Dog Training Elite
Owners Tim and Katie Matt love improving people's lives through dog training, and are honored to help disabled veterans through Vets Helping Heroes
Tell us about your business and how did you get started? Dogs are Amazing! We see the impact that these dogs have on our personal and clients' lives. Our goal with our business is to help provide supportive training with our clients' dogs and strengthen their bond to have your dog live the best pup life possible. We are a professional, family-owned dog training company with over 40 years of experience that specializes in strengthening the bond between your dog and your family, with a strong emphasis on teaching your dog the highest level of obedience, despite even the toughest level of distractions. Our unique in-home dog training model is designed to teach owners how to train their dog alongside a professional dog trainer in their home environment as well as in small group settings. We strongly believe that the key to sustained obedience is to empower owners to be an integral part of the training experience. Once you begin the training process with us, you become a part of the DTE family.
Our services range from consultations to help find the right puppy/breeders, Temperament testing, helping to train your puppy, General Obedience, Behavioral Modification, Advanced Obedience, Emotional Support dog Training, Therapy Dogs, Facility Therapy Dogs, Psychiatric Service Dogs, Autism Support Service Dogs, and Mobility Support Service Dogs.
Tell us about your partnership and work with Vets Helping Heroes? Founded in 2007 by a WWII Veteran and liberated POW, Vets Helping Heroes, Inc. is a national organization whose mission is to raise funds to purchase highly-trained, accredited Guide Dogs and Service Dogs to help the disabled Veterans who have worn the uniform of our country.
We're very excited about our joint mission with Vets Helping Heroes, helping our disabled Veterans who suffer from PTSD, Suicidal Thoughts, Loss of Limbs and Traumatic Brain Injury, by training their own dogs to become fully trained Service Dogs, hence saving the lives of these disabled Veterans. In their 17-year history, Vets Helping Heroes has raised over $8,000,000 nationally (along with matching grant opportunities), and have provided over 950 Specially-Trained, Certified Guide/Service Dogs to Disabled Veterans, at no cost to the Veteran. They give “The Gift of Life, for Life” meaning that after a Guide Dog or Service Dog retires after working eight years, that dog stays with the family and Vets Helping Heroes provides another Guide Dog or Service Dog to that same Veteran, again, at no cost to the Veteran. These Future Service Dogs will go on to be a “battle buddy” to a disabled Veteran, giving that veteran their independence back, a sense of purpose again, and a new lease on life.
How else can service dogs provide value? Service dogs are a great tool for not only veterans, but also the general public. Our training ranges from puppy, behavioral modification, general and advanced obedience, therapy dogs, and service dogs. We provide service dogs of all types ranging from Psychiatric Service Dogs, Mobility Support Service Dogs, Autism Support Service Dogs, and Scent Based Service Dogs (allergen detection, seizure alert, diabetic alert... etc.)
Tell us a bit more about your personal life, family and background. Tim and I are high school sweethearts who graduated from Neuqua Valley. We loved the area so much that we came back after college and wanted to teach in the community we grew up in. We have 3 kids, Ronan, Freya, and Seren. We have two fur babies Gambit our 3-year-old golden retriever, and Storm our 4-year-old rescued mix. We enjoy hiking, camping, boating, and family game nights. Our kids are active in scouts and sports. After having taught both out of district for a while, we both landed back in 204 as teachers. Tim taught elementary and Katie taught high school Biology and Honors biology. Katie even had the opportunity to teach at their alma mater Neuqua for 7 years. Tim and Katie taught for 11 years both obtaining Masters degrees, and Katie with her +60 graduate hours as well. We loved teaching in the 204 community, and knew that we wanted to impact more lives in a new way. Our love of building relationships and helping others took on a new life when we found the opportunity to open our own business. The direct opportunity to improve people's lives with their dogs and fill the need for training was something we couldn’t pass up. We also love that we can be present for our children in a way that was difficult with us both being teachers.
Dog Training Elite
630-445-4084
Facebook and Instagram: @dogtrainingelitewesternchicago