Last Updated on April, 2024
Train Pet Dog is a wildly popular online dog training course that has been around for years now.
But these days, it seems like this dog training course is having a pretty hard time.
I was in search of an excellent online dog training course to train my Pomeranian, and this is the very first time I’m about to try one. After searching the internet for some time, I stumbled across TrainPetDog And decided to take a look at it.
Everything looked great, from their homepage to their wide variety of free courses, all of them seemed well-polished.
But the problems started when I looked at the reviews. They were all over the place. SCAM is the word I came through most of the time.
And the primary problem is that the fact that there is little to no information on the course makes it extremely hard for those who are looking to give this program a shot.
I mean, there is pretty much zero information about the training methods they use. Not only that, there is surprisingly no info about the trainers too, SERIOUSLY?
However, even though there were some negative comments, I also came through some positive ones too.
All these mixed comments made me feel like I should try this program, At least to find out what on earth is going on. And that is exactly what I did, without knowing anything about the course I purchased it.
And in this TrainPetDog Review, I’ll let you know everything that you need to know if you’re looking to get your hands on this program. From their customer support, what’s included to what training methods they use, EVERYTHING.
Look no further…
Table of Contents
- What is Train Pet Dog?
- Founder of TrainPetDog Nancy Richards & Her Professional Credentials
- Is TrainPetDog Safe?
- What’s Included With TrainPetDog?
- How Much is TrainPetDog, And is There Any Refund Policy?
- My Experience With TrainPetDog (Is It Worth Buying?)
- Pros and Cons of TrainPetDog
- Cheaper and Better TrainPetDog Alternative
- K9 Dog Institute Training Overview
- Conclusion
- FAQs
What is Train Pet Dog?
Train Pet Dog is an online dog training course founded by Nancy Richards.
The course covers ALMOST all the aspects of dog training and claims to work for your dog within just 17 days, which seems like a pretty bold claim.
Here’s an overview of what Train Pet Dog covers:
- Housebreaking A Dog.
- Dog Obedience Training.
- Ways To Train A Stubborn Dog.
- Ways To Prevent A Dog From Biting And Nipping.
- Ways To Groom A Dog And How To Take Care Of Their Diet.
TrainPetDog claims to provide unique information and training techniques based on different dog breeds. This means, if you own a GSD, then you’ll get information related to it. But to be honest, I find this claim very hard to believe.
Founder of TrainPetDog Nancy Richards & Her Professional Credentials
Nancy Richards, from what I’ve found, is not a certified dog trainer. I did not find a single proof of her finishing any type of formal training related to dogs or any kind of certificate related to dog training.
The only thing I found was that she is just a typical fellow dog lover like you and me and has a passion for training dogs.
REALLY?
How can someone who does not even have a basic certificate in dog training come up with a dog training course?
If I had known this before, I would have never bought this program. Now I regret not doing more research, but I’m glad I found this out, so you guys don’t have to make the same mistake as I did.
I bought the program keeping in mind that there would be at least an introduction of herself at the start, but nothing. Even after the purchase, I came back and looked at the Official Website to see whether there was any mention of her credentials, but sadly there wasn’t any.
However, now that you know, would you pay for someone without a single qualification to train your dog?
If you would, then I’m here. I’ve also trained other dogs before and have a passion for training dogs. 🙂
Haha, Just Kidding…
Also read: Sit Means Sit Reviews
Is TrainPetDog Safe?
It’s time to address the Elephant In The Room…
Let’s take a look at what training method she uses and see whether it is safe or not.
For me, at least, when it comes to dog training, the most important thing is the training style that the trainers actually use to train the dog.
And right off the bat, I found out that the training style of this course is not going to suit my dog or any dog for that matter. The training philosophy of this course is based on “Alpha Training” or “Dominance Training,” also known as the (Dog Training’s Dirty Word).
I prefer to train my dog with Positive Reinforcement Training, which works by using treats and praise.
It would’ve been so much better if they had mentioned this, at least. But they wouldn’t, Why? Because people who know about this training type will never buy this course.
I can talk all day about Dominance Training, but for the sake of this review, here are some essential things you need to know about this training style.
Alpha Training, to be honest, is not safe for both you and your dog because it significantly affects the relationship between both of you.
Not only that but using this training type on your dog will also make them very afraid and anxious and can also result in aggressive outbursts and traumatized dogs. (1)
This is how Dominance Training works; whenever you interact with your dog, you should mimic the actions of a wolf. Suppose if you have a puppy, then you’ll have to act as a MAMA Wolf. The idea of this training is to show your dog that you’re the higher-ranking member and he is a lower-ranking member of the pack.
These days, Even science has proven that the foundations of Dominance Training are outdated and the reasons for it. To know more about that, you can check out this article.
It would be great if Train Pet Dog told its customers about the training techniques and methods they use. Because many people who buy this course actually don’t know what they’re getting into.
What’s Included With TrainPetDog?
As you may already know, the program, TrainPetDog, is an online course. After the purchase, you’ll get everything in the form of an ebook.
- Dog Lovers Training Course: In this book, you’ll get all the solutions for your problems. It lets you know how to Housebreak your puppy and Obedience train your puppy; stop biting, nipping, and barking. It also provides other step-by-step solutions for chewing, separation anxiety, and digging.
- Unlimited Access to an Exclusive Members-Only Forum on Dog.
- How to Look After Your Dog’s Health: This book provides you with everything you need to know about your dog’s overall health and how to look after it. (2)
By the way, you’ll also get free access to their Elite Dog Owners Club for the first 30-days after purchase. After the first month, you’ll be charged $77 per month. Here is what it Includes:
- One-on-one personal communication with one of Train Pet Dog’s In-House dog trainers. They’ll answer all the questions you have related to your dog.
- An Interactive video every month that’ll cover obedience training, basic commands.
- 30-minute audio recording from a world-famous dog trainer every month.
- Weekly consultations with a top veterinarian.
- New article every week written by a dog trainer.
I personally did not subscribe for this Elite Dog Owners Club and did not even get the free first month (I canceled it at the checkout).
How Much is TrainPetDog, And is There Any Refund Policy?
Train Pet Dog’s Dog Lovers Training Course, How to Look After Your Dog’s Health And Forum, all cost a one-time payment of $67. Considering the information you get from the book, I would say it’s a fair price.
With that, you also get a staggering 120-days money-back guarantee, which is excellent.
My Experience With TrainPetDog (Is It Worth Buying?)
So now that you know everything about the course, it’s time to share the experience I had with it and let you know whether it is worth spending your money on.
To be completely honest with you, I never tried out the course on my dog; the main reason is its training type.
Also, I don’t want to dominate my best buddy.
I mean, who would do that, Or I don’t want him to dominate me either. So instead, we always try to be a family unit.
However, I went through everything that was included with the program, and I have to say that they were not at the standards I expected them to be.
The reading material is completely basic, and the information is not so great. In addition, there was a lot of fluff that was not worth reading at all.
My other issue is that they claim to provide unique training information to different dog breeds. I never believed this from the get-go, and the information I got was never unique to Pomeranians.
Next, Elite Dog Owners Club. The reason I did not subscribe for it is because I read some customer reviews saying that once you subscribe to it, it’s hard to cancel the subscription.
Also, even after canceling the subscription, some said they’ll continue to charge you.
Not only that, I had some other concerns, too, the world-famous dog trainer thing. Why can’t they just put his name in there so everyone can see who the world-famous trainer is?
I just don’t know why they refused to put it there. I would’ve even considered subscribing if they had provided more details. But it is what it is.
And, by the way, $77 per month is not cheap, and people looking to subscribe will look to squeeze each and every piece of information they can. And the simple thing is that they simply don’t do it here.
Anyways, As I was not happy with the course, I decided to return it back, and a week after contacting TrainPetDog, thankfully they replied, and I got my money back. Without any issues, by the way.
From what I’ve seen, Train Pet Dog is not a SCAM or anything; However, if you ask me whether I’ll recommend the course to anyone, I would say a simple NO!
Simply because of the training style they use. Even then, it’s not the only concern, the materials provided are clearly generic, and the same content is used for all the other breeds.
They simply edit the name to that particular breed and sell the same thing saying that it’s specifically for your breed type.
In my opinion, the $67 course is basically a bait for their more expensive subscription-based Elite Dog Owners Club. From what I can see, it really looks like it.
If it is not the reason, why would they just provide the obedience training and other similar materials in this one too?
Related: SpiritDog Training Review
Pros and Cons of TrainPetDog
Here are some Pros and Cons that you need to know about Train Pet Dog.
Pros
Cons
Cheaper and Better TrainPetDog Alternative
Even if I got my money back, I still had to train my dog.
I didn’t even want to consider professional trainers as I know they charge well about $60-70 per hour.
I understand their rates given their success rate; it’s just that it’s unaffordable to me.
This got me browsing for a couple of candidates, and I eventually landed on a COMPLETELY FREE course — the K9 Training Institute (AKA K9 TI)
The next thing I did was run to Trustpilot to see whether it was legitimate and had positive ratings.
Not only did the K9 TI have hundreds of reviews, but 94% of them were 5-star.
I HAD to check it out.
I did, enrolled, and followed the course for entirely FREE. My dog is now fully trained without spending a penny while staying home.
Let me walk you through.
For starters, there’s a massive leap of reassurance in terms of who compiles and delivers the training content. The K9 Training Institute has two well-experienced and well-qualified trainers who are well-known.
The lead trainer is Dr. Alexa Diaz, who has a PhD in animal behavior. She brings 2 decades of dog training experience with this training program.
She hasn’t trained just about any dogs but service dogs who assist the disabled and emotional support dogs who take care of war veterans struggling with PTSD.
It makes sense why their training course steers far clear from Train Pet Dog’s dominant or Alpha training that damages your buddy in the long run.
The second trainer is Eric Presnall, who is also the lead presenter of the course. It’ll refresh your memory if you were a fan of the Animal Planet TV show ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ as Eric hosted.
Not only did he host it, but he also judged dog trainers based on how well-trained their dogs were. I particularly remember him bringing Betty White to the show. Eric has, in fact, featured several of Hollywood’s best-known animal activists.
Let’s look at the course now.
When you visit their official website here, they ask you to pick between two options:
Once you click that, you can look at the course details and sign up for a free seat.
K9 Dog Institute Training Overview
Because I never liked dominant or Alpha training methods that heavily antagonize dogs and traumatize them, seeing that K9 TI followed positive reinforcement was a big relief.
It only got better — Dr. Alexa and Eric used an upgraded version of positive reinforcement. This is because this dynamic duo follows service dog training techniques.
This heavily increases your dog’s rational thinking, making them more intelligent. To be more precise, K9 TI’s training combines body language and reward-based positive training. I’ll tell you in a bit how this helps your dog AND you.
Unlike Train Pet Dog’s questionable content quality, the K9 Training Institute institute’s training content is based on Harward and Stanford universities. If it is untrue, using the brand reputation and logos on their official website will lead to costly lawsuits.
This free online training course aims to resolve 11 common behavioral issues. This is all you need to train your dog fully.
Leash pulling is one of the most irritating issues that EVERY dog parent faces, whether it is during an evening walk or at home. The K9 TI directly addresses this issue through the service dog training techniques.
It also addresses the interconnected second issue of jumping on people.
My dog always used to do it whenever visitors came over or when there were other dog parents with their dogs. The most unexpected times were when my dog ran and jumped on pedestrians, which was very embarrassing.
With K9’s dog training, your dog will stop jumping on people for good.
Another one of the 11 behavioral issues resolved is housebreaking. Regardless of the age, getting a dog to stop ruining your house can be challenging. The alpha technique only makes them more aggressive, in my opinion.
Dr. Alexa and Eric brain train your dog, similar to a service dog. That way, the dog knows that it’s inappropriate to housebreak and shameful for them to do so. Mimicking service dog behavior just doesn’t suit them, and they’ll know it.
The power of K9 TI’s training is based on service dog-based training. This allows them to make the dogs obey all verbal commands more quickly.
It doesn’t stop there; Eric and Dr. Alexa also train your dog to observe you and respond by reading you through body language. This capability is commonly seen in service dogs that need to be highly intelligent to take care of their masters.
In the big picture, K9 Training Institute is designed to train your dogs to be service dogs while empowering dog parents in multiple ways. Since the process doesn’t involve abusive dominant training, you will be bonding with your dog better.
Isn’t that amazing?
I disliked how Train Pet Dog misled me by claiming that the training content would be bespoke to my dog’s breed.
K9 TI doesn’t make promises that can’t be delivered. Their course is designed to train all dog breeds, as long as they’re not as little as a few weeks old.
Once you click GRAB YOUR FREE SEAT NOW, a form will pop up where you’re supposed to share your contact information. Once you do, they typically contact you via email.
It should also be noted that the K9 Training School’s training isn’t limited to US-based dog parents. You can access this free dog training course from anywhere in the world.
Before we conclude, let me show some of the customer reviews. I won’t show any on their official website as I don’t usually do that. I trust unbiased sources such as TrustPilot.
Great free online workshop on dog behavioral issues, very clear video examples and very easy to follow particularly the pulling on the leash was the best – we practiced the U-Turn for 2 days and I notice a small change for better. Unfortunately, I had to leave home and travel interstate for work and I feel it would have been better if we continued until we had mastered it. Can’t wait! to go through the Total Transformation Masterclass. Thank you K9 TI.
Lavinia points out a great advantage of this course: clear video examples. The transformation masterclass is a paid plan that comes AFTER the free course.
I have read a lot of articles, watched many videos and heard from other dog parents various means and methods of training, philosophies and science of dog rearing etc. But it’s the first time I have experienced first hand positive results from the very beginning. And it was through K9 training video. It was very helpful in giving me a real understanding of my 3 month old beagle and what he really needed.
Biji has trained a puppy and has understood the power of holistic dog training with training, philosophies, and the science behind it.
Other programs we’ve reviewed:
Conclusion
Train Pet Dog hasn’t been all bad. However, I feel like its success has been depending on the valiant efforts of dog parents.
While the course has a lot of training content, its quality is questionable as it comes from a trainer who doesn’t have legitimate qualifications. The dominant or alpha training is not pleasant too.
Not to mention, I’m not the biggest fan of the subscription services either.
On the flip side, K9 Training Institute offers completely free training for all dog breeds. The course is designed and conducted by a PhD-holding trainer and a TV host/judge with years of experience.
Covering all the behavioral issues using service dog training techniques (positive reinforcement), ensuring your dog trains and bonds with you better.
I’ll let you decide.
FAQs
REFERENCE:
- https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/6/32271/files/2016/07/DrobnySarah-CapstoneResearchPaper-293xd04.pdf
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/pet-health/healthy-dogs.aspx
Was this article helpful?
My name is Cecilia Hunter, I paid for Trainpet $ 67 on 2/6/22 have received nothing. I would like a refund and a guarantee that no further payments will be taken from my account. I have call the number numerous time . No response or call back have I received. Stay away from Trainpetdog program.
Thank you for your review! I just bought the Brain Training for Dogs course by Adrienne Farricelli that you recommended and I’m really enjoying it so far. I didn’t know you could get a coupon code for it, but I found one at https://cheapcoupan.xyz/brain-training-for-dogs-coupon-546456/. It saved me some money, which is great. I’m looking forward to finishing the course.
I am SO thankful you wrote this post! I was considering shelling out the money for TrainPetDog, but they worked so hard (too hard) to catch your attention in their reading and advertising, without getting anywhere. That was the mark of a program that was a bit of a gimmick in my book, so I did a search to see if the program was legit, and ran across your article. You saved me a lot of money and affirmed my initial gut instinct!
Thank you for the kind words, Laura!
Do not allow this company to take advantage of you! I have been charged twice for not receiving anything. Within minutes, I cancelled my order, yet I was still charged. TrainPet’s website is a scam because it only charges your credit card and freezes, so you have to press the back button. That’s how they keep chargin your credit card.
TrainPetDog is a SCAM! This service cannot be stopped. I had to stop making payments at the bank. After so many frustrating days, I found this post and tried your recommended BT4D training program. It saved me a lot of money.
Thank you so much for this review. I heard Trainpetdog is a legit program and did a search to see if the program is actually legit, but it isn’t. I’m really enjoying the Brain Training for Dogs Program that you recommended – I just bought it. Once again thanks.
Don’t waste your money on TrainPetDog. Their website doesn’t work properly. I bought their Dog Lovers Training Course for $134 (Got charged twice). Immediately I contacted them through their email, couldn’t get a response.
Ordered trainpetdog’s housetraining your dog ebook and received nothing. Contacted them and couldn’t get in touch with anyone.
Thankful for this review! I was in an idea to buy traipetdog course to train my GSD dog, and went through some google results and found this.
You saved my money. BTW I’m gonna try brain training for dogs course that you’ve recommended. Hope it’s a good program.
1 star as not able to give a zero rating! I’ve never seen a scammer like trainpetdog training. $67 was taken from my account after I canceled my subscription. Also, I tried to reach them and got no response. Do not give your credit card to them.
DO NOT BUY ANY COURSES FROM THIS COMPANY.
Trainpetdog is a scam.
Ordered their “Grooming Your Dog At Home” guide for almost $20.
After hours, I got nothing and decided to cancel it.
So I emailed them to cancel my purchase and got no response.
Stay away from this.
Thanks in advance! I’m going to purchase the bt4d course. I was planning to house train my dog and heard about the train pet dog course. Also, I heard that it’s a scam. So I decided to read some reviews of train pet dog and found this article. As i heard, it’s actually a scam program I think. Thanks for the alternative course.
Thanks to you ipetguides.com. Before 6 months, I wanted to try trainpetdog’s “Housetraining Your Dog” Ebook, and I came across this review I tried it. After months, no improvements. So I decided to try the alternative which you’ve recommended and bought it. I just trained my toy poodle for 2 weeks with BT4D’s guides. Now I would say he’s the well-behaved dog in the world. Once again THANKS.
I am caught up in trainpetdog.com right now. It is totally a scam! I have contacted them to cancel and then was charged twice the amount. I can’t even imagine the hassle I’ll have to go through to get away from these people. Friends don’t let friends subscribe to trainpetdog.com.
At the height of my puppy madness in December, 2021, I was somehow referred to Train Pet Dog, purportedly because Nancy Richards,who owns the company, is PURPORTEDLY a reputable dog trainer. She is NOT a dog trainer. She has no training at all. I was to pay a $67 charge for a course to help me with my puppy. I never received that course via email. But today my husband asked me about a $67 charge on our credit card. We looked back through our records and found we have been charged $67 a month for the past 14 months! Almost $1,000 in charges for absolutely nothing. Shame on me for not looking at our credit card statement. Now after researching, I see that this company is a SCAM and many other people have been financially defrauded by Nancy Richards. I am reporting this to all necessary agencies and have had to cancel my credit card to get rid of her. BEWARE of Train Pet Dog and Nancy Richards!
I’ve reached out multiple times. When I call the number they have provided, I only get a recording asking for my name and number. Am told I will hear back from them within 48 hours. No one has called me yet. Getting very discouraged and wouldn’t recommend their company for just that reason.
Train Pet Dog and Nancy Richards is a rip off!! Do not waste your money. I was able to get on the sight twice and it looked good but the web sight is awful. Sent several emails with no replies. Tried to reset my password more than a dozen times but every time it says the link they send me is not good. Extremely frustrating. I am out $67. How can she live with herself? Shameful!!!!
So glad I found this before I gave my credit card just purchased a puppy and was scouting online and wanted to investigate a little more about this TrainPet Dog website was very glad to read all the scam reviews thank you so much for sharing info.