We offer group classes, private lessons, board and train, and other programs for all of your dog tra
01/09/2026
*WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS*
We are very excited to be offering 1-hour Mini Workshops on a variety of topics on Wednesday evenings for the next couple of months. Each week will cover a different topic, and workshops can be signed up for individually based on which topic(s) are relevant for you and your dog!
Our upcoming workshops include:
Jan 14: Settle & Stay
Jan 21: Reliable Recallers
Jan 28: Leisurely Leash Skills
Feb 4: Confident Canine
Feb 11: Cooperative Care
Feb 18: Polite with People
Feb 25th: Doggy, Drop It!
We had a great time last night with our first "Fetching Fun" workshop, and are looking forward to the rest!
01/06/2026
“Fetching Fun” Workshop
Tomorrow (Wednesday Jan 7th) at 6:30pm
Join us for a fun workshop all about fetch! This workshop will be a great opportunity to teach your dog fetch if they don’t already know it, to troubleshoot issues in your fetch game, or to start teaching your dog to fetch different items or take the items to specific locations, if they already understand the basics of the fetch game.
$25/dog, limit 6 dogs. No prior training required!
Do you wish your dog would...
• Pay attention when you call their name?
• Stop and listen on command?
• Come when called and stay when asked?
• Remain calm and controlled around distractions?
Introducing our new "Controlled Canine" class to teach you and your dog just that! This new class is perfect for dogs struggling with the above skills, for owners with limited time who need to keep training simple but effective, for owners who struggle to get reliable control of their dog without treats, for dogs who live rurally without a fenced yard, and more!
Class starts on MONDAY! Class is 6 weeks long with 1 hour classes weekly on Mondays from 7:30-8:30pm.
Message me for registration information, or with any questions!
12/30/2025
January S.T.A.R. Puppy Classes:
• Thursdays at 4:30pm starting Jan 8th
• Saturdays at 1:00pm starting Jan 10th
6 weeks of class for $150, limit 6 puppies/class. Puppies must be under 5 months old at the start of class.
Learn more and sign up online at canineinitiative.com/classes
Or shoot us a message!
12/24/2025
*** JANUARY CLASSES ***
January class schedules and registration are now posted on the website! We have a fun lineup for the new year, so be sure to check it out!
We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, and look forward to seeing you and your pups after the New Year!
12/19/2025
Milkshake NEEDS a home. She’s losing her foster home due to a move, and deserves to finally find her forever. Milkshake stayed with me for about a week last summer, and I got to know her a bit. She is a lovely little dog with so many qualities to recommend her - she just needs to be an only pet.
She is currently in the St Louis area, but if anyone local to central IL applies and is approved to foster or adopt her, I will give a Package of 3 private lessons at NO CHARGE to help with any transition training as she acclimates to your home, and ongoing support after that!
Someone out there has to be looking for a young adult dog, past the puppy phase, already crate trained and house broken, to be a single pet. If it’s you, please consider miss Milkshake!
She’s been saved from the horrible situation she was born into and acclimated to life as a loved pet in her foster home, but her rescue story isn’t complete yet. Could you be the one to give her the forever she’s been waiting for?
Milkshake comes with a vibe for every moment. Curious, chill, a little cheeky—she matches your energy. Life with her is never boring or lonely. Her only non-negotiable is being the only pet. She is apartment-sized (28 pounds), house-trained, crate-trained (for a full work-day) and so very ready to find her forever match!
Adopt Milkshake and get your forever BFF.
evenchance.org/adopt
11/27/2025
Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁🍂
📷 Buono Photography
10/22/2025
UPCOMING PUPPY CLASSES:
Open to any puppies up to 5 months old!
S.T.A.R. Puppy Class with Jill Owen
Saturdays 2:00-3:00pm starting Oct 25
6 weeks for $150, limit 6 puppies
An excellent foundation to set your puppy up for success - and also become eligible for AKC’s S.T.A.R Puppy Award!
“Training Rhode” Puppy Class with Danielle Stuber
Tuesdays at 4:30-5:30pm, starting Oct 28
6 weeks for $125, limit 4 puppies
Join Danielle and her new puppy, Rhode, for a puppy class and learn to train your puppy like a professional! (This class is not AKC STAR eligible.)
10/14/2025
Just a reminder that this Wednesday, October 15th, all of our usual Wednesday activities are cancelled: daycare, puppy social, and the Wednesday Play as the Way class.
I will be in Alabama picking up my new boy, Rhode. 💛
10/02/2025
There will soon be a new (canine) face here at Canine Initiative Training, and we can't wait!
If you also find yourself the owner of a new puppy this fall, we'd love to get you plugged into a puppy class!
Our ongoing drop-in Puppy Socialization class will continue, of course, but we are also looking to add one more standard Puppy Class this year as well.
If you are interested in joining little "Rhode" for a puppy class this fall, please reach out so we can get your feedback on scheduling options and keep you posted with information.
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After training and competing with her own dogs for 8 years, and volunteering training service dogs and teaching classes through 4-H, Danielle started Canine Initiative Training in 2016, offering private lessons and group classes. In early 2018, eager to learn more following an internship in the summer of 2017, Danielle moved to Buffalo, NY to work for learn from world-renowned trainer and behavior expert, Tyler Muto, at K9 Connection. There, she gained nearly two years of direct, hands-on experience with behavior modification and rehabilitation of severe behavior cases, ranging from reactivity to aggression to separation anxiety and more. When Danielle left, Allie took over the classes and lessons at Canine Initiative to continue offering quality training services in the interim. In December 2019, Danielle returned home to central IL to resume running Canine Initiative and to expand the programs offered.
Canine Initiative Training offers dog training services in the central IL area, covering a broad range of topics, including: puppy training, pet obedience/manners, competitive sports including AKC/UKC Obedience, Rally, and Agility, and problem solving and behavior modification for reactivity, dog aggression, human aggression, resource guarding, fear/anxiety, separation anxiety, etc.
Classes and lessons are held at our training facility just south of Tremont, IL, conveniently located off of I-155. The facility is a large, climate controlled building with rubber matting in the training area and a fenced in yard area. We also offer options for in-home private training, and occasionally hold small classes out in dog-friendly public places.
Meet the Trainer: Danielle Stuber
Danielle is 21 years old and has been training since she was 8, when she got her Pug and joined the local 4-H classes. Competitive sports - specifically Obedience, Rally, and Agility - got her started in the world of dogs, and she still actively trains and competes in those sports. Among Danielle’s competitive accomplishments with her dogs are many competitive titles, a number of Obedience and Rally High in Trial awards, and 4 wins at the UKC National Top Junior Invitational competition in Obedience and Rally, along with many other placements in the Top Junior and All Star Invitationals.
When Danielle’s Malinois started displaying reactivity towards other dogs in 2016, she sought out help and got connected with Tyler Muto, who she interned with and then worked for for almost 2 years. Behavior modification training caught and held her interest, and she now specializes in behavioral cases.
Danielle volunteers training time as much as possible. She has worked extensively fostering and training for Paws Giving Independence, a non-profit organization in Peoria, IL that trains service dogs. She occasionally fosters and trains dogs through Foster Pet Outreach and other local rescues, and helps lead and instruct the Tazewell County 4-H dog classes.
Continued education is critical to Danielle. Whether through online classes, training seminars, following and working with other trainers, reading dog training books, or watching instructional training videos, the learning never stops.
Danielle currently owns a 13 year old Pug, Angel; an 8 year old Australian Shepherd, Jasper; a 4 year old Belgian Malinois, Gideon; and a young Dutch Shepherd pup.
Meet the Trainer: Allie Fekete
Allie Fekete is 18, and lives in Morton with her three rescue dogs - a Terrier mix, The Dogtor, who is 4; a Border Collie, Einstein, who is 3, and a Belgian Malinois, Luna, who is 2. She competes in and trains for multiple sports, including Obedience, Rally, Agility, and Disc. However, her favorite thing to train is tricks, and she uses her trick training for acting jobs and local demos. Her terrier, Dogtor, is her main trick dog, but Luna is learning the ropes as well! Dogtor’s favorite tricks are skateboarding and walking handstands.
Allie has been teaching classes and private lessons for 3 years. She enjoys expanding her knowledge of dogs and training through hands on learning, books, online and in person classes, and working with experienced mentors.
