Dog's Resources

So you want to find the best online dog training course?

Let me guess…

You saw the price that professional dog trainers charge and nearly fell over in your chair. Maybe you just feel uneasy about committing to regular, in-person sessions at the moment?

If you can identify with either (or both) of the above cases, you are NOT alone!

Using an in-person dog trainer can be incredibly expensive. Simply put, it’s probably not the best option if you are on a budget.

Besides, it can be difficult to find a highly qualified dog trainer who is conveniently located near you.

Therefore, dog owners often settle for under-qualified local trainers, and end up paying hundreds of dollars per hour when they shouldn’t.

Let’s say you do somehow manage to find a professional yet affordable trainer who also happens to be near you. You’re still at the mercy of their schedule.

Thankfully, the internet has made owning a dog a lot simpler than it used to be. Nowadays, we can learn from world-class expert dog trainers at a fraction of the price that in-person trainers charge, and all without leaving our homes.

There are many online dog training courses available today, though not all of them are created equal.

 Using the right methods is incredibly important when it comes to training your dog. Incorrect training techniques can lead to serious behavioral problems down the road.

Luckily, we have years of experience training dogs ourselves, and our team has the knowledge to separate the real from the fake.

We’ve gone through tons of online dog training courses. From all the options available, we’ve narrowed it down to our top 5 choices, to help you find the best online dog training course for you.

1. Doggy Dan’s The Online Dog Trainer

Doggy Dan’s approach to dog training revolves around the concept of pack mentality.

Unlike traditional “pack theory” based training programs, this course does not rely on harsh punishments. Instead, the core ideas of pack theory training are complimented with concepts of positive reinforcement.

This balanced approach results in a very well rounded training program.

Overall, program is centered around “5 Golden Rules” and the idea of establishing yourself as the “pack leader”.

Essentially, training your dog becomes much easier if you communicate with them on a level that they understand.

All dogs instinctively understand pack dynamics. Therefore, much lot of the resistance you may have been facing with your dog will disappear once you communicate on their level.

One thing we like about this program is that it has a comparatively large amount of video content.

Amazingly, the course includes more than 250 videos covering virtually every problem you could be facing with your dog.

This includes controlling barking, preventing jumping, walking on a leash calmly, tricks and so much more!

There are specific videos designed for nearly every type of situation you could be facing no matter how old your dog is.

The best part is that the videos show real life problematic dogs being trained before your eyes.

Get The Online Dog Trainer Here

The Bottom Line

This program is packed with a ton of content, and demonstrates actual dogs being trained.

Honestly, Dan does a great job of seamlessly tying together the training information, video examples and dog psychology. This makes it very easy for you to immediately understand and apply his approach.

About the Course Creator:

Doggy Dan is the founder of The Online Dog Trainer, a highly regarded training program.

He has a huge amount of experience dealing with some of the most difficult behavioral issues in dogs.

He has worked with virtually every breed of dog throughout his career. Doggy Dan is a New Zealand based dog trainer who is endorsed by the New Zealand SPCA, an endorsement that takes a large amount of proof and experience to acquire. He is also a member of the APDT, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

For more than 10 years, he has helped over 25,000 people successfully train their dogs using the very same approach taught in his course.

Doggy Dan is a well established and respected expert dog trainer, and the author of the book  What the Dogs Taught Me About Being a Parent. Since 2006 he has personally worked with over 1000 dogs and puppies one on one or in group settings.

Impressively, more than 100,000 people from around the world subscribe to Doggy Dan’s blog, and he has been featured in a number of publications, including Women’s Weekly.

2. Brain Training for Dogs – Our Top Pick for Best Online Dog Training Course

Brain Training for Dogs is based around 21 fun games which are designed to unlock your dog’s hidden intelligence.

The 5 course modules take the form of traditional education: Preschool, Elementary, High School, College, University, Graduation, Einstein.

Each module gets incrementally more challenging as it builds on the teachings from the previous modules.

Watch Brain Training For Dogs demonstrate how to train a dog not to jump on people:

What we love most about the methods taught in Brain Training For Dogs is that they are truly gentle and force-free.

This program incorporates the most up to date scientific research and understanding of dog behavior to foster an unbreakable bond between you and your dog.

While a lot of programs are only geared towards new puppies, this program is powerful enough to be used with both new puppies and older more problematic dogs.

We found that there is virtually no behavioral issue that this program can’t address. Whether it’s excessive barking, jumping on people or furniture, nipping and biting, and so much more. 

Find Out More Here!

About the Course Creator:

Adrienne Farricelli is a highly qualified and world-renowned expert dog trainer.

She is a CPDT-KA certified trainer in the USA by the independent Council for Certified Dog Trainers. In order to achieve this highly regarded certification, a trainer must achieve rigorous requirements, namely: strong evidence of a specific number of hours spent training dogs, an intensive multi-hour national exam, and even references from a veterinarian.

CPDT-KA also requires that a trainer continue their study and always keep updated with the latest advances in dog training methods.

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, Brain training for dogs presents an easy-to-follow, well structured and FUN training program.

The creator is highly qualified, and uses a science-based approach to unlock your dog’s ‘hidden’ intelligence and make training a breeze.

On top of this, you and your dog will actually really enjoy the training process as you learn through games. Because of how practical and fun it is, this is our top pick for the best online dog training course.

3. Top Dog Academy

The Dunbar Academy is perhaps the most comprehensive dog training program we have come across.

It is a subscription based program that gives you access to not one, but dozens of dog training courses.

The Dunbar Academy gives you access to 100s of hours of video, and over 13 hours of audio podcasts, as well as many more materials.

Overall, in these courses you will find a ton of dog training content on a wide variety of dog training topics. If you were to purchase all the material separately, it would total well over $1,500.00!

Dr. Dunbar has been teaching people how to train their dogs for over 30 years. Impressively, his academy has trained over 100,000 dogs!

• These are just some of the topics covered in his courses:
•  housetraining
• destructive chewing
• excessive barking
• digging
• separation anxiety
• leash reactivity to other dogs
•  jumping-up
• not coming when called
• pulling on leash
• lack of attention and compliance

In addition to all of this content, you also get access to an exclusive Facebook group where you can ask questions to professional dog trainers. 1-1 email support also gives you the ability to receive personalized individual training programs for your dog

Find Out More Here!

The Bottom Line

The Dunbar Academy gives you access to not one, but dozens of dog training courses. A small monthly subscription that gives you access to a GIANT database with enough resources to last an entire lifetime. For this reason, it is a strong contender for the best online dog training course.

About the Course Creator:

Dr. Ian Dunbar is a Veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and dog trainer.

He earned his veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College (London University). In addition to this, he earned a doctorate in animal behavior from the Psychology Department at UC Berkeley.  He researched the development of social hierarchies and aggression in domestic dogs.

Dr. Dunbar is a world-renowned expert in dog behavior and psychology.

He is a scientist first and foremost, but he also happens to be an exceptional educator. He has written several books and created many video courses about puppy/dog psychology and training.

In 1982, Dr. Dunbar designed and taught the world’s very first off-leash puppy socialization and training classes — SIRIUS® Puppy Training.

He then went on to create the San Francisco SPCA’s Animal Behavior Department, the American Kennel Club’s Gazette “Behavior” column.

4. SIRIUS

Most of the courses listed in this article make use of recorded videos, audio and text manuals in their program. For those dog owners who require more support and would rather have live access to a trainer, SIRIUS may be ideal.

What sets SIRIUS apart from many other courses is that it actually offers live online training classes using Zoom.

An experienced trainer hosts each class, and dates/times are scheduled in advance. Classes with SIRIUS start at around $100, and are comprised of three to five weeks of classes.

Each group class is about one hour long. The SIRIUS website makes it fairly easy to view the upcoming course schedules. Courses cover a variety of topics, and cover many of the basics of dog training.

The Bottom Line

This course is perfect for anyone who wants the services of an in-person live dog trainer, but doesn’t want to spend a ton of money.

That being said, the live format can be slightly less convenient for some people. It requires that you make yourself available at the exact time of the classes. Even though the classes are live, the in-person trainer experience is difficult to replicate over Zoom.

Get More Info On SIRIUS Here!

About the Course Creator

Dr. Ian Dunbar created this course. As we mentioned earlier, he is a veterinarian and animal behaviorist.. The classes are taught by professional trainers who use his methods and teachings.

5. Petco

This is the perfect option for pet owners who prefer the benefits of live training. Video course are great, but being able to as a profession questions in real-time is highly useful.

Besides, training a dog is just as much about training it’s owner. Some people just learn best when they can interact with the instructor.

Most pet owners are aware of Petco, and know it as a pet supply store. Petco has been in the business for a long time, and for good reason.

They are experts not only at providing high qualify supplies, but also at training. The chain usually gives in-store dog training classes, but has recently moved to include live online classes.

With Petco, your first online class is free.

As of now, Petco offers three Zoom group dog training classes, each of which includes 4 sessions. Each pack of 4 sessions goes for around $100.

Its Puppy Basics class covers essential topics like house/potty training and coming when called. The Adult Basics class helps you strengthen and solidify positive behaviors.

These include helping your dog react favorably to meeting new people or experiencing new situations or environments. A third course helps you address specific problematic behaviors. This third course is slightly more advanced.

More About Petco Training Here!

The Bottom Line

Petco’s live classes offer the best of both worlds. You can have the experience of working in real-time with a certified professional dog trainer, without leaving the comfort of your home. Petco is well-trusted and has been in the game for a long time. 

But what’s the best online dog training course?

Now that we have gone through and reviewed courses above, you may still be wondering which one is best for you.

Still unsure what the best training style to use might be? The best online dog training course for someone else may be different than the best option for you.

In general, you can’t go wrong with a course that relies on lots of positive reinfocement. 

In the past, methods of dog training relied heavily on punishment. Many outdated training programs include using things like choke collars or shock collars.

Nowadays, most qualified professional dog trainers understand that the best method of dog training revolves around positive reinforcement and a deep understanding of dog psychology.

Just like there is no single correct way to raise a child, there is no single correct method of dog training. Instead, the best approach will typically involve a combination of different styles, and will be able to address a wide range of personalities and behaviors.

Rather than relying on fear and aggression, the programs we mentioned above heavily involve positive reinforcement training. This improves your dog’s ability to problem solve and learn new skills and commands.

Progress can be much quicker when we reward each small step associated with a task we want our dog to learn. Basically, this strengthens the bond between dog and owner, resulting in your dog understanding you on a deeper level.

Though we have indicated our top pick, you really can’t go wrong with any of the options above.

Good luck, and happy training!