About Us

Meet Our Trainers Heather Hime - Owner & Lead Trainer Heather has been training professionally since 2007 and started Lucky Paws in 2010. She is the owner and Lead Trainer at Lucky Paws and is a certified dog trainer through Animal Behavior College, which is an internationally recognized school that is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. She is an active member of the Association for Professional Dog Trainers, she has taken the Dogtec Business Code of Ethics Pledge and is committed to continuing her education through seminars, training groups, and books from the world’s top trainers. She is a Minneapolis Animal Care & Control approved trainer and handles dog bite cases. She is experienced in handling dog to dog and dog to human aggression. Heather has participated in agility, trick training, nosework, dock jumping and the sport of frisbee or “Disc” with her dog Ryder, a Miniature Australian Shepherd. If you get the chance to meet Ryder, ask to have him show off some of his tricks! He is a trainers dream dog as he is up for anything and everything Heather wants to try with him and always gives it his all. Heather believes that positive reinforcement training methods are the best way to create a solid and trusting relationship with your dog, but also understands that dogs need rules and boundaries in order to be a balanced and happy companion. She decided to start Lucky Paws in order to help make all families with dogs, a little happier! Dogs thrive when they have basic training, consistency, and the opportunity to just be a dog.

Why Choose Lucky Paws Dog & Puppy Training? We don’t just teach commands, we also instill good habits and help your dog learn how to make good decisions on their own in the future. We believe training is more than just teaching your dog to follow certain commands. While learning those skills is an important piece of the puzzle, it is equally as important that we instill some solid daily habits life skills that serve your dog and you throughout life. We also help your dog learn to make better decisions of his own, so even when you aren’t around or don’t give instructions, your dog knows how to handle things. These skills result not only in a better behaved companion, but also a strong relationship and close bond with you. We collaborate with you and your dog to ensure that you both get what you need out of the training process. Our training process is collaborative and not just with you, but with your dog too! We listen carefully to both you and your dog when you tell us what you need and are constantly making adjustments to ensure that not only is your dog being trained successfully but he is also becoming a calm, confident and happy canine in the process. We take the time to teach you how to use and continue to improve upon the things your dog learns to ensure long term success. Teaching you how to use and continue to improve upon your dogs skills is a vital part of the boot camp process. While us coming in and doing training without teach you anything might help some, the key to long term success is to ensure that you know exactly how to reinforce the skills your dog learns with us. We treat every dog as an individual and adapt our training process to best fit your needs. All breeds & all sizes welcome. Every dog is an individual and we treat them as such. At Lucky Paws, we train all breeds and all sizes of dogs. While certain breeds or breed types often behave a certain way or are likely to be motivated by certain things, within each breed and even puppies from within the same litter, you will always get unique personalities and needs. We always treat every dog as an individual and adapt our training strategies to fit their needs. We treat every human client as individuals too! We teach your dog things that you actually need your dog to know, not just a list of commands. Did we mention that every human is also unique and so are their needs? That’s why we believe in customizing our programs to fit those needs and adjusting things along the way as we get to know you and your dog better. In addition to dogs and humans both being unique, so it their relationship! So we adapt there as well! I think you get the idea! We are flexible and truly want what is best for you and your dog always! We have a large training “toolbox” and adjust our training strategy based on your dogs needs, your goals and your preferred training strategies. Because every dog is unique, we know that there is no one size fits all approach to dog training. We like to collaborate with our clients to find the right training strategy for both our human and canine learners. We work with you where you’re at in the learning process & don’t expect you (or your dog) to know certain things before beginning training. Some of our clients have had prior negative experiences where dog trainers shamed them in some way for not knowing better or understanding certain concepts. You won’t get any of that here! We meet you where you are, after all our job is to help you and your pup, not to put you down! We use fun & positive, results focused training techniques. This means your dog will enjoy his training and you will too. We want you and your dog to enjoy the training process as much as possible and we adapt our training strategies to help make that happen. We have been in business since 2010 working with thousands of clients. We have the experience you need. We have the experience you need to have not only training success but a positive training experience along the way too. We prioritize our clients goals and their experience. We also aren’t shy to tell you if we think you or your dogs needs might be better met in a way we don’t provide and are happy to refer when we can!

Service Area

We cover a large service area across the Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding areas.

South & West Metro Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, South Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Wayzata and more...

North & East Metro Andover, Anoka, Arden Hills, Blaine, Champlin, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, East Bethel, Ham Lake, Lino Lakes, North Oaks, Osseo, Roseville, Shoreview, and more...

Training Style

Lucky Paws Dog Training focuses on teaching your dog the everyday manners needed to live peacefully in your home and giving them the social skills needed in the cities & suburbs. We use a humane heirarchy to decide the best possible (and most positive) training strategy for your dog. Every dog is an individual, so one training style does not fit all dogs. We strive to match our training style to the individual dog & family we are working with to achieve the best results (and have the most fun while doing it). We also teach you how to be a good leader to your dog while creating an exeptional relationship with your dog, and how to prevent and change behavioral problems. Lucky Paws hopes that each and every dog can go through enough training to enjoy life as a dog, run free and have a good time without running away from their owners. Life on a short leash isn’t much fun, so we want for you to be able give your dog the chance to be a dog, but do so safely with the use of proper training.

Join Our Team

Now Hiring Dog Trainers in the Twin Cities/Minneapolis, MN area! Are you looking for a job as a professional dog trainer? Lucky Paws is looking for one or more talented dog trainers to join our team! We have full time or part time opportunities available with tons of continued education opportunities to expand your knowledge as a dog trainer! Send your resume to Heather@luckypawsmn.com. Interested in becoming a dog trainer? Ask us about our “Learn to be a dog trainer” program!