SpiritDog Training Review (And Why You Should Sign Up)

If you’re looking to save some money on hiring a dog trainer, many dog owners are now turning toward online dog training.

For private dog training, you can expect to pay on average between $45 to $120 per hour or $30 to $50 per group class.

You can save significantly with an online course. There are both beginner and advanced online courses to teach your dog new skills, solve specific problems, teach tricks, and more.

In this SpiritDog Training review, I discuss SpiritDog Training and how they stand out among their competitors.

As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases, but I only recommend products I find trustworthy and you pay nothing extra.

What Is SpiritDog Training?

SpiritDog Training uses positive, modern, and science-based training methods to train dogs. This is opposed to punishment-centered training, which many dog trainers/owners are against.

They work to build your dog’s training through positive reinforcement, help build your bond with your dog, and use games in their methods.

With many different choices, their website can be a little overwhelming, so let me break down what they offer:

1. SpiritDog Academy: This is their main subscription-based service where you can access tons of video content to train your dog, plus get access to a trainer and their community. Get a 1 week trial for $2 of SpiritDog Academy (the offer will show on the registration screen

2. Individual Courses: They offer 16 individual online dog training courses based on your specific needs. You can ask questions to their dog trainer with every lesson if you get stuck on anything. Get 20% off any SpiritDog course (with coupon code DogEndorsed2021). They offer the following courses:

• Learn To Fetch $5
• Mastering Potty Training $9
• Taking Turns $29
• Frisbee Games $29
• Dog Tricks $29
• Confidence Booster $35
• Focus in Public – Out and About $49
• Coming When Called And Outdoor Focus $49
• Calm Down $49
• Creating Online Classes For Dog Professionals Course $79
• Indoor Games For Small Spaces $99
• Loose Leash Walking $114
• Basic Obedience $115
• SpiritDog Parkour $120
• Canine Fitness Course $149
• Dog Agility at Home $199

3. Bundle Packages of Courses: You can save even more with some of their bundle packages which group certain courses together or are more extensive courses:

• Ultimate Puppy Program Bundle ($49)- Help your puppy become more well-behaved using positive training methods. There are 11 modules with various topics and many bonuses.
• Tackling Reactivity Bundle ($49)- Change your overreactive dog into a calm dog. There are 118 lessons with podcasts and an ebook.
• Perfect Obedience Bundle ($49)- Learn loose-leash walking techniques and basic obedience with 3 bonus courses included.
• Loose Leash Walking Bundle ($59)- Help your dog no longer pull its leash when walking them. There are many videos and bonuses.
• Fantastic Focus Bundle ($99)- Want your dog to become more focused and calm? This bundle has a bunch of courses and bonuses.
• Perfect Focus Bundle ($99)- This course covers all common focus issues in one package. You’ll get 4 courses with 96 modules.
• Games Unlimited Bundle ($349)- This bundle includes 3 game courses (SpiritDog Parkour, Indoor Games, and Agility at Home), with over 200 lessons.
• Ultimate Masterclass Bundle ($499)- This is the ultimate bundle with most of the courses that you would have to buy individually. It covers your dog’s training from a puppy to their older years. You’ll get 17 courses and bonuses.

Each class contains a series of mobile-friendly videos that you can watch at your own pace.

One nice benefit is that you can ask questions to their dog trainer if you have questions along the way.

SpiritDog claims a 100% satisfaction rating with over 3,000 happy owners.

SpiritDog Academy Subscription Program

As mentioned, SpiritDog Academy is its main subscription program with tons of dog training content and other resources to train your dog. You get access to 5-17 courses depending on which subscription you choose, with up to 700 lessons and 420 videos to help you positively and effectively train your dog.

Get a 1 week trial for $2 of SpiritDog Academy (the offer will show on the registration screen)

They offer 3 different subscription programs which can all be started with a 1-week trial for $2. These programs include:

1. Puppy Starter

The Puppy Starter gets you access to 5 core courses, 12 roadmaps, and access to their dog training community. This package starts at $20/month.

2. Super Package

The Super Dog package gives you access to all 17 current courses along with all future courses, the 12 roadmaps, access to their dog training community, quizzes, the ability to earn badges and certificates, weekly Zoom meetings and video recordings, and video blogs. SpiritDog rates this package as the best-valued package at $497/year.

3. Legend

The Legend Dog package gives you all the same access to online content as the Super Dog package. The main difference is that it includes a private 30-minute one-on-one session with a personal trainer every month. The Legend Dog package jumps up to $89/month to include the dog trainer sessions.

Benefits of the Academy

The SpiritDog Academy offers many benefits including:

•  Convenience: You will always have access to dog training material and other dog owners if you have questions. Plus, each package includes PDFs to download and keep on file should you ever want to revisit them.

•  Lots of content: You get lots of content available to you all the time, and you can use the videos to transform your relationship with your dog. Every type of obedience, aggression, anxiety, or potty training issue can potentially be resolved with access to the 700 lessons and 420 videos.

•  Cost savings: You get professional, quality training material for less cost than an in-person trainer.

•  New content: You’ll get access to new video and training content that is added weekly to try new methods plus learn new games and reward ideas for you and your dog.

•  Fun incentives: The creative and new ways you can bond with your dog will help you win achievements, badges, and printable certificates to keep you and your dog coming back for more.

•  Money Back Guarantee: Satisfaction is guaranteed, and if you don’t see any changes in your dog’s behavior in the first 14 days, then you can get your money back.

Get a 1 week trial for $2 of SpiritDog Academy (the offer will show on the registration screen)

Their subscription program is a good place to start if you want consistent and constant dog training. They publish new content every week, and if you’re looking to have direct contact with an experienced dog trainer then you can get that with their Legend Dog package.

The Puppy Starter and Super Dog may be worth it depending on how long you plan on using their services.

Individual Courses

SpiritDog offers 16 individual online dog training courses. You can purchase these individually based on what you want to learn and what you think would be best for your dog.

Get 20% off any SpiritDog course (with coupon code DogEndorsed2021)

The classes include the following:

Learn to Fetch

Not all dogs instinctively know how to let go of the ball or bring it back in fetch.

This mini-course will teach you how to help your dog switch between toys, retrieve the ball quickly and reliably, and teach your dog how to give the ball back quickly. This course contains a series of 8 video lectures and is $5 instead of the original $19.

Mastering Potty Training

Every dog owner has to potty train their dog. This course will help you understand the cause of potty training issues, and use every dog’s instinctual cleanliness for your benefit.

You will learn how to train good potty habits for puppies and adult dogs for long-term success. This course has 25 video lessons and is priced at a low $9 instead of the original $29.

Taking Turns

Your dog may benefit from the Taking Turns class if they struggle with impulsivity, have problems taking turns, and you feel like you would rather separate your dogs during training.

SpiritDog believes that every dog can learn to wait its turn. This course will help you train your dog to stay in its place and how to sit still. Purchasing this course gives you lifetime access to the $29 course, which was originally $49.

Frisbee Games

Frisbee Games is made for dogs who are already proficient in fetch and who need a little more of a challenge. This course will teach you how to throw the disc farther, learn setup moves for throws, and teach your dog different frisbee tricks.

It’ll help you build a frisbee routine with the knowledge gained from the course. This course’s instructor is Felicia Foy, a full-time disc performer who travels all over the United States and Canada with her dogs. Get this course for $29 instead of $89.

Dog Tricks

This course will help you teach your dog how to do popular tricks such as the rollover, sit pretty, jump through a hoop, wave, and more!

It’ll help you get your dog’s focus so they can learn tricks quickly and efficiently. You’ll learn how to bond with your dog and become a solid team. Once priced at $99, it is now $29.

Confidence Booster

The Confidence Booster class is meant to calm anxious and stressed dogs.

It’s intended for dogs who have experienced trauma and who tend to shut down during training. This course will teach you how to use routines and games to make them feel more secure. It’s currently listed at $35 and was originally $79.

Focus In Public Out and About

This course focuses on teaching your dog manners when you’re in public. Jumping on strangers, getting distracted, and unfocused dogs can learn how to behave well with the 21 learning modules.

They focus on teaching your dog to settle, engage your dog, teach your dog to heel, and how to play games in public places. At $35 instead of $99, it’s half the price of a single session with an in-person trainer.

Coming When Called and Outdoor Focus

If your dog won’t come when you call him, this course is right for you. Instructor Steffi has 28 video lectures that give you tools to teach your dog that coming back to you is a good thing.

The learning modules focus on using your dog’s prey drive to work in your favor and teach you how to be more fun and interesting than potential prey.

Through the courses, you’ll develop a bond that is stronger than outdoor distractions. If you still have questions, you’ll be able to ask Steffi. The course was $99 and is now $49.

Calm Down

Intended for hyperactive and distracted dogs, this course’s 24 lectures will help you understand why your dog is unable to settle and teach you tools to help them calm down in daily life.

It’ll help your dog to build impulse control and switch between high energy and calm energy through games and training sessions. The course was originally priced at $139 and is currently $49.

Creating Online Classes for Dog Professionals

Unlike the other classes, this course is made for other professional dog trainers who want to create online classes.

It’ll show you how to build and structure your course, set up for filming, pick the best camera angles, edit your videos, market your online class, and how to take payments from students.

The course claims other dog trainers can get their courses up and running as early as 3 weeks. This course was originally priced at $199 and is now $79.

Indoor Games for Small Spaces

You don’t need a large space or lots of equipment to effectively train your dog. This course shows you how you can play games that help anxious, stressed, or unfocused dogs.

The 31 video lectures will give your dog both mental and physical exercise while bonding you together as a team. It includes step-by-step instructions and PDF downloads for every game.

You’ll also get answers to all your questions from the trainer. This course is usually $99.

Loose Leash Walking

Teaching a dog to walk without pulling on the leash will create a more positive walking experience for both you and your dog.

This class will help you build a history of not pulling on the leash, teach your dog to stay by your side, teach your dog to stay in the heeling position, and how to train in a variety of settings.

This class claims that you only need 10 minutes of training a day for lasting success. You can purchase this class for $114.

Basic Obedience

This is a comprehensive course is meant to teach all the basic manners and obedience to dogs of any age. You’ll learn why dogs misbehave and use positive reinforcement to make lasting changes to their behavior.

Your dog will learn how to pay attention, sit, stay, wait at the door, walk well on the leash, and not jump up. The cost for this course is $115.

SpiritDog Parkour

Parkour is meant to physically challenge your dog in creative ways. These 36 learning modules will teach you how to increase your dog’s focus, and attention, and strengthen your bond to become a team.

They’ll show you how to train in a variety of environments without special equipment. It has different levels for a wide range of abilities, breeds, and ages, as well as modifications for puppies, senior dogs, and athletic dogs. It normally costs $120.

Canine Fitness Course

Dogs are healthiest when they’re physically fit. Whether your dog is currently overweight or you want to maintain a healthy weight, this course will give you fitness plans and exercises for a wide variety of breeds and abilities.

The exercises are suitable for any size space and skill level. You’ll get lifetime access to the material and personal feedback from canine fitness instructor Kim Fuqua. This class contains 70 videos and costs $149.

Dog Agility at Home

The dog agility course was designed for dogs who need to expend a little (or a lot) of extra energy throughout the day. Through this course, you’ll learn about all the aspects of dog agility. That includes how to set up PVC jumping courses and teaching you how to guide your dog through them.

You’ll be able to run a small agility course with your dog by the end of 103 lessons. You’ll find the stimulating physical and mental exercise will make your dog calmer, more relaxed, and more attentive.

With the dog agility course, you’ll also get PDF downloads, personal feedback from a dog trainer, and lifetime access to the program. You can get this all for the price of $199.

Bundle Packages of Courses

If you’re looking to save money, you can buy certain packages at significant discounts. You receive a number of related courses all in one discounted bundle. Currently, SpiritDog offers the SpiritDog Master Class, the Perfect Obedience Bundle, and the Perfect Focus Bundle.

Get 20% off any SpiritDog course or package (with coupon code DogEndorsed2021)

Here is some more information on each bundle:

1. Ultimate Puppy Program

A new puppy has a lot of training needs, which is what the Ultimate Puppy Program will give you.

This course will teach you how to potty train, teach proper puppy manners, stop them from chewing and biting, and build focus and attention. This course includes 58 video lectures and step-by-step training. It was originally priced at $249 but is now $49.

2. Tackling Reactivity

This course is intended for dogs who are fearful of sounds, difficult on a leash, and reactive to people and other dogs. The course intends to understand the underlying reason for reactivity and help make lasting changes to your dog’s behavior.

The methods are tested and proven by qualified trainers. It includes 41 video lectures from instructor Steffi Trott, and you can ask her unlimited questions as you view the course. Originally priced at $150, it is now priced at $49.

3. Perfect Obedience Bundle

The Perfect Obedience Bundle consists of SpiritDog’s two most popular sellers: Basic Obedience and Loose Leash Walking.

If you’re a new dog owner and want to start on the most important training, this bundle will help you and your dog build confidence and trust in each other as you teach your dog basic listening skills and leash manners.

Basic Obedience

The Basic Obedience class will help you understand why your dog misbehaves so you know how to change it. You’ll learn the power of using simple commands to create positive reinforcement for their good behavior.

This includes learning how to sit, stay, pay attention, wait at the door, and not jump up. This training becomes the basis for all other behaviors, manners, and tricks learned later.

Loose Leash Walking

Walking your dog on a leash is an important activity for both dogs and their owners. Dogs shouldn’t pull on a leash during walks, so this course will teach you how to get your dog to stay by your side and stay in the heeling position.

This course bundle can benefit you by learning how to have fun with your dog during training.

If you plan on getting both of these courses, it’s also better to buy them together because you get a big discount for buying the bundle. You can buy the bundle for $49 instead of the combined amounts you’d have to spend to get them individually.

You’ll save money and have the entire training process for life. Used together, the two classes will help you train your dog to be more focused and better behaved.

4. Loose Leash Walking Bundle

Many dogs need lots of practice and specific training to stop pulling the leash while walking. This loose leash walking bundle provides the perfect curriculum for leash training.

Along with the loose leash walking course, you’ll get access to their ebooks. One ebook dives into your dog’s play drive to help you work with your dog’s play style. The other book, “14 Days for Better Focus,” instructs you on how to train a better attention span in your dog.

You’ll also get communication with professional trainers, downloadable PDFs, and 6 bonus mini-courses valued at $80. These mini-courses are:

● Training Habits & Rewards
● Goodbye Leash Pulling
● Long Line Lessons
● Mat Mastery
● Improved Impulse Control
● Hyperactivity Helper

The grand total value of the courses and ebooks comes to $272. As a bundle, you’ll only spend $59 to get lifetime access to proven methods that work.

5. Fantastic Focus Bundle

More than half of dog owners struggle with their dog’s over-excitement. You know your dog isn’t the “crazy” dog, and this course will help you understand your dog’s emotions and work with them.

This is more of a broad-spectrum focus bundle compared to Perfect Focus Bundle (below) which addresses reactivity and hyperactivity issues.

It helps you deal with your dog’s meltdowns, overexcited behavior, and outward manifestations of anxiety. You’ll get real-life training videos to view, lifetime access to the course, downloadable PDFs, and techniques to change your dog’s emotional response.

Some of the key points of the Fantastic Focus Bundle are:

● Calming your dog through sniffing exercises
● Managing triggers and preventing reactivity
● Managing leash walking and calmness at home
● Improving impulse control
● Keeping your dog calm and focused while near her triggers

You’ll get 8 bonus courses, an exclusive ebook, and personalized feedback from a dog trainer with the Fantastic Focus Bundle. Individually, these all value at $317 but you’ll pay $99 with the bundle.

6. Perfect Focus Bundle

The Perfect Focus Bundle is meant for the dog who lacks focus whether during training, around other dogs, or even while walking. It also addresses the common causes of this lack of focus such as distraction, overarousal, or reactivity.

If your dog has reactivity and hyperactivity issues, then choose this bundle. However, if looking for a more broad-based course on focus, then choose Fantastic Focus Bundle (above.)

There are a total of 96 lessons contained in the following 4 courses:

• Coming When Called and Outdoor Focus

• Focus in Public- Out and About

• Tackling Reactivity, and

• Calm Down.

Instead of paying $388 for all of the courses individually, you can save significantly with a price of $99. You also get lifetime access and the option to ask questions to their trainer.

As with all of their courses, they use positive and science-based training methods. They also offer a satisfaction guarantee or you get your money back within the first 7 days.

7. Games Unlimited Bundle

Spirit Dog Training is currently offering a large discount on their games unlimited bundle. If you’re at all interested in dog sports, games, or agility, it’s definitely worth looking into this package. You’ll get the:

● Indoor Games Course
● SpiritDog Parkour
● Dog Agility at Home courses

As part of the package, you’ll also get access to bonus content. The bonus courses are:

● Dogs Tricks Course
● Learn to Fetch
● Frisbee Games Course
● Canine Fitness Course
● Long Line Lessons
● Mat Work Mastery
● Improved Impulse Control
● Sibling Struggles
● Sensational Stays
● Coming When Called
● Goodbye Leash Pulling

This is a lot of classes for a small price. Notice that the Dog Agility at Home Courses come bundled with this as well, which is more expensive than the bundle.

You’ll also get the “Play with the Dog in Front of You” ebook, and unlimited feedback from a professional dog trainer. The total value would be $649, but you can get this bundle for $99.

8. Ultimate Master Class Bundle

The SpiritDog Master Class includes 17 of SpiritDog’s dog training courses and/or bundles, ranging from beginner to advanced courses with 400+ training videos.

The Master Class features basic courses such as puppy training, leash skills, and manners in public, to advanced courses such as reactivity and dog tricks. The Master Class currently has 3,140 satisfied dog owners.

The Master Class offers the following 17 courses:

●  Dog Agility at Home
●  Ultimate Puppy Program
●  Outdoor Focus
●  Focus In Public- Out and About
●  Indoor Games for Small Spaces
●  SpiritDog Parkour
●  Mastering Potty Training
●  Canine Fitness
●  Calm Down/Slow Down Course
●  Basic Obedience
●  Loose Leash Walking
●  Dog Tricks
●  Confidence Booster
●  Learn to Fetch
●  Taking Turns
●  Frisbee Games
●  Tackling Reactivity

The SpiritDog Master Class contains many benefits including:

• Step-by-Step Instructional Videos: The training should change your dog’s behavior within 30 days, as long as you practice the lessons for 10 minutes each day. Their videos feature multiple dog breeds and varying training experience.

• Lifetime Access: You also get lifetime access when you purchase the Master Class, so you can access the videos again at any point.

• Great Value: At full price, the SpiritDog Master Class training would cost $1637 for every individual class. They’re currently offering a discounted price of $499 for the Master Class. This is highly competitive to in-person training, as it is less than 2 in-person sessions with a dog trainer.

• Get Help Along the Way: You can also ask questions in the comment section for every lesson.

• Convenience: Since the training classes are all online, you can access them at your convenience. You don’t have to set time aside in your schedule to go visit a trainer. You can work your dog’s training around your busy schedule.

I think the SpiritDog Master Class is a great option for your dog’s training classes. You pay one time, keep all the video content, and have access to it whenever you need it.

You wouldn’t have access to a dog trainer like you would with the SpiritDog Academy, but you can ask questions about each course.

What Customers Are Saying

As part of my SpiritDog Training review, I checked out what customers had to say.

Overall, SpiritDog has very high reviews. Both first-time dog owners and experienced owners claim that Spirit Dog training helped their dogs listen better, be calmer, and gain more confidence. It’s especially helpful for those who live far away from training classes because they’re available online.

Elaine S. said her golden retriever gained much more focus and even came back when there was another dog present.

Penelope A. got puppy classes because her puppy was tearing up the house. After a few training sessions, the puppy stopped!

Katie L. says she loves the science-based training focused on positive reinforcement. She says the classes include lots of tips to make everyday life easier with her dog.

Marta I. said the training worked well for her shy and reactive dog. She said her dog has come a long way since taking the Tackling Reactivity Course and Confidence Booster class.

Overall, dog owners give SpiritDog great reviews. It gets 5 stars on Google Reviews and 4.9 stars on its Facebook page. People seem very happy with the results.

Program Comparisons

While SpiritDog offers some of the best online dog training courses. A few comparable options are Dunbar Academy, Pupford Academy, and Udemy.

Dunbar Academy

Dunbar Academy offers many different dog training resources, such as training videos, live webinars, ebooks, podcasts, and personal emails from dog trainers.

SpiritDog’s main programs are online training videos, and they currently don’t offer any other type of training besides the personal coaching session in the Legend Dog Academy subscription program.

Both Dunbar Academy and SpiritDog offer free class options, but SpiritDog offers 24 free classes compared to Dunbar’s 8.

A few similarities in the programs are that Dunbar Academy and SpiritDog offer subscription programs. Dunbar Academy only offers one subscription option for $20/month, or you can get a discount and pay $150 for the year.

SpiritDog’s basic package is also $20/month like Dunbar Academy. However, SpiritDog offers some upgraded packages like their $89/month program with a remote dog training session with a trainer each month.

Pupford Academy

Like SpiritDog, Pupford Academy offers a wide selection of online courses.

With Pupford Academy, you can purchase all their classes in a bundle for $199.99, subscribe to their monthly plan for $9.99/month, or sign up for a semi-annual plan for $39.96 every 6 months.

All of their plans give you access to their current classes and future classes.

While Pupford Academy is less expensive than SpiritDog’s base subscription program, you only get 12 classes vs. SpiritDog’s 18 classes. Pupford Academy and Spirit Dog also both offer free classes, with similar class options, such as crate training courses and leash walking.

Udemy

Udemy is different than the other programs, as it is a platform for any professional to upload their courses for purchase. These courses are rated 1-5 stars by people who have purchased the programs.

Unlike SpiritDog, you can search for courses based on topic, price, level, and ratings. The cost varies per course, ranging from $15 to $100.

There is no subscription option on Udemy like there is with SpiritDog, but you do get a 30-day money-back guarantee.

The biggest similarity between Udemy and SpiritDog is that you can select which classes you want to take. While SpiritDog’s classes are mostly from their main trainer Steffi, Udemy offers classes from many different professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Doesn’t my dog need an in-person trainer?

The SpiritDog instructor and head trainer Steffi says that the majority of dogs do not need an in-person trainer. She says that as a dog owner, you’re the only trainer your dog needs. Since you know your dog best, you can teach them most effectively.

How do the courses work?

Each course has a set of training videos with explanations on how to teach every behavior. The videos will teach you what to pay attention to, how to train, and how often to reward behavior.

The training videos also show different breeds and different exercises appropriate for those breeds. You can ask the trainer questions in the comments section of the videos.

Do I have to be online at a specific time?

You don’t have to be online at a specific time. The courses are pre-recorded, so they’re already available when you sign up.

How will this work for my young/old/stubborn/difficult-to-teach dog?

SpiritDog says it’s never too late to start training your dog. With proper positive training techniques, every dog can learn new tricks.

When can I expect results?

Most dog owners see changes after a few weeks. Some owners may see changes even within a couple of days.

What if it doesn’t work for me?

SpiritDog will refund your money within the first 7 days, no questions asked.

Conclusion

Well, I hope you enjoyed my SpiritDog Training review and what they have to offer.

SpiritDog has impressive statistics and many testimonials from happy dog owners. Their training is based on scientifically proven methods.

I also like how they offer multiple options such as subscription plans, individual classes, and bundle packages.

They also offer free class options if you want to test their training before you purchase. You also can get your money back in 7 days with no questions asked if you’re not satisfied.

If you’re also looking for more hand-holding, you can sign up for their Legend Dog subscription program which offers one-on-one 30-minute monthly training sessions.