Dog training in Chicago focused on joyful partnership, sport foundations, and real-life skills.
Chicago · Relationship-First Dog Training · Dog Dance · Sport Foundations
Lineage of love dog training Is For You If
You’re the kind of guardian who:
• knows your dog’s life is short and precious
• wants to do things with your dog, not just manage behaviour
• enjoys learning together
• believes joy and skill can coexist
• wants partnership, not pressure
Dog Dance:
Where Partnership Becomes Art
5 weeks • $200 • 6 teams
Dog dance is more than tricks; it’s a way of learning to move, think, and communicate together.
In class, dogs choose their guardians again and again — even in a room full of distractions — because what we’re doing together is joyful, meaningful, and fun.
Dog dance becomes a laboratory for:
• communication
• emotional regulation
• creativity
• deep partnership
Dog Training for People Who Want a Real Relationship With Their Dog
Training that supports an active, thoughtful life with your dog — built through play, practice, and shared learning.
Most people who arrive here already love their dogs deeply.
What they’re looking for isn’t stricter rules or better control. They’re looking for ways to live well with their dogs: to train, play, and build a life that feels good for both of them.
That’s what Lineage of Love is built for.
Training here is active, thoughtful, and relationship-centred, whether you’re exploring dog dance, raising a puppy, or simply looking for new ways to learn together.
Explore Your Training Path
Clear, Compassionate Communication
We help you communicate in ways your dog naturally understands, and give your dog clear, welcomed ways to communicate back. This creates ease, reduces frustration, and builds a shared language you’ll use for life.
Emotional Safety & Growing Confidence
Dogs learn best when they feel safe. We support your dog’s confidence through gentle guidance, choice, and clear expectations — never fear, intimidation, or force.
Kind, Comfortable Tools
We use humane, comfortable equipment: no choke chains, prong collars, vibration collars, or shock collars. If you’re using one now, there’s no judgement. We can help you explore gentler options if you’re curious.
Three Ways to Train With Your Dog
Start with the training path that fits you and your dog right now
Group Classes & Workshops for Dog Dance, Fetch, Sport Foundations, & Agility
Learn Together (Group Classes)
Play & Practice is the heart of my work.
Play & Practice classes are where many people first discover how joyful training can feel.
Instead of repeating the same exercises every week, these classes use movement, play, and skill-building to help you and your dog learn together.
Whether you’re exploring dog dance, building sport foundations, or learning how to play fetch in a more thoughtful way, the focus is always the same: clear communication and shared joy.
Best for: dogs and humans who enjoy learning together, including sensitive dogs, unconventional sport dogs, and people new to training through movement.
Hands-On Professional Training
Professional training sessions done for you
Day Training is an option for people who want support building skills through consistent, thoughtful practice — without needing to be present for every session.
I work directly with your dog on specific skills and routines, then transfer what we build back to you so training fits into everyday life. This approach emphasizes clarity, communication, and progress that holds when you’re the one doing the work.
Day training is ideal for busy households who want their dog to learn faster — while still building a relationship-centred training system that you can continue using.
Best for: busy households who value thoughtful training and want practical support integrating skills into real life.
Raise Your Puppy Thoughtfully
Virtual puppy foundations program
Raising a puppy can feel overwhelming. The Puppy Path provides clear guidance, thoughtful socialization, and practical routines so you can enjoy puppyhood instead of constantly worrying about doing it wrong.
This work centers on early skills, routines, and communication that support everyday life together, including settling and handling, play, learning, and exploration — while also making room to actually enjoy this brief, formative stage.
The Puppy Path is designed to help you understand your puppy’s needs, build useful skills through practice, and develop habits that grow with your dog over time, without turning puppyhood into a race or a problem to manage.
Best for: people welcoming a puppy who want guidance that’s organized, dog-centered, and grounded in real life — and who want to move through this fleeting stage with care rather than overwhelm.
Senior & End-of-Life Support
Care at important thresholds
Supporting an aging dog is one of the most meaningful chapters of a relationship. This program provides guidance, compassion, and practical support during that time.
This work may include quality-of-life conversations, support around routines and comfort, and thoughtful guidance as you consider end-of-life or behavioural euthanasia (BE) decisions. The focus is not on fixing or prolonging life at all costs, but on helping you make informed choices that honour your dog’s experience and dignity.
This support is steady, practical, and respectful of how personal these decisions are. It’s designed to help you feel grounded and clear as you care for your dog through their later years.
Best for: guardians of senior or complex dogs, including those considering or navigating end-of-life or BE decisions, who want calm, non-judgmental support at meaningful thresholds.
Training Moments
What People Are Saying
“Justus is the best. She will make you feel comfortable and confident. “
— Bernie Heidkamp“You would be very lucky to get to work with Justus.”
— David Wellman"Justus is kind, enthusiastic, and non judgmental, and gives so much information to refer to after each session. We've only met twice so far and don't feel pressured to do more than we can sustain. She gave us confidence in a found dog with an unknown history and no previous vetting from a foster agency, etc. More importantly, she gave us confidence in ourselves and the tools to give our guy a safe, happy home."
— Rachel K.Upcoming Classes & Workshops
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Connected Fetch Foundation Class
Saturdays, 5:15pm - 6:15pm
What’s Fetch?
Fetch is more than throwing a ball. When taught thoughtfully, it’s a cooperative skill built on communication, clarity, and connection.
📍Urban Pooch Training Center: 5400 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
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Dog Dance & Tricks Class
Fridays, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Fridays, 7:15pm - 8:15pm
Saturdays, 2:45pm - 3:45pm
Saturdays, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Dog dance blends tricks, movement, and music into a playful training experience. But at its heart, it’s about connection.
You’ll learn how to guide your dog through patterns, movements, and simple routines while strengthening communication and trust.
No performance experience required — just curiosity and a dog who enjoys learning with you.
📍Urban Pooch Training Center: 5400 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
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Beginner's Agility Class
Thursdays, 11:15am - 12:15am
Dog agility develops communication, confidence, and coordination through clear cues, movement, and shared practice.
📍Urban Pooch Training Center: 5400 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60625