Last Updated on October, 2024

The Online Dog Trainer from Doggy Dan is one of the widespread online dog training programs out there.

Not only that, it is considered one of the best-selling dog training courses too.

So, what exactly is Dan doing?

Well, he’s training dogs, and that’s an answer everyone probably knows by now. But, what no one knows is the techniques that doggy dan actually uses to train all the dogs.

I thought of training my Rottie “Hulk” using his “The Online Dog Trainer”. Only because of the fact that it offers more than I could ever ask to train my Dog.

I subscribed for a full 6-months along with the 3-day trial of the online dog trainer program, hoping that I can turn Hulk into the dog that I’ve always wanted. But, just after a few days, I decided to cancel the subscription.

Simply because of the techniques used by Dan to train the dogs. 

Right after getting to know the ways he trains the dogs, I decided not to touch the program.

I would never use any of the training techniques that Dan uses to train my Dog. 

Also, I would never recommend any of you guys teach your dog using Dan’s philosophy. 

Because the training philosophy of Dan can severely backfire and cause a lot of problems if you fail to execute them properly.

Almost all the reviews on the internet completely neglect this and claim that The online dog trainer program is 100% safe. I largely disagree on that, and I don’t know why no one has yet talked about this issue.

Anyways, now here I’m to expose all of it. In this Doggy Dan’s The Online Dog Trainer Review, I’ll uncover each and every secret about Doggy Dan online program and will let you know why you should stay away from it.

So without further ado, let’s dive straight in…

Who is Doggy Dan?

Dan Abdelnoor, aka Doggy Dan, is one of the most renowned Canine Trainers out there. 

He is also an author and wrote the book, namely “What the Dogs Taught Me About Being a Father,” a TV personality and a speaker.

Plus, he also loves to help other parents to raise their children in a proper way. 

Dan moved to Auckland from the UK, and now he is with his wife, two children, and three dogs.

Before he was a Dog trainer, he was actually an engineer and a teacher. It was 2008 when he decided to become a dog trainer and behavioral specialist. 

After becoming a trainer, he found success instantly and got proposals for many TV shows. 

That’s where the producers of “Dog Almighty” saw the limelight in Dan and snatched him for their TV show; he has also recently started his own podcast. 

Also, he is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainer, and finally, he is a “Qualified Dog listener.” He has gained basic and advanced certificates from Jan Fennell, a world-famous ‘Dog Listener.’

Even though his credentials seem appealing, you should know that he is not a certified professional dog trainer. Unfortunately, after digging all around the internet, I couldn’t find a single source proving he’s a certified trainer. 

Are Doggy Dan’s Methods Of Training Safe?

This is what led me to stay away from Dan’s dog training program. I won’t say his methods are safe. If I do, I’ll be completely wrong. 

Dan’s training methods are Dominance Theory or Dominance hierarchy-based training. It’s also known as “alpha dog training,” “pack theory training,” or “dog whispering.” 

I’m never into training courses that involve these training methods. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn’t have even considered Doggy Dan’s online dog trainer program. 

However, for some reason, his dog training course is fully approved and recommended by the Royal New Zealand SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

But that does not alleviate the fact that Dan uses alpha training and the concepts related to it. In fact, one of the essential parts of the Doggy Dan Program is based on how to become the pack leader; there is even a separate section related to this category.

UPDATE: SPCA New Zealand has informed Dogs Academy that they no longer endorse Doggy Dan’s Online Dog Trainer and are working to remove all associations with SPCA from his website.

• So, What and Who is a “Pack Leader”? 

The basic idea of pack training is to train your dog to respect and regard you as an authoritative person and mainly his/her leader.

Not only that, but you’ll also need to constantly remind your pooch that he/she is at the bottom and you’re in charge. 

To establish yourself as a pack leader, you’ll need to interact with your Dog like an alpha wolf. If your Fido is still a puppy, you’ll need to interact with him as the mama wolf. 

Suppose If you fail to train your dog this way, he/she will take over the pack and will start to behave in their own ways. 

This theory is not even considered true for wolves these days, then; how come we humans can think that it’ll work on our dogs?

Anyways, below I’ve put up all the techniques Dan recommends in order for us to become the leader of the pack.

Principles Of Doggy Dan Online Dog Training Program

Doggy Dan teaches 5 Golden Rules for you to become the Pack Leader. Below is every one of them.

The 5 ‘Golden’ Rules

• Gesture Eating

This is one of the most popular aspects of pack training and the first step you’ll learn on your way to becoming the pack leader. 

Gesture Eating means eating anything before your Dog does and while your Dog is watching.

The idea behind this is, every time in a wolf pack, the alpha is the one who’ll eat first.

Next is, after having your meals, you should feed your Dog the food. But the main thing here is if he or she does not eat the food you kept within a few seconds, you should take it away.

Also, while placing your Furry Friend’s meal, you should not look at them or speak to them.

• Ignoring Your Dog After Separation

This is the next rule. Here, the thing you have to do is after being away from your Dog. Doggy Dan says you should totally ignore them once you come back home. You should avoid contacting eye, speaking and should just take care of your business. 

• Who Walks Who?

This step comes in when taking your dog for a walk. Every time while you’re outside with your Dog, you shouldn’t be the one who is being walked. 

Instead, to assert Dominance while walking, you should be the Former, and your Fido should be the latter, without letting it become the other way around. 

According to this theory, If you let your Dog walk ahead of you, he’ll start walking all over you in other parts of your relationship. 

The idea behind this is, while traveling the alpha of the wolf pack takes the lead position.

• Show Your Dog That You’re Capable Of Handling Any Danger 

Another way to show yourself as the alpha according to “Pack Training” is whenever your Dog starts behaving aggressively, you as the dog owner should avoid showing any sudden reaction.

No shouting or yelling eye contact. You just need to be calm and assertive and show that you’re not happy with what your Dog is doing in a subdued way.

This will show your dog that you’re not interested in any of its stupidity.

The idea behind this rule is, in the wild, when something is going on in the surroundings. Then, the leader of the pack will interact with it calmly and assertively without projecting any emotional or nervous energy. 

• You Should Dictate The Terms

In this rule, your Dog should obey whatever you say, make your Dog listen to you, and show them that you’re the one who’s giving the orders.

These are all the 5 ‘Golden’ Rules that have been outlined in Doggy Dan’s online dog training program. And to be honest, I’m totally against this. 

Things to Know About the 5 ‘Golden’ Rules

Taking charge of the pack by eating first, ignoring after separation, and occupying a higher position are all unnecessary and sometimes even considered cruel techniques. 

And what’s more, this Dominance Based Training is also considered incorrect, outdated, and is not supported by proper scientific studies.

By the way, as I mentioned before, even wolves don’t follow these anymore. 

According to observation by wildlife biologists, alpha wolves these days, instead of taking the lead while traveling in packs, survey from the back or near the pack. 

The same goes while eating. Before the leaders feed themselves, they will allow the young ones to eat. 

And recent observations also suggest that wolves don’t seek higher positions over the pack anymore. 

Anyways, if we get into more details about the 5 ‘Golden’ Rules, they make no sense.

For example, Gesture Eating, this is entirely unnecessary. Eating before your Dog and in front of him is simply not going to convince that intelligent species that you’re the alpha. Also, they’re more than aware that you’re the one who fulfills their needs.

Next is who walks who. The way a dog walks will not reflect the relationship between the Dog, and its owner. If your Dog is taking the lead while on a walk, it’s not because he’s dominating you.

Basically, you have not taught him to walk next to you. Dog’s are not born knowing how to walk next to you, So it’s a matter of training.

A little about Ignoring Your Dog After Separation, I don’t know who would do that. Your Dog will miss you terribly once you’re away, and ignoring them after coming back, No way. That’s pretty cruel.

Your Dog will be the happiest creature after they see you back, so make sure you greet them with the same energy and enthusiasm they greet you with. 

Finally, these Dominance-based techniques affect the bond between the owner and the Dog. They sometimes even pose a serious risk of physical injury to the owner. 

• Next Downside Of The Doggy Dan Online Dog Training Program

After dominance training comes, there is another big problem with Doggy Dan’s training program. That is the use of correction style training, which is a technique closely related to dominance-based training. Both training styles share many of the same principles.

But before I get into that, I have to say that Doggy Dan is a balanced canine trainer. If you don’t know who is a balanced trainer, here’s some information.

A balanced canine trainer is someone who uses both food rewards techniques and punishments-based training in order to get the Dog trained. Balanced canine trainers don’t often don’t use the word punishments. Instead, they use “correcting your dog” or simply “corrections.” 

They usually start the training with positive techniques, but punishments are introduced if they don’t work.

This is a significant downside because the poor soul that is your Dog might experience stress and anxiety during training.

Anyways, enough of the techniques Doggy Dan uses. Now, let’s take a look at some important information about the doggy dan program itself. 

What’s Included With Doggy Dan’s The Online Dog Trainer? 

This online dog training program thankfully comes with a 3-day trial.

You can access all of the materials that this course has during this time.

I failed to do this since I straight away subscribed to the program along with the trial. 

Anyways coming back to the contents included, what you’ll see here is simply staggering.

This was one of the reasons I decided to pay for the program; you get so much for what you pay.

After the payment, you get instant access to the homepage. Here you will be treated with an introduction video from Doggy Dan, where he’ll share some of the experiences he gained with various dog breeds over the years.

Dog Calming Code

The section that made me give up on the program. 

This is considered the most essential section of the whole Dan’s Online Program because this is where you’ll discover the 5 “golden” rules, which will help you in the journey of becoming the pack leader.

22 videos along with some audio, articles, and PDFs are included in this Dog Calming Code section. All of these are outlined in a manner that’ll be easy for you to understand.

Everyday Tools & Techniques

In this section, Doggy Dan provides you with techniques that he personally uses with his clients. This was a great section, as some of the tools focused on force-free techniques instead of punishments. 

Here, Doggy Dan will teach you how to use the short line and long line, the energy meter, the stick trick, the calm freeze, and some more. 

However, in this same section, Doggy Dan also talks about isolating a dog. He even points out that isolating your Dog is a form of punishment. 

This is where that balanced trainer trait of Dan comes in. Even after you’ve trained your dog to stop unwanted behavior problems and he still keeps doing it, you have to isolate him without stimuli. 

Placing your Dog in isolation can cause stress and can even lead to aggression. Plus, isolating your Dog in areas such as the basement or laundry room should be totally avoided.

And by the way, there’s a total of 18 Videos with some articles and PDFs here. 

Puppy Training

This section includes 18 videos and covers everything that you need to know about puppy training.

If you own a puppy for the first time, this can be very useful.

All the videos here provide good information for new and old puppy owners.

And before moving to the next dog training section, you should’ve completed this.

These categories go even further with sub-sections, and Doggy Dan easily orchestrates everything without overcomplicating things. 

Project Moses

This is the category I like the most.

It’s an excellent documentation where Doggy Dan uses his very own Dog Moses.

Moses is a Border Collie x Labrador puppy.

In this section, Dan shares every experience he gained by training Moses, from him being 8 weeks old to 8 months old. 

This project covers everything similar to Puppy Training but with more details and with real-life experiences.

Also, it contains 68 videos.

A good benefit of this part is that Dan teaches what you should teach your Dog at its particular age. 

Project Moses covers problems that you’ll be facing from day one after bringing home your new puppy.

That’s a lot, and to be honest, this section covers more than what a new puppy owner could ever ask for.

Dog Problems

This section is primarily for those who missed proper puppy training or those who owned an adult dog from the beginning. The section can be helpful for the dogs who came from shelters and bad backgrounds too. 

Doggy Dan here comes up with a solution to eliminate problem behaviors you might be facing with an old dog. 

He also uses various science-based techniques in this section and gives some bits of advice. This section contains 56 videos.

Dog Training

This section with 41 videos covers some pretty valuable information that you cannot find in any other dog training programs online. 

Yes, in my opinion, you will not find it on any online program. 

Dan here teaches you how to understand your Dog through its body/face language.

Not only that, in this section, he covers Basic training concepts, command training, reward, and finally, swim and play fetch. Teaching Hulk, all these would’ve been a lot of fun, but due to Doggy Dan’s training philosophy, I couldn’t. 

And finally, he goes on to talk about safety within the human-canine family unit. 

Forum

The Community Forum is a great place to get answers to your doubts about the training system and stuff related to the program. So it’s great to see that it is available in this program too.

The available hundreds and thousands of members are always active, and even Doggy Dan himself might answer your questions which is great, and many other dog training programs don’t do this.

Overall it’s a great addition to Doggy Dan program. 

How Much Does Doggy Dan’s The Online Dog Trainer Cost?

First and foremost, you’re given the luxury to try out the program for 3-days, and it costs $1. This trial will not restrict what you’ll be using; you get access to everything and anything that his website has. 

And if you’re not happy with what you’re seeing, you can happily cancel the subscription. 

But if you’re ok with all the Dominance and Punishments involved in this dog training program and just want to train your Dog, you can sign up for a monthly subscription fee of $37 per month.

You’ll be able to cancel the subscription anytime, by the way. 

After purchase, You’ll also get a 60-day Money Back Guarantee. You can cancel your subscription at any time by simply mailing Dan. 

$37 for a month is not cheap, even though the program comes with a lot of content included.

In addition, the fact that Doggy Dan uses outdated, cruel, and incorrect techniques in order to training dogs makes it very hard to recommend the program to anyone.

Will the Online Dog Trainer Program Work?

For many dog owners, no matter what the training philosophy is, if the program works, that’s it, they’re in. 

If you ask me whether Doggy Dan online dog training program works or not, I’ll probably say it will.

If you do everything according to what Dan says, Yes, you can get your pooch trained. However, Doggy Dan’s philosophy is known to cause more harm than good. 

So now that you know everything about his philosophy, you’ll have to think twice before trying it on your Dog.

Other dog training programs we’ve reviewed:

• Off Leash K9 Training

Pros and Cons of the Online Dog Trainer

Even after getting to know this, and still, you’re dead set on going with Dan’s program, here are some Pros and Cons you’ll need to know. 

Cheaper and Better Alternative to the Online Dog Trainer

I’ll walk you through from the top so it gives the complete picture.

Unlike Doggy Dan, who has a very questionable educational and real-life experience background, the K9 institute features two giants in the dog training industry. The lead trainer is Dr. Alexa Diaz, whose PhD is in animal behavior.

She also brings 20 years of experience in training service dogs that are trained to assist people with mental and physical disabilities.

I was surprised to learn that she has also trained emotional support dogs (I never knew it existed) for war veterans struggling with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

The second trainer is Eric Presnall. If you were a fan, you’d remember that he hosted the hit Animal Planet TV show “Who Let The Dogs Out”.

This show focuses on searching for the most well-trained dogs in the US, including surfing dogs, skateboarding dogs, and even service dogs.

His role was to judge trainers based on how well their dogs were trained while working with Hollywood’s best-known activists like Betty White and Greg Kinnear. Eric is also the lead presenter of the K9 Training Institute.

I booked my free seat and attended the workshop — that alone helped me train Hulk.

What does the K9 Dog Training Institute bring to the table?

The main difference I instantly noticed was the training style.

I know that service dogs shouldn’t be trained with Doggy Dan’s Alpha Dog training. It deviates from their trained purpose. Dr. Alexa and Eric follow a unique training approach that mixes body language and rewards, used for service dog training.

It’s an upgraded version of the standard positive reinforcement method.

The best thing is that the course content is based on Harvard University and Stanford University. If this was a false claim, Dr. Alexa and Eric would have already been sued for using the logos.

Dr. Alexa and Eric aim to resolve 11 common behavioral issues, and it includes everything you need for a well-trained dog.

Personally, I liked that concise approach that I didn’t experience with Doggy Dan, as there were so many training options that may not have been useful to me. Amongst these, one crucial resolved issue is housebreaking.

The process is so easy when you follow the service dog approach aspect. It indirectly lets the dog know that not only is it inappropriate, but also it just doesn’t suit them. It’s like how a person wearing a suit won’t be eating a burger on a wet pavement.

This dynamic duo also shattered the common misconception that dogs can be trained to stay silent whenever someone comes to your dog.

However, they don’t necessarily have to bark; there’s a quiet way, and the K9 training will train your dog will to do that.

Your dog will also learn how not to bark excessively whenever a loud car drives by, which can be incredibly irritating to you and your neighbors. Another critical area is obedience, which is a dog training fundamental.

The secret is the service dog training approach.

Dr. Alexa and Eric also covered leash-pulling issues. Service dogs never do that, and your dog won’t do the same either. Leash pulling isn’t only one side of the coin when you take your dogs for a walk.

The other side is when dogs jump on people. Dr. Alexa and Eric continue to follow their non-Alpha dog training methods to train your dog swiftly so that they won’t ever jump on people.

I also loved how this online training isn’t all about getting your dog to follow commands. The K9 Training Institute duo also trains your dog toread you and respond accordingly — that’s another special trait seen in service dogs.

One could question whether this course aims to train service dogs. The answer is no. Dr. Alexa and Eric merely use service dog training techniques and adjust them for domesticated dogs so that they will mimic the behavior of a service dog.

This brings us to another important question: what breeds can be trained by this course? Any breed can be trained! Yes, whether it is a Doberman or a Chihuahua, the training program will handle it all the same.

All of this is completely FREE. Once you click GRAB YOUR FREE SEAT NOW, you’ll be directed to this screen to share your contact info, and they will get to you.

Before we conclude, let me show you what their customers are saying.

Chris shows the problem and his experience following the K9 training.

Lavinia also has experienced incredible results, which further proves the K9 Training Institute’s success.

Conclusion

Doggy Dan is not a complete failure; the program contains valuable content. The problem is that his training methods have a very high chance of backfiring, damaging your dog’s psyche irreversibly.

His credentials are questionable, too. On the flip side, it’s expensive too. 

You can try out the 3-day trial, but why should you when the K9 online Training Institute covers EVERYTHING for FREE? It follows an upgraded positive reinforcement training that makes your dog mimic service dogs. A qualified and experienced duo conducts the course.

I hope this review was helpful to you, and I hope you don’t damage your dog’s brain attempting to train.

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