Training your dog can be a long and frustrating process. Luckily there are a wide variety of trainers and programs to expedite the process and facilitate learning for both you and your pooch. A popular choice currently on the market is the Online Dog Trainer by Doggy Dan.
Online Dog Trainer – About Doggy Dan
Doggy Dan is an animal lover from New Zealand. After growing frustrated in trying to find helpful dog training programs, he decided to study animal behavior and come up with a new method. He left a corporate job to focus on this business full time. In addition to canines, he also works with other animals like horses, and he owns a cat which he freely admits is untrainable (Doggy Dan, 2018).
The Online Dog Trainer Package
Here’s a breakdown of what a subscription will get you.
Access to the members only area of the website
After the free 4-part video, you will be unable to access any new videos or training information without purchasing at least a trial subscription. The member’s area is extremely user-friendly and straightforward to navigate. Everything you need is clearly labeled so that anyone from computer newbies to seasoned pros will be able to follow along.
Lessons on training your canine companion
Doggy Dan offers a huge variety of videos and tools to get your pup acting properly. The videos have topics including:
- Pulling on the Leash
- Dog Running Away
- Dog Aggression
- Barking
- Separation Anxiety
- Dog Jumping Up
- Hyperactivity
- Not Coming When Called, or The Recall Problem
- Obsessive Behavior (Doggy Dan, 2017)
There are many more topics to suit pretty much any behavioral problem you can imagine. Doggy Dan features animals he doesn’t necessarily know well in the videos which lend to his credibility as an animal behaviorist and trainer.
A forum that’s buzzing 24 hours a day
The online forum offers a place to ask questions and share thoughts and stories with other users. There are also other trainers and experts that can help you. The use of an online meeting medium is a wonderful feature that truly adds to his program. The online member’s forum is consistently active with regular dog owners asking questions about training issues they are personally experiencing difficulty in managing. Many times. Doggy Dan is right there answering questions himself, rather than passing the responsibility off to other employees, which highlights another benefit of subscribing. It ‘s hard to find another reputable trainer that takes the time to answer the questions and help out their customers like this.
So What Will Your Dog Learn with Doggy Dan’s Program?
Doggy Dan’s training philosophy lies based on the premise that your dog is still part wolf, regardless of evolutionary design. Therefore, the idea of pack mentality comes heavily into play. This method could also be described as “alpha training” or “dog whispering.” He mixes a balance of techniques like correction style training and positive reinforcement.
This training program emphasizes the importance of using positive techniques rather than punishing your pet, which can be damaging to your dog. With this method, you will become the pack leader in your pup’s life. This means you will need to get your dog to understand that you are the pack leader, rather than them. Users can accomplish this by mimicking wolf actions while interacting with your pet.
Doggy Dan follows the “5 Golden Rules” to help you become the pack leader. Part of this system means utilizing “gesture eating.” This term means that you eat before the dog in order to remind them that they are a lower ranking pack member and that it is the pack leader who controls the resources, including food.
Another hallmark of the training program is ignoring your pet after periods of separation. The principle here is to completely ignore your pet when you return home after being away. No kisses, no hugs, no playing, no eye contact, you simply do not acknowledge them. Allegedly, this reinforces that you are the pack leader instead of the dog.
Once you’ve trained your pet to recognize you as the pack leader, you move on to “Doggy Dan’s Everyday Tools and Techniques.” Here, you have some great tips and tricks that are based on behavioral science. Tasks that are learned include freeze, using long and short lines, walking together, stop and change directions, and many more.
Dan also offers information that’s aimed at anyone that has never attempted to train a puppy. In the new puppy training section, he explains everything, taking the user from the first time you bring a new pet home, through housebreaking, teaching basic commands, and dealing with issues likes chewing and other unruly puppy behaviors. It’s like having a dog whisperer right there with you.
An amazing portion of the online dog training by Doggy Dan is his “Project Moses.” In this section, Dan invites you into his real life and the new addition of his family’s puppy, Moses. You can follow along as Moses becomes a well-adjusted canine family member. It is beneficial and awesome to see the training advice put into practice and documented.
Dan will also help you with dog behavioral issues. These tougher, more complex problems encircle compounding issues like adopting a pet that was previously abused or neglected or getting a new canine that in an adult from a shelter. Here, he gives advice and methods to help dogs with separation anxiety, leash pulling, jumping on people, hyperactivity, fears, and phobias. As the practice of adopting dogs rather than buying them continues to surge in popularity, this information becomes even more useful and beneficial.
For More Information, Please Visit: TheOnlineDogTrainer.com Now!
In the dog training section, Dan teaches subscribers about the body language of canines. This is an area that is underutilized by other reputable trainers and is fascinating. Users can also discover basic concepts of training, rewards, command training, and an arsenal of other useful facts, methods, and tidbits. He even explains how to teach your dog to swim and fetch. Dan also does an impeccable job of exploring the dynamics of safety within the human and canine pack.
Dan explains that dogs are social creatures by nature. A form of punishment for them is isolation. He utilizes this training concept when a dog continually repeats an unwanted behavior. For instance, if your pooch keeps jumping on the company, you would isolate them from toys, other people or pets, mainly any stimuli. He uses this method rather than yelling or spanking, which is important in training a well-adjusted dog.
The Price of Online Dog Trainer
Doggy Dan offers a free lesson through the format of an online four-part video series so that potential customers can get an idea of what he and his training method encompass. He offers a three-day trial for $1, and after that, customers are charged $37 monthly if you do not cancel during the three-day trial period. The subscription offers access to his online training videos and a forum. He has also written a book that is available for download.
The Good, The Bad, and The Puppy
As with any animal training program, Doggy Dan’s Online Dog Trainer has both excellent and lackluster qualities.
PROS
- Videos are long enough to teach but short enough to be interesting and not lose your attention
- Format is extremely user-friendly
- Online forum is an excellent addition to the program
- Moderate subscription price
- Excellent customer service
- Doggy Dan is knowledgeable and likable
- He actually responds to questions in the forum rather than just passing the buck off to an intern
- Training methods are backed by animal behavioral science
- One of the only trainers to recognize and teach the importance of canine body language queues
- Supported by the SPCA of New Zealand
- Project Moses offers a real life look at getting a puppy
- Each video also provides a written synopsis for those that prefer reading
- Dan also had podcasts
- There are also printable PDF forms to aid in training
- This variety of methods (Visual, auditory, and tactile) encompass all the different learning styles, so you are sure to find one that is best to allow you to learn about the training methods
CONS
- Isolation techniques may not work that well since it’s akin to giving your Pomeranian a time out and assuming the dog will understand that they should use the quiet time to reflect on why their behavior was wrong
- There are other training methods that cost less available
In closing, Doggy Dan’s Online Dog Trainer has many great lessons and attributes. He truly cares about animals and continually offers his support to a wide variety of organizations created to help animals. He is one of the only dog trainers that utilizes canine body language within the scope of training, which is extremely interesting and useful in and of itself. The videos offered to subscribers are fun and helpful, as are the PDF’s and written tools in the member’s area. While his isolation method may be somewhat lacking, his pack mentality tips and training tools are based on actual animal science. Doggy Dan and his training program have proven helpful in even dire cases of abused canines and unruly puppies, and are a great way to help you understand your pup and help them transition into a well-adjusted, loving family member.
