Hi, my name’s Tiara Nixon! I’m a certified dog trainer based in California. I currently reside on a farm with a horse, three cats, and two French Bulldogs!
Today, I’m going to review Brain Training For Dogs (Braintraining4dogs), an online dog training course.
Firstly, can you train your dog through online modules and videos? This review will answer that question from the perspective of a professional dog trainer.
I’ll be honest: as a dog trainer and animal professional for over 20 years, I’m always skeptical of training courses online.
I have been hands on with several hundred dogs, and it’s hard to fathom an inexperienced dog owner not having help when teaching something new.
With my guidance, my students have gone on to be therapy teams, show dogs, and AKC Canine Good Citizens.
I have always been an active participant in my students learning and problem solving, which is why I’m a bit unsure of online programs.
Hopefully, this Brain Training For Dogs review will help instill some confidence in online dog training programs!
So, what is “brain training“ for dogs? The creator, dog trainer Adrienne Farricelli, describes it as “developing your dog’s intelligence,” but what it means is training your dog through force-free activities designed to engage the mind.
Brain Training for Dogs uses a series of 21 fun games to reach this goal. The 5-course modules are taught in a series from easier to advanced, laid out in traditional education: Preschool, Elementary, High School, College, University, Graduation, and Einstein.
To get an initial idea of the program, you can watch the video below!
So, let’s get into my Brain Training For Dogs Review!
Science-Based Dog Training
To begin my Brain Training For Dogs review, I think it’s important to look at the underlying principles the program is built upon.
There are many different schools of thought about dog training. Some celebrity trainers push “pack theory,” and others recommend a science-based approach—which is what you’ll find in the Brain Training for Dogs course.
Recent evidence has shown that pack theory training is not the most effective; dogs are not wolves, and the original basis for pack theory training was conducted on captive wolves whose relationships are not the same as those of dogs or wolves in the wild.
Just like the wolf evolved into the dog, training has rapidly evolved over the last 5 decades. While positive training is now the norm, in the 90s and earlier, most trainers taught dogs to use choke chains and pinch collars. They promoted harsh, punishment-based methods.
As a former zookeeper and someone who has trained many animal specanimals, I am all for science-based learning. Science-based training is universal, positive, and understandable by multiple species. Do an internet search for “clicker training chickens” and see what I mean.
So what is “science-based training?” Simply put, it’s a way to shape your desired behaviors through a consistent, conditioned marker. Huh? I know it isn’t very clear. Let me break it down.
Have you ever heard of Pavlov’s dogs? For those who haven’t, scientist Ivan Pavlov realized his research dogs were accidentally trained to salivate. He studied the dog’s salivation response when fed but discovered they were salivating before the food.
He surmised the dogs were responding to the sound of the assistant’s footsteps, indicating food was on the way. Testing this theory, Pavlov conditioned the dogs to salivate at the sound of a metronome. Thus, classical conditioning (aka Pavlovian Conditioning) and science-based dog training was born!
An Extra Thought: I’m all about science-based training. As a progressive trainer, I firmly believe keeping your dog mentally stimulated is critical to preventing and eliminating unwanted behaviors. I often say, “A bored dog is a bad dog,” these games will certainly activate your dog’s mind and body in many cases.
Who Is Adrienne Farricelli, The Dog Trainer?
Next up in the review, let’s look at the founder of Brain Training For Dogs.
Adrienne Farricelli has impressive qualifications, she studied dog training in Italy and is a CPDT-KA trainer in the USA. The letters are Certified Pet Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed and are an earned credential from the independent Council for Certified Dog Trainers.
To obtain the credential, a trainer must meet strict requirements, including a minimum number of hours training dogs (with proof), a rigorous multi-hour national exam, and a reference from a veterinarian.
After a trainer has become a CPDT-KA, they must participate in continuing education to retain the credential and keep up with the latest developments in dog training.
Adrienne has written articles for many well-known publications, including USA Today.
Here Is My Honest Review Of Brain Training For Dogs!
Ok, now we know the method of this course and who created it, let’s get into the Brain Training For Dogs course review itself. You will be offered a free game and a few helpful articles from the website’s main page. In addition, the site itself is simple and easy to navigate.
I love anything free, so it’s nice to see information and a fun starter game to get your training going. The game on offer at the time of this review was the “Airplane Game” which is included in a module of the course, you can see what the game is all about in the video below! To check if the Airplane Game is still available, click here!
An Extra Thought: When you click thBrain Training For Dogs page button on the page, there is no site menu or external links. The course info page is quite long. However, there is some interesting, helpful information on the sales page.
There is also a guide for behavior training included when you purchase the course, and the sales page has a video example of teaching your dog not to jump in a positive, force-free way.
Trainers Tip: Most dog owners are not starting with an already well behaved dog when they seek training help. I suggest reading the behavior guide first if this is your situation, but don’t skimp on the obedience training!
Format Of The Dog Training Course
I liked the Brain Training For Dogs format and thought I’d mention it in my review.
The course is laid out in sequence with the intention that the games/skills build on each other. Lessons in the College module will be harder to obtain if you have not completed the previous modules.
Each module has an introduction page that contains links for each lesson. This organized format makes it easy to pick up where you left off.
There are forward and back buttons on the bottom of each page to move to the next or previous lesson. Each lesson includes a list of what items you’ll need at the top of the page, which is very handy.
The font is large, and there are a lot of pictures with diagrams and text bubbles for better understanding. Important tips are in a different color, making them easy to see. WiThe course contains helpful details such as tips at the end of the lesson aand the ability to hover over glossary terms to see the definition.
A full, printable glossary will be provided at the end of the course.
Are The Lessons In Brain Training For Dogs Good?
To really conduct a solid review of Brain Training For Dogs, I needed to take a detailed look at the actual content offered.
The course starts with an introduction module to help you train successfully. After the introduction are the Obedience lessons.
I found this section delightful and easy to follow. Adrienne provides multiple ways to train most lessons, some with props, which is very helpful when training alone.
My favorite lesson in the Obedience section is Take It/Leave It, which is often undertaught and vitally important to your dog’s health and well-being!
Trainers Tip: Don’t skip the obedience lessons. Even if your dog already knows the basics, a refresher and polish is ALWAYS in order. Also, mastery of some of these is required to be successful in later games.
The first module after Obedience is Preschool. It may seem counterintuitive to call it that, as your dog has (hopefully) already done well with obedience and has a good foundation for their education.
However, the preschool lessons include target training and two attention games, which are important for your dog’s success as it progresses.
A building block training system often works best when you work in order and don’t move on until your dog demonstrates a solid understanding of the task.
An Extra Thought: I would not have formatted Preschool after obedience as the games in this module will only increase your obedience training response.
Next is Elementary where your dog will get have fun with games like the “muffin tin” and “ball pit”. Adrienne suggests using “high-value” treats for times whenyour dog is harder to motivate. I don’t think that will be the case with the muffin tin game, and it’s worth investing in a 12-pack of tennis balls!
An Extra Thought: The ballpit game is one where you’re not likely to have the items you need on hand. There are substitutions provided, though I can’t imagine it’s quite as fun.
From elementary school, you’ll go to high school. This section is neat because your dog will learn how to calm down on cue and includes games that are the basis for scent work. Scent work is fun, engages the dog’s mind and body, and gives your dog purpose.
After High School comes the College module; this one continues with more science work and games that encourage patience and build confidence.
An Extra Thought: I felt like some of the games in this module were not necessary to progress training, with the exception of Open Sesame. This game teaches a skill that is vital and potentially lifesaving. I’m thrilled this program offers training for critical behavioral skills that other programs do not typically offer standard.
From College to University, your dog is moving up in the world! This module is definitely introducing more advanced concepts, but again, the information is provided in an easy to follow format. I often taught the Hide and Seek game in my group classes.
It is an excellent foundation game for search and rescue or service dog training, but you will be surprised how often you use this skill with your dog!
Trainers Tip: Be careful about rushing your progress. If your dog is not showing mastery of a skill needed to complete a game at this point, take it down a step.
After all these modules, you will move to Graduation and, beyond that, Einstein (Genius).
Between these two modules, you will learn games that increase scent discrimination, prepare your dog for agility training (as with other games in this program), and perform interesting tricks.
If you plan to go into agility training, retrieving, search and rescue, service dogs, or other advanced programs, these lessons will be good for your dog to know.
The Name Game helps your dog associate items with names and will make training in agility easier as your dog must learn left, right, go out, name identified behaviors.
An Extra Thought: These aren’t necessary for a well-behaved dog; however, if you decide to teach them, you will be amazed at what your dog can do!
Other Information About Brain Training For Dogs!
There are a couple of extra bits of information that I thought were worth mentioning in my Brain Training For Dogs review.
Firstly, the membership also includes an incredible wealth of information that is categorized and easy to find. Topics are Puppy Training, Behavior Problems, and, my favorite, Case Studies.
The information is not displayed in the same lesson format as the Brain Games course, but the articles are informative and detailed without being too much.
An Extra Thought: I have easily read 25+ books on dog training. I often struggle to get through them because the information is presented technically with too much information. Adrienne’s articles are straightforward to grasp.
Each one of these topics is a full class worth of info. For example, the Puppy Training section has articles on potty training, socializing, puppy learning, development stages, and stopping your puppy from engaging in unwanted behaviors (such as hand nipping).
The section on potty training is comprehensive yet easy to follow. Adrienne offers 7 potty training strategies and troubleshooting.
The Behavior topic has a menu with 5 choices: whining, barking, jumping, digging, and chewing.
Some of these options have sub-options that make training for your specific problem much easier.
For example, Under whining, there are 4 subtopics to help with the whining plaguing you.
Adrienne provides examples of dog body language that every dog owner should know, and she reiterates them in lessons where you’re most likely to see the behaviors.
An Extra Thought: While there is a great deal of information to help with behavioral issues, they aren’t laid out in a course format, in the same way as the rest of the information.
Real-Life Results From Brain Training For Dogs!
My favorite section, as a dog trainer, is the Case Studies. Here, Adrienne introduces members to 2 dogs (as of this writing) brought to her for training.
Videos show the negative behaviors with explanations for the cause(s) and the techniques she used to train these dogs.
It’s fun to watch the progression the dogs make, and also to see Adrienne apply her techniques to unfamiliar dogs.
There are also some examples of real life results from dog lovers who have bought the program, on the sales page, which can be found HERE.
Also, a writer for OfficiallyPets, Leah Spaulding, has recently begun using the program to train her dog Bean! You can find their journey with weekly updates and her review of brain training for dogs here!
So overall, the reviews of Brain Training For Dogs seem to be very positive!
In the video below, you can also see Adrienne Farricelli putting her skills to the test when she treats a whining rescue dog!
How Much Does Brain Training For Dogs Cost?
This is an important question, and after navigating the incredibly long sales pitch for the course, I fully expected it to cost a lot.
When evaluating the cost of any training program there are many factors to take into account, is the program easy to follow, what is the time commitment, what is the experience of the trainer, what are the methods, is there support?
Since the program is like the school system, I thought it would be fun to grade the course based on my criteria! So, let’s explore these considerations in more detail and give my final verdict to conclude my Brain Training For Dogs review!
– Is it easy to follow?
A self-training program must be easy to follow with clear, understandable directions. Clarity is key since there isn’t a trainer there to answer questions. Like people, not all dogs will learn the same way, and a good, experienced trainer presents information in bite-sized pieces that progress in difficulty.
The course information is presented. Therefore, I’m presenting it with an easy-to-follow score of A.
– What is the time commitment?
Let’s face it: most of us don’t have all day to spend on dog and reinforcing training. We have jobs, families, chores, and hobbies. An effective training program breaks lessons down into 10-15 minute sessions so they can be easily added to a busy life.
With lessons broken down into quickly-paced games, I give this course a time commitment grade of A.
– Is it taught by an experienced trainer whose methods I agree with?
This is a big factor when I review any dog training program, so Brain Training For Dogs, is not different!
As a teacher of many group classes, I always stress the importance of being comfortable with the methods being used.
In reality, some people are uncomfortable with certain methods, so your ethics must align with the trainer you choose. If You likely quit training, you disagree with a trainer’s philosophy; Adrienne’s methods are science-based and positive. She does not use harsh training techniques and is always focused on helping the dog learn.
She also has a great deal of experience that she has backed up with certification. With that in mind, I give this an experienced trainer grade of A.
– Is there personalized support?
Every dog- and every dog person- learns in their own way. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach to dog training rarely works. Unless, of course, it’s a conditioning approach, such as Brain Training for Dogs, and patience is used!
Trainers Tip: If your dog doesn’t seem to be “getting it” try taking a step back, asking the dog something it knows really well to build confidence and break the step you’re teaching into smaller parts.
It is mentioned quite a few times throughout the site that support via email is provided for members. Since I have no experience with the support, I give personalized support a grade of B.
An Extra Thought: The only way to get an A here is to offer in-person or live video messaging options where the trainer can see the issue the owner is experiencing. However, there is enough additional material that you may find the answers you need without resorting to contacting Adrienne.
– Bottom Line: Is Brain Training for Dogs Worth It?
An online search for books about dog brain training yielded only a few decent results with an MSRP of $19.95. Behavior modification books were even more, around $25 MSRP, and dog training DVDs were $18-$20 and up.
To get a comprehensive training guide, a behavior guide, and videos, you are looking at spending about $60, and that’s without all the information in one, eas-to-use format and the additional resources.
Brain Training for Dogs is only $47, including the extras.
My verdict: yes! It is well worth the price! And if you become a member and decide it wasn’t what you were expecting, there is a money-back guarantee. It satisfies me that this trainer is willing to stand behind her work!
Trainers Tip: While the Brain Training for Dogs course has great information that will assist most dogs, please consult a professional if your dog exhibits signs of extreme or dangerous aggression to people or other animals. There is no substitute for professional help when safety is in question.
Final Thoughts For My Brain Training For Dogs Review
So, we’re nearing the end of what has been quite a lengthy but hopefully helpful review of Brain Training For Dogs!
My final verdict is that I would highly recommend this course to anyone seeking to train their dog in a fun, meaningful, and easy way. The games are designed to progress your dog’s skills in an easy-to-follow format without much jargon.
While some items for games are not likely to be things you have on hand, they are easy to source new or used, and Adrienne provides substitutions.
While I still believe in working one on one with a trainer, this program is a great substitute when commitments or lack of options make attending a class difficult.
Pros
*Easy to read with lots of pictures
*Affordable for what you get
*communicated
*Created by an experienced, certified dog trainer
*In addition to Brain Games, you also get obedience, tricks, beyond training tips, puppy training, and behavior training
*Troubleshooting for each lesson
Cons
*Some items required for the game are not things you would have on hand
*You’ll get addicted to training your dog!
What I love about it:
Adrienne addresses the most common issues when training your dog right up front.
If you don’t skip around, and follow the modules in order you should have a well behaved and mentally stimulated dog!
She offers support via email, but chances are you’ll find many answers to issues in the archives.