Best 5 Online Dog Training Courses in 2026

There are dozens of online dog training courses, and most "best of" lists rank whoever pays the highest commission. This one states its criteria first, uses only real products we could find current pages or dated third-party sources for, and shows the cons next to the pros. Nook21 earns a commission on Brain Training for Dogs, which is ranked first here, so read the criteria and decide whether they match yours.

Method note: this is research-based. We did not buy or take these courses. Prices and refund terms come from vendor pages, app listings and dated third-party reviews, checked October 11 to 12, 2026. Prices change often; confirm at checkout.

How we chose (read this first)

We compared each course on five criteria, in this order of weight:

1. Reward-based method. No shock, prong or choke collars; consistent with the AVSAB position on humane training.
2. Structured progression. A clear order of lessons, not a pile of videos.
3. Price model. One-time payment scored higher than an ongoing subscription for the same content.
4. Refund window. Longer and clearly stated scored higher.
5. Breadth. Covers puppies and adult dogs, manners and enrichment.

We did not score on live coaching or trainer credentials alone. If personal feedback on your dog matters most to you, the ranking would change, and we say which course to pick in that case.

Illustrative photos.

The 5 courses at a glance

Course	Price (as checked)	Format	Refund	Pros	Cons	Best for
1. Brain Training for Dogs	$67 one-time (checked Oct 11, 2026)	Online course: 7 levels, 21+ games, videos, articles, forum	60 days from the vendor	Low one-time price, clear order, reward-based, puppy section	No live feedback, browser only, needs daily practice	Enrichment and everyday manners at home
2. Dunbar Academy	$20/month membership, or single courses $97 to $200 one-time (vendor site, Oct 12, 2026)	Video courses by Dr. Ian Dunbar and team; free course collection	30 days (vendor site)	Deep science-based content, strong puppy course, downloadable purchases	Puppy course alone is $200; membership is ongoing	Owners who want depth and puppy socialization theory
3. SpiritDog Training	Topic courses one-time; course pages show sale prices from about $59 to $115 (pages seen Oct 2026, some older)	Separate courses by topic plus a membership option	Course pages state 60 days; a Feb 2025 review reported shorter windows. Check at checkout	Focused topic courses, lifetime access on course pages	Buying several topics adds up; refund terms inconsistent across sources	One specific goal, like leash walking
4. Pupford (with Zak George's free 30-day course)	Free courses; Academy plans reported at $9.99/month, $39.99 per 6 months or $199.99 lifetime (third-party app data, May 2026)	App and web; free "30 Day Perfect Pup with Zak George"	Not stated for digital plans on Pupford's refund page	Free start, positive reinforcement, app format	Paid tier pricing not shown on Pupford's own page; refund terms unclear	New puppy owners on a budget
5. The Online Dog Trainer (Doggy Dan)	Reported $1 for a 3-day trial, then $27/month (Canine Journal, Feb 2025)	Membership site, courses plus live coaching in the top tier	Reported 60 days (Canine Journal, Feb 2025); site lists a guarantee without terms	Large library, live coaching option, force-free	Subscription; less use of food rewards than most reward-based courses	Owners who want ongoing coaching

1. Brain Training for Dogs

An online course credited to Adrienne Farricelli, who lists CPDT-KA certification on the vendor page. The vendor says it has 21+ brain games across 7 levels, from beginner to advanced, plus 7 trick videos, an archive of 100+ articles, a puppy section, a member forum and a bonus behavior course on chewing, jumping and barking.

On October 11, 2026 the checkout showed $67.00 one-time with no rebill and a 60-day refund limit. Some older reviews quote $47, so check the price at checkout.

Why it ranks first on our criteria: it is reward-based, it has a fixed level-by-level order, it is a single payment, and it has the longest clearly stated refund window of the five. Honest cons: nobody watches your dog, access is browser-based (a 2023 Canine Journal review noted no app and no downloads), it leans toward enrichment and manners rather than serious behavior cases, and any post-purchase upsells are unverified by us. Full details in our research-based review.

2. Dunbar Academy

Dunbar Academy is the online school of veterinarian and behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar, known for early work on puppy classes. The vendor site, checked October 12, 2026, lists a Top Dog Academy membership at $20 per month for all courses, or single courses for a one-time fee from $97 to $200, including a $200 Essential Puppy Training Course. A free course collection and free puppy eBooks are also offered.

The site states a 30-day satisfaction refund. Purchased courses can be downloaded; membership videos usually cannot. Why it is not first on our criteria: the shorter refund window, and a puppy course alone costs about three times the Brain Training for Dogs checkout price. If credentials and depth matter most to you, Dunbar Academy is arguably the stronger choice. See our head-to-head comparison.

3. SpiritDog Training

SpiritDog sells separate courses by topic, such as basic obedience, loose leash walking and dog parkour. Course pages we found show one-time prices with lifetime access, for example a parkour course at $59 and a basic obedience course at about $115 (sale prices against a stated $199 list price). Some of those pages appear to be from 2022, and SpiritDog's site blocked our direct check in October 2026.

The course pages state a 60-day money-back guarantee, while a February 2025 Canine Journal review reported a 7-day window for courses and 14 days for the membership. Because the sources disagree, read the terms at checkout. Best for: one clearly defined goal. Con: covering puppy basics, obedience and leash skills means buying several courses or a bundle.

4. Pupford, with Zak George's free 30-day course

Zak George's main online course is not sold on its own site. It runs inside the Pupford app and website as the free "30 Day Perfect Pup with Zak George", alongside other free courses such as a new puppy starter course. Pupford describes its method as positive reinforcement.

Pupford's paid Academy offers monthly, yearly and lifetime plans, but its own page did not show prices when we checked. Third-party app data from May 2026 reported $9.99 per month, $39.99 per six months or $199.99 lifetime, and the App Store lists single courses at $19.99. Pupford's public refund page covers physical products only. Best for: new puppy owners who want to start free. Con: pricing and refund terms for the paid tier are hard to confirm before you sign up.

5. The Online Dog Trainer (Doggy Dan)

The Online Dog Trainer is a membership site from New Zealand trainer Doggy Dan. Its homepage, checked October 12, 2026, lists three main programs: Dog Calming Code, Puppy Coach, and the Canine Coaching Club "all access pass" with live coaching. It describes its approach as force-free, with no shock or prong collars, and also says it avoids "food bribes".

The homepage lists a money-back guarantee but did not show prices or terms. A February 2025 Canine Journal review reported a $1 three-day trial, then $27 per month, with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Best for: owners who want ongoing coaching and a big library. Cons: it is a subscription, so the cost grows each month, and it uses fewer food rewards than the other four.

Which one should you pick?

• Tight budget, new puppy: start with Pupford's free Zak George course.
• One-time price and a step-by-step game plan: Brain Training for Dogs.
• Depth and puppy socialization science: Dunbar Academy.
• One specific skill: a single SpiritDog course.
• Ongoing coaching: The Online Dog Trainer.

For aggression, growling, snapping, bites, strong fear or panic when left alone, none of these courses is the right first step. See your veterinarian, then a certified behavior professional such as a veterinary behaviorist, CAAB or IAABC-certified consultant. For costs of in-person options, see our alternatives comparison.

Before you pay for any course

Try a free game first. Our 5 brain games you can play tonight and the dog brain games guide cost nothing and show you whether your dog enjoys this style of training. Then check four things at checkout: the total price, whether it renews, the refund window, and how to request a refund.

The best course is the one you will actually open for 10 minutes most days. Price and refund terms matter less than that.

Sources (checked Oct 2026)

• Brain Training for Dogs sales page and checkout (braintraining4dogs.com, brainydogs.pay.clickbank.net), Oct 11, 2026.
• Dunbar Academy homepage (dunbaracademy.com), Oct 12, 2026.
• SpiritDog Training course pages (spiritdogtraining.com: basic obedience, loose leash walking, parkour), seen via search Oct 12, 2026; direct fetch blocked.
• Pupford Academy page and refund policy (pupford.com), Oct 12, 2026; Pupford App Store listing; Justuseapp price data (May 2026).
• The Online Dog Trainer homepage (theonlinedogtrainer.com), Oct 12, 2026.
• Canine Journal, "Best Online Dog Training" (caninejournal.com), dated Feb 13, 2025.
• AVSAB position statement on humane dog training (avsab.org).