Brain Training For Dogs – Can Your Dog Really be a Genius?

There are a number of things to consider when it comes to taking care of your dog. Whether you’ve been a dog owner all your life or you’re getting your very first puppy, you want your dog to be happy and healthy. So, what do you do to make sure that happens? Well, one thing you need to do is get your dog in the proper training right from the start.

Training for your dog will include more than just physical training as well. It’s also about mentally stimulating your dog, which is one area that’s often overlooked in traditional dog training. That’s why Brain Training 4 Dogs caught our eye. In fact, it’s different from a number of dog training courses out there with its emphasis on mental stimulation, and the entire approach is based on force-free positive reinforcement. So is this style of training more effective than the rest? We tested it out to find out.

What is Brain Training 4 Dogs?

Brain training 4 dogs is a novel approach to dog training that’s based around mentally and physically stimulating games that create a fun and rewarding way for your dog to learn and obey. Beyond this, the approach is centered on two important concepts: force-free training, and positive reinforcement. By using these two concepts, the creator believes you can train your dog in a healthier way than traditional ‘dominant/assertive’ methods. There is a strong emphasis on training your dog mentally rather than just physically.

Behavioral problems often require an approach that is geared toward mental health and support, otherwise, you will find that training your dog just may not work.

The course is entirely online, taught through a series of videos and instruction articles.

Who’s behind the program?

The program was created by Adrienne Farricelli, a professional dog trainer. She’s been in the business for over 10 years, and she has a whole lot of experience working with dogs with all types of behavioral problems and more. She’s helped thousands of pet parents to train their pets to be obedient and well-behaved.

What problems does it address?

If your dog currently has a behavioral problem of any type or you’re looking for ways to stop behavioral problems before they start then this is the program for you as well. It will help you get your dog moving in the right direction toward proper behavior.

02 Maggie – Practice Greetings from Adrienne on Vimeo.

This program is meant for every dog parent, especially those who are having trouble training their pets. Typical types of behaviors that this program can address are:

  1. Excessive barking
  2. Disobedient dogs
  3. Untrained dogs
  4. Dogs that chew
  5. Aggressive dogs
  6. Anxious and fearful dogs
  7. Dogs that pull a lot on their leashes

For those who see their dogs struggle with the physical aspects of training, this might be a good option as well. That’s because it’s designed to focus on mental training and stimulation. If you work with your dog in these areas you’re going to help them with the physical training as well because they will be better prepared to listen and understand what you want.

How does Brain Training for Dogs work?

With the use of videos, articles and PDFs that feature several interesting puzzles and games for your pet, the course helps you to train your dog by using pet games developed by Adrienne aimed at improving the mental and physical health of your dog, which in turn improves the animal’s behavior.

As the course is positive reinforcement based, you are going to use treats and praises to reward your pet for good behavior. Adreinne believes reward-based training helps to motivate your pet and will make the animal want to do better for your approval. This is an approach we advocate throughout our training articles, so it’s great to see a program where this is at the heart of the approach.

The course is divided into seven different stages, which are designed to be progressively more challenging and build on each other by incorporating games that encourage different behaviors and levels of obedience. The levels are:

  1. Preschool: The foundation where your dog is taught how to be obedient. The animal will be given exercises that focus on the fundamentals and groundwork for success.
  2. Elementary school: Your pet will be taught how to move on from focusing its attention on you to how to obey your commands.
  3. High school: This aspect of the training deals with teaching your dog patience, impulse control, and how to settle after being hyped-up.
  4. College: Motor skills and advanced concentration.
  5. University: Advanced impulse control and patience.
  6. Graduation: Advanced motor skills and intelligence such as weaving through your legs and pick out toys by name.
  7. Einstein: At this stage, your pet will have known enough to be able to carry out impressive tricks like arranging its toys.

Along with the core material, there are also specific sections dedicated to specific nuisance behaviour, puppy training, case studies where Adreinne showcases problems she’s overcome, and a forum where you can ask questions.

Creating a Deep Bond With Your Dog

Brain training for dogs works by creating a strong bond and a level of trust between you and your dog. You will both be working together a lot to make the program successful so even if you and your dog are not as bonded yet, you will be by the end of this program.

Of course, the program depends on you building this bond through a process of patience and goodwill as well as gaining trust through rewards and praise. By doing this, you’re going to help your dog to feel more attached to you and want to make you happy. That makes them more likely to work hard and feel motivated.

Keep in mind that building trust and creating a strong bond with your dog is going to take time. You’re not going to get there overnight. And if you’ve tried other training methods that focus on discipline or dominance you may find yourself with a little longer journey to getting your dog to trust and follow you.

What do you get?

Dog Training and Courses

The first part and possibly the one you’re most interested in is the dog training program. This is where you’re going to get most of the information and you’re going to get a good understanding of how the program works. It’s also going to lay out different activities that are used.

Along with the main syllabus outlined above, there are dedicated sections for obedience training and polishing up training where you slowly learn to fade and remove the treats and lures you’ve been using. There are images and videos for guidance in this section and you can check it out at your own pace.

Puppy Training

If you have a smaller puppy you’ll want to take a look at the puppy training section, which specifically focuses on younger dogs and their unique training situation. After all, younger dogs need a bit more patience but you may be able to curb some behavioral problems before they start.

This section will go over things like development stages and potty training to make sure that you are training your dog well right from the start and don’t need to worry about some of the problems that you might otherwise see with adult dogs later on.

Behavioral Problems

Next up is the section that actually focuses directly on specific behavioral problems. You’ll be able to see not only what kind of behavioral problems your dog might suffer from but also what you should be doing about it.

You’ll find a lot of different solutions here and problems that range from barking and whining to psychological problems and aggression. So all of that is going to make it easier for you to get started taking care of your dog’s different problems.

What’s really great is you’re not just getting a single answer to any problem. Instead, you’re going to get plenty of different articles that talk about different solutions to the problem and why they’re good or not-so-good for your situation. You’ll even get background information about where the problem likely comes from.

Case Studies

Here you’re going to find some firsthand accounts from Adrienne where she talks about working with some of the dogs she’s helped. This can let you see how the paths in this program can actually help in the real world and what they’ve been successful at.

Extra Features

Archives

The archives are some of the best features you’re going to find with the program because it’s filled with articles and solutions to some of the most common problems that you might have with your dog. You can even find both articles and videos so you get help in a way that works for you.

What’s really great is that you’ll find full collections of information for the different types of problems that you and your dog are facing so you can dive right in without having to search all over for different information.

Forum

The other top feature you’ll find with this program is the forum. Chances are you will eventually have a question or concern that isn’t directly addressed in the other content. Or you might have a question about how the content works or how to apply the different methods. That’s where the forum comes in.

[at the time of writing the forum was down for maintenance]

The Positives of Brain Training 4 Dogs

Pros of Brain training for dogs

  • Very effective: Thousands of pet parents show just how effective this program is.
  • Affordable: at $47 this is GREAT value for money, especially when compared to other courses that cost double, triple, or based on a subscription model. Just a fraction of the fees of in-person training session.
  • Work at your own pace
  • It helps you bond with your pet: Positive reinforcement helps to create a special and tight bond with your dog.
  • It is simple and straightforward to follow: The training features simple step-by-step instructions and procedures.
  • It comes with a lot of information: Different techniques and methods for training dogs, both in PDF format and in explanatory videos.
  • There is a money-back guarantee: satisfaction or your money back within sixty days.
  • It is force-free: The training is humane as it does not require you having to hurt or force your dog to do what you want. Instead, it makes use of positive reinforcement, which is the best training method for dogs.

Cons of brain training for dogs

The advantages of this course far outweigh its disadvantages. The cons of brain training for dogs include:

  • Takes a little while to orientate yourself on the site: the layout and structure could be clearer. At the beginning it’s quite hard to navigate around to all the relevant areas as there’s so much.
  • More videos would be helpful: while there are lots of images, more videos would be helpful as the content is very text focused.
  • Not as focused as 1-on-1 dog training: as it’s not an in person course, it won’t be as focused, but give then quality and the price, it provides huge amounts of value.

Online vs 1:1 in-person training

One of the biggest benefits you’re going to have is that this program is entirely online. That means you can access it at any time without having to worry about scheduling. There’s no need to worry about getting to class on time or figuring out when is a good month to get the program done.

With this system, you sign up whenever you want and then you and your dog work through the lessons at your own pace. If your dog needs a little more time with one area then you can continue to work on that area without having to worry about falling behind.

There are advantages of having an in-person trainer. For one they can give you tailored advice for your particular dog and give you dedicated attention. You’re also getting years of (hopefully good) experience that will you will be hard-pressed to match. But the reality is, dog training schools are expensive and you’ll often not have a great deal of choice given where you live. Furthermore, learning and developing the skills yourself is hugely valuable as you’ll be able to train your dog where and whenever you like. With enough patience and using a good online course, you should be able to tackle many of the major issues you face with your dog.

I don’t necessarily think of this course as a substitute for real lessons, but more that you can use this to really get a good level of fundamentals, and then use an in-person trainer if there are specific issues you can’t solve.

How Much Does Brain Training For Dogs Cost?

At $47, Brain Training for Dogs is great value. When you consider that you could buy training books at anywhere from $15 on up (each), or training programs that are generally subscription-based and cost upwards of $25 per month, this program is a great deal.

For one thing, you’ll pay the $47 joining fee only one time. There’s no subscription and no extra materials that you need to buy although having a clicker is useful and treats are a must. That means you only pay the fee once and you’ll have a lifetime of access to all of the information so you can help your dog (and yourself) get the help that you need.

What’s really great about this is that if you get another dog you can go back to the program again or if your dog starts to have different behavioral problems you can refer back to the articles and information. You also have the ability to communicate with others on the forum for a lifetime.

Drawbacks of Other Training Programs

For one thing, many other training programs focus on only physical training and completely ignore the mental health needs of your dog. That’s a big mistake and it’s one that can fail you in a number of ways. But more than that it can fail your dog.

Focusing only on physical training leaves your dog with low levels of stimulation, which can result in even more behavioral problems, not less. That means the more you try to train your dog not to misbehave the more they might actually misbehave.

That’s because they’re not addressing what is actually the cause of the problem. Your dog is not like every other dog out there. They need to be properly stimulated to give them the support they need and foster overall health.

Another downfall of traditional programs is that they focus on force and dominance. Where many trainers once believed that you had to establish yourself as the ‘leader of the pack’ in order to get your dogs to listen, this is no longer the case. In fact, research shows that force-free methods are the best way.

These methods don’t focus on ‘showing your dog who’s boss.’ Instead, the goal is to create a strong and healthy bond between you and your dog. This means encouraging your dog to look at you in a positive way rather than being afraid of you. That way, your dog is more likely to want to listen to you.

For some the idea of in-person classes is a really big deal, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting the individualized attention you might think. You will generally also still be in class with other owners and their dogs, which means the individualized learning is divided amongst others even still. Not to mention you’ll spend more money for group classes in-person than you would otherwise. And if you decide to go with individual in-person classes you’ll spend even more.

Finally, you will often find programs that are offered by people who claim to know dogs or have some type of relationship or affinity toward them but without any form of certifications to back it up. If you want to really get the most for your dog the best thing to do is work with a reputable and certified trainer.

Final Remarks

So, what should you be doing? Well, that’s going to depend on you and your dog. Overall, Brain Training 4 Dogs is definitely a high-quality program that offers a range of different features and a great deal of information that you can use throughout your dog’s life and beyond because you can use this program with every dog you have.

Only paying for a single piece and being able to access everything for as long as you want is also going to make the entire process a whole lot easier for you, and less expensive.

What all of this means is that you’re going to have a lot of great benefits and you definitely should look into the program if you’re looking to head off behavioral problems or if your dog already has some behavioral problems that you want to work on.

Go to Brain Training For Dogs

About The Rotty lover 2159 Articles
My name is Dr. Winnie. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Duke University, a Masters of Science in Biology from St Georges University, and graduated from the University of Pretoria Veterinary School in South Africa. I have been an animal lover and owners all my life having owned a Rottweiler named Duke, a Pekingese named Athena and now a Bull Mastiff named George, also known as big G! I'm also an amateur equestrian and love working with horses. I'm a full-time Veterinarian in South Africa specializing in internal medicine for large breed dogs. I enjoy spending time with my husband, 2 kids and Big G in my free time. Author and Contribturor at SeniorTailWaggers, A Love of Rottweilers, DogsCatsPets and TheDogsBone