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Dogs provide love and companionship to millions of people every day. However, many of our canine compatriots are in need of some kind of instruction, whether it's housebreaking, barking too much, or just general obedience training.
There are many programs available to train your dog, but which ones are really effective? TopConsumerReviews.com reviews and ranks the best dog training programs available.

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DOG TRAINING

It's estimated that there are over 60 million dog owners in the U.S.  Most of them have come to realize that dogs don't come already programmed, without the need for dog training.  Just like children, pets need to be taught right from wrong; how to behave in certain situations.  This can be especially challenging since animals don't speak the same language as humans.

There are dozens of dog training resource materials available to you for purchase over the internet.  Some are built on a history of success, while others offer a single person's viewpoint.  All have one thing in common - they try to give you an effective way to communicate with your dog.

When looking at different dog training programs, there are certain factors you need to consider.  Some of these include:

•  Effectiveness.  Does the program carry through on its claims?  Is there a history of success in using the program?

•  Methods.  Are you comfortable with the training methods used?  Does it cover the specific training needs you require?

•  Cost.  Is the cost of the training reasonable for the value it provides?  Is there a refund available if you're not satisfied?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best dog training programs available today.  We hope you find these reviews helpful in training your dog!

 

 

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Secrets to Dog Training

 

SECRETS TO DOG TRAINING

 

5 stars

 

Cost:

$39.95

Refund:

60 day money-back guarantee

 

TopConsumerReviews.com 5-star Top Rated Product

This training program covers everything that a responsible dog owner needs to know.  It is well organized and easy to follow along so anyone can use it without difficulty.  The website is full of glowing testimonials about how the program has worked for them.  There are reports from all around the world and for all kinds of breeds.  

Daniel Stevens, the author of Secrets to Dog Training, focuses on the importance of being the "alpha dog" and the idea of "dog whispering."  The e-book is broken down into straightforward chapters as follows:

•  DOG 101: It's A Dogs Life

•  DOG 102: Caring for Your Dog

•  DOG 103: Training Methods Revealed

•  DOG 201: Secrets to Understanding Your Dog

•  DOG 202: Dog Problems Solved

•  DOG 203: Commands to Start

•  DOG 301: Dog Whispering Uncovered

•  DOG 302: More Dog Problems Solved

•  DOG 303: Advanced Commands and Tricks

Some of the commands specifically addressed in Secrets to Dog Training are Sit, Come, "Okay", "No", Roll over, Seek (find), Hold and leave, Sit and Stay (advanced), Beg, Down, Fetch, Heel (stages 1 to 3), Shake, Crawl, Wait, Jump, Catch, Climb, and Stand.

Daniel Stevens does not just regurgitate what others are saying, but has developed his system through years in the industry and has many case studies to back it up. Some of the problems he specifically covers are Aggression, Thieving, Biting and nipping, Travel problems, Coprophagia (poop eating), 2 dogs in the house, Destructive behavior, Death in the family, Digging holes, Bad breath, Disobedience, Cat chaser, Dominance aggression, Flatulence, Fear of the leash, Fleas, Fights between dogs, Jot weather and heatstroke, Nuisance barking, Jealousy, Off-leash problems, Jumping on furniture, Jumping on people, and Worms.

The manual is comprehensive for obedience training and worth the money by itself, but the four bonus books really round out an entire dog training approach from potty training to security instruction.  The six bonus books are:

•  Dog Grooming  (14 page book with 11 tips)

•  Security Train Your Dog  (11 page book with 6 tips)

•  House Training Methods  (10 page book with 12 tips)

•  Secrets to Becoming the Alpha Dog  (10 page book with 14 tips)

•  Secrets to Dog Training On the Go (mp3 format)

•  A Quick Guide to Dog Aggression

As if all that weren't enough, as a free bonus you can email Daniel and his team at Secrets to Dog Training with any specific problem you have with your dog and they will send you personalized advice on how correct the problem.

This program is great for a loving dog owner who believes that dogs are naturally pack animals and need to have that role of leadership filled in their lives.  An excellent program filled with helpful, useful information, Secrets to Dog Training receives our top rating.

 

 

Dove Cresswell's Dog Training Online

 

DOVE CRESSWELL'S DOG TRAINING ONLINE

 

4.5 stars

 

Cost:

$38.97

Refund:

60 day money-back guarantee

 

Dove Cresswell has produced a top quality program.  The only thing keeping this from getting a five star rating is its slightly less comprehensive coverage of total dog training as compared to Sit Stay Fetch.  She does cover basic obedience training and the most common problems (pulling on the leash, jumping up on people, peeing in the house etc.).

The program comes in seven downloadable video lessons:

•  Puppy house training/ potty training

•  Dog obedience training

•  Crate training

•  Walking politely on a leash: the informal heel

•  The recall

•  Good puppy and dog manners

•  Special dog tricks

There are also eight bonuses included.

•  Bonus 1 - Be In Touch With Dove Directly.

•  Bonus 2 - Teach Your Dog to Fetch

•  Bonus 3 - Train Your Dog to Play Soccer.

•  Bonus 4 - Teach Your Dog to Play Hide and Seek.

•  Bonus 5 - Information on Dog Sports

•  Bonus 6 - Choosing the Right Toys For Your Dog.

•  Bonus 7 - Earning Your Dog's Respect

•  Bonus 8 - Choose the Right Dog Food & Treats

Dove Cresswell has a very positive approach to dog training based mostly on enthusiastic praise and a reliance on treats. This is the system for anyone who is uncomfortable with the idea of needing to be the "Alpha Dog" in their relationship with their dog.  This is also a better program for dogs that are not aggressive.  This may be the best program for showing you how to teach tricks since Dove's primary experience is in training animals for TV and film. The website could benefit with an FAQ page.

Overall, this is another excellent dog training program. The videos really help describe the lessons, and the information is presented in an easy, helpful way.  For those people not comfortable with the Alpha Dog approach used in Sit Stay Fetch, Dove Cresswell delivers a valuable and effective alternative.

 

 

Dog Training Secrets

 

DOG TRAINING SECRETS

 

4 stars

 

Cost:

$39.97

Refund:

90 day money-back guarantee

 

The 7-part free email course is a nice benefit of this product. It covers general topics and is great for a curious dog owner. The topics covered are:

•  The 7 stages of puppy development

•  When should I start training my puppy?

•  The right leash and collar for my dog

•  Why your puppy nips - and 5 ways to get him to stop

•  5 ways your dog senses the world differently from you

•  5 surefire ways to show your dog you're the boss

•  5 tips for choosing the right vet for your dog

The program that you purchase is much more extensive even though it does not reach the depth of coverage of our top 2 products.  An eye catcher on this program is its promise of results in seven days or less.  They also provide the longest refund period (3 months) of any of our dog training products reviewed, called "The Dog Ate It" guarantee.  The program covers basic obedience training and potty training.  Author Charlie LaFave has a definite focus on training dogs from the time they are puppies, but also has tips for training older dogs.

The program also comes with five bonuses:

•  Bonus 1 - "What To And What Not To Feed Your Dog!"

•  Bonus 2 - "Doggy Mind Teasers"

•  Bonus 3 - "Weather Tips for You And Your Dog"

•  Bonus 4 - "Electronic Training Solutions"

•  Bonus 5 - "Introduction To Clicker Training"

This is a decent program designed primarily for puppy training, but with tips for older dogs as well.  The bonuses are nice though not terribly necessary.  Overall you get more for your money with our top two programs.

 

 

Dog Training Mastery

 

DOG TRAINING MASTERY

 

4 stars

 

Cost:

$37.77

Refund:

60 day money-back guarantee

 

This is a very good program that covers a large number of commands.  A long list of attractive bonuses rounds out this offering.  With a long list of testimonials from satisfied customers, they must be doing something right!

This training system is divided into four sections:

•  Dog Psychology

•  Canine Learning Theory

•  Obedience Training - Basic and advanced - in which you learn the following commands:

 

Sit

Fetch

Down

 

Come

Mine

Off

 

Bed

Stay

Heel

 

Drop

Potty

Speak/Quiet

 

Ouch

Stand

 

•  Problem Behavior Solving  - in which the following problems are addressed:

 

Dominance

Separation Anxiety

 

Destructive Behavior

Jumping

 

Digging

Chewing

 

Chasing

Begging

 

Aggression

Fearfulness

 

Shyness

Excessive barking

 

Biting/Nipping

Pulling on Leash

 

Escaping

Coprophagia (eating own poop)

 

Nine bonuses are also offered with the program. These focus on general dog care and complement the obedience training offered with the program.  The bonuses offered are:

•  Bonus 1 - Good Nutrition For Good Health!

•  Bonus 2 - 101 delicacies For Your Dog!

•  Bonus 3 - How To Choose The Right Vet For Your Dog!

•  Bonus 4 - How To Teach Your Dog 13 Easy Tricks!

•  Bonus 5 - Mastering Dog Grooming (CD Audio)

•  Bonus 6 - One-on-One Email Consultation for 12-Months!

•  Bonus 7 - Secrets revealed! How To Solve Canine Aggression

•  Bonus 8 - How To Prevent doggie behavioral problems through Mental Stimulation

•  Bonus 9 - Dog Insurance Exposed! Is It Really Worth It?

If you can get past the somewhat unprofessional appearance of the website, you'll find Dog Training Mastery provides a very good product that covers a lot of ground.  

 

 

Puppy n Dog Training Secrets

 

PUPPY N DOG TRAINING SECRETS

 

2.5 stars

 

Cost:

$47.00

Refund:

60 day money-back guarantee

 

The website has several glowing testimonials about the products effectiveness, but you have to get past the author's sentimental story at the beginning about his childhood dog and how he trained it.  This program comes primarily from what he learned from a Disney animal trainer as a boy.

This program has the advantage of being an audio-visual presentation similar to Dove Cresswell's, but with moving animations rather than pictures.  The basic program covers general aspects of obedience training by giving you tips on how to become the "Alpha Dog", ways to correct whining, biting and chewing, and many basic tricks such as sit, stay, come, heel and lay down.  It is odd however the remarkable similarities between this and Dog Training Lessons.  Both programs offer a part called "Instinct vs. Man."  The promotional material for this portion on each site has much identical phrasing and it is divided into identical sections, in fact only when the product is pictured does it appear different from each other.

There are also five bonuses that come with the program:

•  House training made easy

•  100 Cool tricks you see in the movies

•  Secrets to a happy and healthy pooch (also offered on Dog training lessons)

•  101 ways to spoil your dog for under $10 (also offered on Dog training lessons)

•  180 dog recipes even you can enjoy

Overall this program is on the expensive end and definitely does not cover the amount of material that our top selections do.  Though the material is effective it does not seem to come from the extensive personal experience that Sit Stay Fetch or Dove Cresswell's program does.  The web page would benefit from a FAQ page and more extensive testimonials.  Why this comes in below Dog Training Lessons, a site that offers some remarkably similar materials, is the lack of information available online and the price.

 

 

DIY Dog Training

 

DIY DOG TRAINING

 

2.5 stars

 

Cost:

$37.77

Refund:

60 day money-back guarantee

 

DIY Dog Training at Home covers a variety of dog training areas.  One of our issues with this program is that the author's background is in producing dog health e-books, not the hands-on training of dogs.  As she says on her site, all the information she presents is gathered from books she has read, not from her own personal experience.  Her goal in offering this training guide is to answer questions that she was commonly asked while she wrote her Dog health e books.

Some of the questions she covers are:

•  How do I best use newspapers to potty train my dog?

•  My dogs won't stop "humping" what should I do?

•  How can I safely introduce a new puppy into my family?

•  How can I teach my dog not to eats his poop?

•  My dog "pees" at every tree when we are out walking, how can I teach him to stop it?

•  My dog has started nipping and biting when I groom or touch him, what should I do to make him stop it?

•  How do I teach my doggy to stop barking quickly and easily?

•  My dog is over 3 years old, can she be potty trained?

She also sweetens the pot by throwing in seven bonuses:

•  A Goldmine Of Doggie Health Tips.  (Audio recording - 1 hour and 7 minutes)

•  Dog Training Down Under. (Audio recording - 1 hour and 3 minutes)

•  Introductions to Clicker Training.

•  Secrets to Becoming the "Alpha Dog" & Being Your Doggie's Pack Leader.

•  Full typed transcription of the "Goldmine of Doggie Health Tips" audio.

•  Full typed transcription of the "Dog Training Down Under" audio.

•  Free email consultation.

Though the package covers a lot of ground, you need to remember this is not really her area of expertise.  You may get more out of the "Goldmine of Doggie Health Tips" than anything else.  For dog training needs, we recommend going with someone who has more hands-on experience in the field.

 

 

How I Trained My Dog In One Evening

 

HOW I TRAINED MY DOG IN ONE EVENING

 

1 star

 

Cost:

$39.95

Refund:

90 day money-back guarantee

 

According to the web site Ellen Langton trained her dog practically overnight using a book called How to Train Your Dog in One Evening.  Unfortunately there is no other reference as to how it works for other people.  Though the idea of training a dog in one evening sounds great, it is a little outrageous. Dogs, like people, need consistency over time to really learn behaviors.  We might believe this for one trick but not general obedience training.  Also for the price we would much rather get a more comprehensive book.  

Some of the things that are covered in this book include:

•  The nifty trick police officers use to make sure their dogs come when they're called

•  How to stop your dog from digging holes all over your yard

•  The exact number of toys your dog should have

•  If you have a dog that bites, here's the one game you should never play with them

•  How to make all your trips to the vet stress-free

•  Why feeding your dog this certain food can cause digging problems

•  Imagine your dog coming up and "telling" you when he has to go potty

•  2 words that can immediately stop your dog from chewing

•  A remarkable product that has even the spunkiest of dogs "healing" in minutes

•  The single most important command you can ever teach your dog

•  The huge mistake almost everyone makes with dogs that run away

•  The easy 4 step system that eliminates potty training accidents

•  How to stop your dog from jumping all over people

•  Relaxation techniques for even the most nervous or excited dogs

•  What K-9 police do to keep their dogs from barking

•  A quick way to stop your dog from chewing up everything in the house

•  The 7 golden rules experts use with their own dogs

This product also comes with two bonuses:

•  The Potty Training Zone For All Dogs

•  Dog Training 101 - The Straight Facts

The lack of information to back up the claims on the website left us believing it was not worth the price.  We believe you can do better, and spend less, with one of our top-rated selections.

 

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Dog Training in the News

As part of training, service dog gets acquainted with city police officers - Evansville Courier & Press

As part of training, service dog gets acquainted with city police officers
Evansville Courier & Press
By Megan Erbacher Special to the Courier & Press EVANSVILLE — Girly, a 6-month-old Leonberger service dog in training, was introduced to second-shift Evansville police officers Wednesday afternoon. The officers are assisting in Girly's training by ...

and more »

Publ.Date : Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:54:34 GMT

Trainers are howling at 'dog whisperer' tactics - Columbus Dispatch

Columbus Dispatch

Trainers are howling at 'dog whisperer' tactics
Columbus Dispatch
By Kathy Lynn Gray The training techniques used by television star Cesar Millan — the “dog whisperer”— are criticized as inhumane and misguided by some dog trainers locally and nationally. “They're very outdated and pose a danger to the human and the ...

and more »

Publ.Date : Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:34:55 GMT

Dog training without the treats - KARE

Dog training without the treats
KARE
Dog trainer Kathryn Newman joined us today to talk about how you can get your pet to listen without always having to use treats. She said the trick is to start to introduce distractions (any item or scenario that will cause you dog to not listen or ...


Publ.Date : Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:03:48 GMT

Dog-on-dog aggression - NJ.com

NJ.com

Dog-on-dog aggression
NJ.com
However, any bite should be considered serious enough to seek the help of a professional trainer. Dog-on-dog aggression (DODA) is more common among males (often referred to as inter-male aggression), however, females can get into fights too, ...
Best wildland areas to take your dogSan Francisco Chronicle

all 15 news articles »

Publ.Date : Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:42:03 GMT

Training Dogs with Disabilities - MyFox Houston

MyFox Houston

Training Dogs with Disabilities
MyFox Houston
Raising and training a dog with a disability can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Most dogs overcome their own physical challenges with ease and joy. But many need our help navigating the human world. This week I was so happy to have Eve with me.


Publ.Date : Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:30:21 GMT

Registration for dog training classes begins Feb. 13 - TCPalm

Registration for dog training classes begins Feb. 13
TCPalm
VERO BEACH — Registration for Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County puppy and dog training classes will begin Feb. 13 at 9 am and run through February until classes are filled. The cost for 6 weeks of training is $35, ...

and more »

Publ.Date : Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:32:01 GMT

Dog-training classes begin in Feb. - The Daily News Journal

Dog-training classes begin in Feb.
The Daily News Journal
Dog-training and dog-handling classes are being offered in February by the Greater Murfreesboro Kennel Club and Murfreesboro Obedience Training Club. All classes will be held at the Tennessee Livestock Center, located on the MTSU campus on Greenland ...

and more »

Publ.Date : Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:02:32 GMT

Weather sponsored by: - Brainerd Daily Dispatch

Weather sponsored by:
Brainerd Daily Dispatch
Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls Roger Peterson of Crosslake praised his dog Kihei after he obeyed his commands while training at Hunts Point Sportsman's Club in Pequot Lakes. For more photos go to spotted.brainerddispatch.com.


Publ.Date : Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:44:18 GMT