Dog Failed Every Training Class — This Finally Worked
We adopted Cooper, our 3-year-old border collie mix,
from a rescue two years ago. What they didn't mention
in the listing was that he had zero obedience
training and a talent for destroying anything left
unattended.
We tried two in-person group dog training classes.
He passed the first one on paper but retained almost
nothing. The second trainer told us he was "too
distracted" and suggested private sessions at $120
an hour.
We weren't ready to spend $600+ on private dog
training, so I started looking for alternatives.
WHY REGULAR DOG OBEDIENCE TRAINING WASN'T WORKING
Most dog training programs focus on repetition and
correction — sit, stay, heel, repeat until the dog
complies. The problem with Cooper wasn't that he
couldn't learn commands. He knew sit and stay just
fine at home.
The problem was that the moment something more
interesting appeared — another dog, a squirrel, a
leaf moving — all of that training disappeared. He
wasn't disobedient. He was just mentally understimulated,
and his brain was constantly chasing the next thing.
A friend who fosters dogs told me about a program
called Brain Training for Dogs, which takes a
completely different approach. Instead of drilling
commands, it focuses on building focus, impulse
control, and problem-solving skills in the dog — so
that obedience becomes a natural result of a calmer,
more engaged mind.
I was skeptical but desperate.
WHAT THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY INCLUDES
Brain Training for Dogs is an online course and
membership — video lessons, written guides, and a
members-only community forum. The trainer behind it,
Adrienne Farricelli, is a certified professional dog
trainer with a real credential — CPDT-KA — which
matters because a lot of online dog training content
is made by people with no formal certification.
The program is structured in levels, starting from
basic focus games and building toward more complex
tasks. It's not about teaching party tricks — each
exercise has a specific behavioral goal, like
reducing reactivity, building frustration tolerance,
or improving recall.
For dog behavior problems like excessive barking,
leash pulling, jumping on guests, and ignoring
recall commands — these are specifically addressed
in the program, not just as isolated fixes but as
symptoms of an under-stimulated dog.
WHAT CHANGED WITH COOPER
Week 1-2: We started with the basic focus games.
Cooper thought these were easy and got bored fast —
which actually confirmed what we suspected. He
needed more mental challenge, not just physical
exercise.
Week 3-4: We moved into intermediate exercises.
This is where I started noticing real changes. He
began offering eye contact voluntarily during walks
instead of scanning for distractions. Small thing —
huge shift in practice.
Week 6: He recalled off-leash in the backyard when
a squirrel ran across the fence. He actually turned
away from it and came back. That had literally never
happened before.
We're now at week 10. The jumping on guests is
mostly gone. Leash pulling is significantly reduced.
He's not a perfectly obedient dog, but he's a
genuinely calmer, more manageable one — and more
importantly, he seems happier. Less frantic energy
at the end of the day.
WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS NOT
This is not a quick fix. If your dog has serious
aggression issues toward people or other dogs, you
need an in-person professional, not an online course.
Brain training works on focus and impulse control —
it is not a substitute for professional intervention
with genuinely dangerous behavior.
It also requires consistency. We did 10-15 minutes
of exercises daily. Skipping days set things back
noticeably. The program works, but only if you
actually use it.
WHO GETS THE MOST OUT OF IT
This is ideal for owners of high-energy breeds —
border collies, labs, huskies, shepherds,
goldendoodles — who seem to learn commands fine
but can't focus or maintain that training in
real-world situations. It's also excellent for
rescued dogs who have anxiety or erratic behavior
from an unknown history.
If you have a low-energy older dog who just needs
basic manners, the program works but might feel
like more than you need.
PRICING
The program offers a trial period followed by an
ongoing membership, which gives you access to new
content and the community forum. Current pricing
and what's included:
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