests when they come to our front door, sitting and staying etc.) we had to be tough. We had several sessions with Holly, and though it was quite expensive, I believe it was money well spent. Appointments were easy to set up, Holly was always on time (early in fact), and each session I felt was very productive- she seems to have a great understanding of how dogs think and behave. We spent time in our backyard, walking in the neighborhood, at the beach, and at Hollyfeed practicing the skills in "real world" situations/environments. For several of the sessions we even had Holly's dog accompany us to help Ranger along with his training. Holly would then send an email with "homework" to practice. I think Holly is a great trainer, and after working with her, I am a much more confident dog owner and Ranger is a much better behaved dog.

Great job training my puppy ! Holly is beyond amazing!!

Holly and her team at Suburban K9 made our lifestyle possible again. We adopted Jade, a Shepherd/Labrador mix, in 2020 and quickly discovered that she had many German Shepherd guarding traits. We entertain a lot, and her guarding and barking and sometimes nipping were making it impossible for us to have people in our house. We tried all the reward-centric dog training methods we had used with previous dogs, but she seemed to get only more protective. At the recommendation of a friend who had also adopted a reactive dog, I brought in Suburban K9. They do use some correction training methods (gentle prong collar), but I had used a prong collar before on a chase-obsessed golden retriever with great success. We signed up for 10 sessions, and I admit I was not very hopeful. However, following their homework and exposing Jade to more social situations resulted in an amazing transformation. We still have to be mindful of her guard dog tendancies, but using the techniques that we learned from Suburban K9, we are back to being able to host guests again.

Holly at k9 suburban was top notch! She really learned our dog so quickly and taught us tricks and techniques to stop bad behaviors. Holly also really went above and beyond checking in between sessions to see how our dog was and answered questions. I know our dog is well trained because of holly!

We just finished up our 5 pack of in home lessons with Holly at Suburban K9 and we couldn't be more grateful! Our first session Holly asked us what we were looking to get out of the the classes and after that we got to work. Josie (our puppy) is now so well behaved and mastered so many skills. We take her out to patios/restaurants/bars a lot and we are constantly getting told how well behaved she is and where we went for help with training. Furthermore, nobody believes me when I tell them that she is also only 8 months old. They are shocked by how well mannered she is. 100000% recommend Suburban K9!

Holly is an amazing trainer and dog whisperer! From day 1 of meeting our two dogs, she earned their trust and respect. She taught us all the basics of obedience and animal behavior. Before beginning training, we could barely walk the dogs together, they pulled on their leashes and didn’t listen. Now, they walk obediently and they know basic commands. Holly helped us welcome a new baby into our home and trained the dogs to respect the baby. She was definitely a great addition to our family and the dogs will miss her dearly!

Just completed a training refresher with Holly - she is amazing & Sofie has come so far! We had tried other methods with no success- I guess it all depends on the dog too! Anyway it has been a great experience for both of us . Thanks Holly for sticking with us!

We have been working with Holly at Suburban K9 Dog Training for many months and have had a very good experience with getting our dog Milo (3 years old) trained. She has taught us so much and we are feeling more confident as we venture out walking our dog. She has made the training process a very good one!

It’s hard to put into words how great it has been working with Holly! Her passion for this job radiates off of her and completely translates through the training we have had with our German Shepard, Bella. Each training session Holly has arrived with the most positive energy. She is knowledgeable about what she does, and makes training, fun! Bella was extremely dog aggressive and even struggled with initial human interaction. Holly was able to build the confidence in Bella and she has never been better. Within the first session we had accomplished milestones. What we enjoy the most about Suburban K9 is the versatility they offer for training. They come to you, and they change environments in which you train. For example training at home, at parks and even stores! We can’t wait to continue training - and we will pass along Hollys name to anyone we know who is looking for training!

I have been working with Holly for about a Year and can't say enough good things about my experience! My 5 year old German Shepard Logan was reactive on leash and would act up when we had people over. He is a completely new dog after training with with Holly! I can walk him with zero concern that he will jump or bark at other dogs walking by and can actually enjoy having company over without worrying. 10/10 recommend!!

We were having issues with our two Pulik straining while walking on a leash. Holly Wengerski worked with my wife and I to train them to walk on leash better. In addition, we worked on obedience sitting, down, and stay. We were able to get them trained and get them under better control for us all to live together better in a few sessions. Holly was great with our two dogs who warmed up to her and respected her. We greatly appreciate the assistance! She not only trained the dogs but also their owners. Thanks for the help Holly!

I would like to share my year long experience with Holly and the Suburban K9 team. In a word, amazing. From the beginning Holly was very clear on her plan for Maisie (mini bernedoodle) who was about a year old. We had tried a food based trainer which did not work as it was extremely complicated given you had to feed the dog every time you wanted to work on commands. Holly came in with a year long plan that was very successful. We saw results immediately. She gave us homework to work on and I will say that the homework and continued training is the key to the success of a well trained dog. Holly was firm but so loving towards Maisie and truly cared about her growth. Holly is very good at what she does and there is no doubt that she is highly committed to her job and the animals she trains. She is personable communicates well and is always ready to get to work. When I work with Maisie in town and people see how well trained she is I am constantly asked who her trainer is. I am always so thrilled to tell people that it is Holly and Suburban K9, best of the best.

I would recommend Evan and Holly to anyone who will listen! Our 2 year old dog has made huge strides in her change of behavior. She had some obedience training with other trainers but continued aggressive behavior to the point of biting me, her owner. I was at the point where I felt hopeless and that Re homing her was my only option. From the moment I met Holly and Evan I knew there was hope and I felt like I finally had the tools and guidance to train my dog to bring out the best in her. Through our training we have deepened our bond and I have come to realize what my dog needs from me. Everyone should enlist their services whether they have a new puppy or young dog with behavioral issues.

My dog and I have had the pleasure of working with Holly for training. Holly was very professional, knowledgeable, and my dog just loved her. My puppy was a little over a year old when we began working with her, as he had some typical puppy behavior issues. We utilized in home training and the sessions, and the homework resulted in my dog being more attentive, listening to commands, and generally seeing an improvement in his behavior. My dog also loves her and loves spending time with her. I would highly recommend Holly!

We can’t say enough good things about Holly W at Suburban K9. We adopted a 5 month old rescue dog who we believe did not have a very loving and kind early experience. We immediately fell head over heels with him and him with us. We soon discovered, however, that he was extremely protective of us, which made it very difficult to have people over to our house and even to stop and talk with people on our walks as he would lunge and bark aggressively. He was extremely on edge much of the time – looking out for any perceived threat – from other dogs or humans. We tried training classes, but when away from home and our neighborhood, the protective/aggressive behavior did not emerge. Holly came to our house to do the training and through her great guidance, patience, and lots of hard work, our guy is now comfortable with people in our house, happily greets folks on walks and has many dog friends. He is still triggered by certain dogs, but we continue to have check-up sessions with Holly, and I know in time this too will get better. It is so wonderful to know that people outside our family can now experience the amazingly loving and affectionate dog we know him to be. Also with Holly’s guidance, our pup has learned to respond to commands, loves to go through training exercises and loves to please us. He is a pleasure to walk, never pulls on the leash and heels when we need him to. Holly always checks in between sessions, promptly responds to my emails detailing the progress we have made and answers any questions we may have. A very big thank you to Holly for helping us teach our boy that he does not have to be on guard all the time and can relax and enjoy just being a dog. ~The Nortz Family