About Your Dog’s Best Friend

Dog relating in Minneapolis

Your Dog's Best Friend (YDBF) is a Minneapolis dog training program founded by trainer Max Bitterman. Its approach centers on teaching owners to "responsively relate and communicate in a meaningful way" with their dogs and to understand dog society, with the aim of building trust, respect, loyalty and love.

Programs

The Level 1 Dog Raising Class is a puppy class that eases puppies into life as domestic dogs. Graduates can move on to a six-week AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program and an AKC Canine Good Citizen class. YDBF also offers emotional support dog selection and training, Dogcentric workshops, private training, board and train, in-home puppy training, an advanced class called Beyond Obedience, and online sessions by video.

Behavior help

The team works on socialization issues, dog aggression, fearful, shy, anxious and rowdy dogs, and puppy mill dogs, plus prevention work such as new dog introductions and matching families with the right dog. Weekly group options include pack walks, a shy dog class and a reactive and rowdy dog class.

What owners say

One client wrote: "Dog rescue took the dog out of the mill, Your Dog's Best Friend took the mill out of the dog."