Last Updated on October, 2024
The companionship you get from a dog is invaluable. But not all dogs are alike. They all have their habits, behaviors, and ways of doing things.
As pet parents, we are responsible for ensuring these habits and behaviors cause minimal frustration and distraction to us and the other people around us.
And that’s where the Dog Academy comes in to help with dog training and behavior modification.
Since you already knew to look for this Dog Academy review, let’s dive in deep to help you understand how training with Dog Academy will allow you to shape and transform your dog on whatever front you desire.
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Table of Contents
- About Dog Academy
- Dog Training Course Options
- 1. Basic Obedience Training Program
- 2. Puppy Kindergarten
- 3. Psychiatric Service Dog Training
- 4. Minimizing Separation Anxiety
- 5. General Canine Grooming
- 6. Canine Coworker
- 7. ESA Training
- 8. How to Stop Your Dog From Pulling
- 9. Dog Tricks for Beginners
- 10. Building Confidence in Dogs
- 11. General Dog First Aid and CPR
- 12. Crate Training
- 13. End Excessive Barking
- 14. Curving Your Dog’s Reactivity
- 15. The German Shepherd
- 16. Goldendoodle
- 17. Australian Shepherd
- 18. Golden Retriever
- 19. The French Bulldog
- 20. The Ultimate Guide to Adopting a Dog
- 21. How to Weave Through Legs
- How Much Does it Cost to Train Through the Dog Academy?
- My Thoughts on Dog Academy Training?
- What Do Previous Customers Say?
- Pros and Cons of the Dog Academy
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Takeaway Thoughts
About Dog Academy
Dog Academy is a dog training service provider offering in-person and online learning. The Academy uses comprehensive, accessible, and effective techniques to train even the most unruly dog.
The Dog Academy’s mission is “To provide accessible, affordable, and effective training that helps forge positive, life-changing relationships between dogs and their humans.”
Experts Behind the Dog Academy Courses
The Dog Academy is backed by a nationwide network of 1000+ expert dog trainers. They are equipped with the expertise to train any breed, issue, age, and anywhere.
Most of their trainers hold various credentials, including;
Training Philosophy
Dog Academy employs only positive reinforcement paired with reward-based training. This training approach is highly effective and proven to be results-driven.
It also creates an encouraging, happy, and healthy learning environment that facilitates the growth of a stronger and more stable bond with your dog.
Understanding a dog and determining the best communication methods helps build a healthy relationship. The relationship makes it easier to teach the dog obedience and behaviors.
Dog Training Course Options
All Dog Academy courses are designed to be accessible and understandable by any pet parent. The comprehensive and easy-to-follow structure makes it suitable even for first-time trainers.
Also, additional learning materials are made available to make training more easier. Below is the list of online dog training course options you can explore.
All lessons combine progress exams and supplemental learning materials like videos, illustrations, and downloadables. And you’ll receive a course completion certification for all courses.
1. Basic Obedience Training Program
In this course, you will learn to train your dog in foundational commands and understand why the science behind the training methods gives successful results.
This course takes 6 hours 36 minutes and covers multiple lessons, including;
This course suits anyone who wants to teach a dog basic, foundational commands using positive reinforcement and reward-based training. These commands are essential to set the foundation for any dog.
2. Puppy Kindergarten
Puppy Kindergarten is designed to train a puppy in basic commands to facilitate the foundation to help raise a puppy to be happy and well-functioning. You’ll also learn how to puppy-proof your house and introduce them to other dogs and cats.
It takes 5 hours 25 minutes to complete this course, and it covers the following lessons;
This course suits pet parents who want to welcome a puppy into a safe, happy, and stress-free home environment and help it master basic commands.
Also, anyone adopting a puppy to train it to be a service dog will benefit because early training and bonding make service dog training much simpler later on.
3. Psychiatric Service Dog Training
Following this course will help you train your dog to perform tasks that mitigate the symptoms of psychiatric disabilities.
In this, you’ll learn all you need to know about psychiatric service dogs, how they can help, the commands and tasks that will help with symptom mitigation of a psychiatric disability, tips, and techniques, and information on the public access test.
This course is 7 hours 26 minutes long, and it offers the following lessons;
This course is reviewed and certified by Dr. Meyer Psy.D.
This certification acknowledges that the PSD tasks taught in this course can help effectively mitigate the symptoms of many mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, schizophrenia, OCD, social phobias, and more.
This course is ideal for individuals with psychiatric disabilities who feel that a psychiatric service dog will be helpful to get them along with their daily tasks and live a more independent life.
Following this course, new and experienced canine trainers can train dogs to become service dogs.
4. Minimizing Separation Anxiety
This course concerns separation anxiety and helping your dog feel safe and secure when home alone.
By following the course, you will learn what separation anxiety is and how to recognize signs of it in your dog, how to prevent and treat it, and alternative treatments and techniques for severe separation anxiety cases.
This course is 1 hour 30 minutes long, and the following lessons are included;
This course is good for pet parents and dog handlers expecting to change their routine and leave their dogs alone more often and dogs already showing signs of separation anxiety.
5. General Canine Grooming
This all-rounder course in dog grooming covers multiple areas, including brushing, bathing, teeth cleaning, and nail clipping.
You can learn about specific grooming areas, tools and techniques to do the job properly, and tips and tricks to approach dog grooming. This course will cover the importance of maintaining a proper and regular grooming regime.
The run time of the course is 4 hours 33 minutes, and it covers the following lessons;
This is great for anyone wanting to learn how to groom a dog. Pet parents, especially first-time parents, can learn a lot about improving and maintaining a routine for their doggie grooming.
6. Canine Coworker
This interesting course will help you equip your dog with the necessary skills and behaviors to become the perfect office dog.
In this course, you’ll learn the following;
This course will take 4 hours to complete and covers the lessons listed below;
This course is ideal for working pet parents who want to bring their dogs to the office safely and responsibly. It is also suitable for anyone who wants to work on improving their dog’s socialization.
7. ESA Training
This course will cover everything there is to know about Emotional Support Animals, training techniques, and the laws and policies surrounding it.
From this course, you’ll learn the following;
This course takes 6 hours to complete and covers the following lessons;
This course is ideal for anyone who wants to train a dog to become an ESA. First-time owners and experienced handlers can also train their dogs to learn techniques to provide emotional support.
Anyone with a mental health disability can also follow this course to safely and effectively train the dog with minimal triggers and stress.
8. How to Stop Your Dog From Pulling
This course covers an essential dog behavior that all dog parents will benefit from leash pulling. This course teaches you how to manage and prevent your dog’s leash-pulling behavior using positive reinforcement and reward-based training.
You will also be briefed on high-energy dog breeds and how to manage their temperament to prevent and control leash pulling.
This is a 5 hours and 50 minutes course that will cover the following modules;
The course suits anyone who wants to work on their dog’s leash-pulling behavior to improve obedience, especially a high-energy dog breed.
9. Dog Tricks for Beginners
Taking a step further from basic obedience, you can follow this course to teach your dog fun beginner tricks like spinning, speaking, rolling over, sitting, and more.
The course also covers positive obedience training and how it will help create a foundation for communication, bonding skills, and teaching your dog to respond to your commands.
This 5 hours 15 minutes course will cover the modules below;
This course is ideal for anyone wanting to teach dog tricks while incorporating basic obedience commands. First-time and experienced owners can learn to introduce tricks into their dog’s daily life.
10. Building Confidence in Dogs
In this course, you will learn how to build confidence in scared and insecure dogs and help them live happy lives.
You will be able to identify triggers, learn how to read canine body language, and implement training strategies based on the individual dog to help improve self-esteem.
The modules covered in this 5 hours and 40 minutes course are;
This course is ideal for all who want to improve their dog’s confidence and self-esteem. Be it a young puppy or an older dog, this course can help improve a dog’s socialization skills and reduce anxiety or panic risks.
11. General Dog First Aid and CPR
Knowing general first aid and CPR is vital to ensure you are always ready to help your dog in a medical emergency. This course will teach you basic emergencies, from allergies to drowning to injuries.
This course will help you determine issues that need a vet’s attention or emergency clinic. Also, you will know about first aid supplies, medications, and contact numbers you should always have on you.
You’ll learn;
In this 7 hours 20 minutes course, the lessons covered are;
This course is good for anyone who wants to be prepared to care for their dog and provide the necessary safety measures in an emergency. Dog groomers, trainers, boarders, and dog walkers will also benefit as they consistently work with dogs.
12. Crate Training
Crate training is important to help housetrain your dog and make it more independent when you are not around.
This course will teach all the basics of crate training, its benefits, picking the best type of crate, and how to use reward-based positive training to help your dog be comfortable inside the crate.
In this 4 hours 30 minutes course, you’ll learn;
The lessons covered are as follows;
This course is suitable for anyone wanting to teach a dog the key behaviors to house and potty training to provide a safe and comfortable space.
Also, pet parents who want to travel with their pets will benefit from taking the course to train their dogs to be comfortable while traveling, even in stressful environments.
13. End Excessive Barking
This course will teach why your dog barks constantly and how you can minimize that behavior.
You can identify the different types of barks, recognize triggers causing excessive barking, read your dog’s body language, and use counterconditioning and desensitization techniques to alter that behavior.
The lessons covered in this 5 hours 30 minutes class are;
This course is good for anyone wanting to stop or prevent excessive barking. Pet parents can also learn about dog barking psychology to manage it best.
14. Curving Your Dog’s Reactivity
This course will help you fix and manage your dog’s reactive behavior to outside stimuli.
You’ll learn;
This is a 3 hours 50 minutes course that will cover the following modules;
This course is ideal for anyone who wants to learn about dog reactivity issues, causes, prevention, and management. Owners with dogs displaying reactive behaviors can also benefit from following the course.
15. The German Shepherd
This course is ideal for all current GSD parents, first-time dog parents considering a GSD, and anyone wanting to learn about GSDs.
This course teaches you about their history, temperament, physical characteristics, health, and grooming habits to take better care of their dog.
16. Goldendoodle
This course is for anyone interested in Goldendoodles. Through this course, you can learn history, temperament, ideal lifestyle, health issues, grooming needs, and more to provide them with the best care.
17. Australian Shepherd
This course will cover everything you need to know about the adventurous Australian shepherd breed. You can learn everything from history to appearance to the best lifestyle needs from this course.
So, anyone considering adopting an Australian Shepherd, groomers, and trainers working with this breed, or simply someone who loves this breed.
18. Golden Retriever
This course is all about the loving and loyal Golden Retriever breed. Anyone looking to adopt or learn about this breed will get access to information on history, physical characteristics, temperament, health, and grooming habits.
19. The French Bulldog
This course will teach you all about the cute and cuddly French Bulldog breeds. The course will cover everything from characteristics, temperament, training, health, and grooming habits.
You also learn what life would be like if you wanted to own a Frenchie and how best to care for this breed.
So anyone looking for knowledge on this breed, considering first-time dog parents, vets, groomers, and trainers, can take this course for a better insight into the breed.
20. The Ultimate Guide to Adopting a Dog
This course is for anyone who wants to become a pet parent.
From this course, you can learn everything there is to know about the adoption process, the importance of finding the right dog to fit your lifestyle, the preparation of the home and environment to keep your dog, and more.
21. How to Weave Through Legs
This course will give step-by-step instructions to teach your dog how to weave through the legs. Not only is it a fun trick, it is also good agility training.
How Much Does it Cost to Train Through the Dog Academy?
The Online courses offered by Dog Academy start from as low as $29.99 and go up as high as $349.99.
Dog Academy also offers a monthly subscription option that allows access to all courses, unlimited televet sessions, and exclusive discounts.
On the other hand, private training costs anywhere between $75- $130 per hour, based on your location.
However, if you opt for physical small-group training, you are looking at $39- $75 per hour, depending on your location.
Dog Academy offers a 100% refund if the cancellation is done 24 hours before the scheduled training session.
My Thoughts on Dog Academy Training?
From a wide course variety to positive teaching techniques, self-paced with clear and reliable course content, and affordability, Dog Academy offered me all the right things to convince me to choose it as my training guide.
Not to forget, the satisfied customer base with detailed reviews helped me understand how training with Academy will be and what to expect.
The many courses offered confused me, so I opted for the monthly subscription that allowed me to explore the courses I felt myself and my dog would benefit from.
I have completed some courses, including basic obedience training, minimizing separation anxiety, canine coworkers, and dog tricks. I was skeptical when I started because training your dog on your own sounds very challenging and time-consuming.
To my surprise, whatever my dog and I have worked on has been sitting well. We are taking it slow, but we are getting there for sure.
I like how, despite the courses being easy to follow, they are thoroughly detailed with up-to-date and reliable information. The exam component at the end of each module is a plus because I like to test my knowledge to understand what I understood.
I recommend following through the entire course yourself and understanding what it covers instead of trying to train your dog simultaneously while following it.
This will give you the time and space for your mind to understand how you can tweak things around to customize the approach to your dog’s personality.
What Do Previous Customers Say?
Past user experience views of the Dog Academy are glowing. Both Google Reviews and TrustPilot have above 4.8-star average reviews.
Users praise how the self-paced courses are very informative, with both written and audio/video information and clear and concise instructions.
Reviews also highlighted how the exams at the end of each lesson helped them reinforce what they had learned. Many users were satisfied that the Academy uses positive techniques and has worked for them.
On the other hand, I feel the low-rated reviews, which make up a very small percentage, are all from pet parents who couldn’t approach their training with an open mind.
Below are a few screenshots of reviews from previous customers;
This is my 3rd course I’ve taken from Dog Academy and each one has been valuable and well worth the cost. It’s self paced, with clearly presented modules that cover different topics and a summary module so it’s clear if you missed something you can go back. Each of the modules ended with a test and at any time I can go back.
Training at home on your own is difficult, especially with teaching dogs to do specific task and not just simple commands. Dog Academy made it easy with the simple explain of the training process and the video of why you do things a certain way. I honestly have zero criticism about Dog Academy.
I have had an amazing experience as a student of dog Academy. The lessons are very dynamic and focused on what you need to learn to have a service dog. The course is very organized, easy to understand and has all information regarding your rights and training strategies given step by step in writing and via video for you to succeed. In addition, the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful and it’s available at any time you may need.
Pros and Cons of the Dog Academy
Pros
Cons
Other dog training reviews:
Frequently Asked Questions
Takeaway Thoughts
Lastly, do not fail to remember that building a strong bond with a dog is most successful when started early on at a young age because the Puppy looks upon you for anything and everything.
But that does not mean you cannot achieve it with an older dog. You just have to be more patient and consistent in training to help your dog understand that you are trying to help it.
Training with the guidance from Dog Academy is sure to improve and strengthen your relationship with your dog.
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