I’ll be honest. I was skeptical. My dog Milo had been pulling on the leash since the day I brought him home, and I’d tried everything: treats, clickers, YouTube videos, a trainer who came to the house twice and then ghosted me. When a friend mentioned Brain Training for Dogs, I rolled my eyes a little. Another online course promising miracles.
But I was out of ideas, so I tried it.
Six weeks later, Milo walks beside me without pulling. He sits when I ask, comes when I call, and stopped shredding my couch cushions. Not magic. But it actually worked, and I want to explain exactly why, and who it is and isn’t for.
What Is Brain Training for Dogs?
Brain Training for Dogs is a digital training program created by Adrienne Farricelli, a CPDT-KA certified trainer with over a decade of experience. The core idea: a lot of bad dog behavior comes from mental boredom, not a lack of discipline. Instead of drilling commands, the program uses 21 structured brain games that engage your dog’s mind. A mentally stimulated dog is a better-behaved dog. After going through the whole program, I think that’s largely true.
What’s Inside the Course?
The course is organized into seven progressive modules:
- Preschool – Foundation work: eye contact, name recognition, basic focus
- Elementary School – Sit, stay, down, come
- High School – Leash manners and impulse control
- College – Advanced obedience and off-leash basics
- University – Reliability under distractions
- Graduate School – Complex multi-step commands
- Einstein – Advanced brain games and tricks
Each module has video demonstrations, written step-by-step instructions, and a troubleshooting guide. The videos show Adrienne working with her own dogs, so you can see the methods in real time. There’s also a private member forum if you get stuck.
What Problems Does It Actually Solve?
It works best for: leash pulling, excessive barking, jumping on people, ignoring recall, destructive chewing, and general hyperactivity. The game-based approach is especially effective for high-energy breeds like labs, border collies, huskies, and shepherds, all dogs that need more mental outlet than basic obedience drills provide. Milo is a lab mix. The difference after a brain game session is visible. He’s calmer, more settled, more willing to listen.
Pricing and Guarantee
The course costs $67 for lifetime access. No monthly fees, no upsells needed to get the core content. That’s less than a single in-person training session, which typically runs $50–$150 and leaves you with nothing to refer back to. There’s a 60-day money-back guarantee, which takes most of the risk off the table.
Honest Pros and Cons
What works well: Force-free methods backed by behavioral science. Works for dogs of all ages and breeds. Progressive structure means you always know what to do next. Video format is much easier to follow than written guides. Lifetime access lets you revisit sections as your dog progresses.
What could be better: Results depend on daily consistency, especially in the first few weeks. No live coaching or real-time Q&A with Adrienne. The advanced modules assume your dog has nailed the basics, so skipping ahead will cause problems. Not designed for serious aggression issues, which require hands-on professional help.
Who Is This For?
Good fit if you have a dog with specific behavior problems you want to fix at home, own a high-energy or intelligent breed that seems perpetually bored, want structure rather than scattered YouTube advice, and are willing to spend 10 to 20 minutes a day consistently. Less useful for dogs with serious aggression, resource guarding, or fear-based reactivity. Those cases require an in-person trainer who can observe and adjust in real time.
Final Verdict
Brain Training for Dogs does what it says. The game-based approach is genuinely different from traditional repetition training, and the structured progression makes it accessible even if you’ve never trained a dog before.
It’s not a miracle. You’ll need to show up consistently, especially in the first few weeks when progress feels slow. But if you put in the work, the results are real. At $67 with a 60-day guarantee, the downside is limited.