Last Updated on October, 2024
When it comes to dog training apps, there is just a handful of them to pick, and GoodPup is definitely one.
It offers expert training along with a lot of other essentials to convert your dog into that perfect canine companion.
That said, how does it stack up when it comes to the effectiveness?
What type of training techniques do the trainers use?
Is obedience training covered?
These are all important questions to ask yourself when buying a dog training program for your dog.
At the end of the day, you don’t want to fall into the hands of an expensive dominance-only trainer whose training methods can take a toll on your dog’s behavior in the long run.
In this GoodPup dog training app review, I’ll cover everything you need to know about it and help you make a purchasing decision. So keep reading…
The Good
GoodPup offers a customized training program that identifies your dog’s needs, and it is conducted 100% online so that your travel commitment is eliminated. There is also a 7-day trial for the app, so you can try it out before investing in it.
The Not So Good
The trainers use reward-based methods, that’s a PLUS, but their expertise or experience isn’t mentioned anywhere; it’s just mentioned as ‘’expert-backed training’’. So we have no idea whether the trainers are certified or not. You don’t want to be assisted by a trainer that has no idea what they’re doing. Also, the app isn’t cheap; it costs $34 per week after the trial.
The Bottom Line
Although GoodPup will train your dog, the lack of info on the trainers makes it a hard sell. On top of that, paying $34 a WEEK isn’t for everyone. There are more effective options that cost much less than GoodPup. You can only train your dog once, so click here to view the best alternative.
Table of Contents
About GoodPup
GoodPup is an online dog training app that provides one-on-one (at-home) dog training.
It was established in 2018 by a group of technologists and dog trainers.
The platform is dedicated to making dog training simple, affordable, and accessible to anyone.
The dog trainers from GoodPup will help you and your dog nurture a lifelong bond and live happily together.
About the Trainers
GoodPup’s head of training is Kait Hembree. She is a behavior modification in veterinary practices. Her experience in the field spans decades.
In collaboration with her team, her expertise created the GoodPup training program.
The designer of GoodPup’s training program is Kait Hembree. She heads the training along with her team. Kait has a long history in both animal behavior and medicine.
She often consults as a dog behavior specialist around the US and has vast expertise dealing with behavior modification in veterinary clinics and animal shelters.
As for the other trainers, there’s not a lot of information on them.
One notable advantage of GoodPup is that their training method is based on the most recent scientific research.
Good Pup Dog Training Review
GoodPup has a variety of training criteria that make it a fantastic choice for all dog owners, despite their training knowledge levels. One of GoodPup’s most notable features is its live, one-on-one training sessions with dog trainers.
These sessions are tailored to your dog’s unique needs and can improve the correction of behavioral issues, including barking, jumping, leash tugging, and many more. GoodPup uses positive reinforcement methods for their training.
How GoodPup Works?
They have the customization option to suit the training for your dog’s needs.
First, you have to answer a few questions about your dog. That way, they’ll understand your dog and provide you with the best training program.
The questions are about your dog’s current skills, such as responding to cues, potty and crate training, behavioral questions, what makes it stressed, and the healthcare needs.
The questions will help trainers understand whether your dog has the core skills. If not, they’ll add them to their training list.
You’ll be then provided with benefits and resources, which include,
- Live one-on-one online training sessions with the most suitable trainer
- On-demand training video material
- Ongoing feedback and advice
- Free trial week for the first training program
GoodPup is more like a university for your dog. The training is customized and is a gradual process leading to officially GRADUATING your dog! They offer advanced training for your dog after graduation.
What Types of Training are Offered?
Let’s check what you can expect from GoodPup
- GoodPup 101
This is a customized training program for your dog. The approximate duration of this course is eight weeks. It will cover the areas your dog needs to learn and adapt, conducted via online classes by professional trainers.
By the end of the 101 course, your dog will graduate, and it’ll make sure it has learned what it needs to learn. If your dog is not learning, the trainers will talk with you about extending your dog’s training.
- Advanced GoodPup training
After successful graduation, you can choose to proceed with GoodPup advanced training for your dog. You can decide to proceed with this right after the 101 training or whenever you wish.
The advanced course will be eight to ten weeks long.
- Ultimate pup tricks
This course will cover tricks that will increase your dog’s playfulness. You and your dog can have fun with these tricks and form a strong bond with each other. The course duration is eight to ten weeks.
- Advance manners
This course trains your dog in 10 skills. The main advantage of this training course is that once your pup successfully completes this program, it can earn the canine good citizenship title from the American Kennel Club.
GoodPup Mobile Application
You can download the GoodPup app on the Apple Store or Google Play for free.
It is a platform to conduct your one-on-one video training sessions, chat with your trainer as you need guidance, schedule and reschedule your session times, tracking your dog’s daily goals and progress.
The app has a 4.8 rating, and the company continually seeks to update the app to improve your training experience.
Price and Refund Policy at GoodPup
The price of the GoodPup Training 101 program is $34 per week. The training duration is about eight to ten weeks.
Your first week’s cost will be waived with a full discount of $34. So the total cost would be around $238 to $306 for 8 to 10 weeks.
If you believe GoodPup is not providing you the results you expect or is not the program for you for any reason, you can choose to request a refund anytime within the first month.
They guarantee a total refund!
Customer Testimonials of GoodPup Dog Training
Looking at the customer reviews of the GoodPup, I’ve got to say that there are many positive ones. Most of them seemed to have enjoyed the program and found it effective.
However, GoodPup seemed to have reared its ugly head when it came to customer service. Many of them have complained that they were charged even after canceling the payment, and the responsiveness of customer service wasn’t helping either.
Another complaint was the cost of the training program in the long run, as mentioned above, it’s not cheap. I also came across some reviews complaining the program was dragged on for up to 8 weeks at least.
Is it Worth Buying? (My Personal Opinion)
Despite being fancy and efficient, GoodPup training sessions have raised my eyebrows on a few things.
The first thing was the GoodPup trainers. They may be passionate dog trainers, but most of them are not the best qualified in the area of dog training.
At least each of the trainer’s certificates would’ve been helpful.
That’s not the case.
Apart from that, it isn’t cheap; at $306, you don’t even get to access the program forever. Once you’ve stopped paying weekly, you lose all access to the program.
Some competitive courses provide a better training program for the same price. Check out what I’m talking about.
Pros and Cons of GoodPup
Pros
Cons
Best Alternative to GoodPup
The best alternative is the K9 Institute. Find out more about it below,
The founder and chief trainer of the K9 Institute is among the most well-known service dog trainers in the United States.
Dr. Alexa Diaz is her name, and the second coach is Eric Presnall (host of the Animal Planet TV show “Who Let the Dogs Out”).
K9 Institute’s Dr. Alexa believes that dog training should be started not with verbal cues but rather with body language.
She says dogs communicate mainly with body language. Therefore using the body language technique is more effective.
Once the dog has caught up with the body language communication, verbal cues can be introduced.
The K9 dog training workshop will divulge the top-secret techniques used by trainers of service dogs so that your dog can also learn to act just as admirably as a service dog.
Please note that this course’s goal is not to assist you in getting your dog certified as a service dog. Instead, this class will help “regular” dogs like yours to develop the same levels of composure and training as a service dog.
All these valuable training methods are offered completely FREE.
You read it correctly. The workshop is entirely free.
Remarkably, the training program offers so much value for nothing at all.
Below are training that the K9 institute has to offer,
- Rectifying their current behavioral problems, like barking and leash-pulling, wrong behavior of the past, corrected through positive reinforcement
- Potty training, leash training, come when called, stop jumping with excitement, and how to stop barking unnecessarily
- Training them to listen to you even without treats
- Training to look to you for directions at all times
- Training their entire mindset to want to please you, just like service dogs
- Training to be extraordinarily well-behaved in public
- Will remain calm and well-behaved in the presence of extremely high levels of distractions
- Training to listen to you even at a distance
There won’t be a change in your trainers during the K9 training program. Incredibly, Dr. Alexa and Eric Presnall conduct all of the K9 Training Institute’s programs.
Your dog, regardless of breed, age, or gender, can be trained using the program, which is fantastic.
Other dog training app reviews:
Conclusion
If the price and the trainer’s quality aren’t a big deal for you, for everything it offers, GoodPup can be a good training program for you. However, the price and trainers are some of the important things to look for in a dog training program.
GoodPup fails in that regard, and in comparison, K9 training institute is an excellent pick; it offers a lot and costs absolutely $0. Basically, there’s nothing to lose. Even if you sign up for GoodPup, you can still give K9ti a shot.
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