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Thinking about getting a SpiritDog Training course?
If you’re tired of having a reactive dog, wish your dog would behave in public, or want to be prepared for a new puppy, then one of these courses might be the right one for you.
But purchasing a course and, more important, deciding who to trust with your dog training is a big decision.
So in this article, you’ll learn:
- What SpiritDog Training is
- Who it’s for (and who it’s NOT for)
- The pros and cons of SpiritDog Training
- And much more
I’ve taken two of the SpiritDog Training courses for help with raising my dog, so I can give an honest, thorough review for you of what they’re like.
But first, two disclaimers:
The first disclaimer is that I’m biased.
One of the biggest reasons people abandon their dogs is that they can’t manage their behavior.
That’s often due to a lack of training, socialization, or knowledge of how to handle certain situations.
These are usually the owner’s fault — not the dog’s fault — so yes, I’m biased toward recommending a dog training course because it can prevent dogs from being abandoned.
Also, I did a survey of 600 Golden Retriever parents and asked about their training experience.
91.5% of people who’ve purchased an online dog training course said they found it helpful, which is another reason I’m biased toward courses like this.
That being said, I’ll give you an honest review of what I liked and didn’t like about SpiritDog Training.
The second disclaimer is that this post includes affiliate links, which means I may get a small commission if you purchase a course through the links on this site, which comes at no cost to you.
Alright, now that we have the disclaimers out of the way, let’s get into the review!
What Is SpiritDog Training
SpiritDog Training is a website about dog training by professional dog trainer, Steffi Trott.
They have nearly 20 different courses for a variety of behavior problems and training goals, as well as a blog with tons of free information.
They also have a membership site, SpiritDog Academy, which has both courses to help you train your dog and a community where dog owners can interact with each other and Steffi.
Who SpiritDog Training Is For
SpiritDog Training has several courses to solve specific behavior issues, including:
- Reactivity
- Loose leash walking
- Basic obedience
- Puppy raising and training
- Trick training
- And much more
We’ll talk more about the specifics of which courses are available later, but the point is this: if you’re struggling with a behavior issue with your dog, SpiritDog Training has a course for you.
But whether or not this is the right program for you is not just about course selection.
It’s also about the type of person you are.
Do you care enough to take the time and initiative to help your dog?
Do you want what’s best for your dog and your relationship with them in the long term?
If so, then SpiritDog Training is probably the right fit for you.
Who SpiritDog Training Is NOT For
There are two types of people that these courses are not for:
- Dominating Dolly
- Lazy Larry
Dominating Dolly
If you think you need to dominate your dog and scare them into obeying you, these courses aren’t for you.
(And come to think of it, maybe a dog isn’t for you…)
These courses use positive training methods to get your dog to want to listen to you.
This method takes patience, love, and care, but it works really well and works in the long term.
Lazy Larry
Some people ship their dog off to boarding school for two weeks and expect to get a perfect dog when they return.
If this is you, then you might want to find one of those boarding schools and skip these courses.
Training a dog is as much about training you as training your dog, which these courses do an incredible job at.
If you expect to have someone else fix your dog’s behavior problems without any work on your end, then don’t get these courses.
Pros Of SpiritDog Training
There’s a lot to like about the SpiritDog Training courses.
Here are a few of my favorites:
SpiritDog Training Works
Steffi is a great trainer and knows how to get your dog to do what you want them to do in a way that’s fun and fulfilling for them.
Her courses contain step-by-step instructions and are super easy to follow.
It’s Convenient
It doesn’t get any more convenient than watching dog training videos from your couch!
You don’t have to go anywhere, or train at a specific time — the online courses are available for you to watch 24/7.
It’s also nice to be able to rewatch them at any time if you’re struggling with something specific or you forgot a particular tip.
- If you’d rather have a text-based course instead of a video-based course, check out this Brain Training For Dogs review.
Trainer Interaction
If you’re struggling with a concept in the video or a situation with your dog, you can ask Steffi a question and she’ll answer you.
Community
In addition to you asking Steffi a question, you can also see what other questions people have had.
This helps because 1) you know you’re not alone, and 2) you can see what problems might arise in the future and how to handle them.
SpiritDog Academy has a great community, but you can comment on the videos in the a la carte courses and interact with Steffi and other dog owners there, too.
Price
The prices of these courses are very affordable, especially when you consider the value that they bring.
You only have your dog for a short time, and it’d be a shame if you couldn’t take them places with you or enjoy them because of their behavior that could be fixed by implementing one of these courses.
The price of SpiritDog Academy starts at $20/month, and you can see the prices of each of the courses by clicking the links to them here.
Cons Of SpiritDog Training
I love these courses, but they’re not perfect.
Here are two of the main cons I’ve found:
There’s a lot of information
I’m thankful that Steffi is so thorough in her training, but I will admit that it can be a lot when you first dive in.
You have a lot of options for courses, as well as many videos in each course.
Make sure to set aside some time to go through the courses, and don’t get discouraged if it seems overwhelming at first.
Community
I listed the community as a pro, but I’m also listing it as a con.
Here’s why: the community for the a la carte courses lives in the comments section under the course videos, so it’s hard to navigate.
Yes, you can ask questions, get answers from Steffi, and see what other questions people have, but there’s no big community feed or searchability, like Facebook groups have there.
If you want to join their membership community, where there is a much more robust forum, search capabilities, and discussion, then you’ll want to check out SpiritDog Academy.
What Courses Does SpiritDog Training Offer
At the time of this writing, SpiritDog Training offers several courses, including:
- Tackling Reactivity
- Ultimate Puppy Program
- Basic Obedience
- Coming When Called & Outdoor Focus
- Canine Fitness Course
- Mastering Potty Training
- Dog Agility
- Loose Leash Walking
- Dog Tricks
- SpiritDog Academy
You can click the links above to learn more about each of the classes, but here’s a little sneak peek of the two courses I’ve taken:
SpiritDog Training Tackling Reactivity
Tackling Reactivity is by far the most popular course.
If you’re reading this, I probably don’t have to tell you how frustrating it is to deal with a reactive dog.
However, this course can help!
Reactivity can be a very complex problem, and Steffi does a great job at helping you get to the root of the problem and actually fixing it.
Whether you have an old rescue, a wild puppy, or your dog is only reactive in very specific situations, this course can help.
You can get Tackling Reactivity here.
SpiritDog Training Ultimate Puppy Program
Raising a puppy is more than just teaching them how to go potty outside and sit.
Steffi covers everything here, including:
- How to get your puppy to want to pay attention to you
- What a daily schedule looks like with a puppy
- How to handle biting and chewing
- Crate training
- Handling common behavior problems
- And much more
This course is especially cool because she’s teaching it with her very own puppy, so she’s not just preaching without actually knowing what new puppy owners are going through.
If you have a puppy, or you’re about to get a puppy, I definitely recommend getting it.
You can get the Ultimate Puppy Program here.
Does SpiritDog Training Work?
SpiritDog Training courses work because they get to the root of the issue, they don’t just put bandaids on problems.
Steffi will help you understand why your dog acts a certain way, and then teach you how to use psychology, positive reinforcement, and natural instincts to behave the way you want them to.
The training techniques she uses are positive, proven, and backed by science.
They helped me, as well as thousands of other dog owners.
What Kind Of Training SpiritDog Training Uses
SpiritDog Training only uses positive reinforcement techniques.
You’ll be using lots of treats and praise, and setting your dog up in situations where they can succeed.
What you WON’T be doing is yelling, hitting, scaring, or other ways of dominating or intimidating your dog.
Who Teaches SpiritDog Training Courses
Steffi Trott is the instructor at SpiritDog Training and she’s amazing!
She’s truly a dog nerd who loves understanding why dogs think and behave the way that they do, and how to use their natural instincts to teach them how we want them to behave.
She also cares about dogs and the relationship with human and dog.
She lives in New Mexico, USA, has four dogs of her own, and has been training dogs for over 8 years.
Will SpiritDog Training Work For My Dog?
The reason SpiritDog Training works for almost all dogs is because Steffi gets to the why beneath every behavior.
Her approach of starting from the bottom and helping your dog be successful at each step is incredibly effective.
No matter what breed you have, if your dog is only reactive to certain dogs at certain times, or even if your dog isn’t food motivated, these courses can help.
SpiritDog Training FAQ
Have any other questions about SpiritDog Training?
The list below should help, but if you have more, ask them down in the comments section below!
What kind of training does SpiritDog Training use?
SpiritDog Training uses positive reinforcement techniques.
How do I access the SpiritDog Training courses?
There’s an online portal on their website that’s easy to navigate.
The course videos are laid out in a way that makes it easy for you to see which videos you’ve watched and which ones are coming up.
How long will I have access to the online courses?
You will have lifetime access to the courses, so you can rewatch the videos as much as you want.
Do I still need in-person classes?
In most cases, no.
Here’s what the SpiritDog Training website says about this:
“Our instructor and head trainer Steffi Trott started out as an in-person dog trainer, and after training with hundreds of dogs and owners for years knew that most of them actually do not need a local trainer – they simply need positive, step-by-step instruction.
No trainer can “fix” a dog in a training session or two. The real changes happen through training at home, where the owner shows the dog exactly what behaviors pay off and get rewarded.
You as the owner are the #1 trainer your dog needs.
Nobody knows him as well as you do, which gives you a great start as a teacher.”
How much is SpiritDog Training?
Each course is different, and you can see how much they cost by clicking the links to the individual courses here.
Is SpiritDog Training worth it?
Yes! The classes are inexpensive and provide a TON of value.
If the puppy course helps you save just one pair of shoes, it’s paid for itself.
And if the reactivity course gives you peace of mind when walking in the neighborhood and lets you finally enjoy your dog, it’s priceless.
What is SpiritDog Academy?
SpiritDog Academy is a community where you’ll have access to specific courses to help train your dog, as well as a community where you can interact with Steffi and other dog owners.
You can learn more about SpiritDog Academy here.
Where To Get SpiritDog Training Courses
If you’ve decided that SpiritDog Training is right for you, or if you want more information, you can go to SpiritDogTraining.com.
If you want to learn more about SpiritDog Academy, you can click here.
And you can get the two courses that I’ve taken here:
Have any questions about SpiritDog Training? Have you taken any of their courses?
Let me know down in the comments!
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