Six months ago, my dog could not sit for more than four seconds without breaking to chase anything that moved.
Walks were a battle.
Commands were suggestions he ignored politely.
I had already spent $180 on two different online training courses that promised perfect obedience in 30 days.
Neither produced anything close to that.
When someone in a dog owner Facebook group recommended Brain Training for Dogs by Adrienne Farricelli, I was skeptical.
Another course.
Another promise.
Another $67 I would probably regret.
I bought it anyway, partly because of the 60-day money-back guarantee, partly because the approach sounded genuinely different from anything I had tried.
Six weeks later, I kept it.
Not because my dog became perfect.
He did not.
But this Brain Training for Dogs review is based on something I could actually measure.
My dog now holds a sit for 30 seconds in a room full of distractions.
He walks on a loose leash most of the time.
He stopped destroying things out of boredom within the first three weeks.
This is my breakdown of every module, what worked, what did not, who this course is actually for, and who should skip it entirely.
Brain Training for Dogs
Honest Review & Quick Verdict
Brain Training for Dogs by Adrienne Farricelli (CPDT-KA Certified) is a science-based online training course that focuses on mental stimulation instead of punishment-based methods. It includes 21 interactive brain games organized across 7 progressive levels to improve obedience, confidence, focus, and problem-solving skills. The course costs $67 as a one-time payment, includes lifetime access, and comes backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Owners dealing with boredom, destructive chewing, excessive barking, stubborn behavior, and poor focus.
Requires consistency. Results depend on daily practice rather than instant fixes.
What Is Brain Training for Dogs, and Why Is It Different
Most dog training courses teach commands: sit, stay, heel, down.
Useful, but any honest Brain Training for Dogs review has to say it upfront: commands treat symptoms, not the root cause.
Brain Training for Dogs is an online program by CPDT-KA certified trainer Adrienne Farricelli.
It uses structured brain games that get harder over time, building focus, impulse control, and problem-solving through positive reinforcement.
The idea behind it:
- Most behavior problems (barking, chewing, pulling, jumping, digging, even some anxiety) trace back to a lack of mental stimulation.
- Dogs evolved to spend their day solving problems and foraging. Modern pet dogs finish a meal in under a minute and get almost no mental challenge the rest of the day.
- A dog with a flawless “sit” can still destroy a couch cushion because the command never touched the actual boredom.
Instead of drilling commands in isolation, the course gives dogs progressively harder problems to solve.
Behavior improvements tend to follow.
The goal isn’t just a dog that obeys.
It’s a mentally fulfilled dog that’s calmer and easier to live with.
According to the American Kennel Club, positive reinforcement training helps dogs actively engage in learning, provides real mental stimulation, and strengthens the owner bond.
Who Created It, Adrienne Farricelli’s Credentials
Credentials matter in dog training.
Anyone can film themselves giving commands and call it a course.
What separates real training from content marketing is the person behind it.
Adrienne Farricelli is a CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed) certified dog trainer.
Why the CPDT-KA credential actually matters:
- One of the most widely recognized certifications in the industry.
- Requires trainers to document extensive hands-on experience.
- Requires passing a comprehensive exam.
- Requires ongoing continuing education to maintain it.
Her background:
- 15+ years of professional experience.
- Worked with service dogs for military veterans.
- Featured in USA Today, Every Dog Magazine, and several veterinary-focused outlets.
This isn’t a trainer whose credentials start and end with training her own dog.
Verifiable experience, real industry recognition, and a track record with actual dogs and owners.
For me, the creator’s credibility was one of the strongest reasons I gave the program a chance.
The 7 Modules, What Is Inside the Course
The course is organized into seven progressive levels, each building on the one before it. This structure encourages steady progress instead of rushing ahead before the basics are solid, which is the backbone of this Brain Training for Dogs review’s 6-week timeline coming up next.
Module 1, Preschool
- Foundation level: attention, engagement, responsiveness
- First game teaches sustained eye contact, the base every later exercise builds on
- Took about five days for us
- By day four, my dog held eye contact for several seconds even with mild distractions nearby
Module 2, Elementary
- Basic problem-solving and targeting
- Dogs learn to touch specific targets with nose or paw
- These simple exercises become building blocks for everything harder later
- This is where most dogs start actively thinking through a challenge instead of just waiting for a command
Module 3, High School
- Memory games and multi-step challenges
- Dogs learn to remember hidden rewards, recall sequences, chain behaviors together
- This is where I first noticed real behavior change
- Several boredom-driven habits started fading here
Module 4, College
- Impulse control and decision-making
- Dogs learn to wait, resist temptation, choose well between options
- Directly supports real problems: jumping, rushing doors, counter-surfing
Module 5, University
- Puzzles get noticeably harder, usually taking several sessions to master
- Builds real confidence since dogs learn persistence pays off
- Nervous or uncertain dogs often show visibly more confidence working through this level
Module 6, Graduation
- Sustained concentration through increasingly hard tasks
- Especially valuable for high-drive breeds like Border Collies, Poodles, and Australian Shepherds
- These breeds get bored fast with standard obedience work
Module 7, Einstein
- The most advanced material in the program
- Demands real problem-solving and sustained focus
- Not every dog reaches this level, and that’s completely normal
- Most owners see their biggest behavior improvements between Modules 3 and 5, well before the final stage
Brain Training for Dogs packs 21 structured brain games across these seven levels, building focus, impulse control, patience, confidence, and problem-solving instead of relying only on obedience drills.
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My 6-Week Brain Training for Dogs Review, What Actually Happened
Here is my honest brain training for dogs review timeline — no exaggeration, no cherry-picking.
Week 1, Preschool and Elementary
- The “Look Into My Eyes” game took three 10-minute sessions before my dog did it reliably
- What surprised me was his attitude, he was not just obeying, he was enjoying it
- Tail wagging the whole session, actively wanting to play again
- Total time investment: 15 minutes per day
Week 2 to 3, High School
- This is where changes became visible, not in commands, in daily behavior
- He was calmer in the evenings
- He stopped barking at the mailman, not because we trained for that specifically, but because a mentally exercised dog does not need to invent his own entertainment
- The couch cushion destruction stopped by the end of week 3, completely
Week 4 to 5, College and University
- Impulse control improved a lot
- The door-bolting behavior that had been a two-year problem dropped by about 70 percent
- Leash pulling eased to the point where I could walk him past other dogs without being dragged
Week 6, Assessment
My honest assessment at 6 weeks. He is not perfect. Squirrels still break his concentration completely. But the difference between week 1 and week 6 is measurable.
- Sustained sit: 4 seconds to 30 seconds.
- Leash pulling: constant to 80 percent loose leash.
- Destruction: weekly to zero in 3 weeks.
- Barking at the door: every time to occasional.
For the complete positive reinforcement approach that complements this course, read our guide on positive reinforcement dog training for beginners.
What I Genuinely Liked
Every honest Brain Training for Dogs review should separate what genuinely worked from what’s just marketing copy.
Here’s what held up for us.
Built on Real Science, Not Gimmicks
Positive reinforcement is the most researched approach in animal behavior science.
Adrienne explains why each technique works, not just what to do, which helps you apply it correctly in real situations rather than following steps blindly.
According to the American Kennel Club, bored dogs chew furniture, shred pillows, and invent their own entertainment.
Mental stimulation through puzzle games and training provides the cognitive engagement that helps prevent these behaviors.
Household Items Only, No Equipment Costs
Most games use things you already own, including:
- Muffin tins
- Plastic cups
- Towels
- Treats
No specialized equipment. No extra spending.
The course itself is the only purchase.
15 Minutes Per Day, Genuinely
I fit sessions in before work or after dinner without it feeling like a chore.
The whole design philosophy is based on short, focused sessions because:
- They’re easy to fit into a busy schedule.
- Dogs learn better in short bursts anyway.
Troubleshooting Sections Are Excellent
Every game includes guidance for when things go wrong, including:
- What to do if your dog loses interest.
- How to handle frustration.
- What to do if your dog does not understand the cue.
This is a level of detail most courses lack.
A slightly hungry dog is more motivated to work for treats, and the brain games are treat-based.
I found that training 30 minutes before mealtime produced the best engagement and fastest learning.
What Could Be Better – Honest Criticism
No Brain Training for Dogs review is complete without genuine criticism.
Here is what I did not love, and why the half-point deduction exists.
Video Quality Is Functional, Not Premium
The training videos are clear enough to follow, but they are not professionally produced.
- Audio in some videos is flat.
- The information is excellent.
- The production is not.
If you learn better from reading, the written instructions are detailed enough to follow without watching a single video.
Private Forum Is Quiet
The course includes a private members’ forum.
It is functional but not highly active.
If you need real-time support, do not expect instant replies.
Email support from Adrienne’s team was responsive within 24 hours when I tested it.
Not a Quick Fix for Severe Aggression
This program addresses boredom-driven behaviors, including:
- Barking
- Chewing
- Pulling
- Anxiety
- Jumping
It does not address genuine aggression, fear-based reactivity, or resource guarding.
Those need in-person work with a certified veterinary behaviorist.
Who Should Buy Brain Training for Dogs
Based on my brain training for dogs review experience, this course is worth the $67 if you fit one of these profiles:
- Your dog is bored and destructive – chewing furniture, digging holes, barking excessively when left alone. These behaviors respond fastest to the mental stimulation approach.
- Your dog knows commands but ignores them – sits perfectly at home but pulls like a sled dog on walks. The impulse control modules 4 and 5 address the gap between knowing a command and choosing to follow it.
- You have tried traditional training without results. If command-based training did not work, the brain game approach is genuinely different – not just repackaged obedience drills.
- You have a high-energy or intelligent breed – Border Collies, Poodles, Australian Shepherds, Huskies, and Labs benefit most because their brains need more work than average.
Brain Training for Dogs is most effective for dogs that are bored and destructive, dogs that know commands but ignore them in real situations, and high-energy intelligent breeds that need more mental stimulation than standard training provides – with most owners reporting visible behavior improvements within 2 to 3 weeks of daily 15-minute sessions.
For dogs with separation anxiety specifically, read our guide on how to stop dog separation anxiety when left alone – the brain games pair effectively with the methods in that guide.
Who Should Skip It
This course is NOT for everyone. Save your money if:
- Your dog has genuine aggression issues — fear-based reactivity, resource guarding, or aggression toward people or other dogs. These require in-person professional intervention, not an online course.
- Your dog is a young puppy under 12 weeks. The course includes a puppy section, but very young puppies need socialization and basic house training more than brain games. Start with our guide on how to take care of a puppy for the first time, then consider Brain Training for Dogs after 4 months.
- You expect results without daily effort. The course works — but only if you actually do the 15-minute daily sessions consistently. If you will not commit to that, skip it.
- You just want your dog to learn “sit” and “stay.” A free YouTube tutorial covers basic commands. This course is for deeper behavioral change, not surface-level obedience.
Pricing, Guarantee, and What You Get
One-time payment: $67. No subscription. No recurring fees. Lifetime access to all content and updates.
What is included:
- The complete 7-module brain game course with 21 structured games, each with video demonstrations and detailed written instructions.
- A full puppy training section for owners of dogs under 12 months.
- Over 100 articles covering specific behavior problems — pulling, barking, jumping, chewing, biting, door bolting, counter surfing, and more.
- Access to a private members’ forum.
- Email support from Adrienne’s team.
Brain Training for Dogs costs $67 as a one-time payment with lifetime access and no recurring subscription fees — making it significantly more affordable than most in-person group training classes which typically cost $200 to $600 for a 6 to 8 week program, and comes with a full 60-day money-back guarantee.
60-day money-back guarantee through ClickBank. If you are not satisfied for any reason, you get a full refund — no questions asked. This is what made me comfortable trying it after two failed courses.
Brain Training for Dogs
Get full lifetime access for just $67, backed by a risk-free 60-day money-back guarantee.
🚀 Get Instant AccessAccording to the AKC, puzzle toys and brain games provide mental stimulation that produces cognitive fatigue equivalent to roughly 30 minutes of physical exercise in just 15 minutes — which is the same principle Brain Training for Dogs is built on.
My Final Rating — 4.5 out of 5The half-point deduction is for video quality and the quiet forum — neither of which affects the actual training content, which is genuinely excellent.
At $67 with a 60-day guarantee, the risk is essentially zero. You either see results within 6 weeks or you get your money back. That is the fairest deal in online dog training.
Individual results will vary based on your dog’s breed, age, temperament, and the consistency of your daily training sessions.
Dogs with severe behavioral issues – aggression, fear-based reactivity, or trauma history – need in-person professional intervention, not an online course.
This review reflects my genuine experience with the program.
This post contains affiliate links – if you purchase through our link, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The 60-day money-back guarantee is provided by ClickBank, the payment processor.
Always consult a certified professional dog trainer for severe behavioral issues.
Brain Training for Dogs
One-time payment of $67 with lifetime access and a risk-free 60-day money-back guarantee.
🚀 Try It Risk-FreeFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Brain Training for Dogs worth the money?
Yes – at $67 with a 60-day money-back guarantee, it is one of the most affordable and lowest-risk training programs available.
Most in-person group classes cost $200 to $600 for 6 to 8 weeks. The brain game approach is genuinely different from standard command training and addresses the root cause of most behavior problems – boredom and lack of mental stimulation.
Does Brain Training for Dogs actually work?
Yes, for the right dogs. It is most effective for bored, destructive dogs and dogs that know commands but ignore them in real situations.
Most owners report visible improvements within 2 to 3 weeks of consistent daily 15-minute sessions.
It is not effective for genuine aggression, fear-based reactivity, or resource guarding – those require professional in-person intervention.
Who is Adrienne Farricelli?
Adrienne Farricelli is a CPDT-KA certified professional dog trainer with over 15 years of experience.
She has worked with service dogs for military veterans and has been featured in USA Today and Every Dog Magazine.
The CPDT-KA certification requires 300+ hours of hands-on training experience and a comprehensive knowledge exam – it is the most recognized professional credential in the dog training industry.
How much does Brain Training for Dogs cost?
Brain Training for Dogs costs $67 as a one-time payment.
There is no monthly subscription, no recurring fees, and you get lifetime access to all course content and future updates.
A 60-day money-back guarantee is included through ClickBank, the payment processor.
How long does it take to see results?
Most owners see initial behavior changes within the first 1 to 2 weeks – typically reduced boredom-driven destruction and improved focus during training.
More significant improvements in impulse control, leash behavior, and sustained attention develop between weeks 3 and 6 with consistent daily practice.
Is Brain Training for Dogs good for puppies?
The course includes a dedicated puppy training section suitable for puppies over 12 weeks.
Very young puppies under 12 weeks benefit more from socialization and house training fundamentals first.
The brain game modules become most effective once a puppy has basic focus and can engage with treat-based activities for 5 to 10 minutes.
What if Brain Training for Dogs does not work for my dog?
The program includes a full 60-day money-back guarantee through ClickBank.
If you are not satisfied for any reason within 60 days of purchase, you can request a complete refund.
This makes it a risk-free investment – either you see results, or you get your money back.
How is this different from regular dog training courses?
Most courses teach commands – sit, stay, heel.
Brain Training for Dogs teaches your dog how to think, solve problems, and control impulses through structured mental challenges.
The behavior improvements happen as a side effect of a brain that is getting proper stimulation.
This addresses the root cause of most problem behaviors rather than just teaching surface-level obedience.
The Course That Changed How I Think About Training – Final Thoughts
Two failed courses. $180 wasted. A dog that knew “sit” perfectly but ate couch cushions the moment I left the room.
That was where I started before this brain training for dogs review became personal.
Six weeks and $67 later, my dog is not perfect. He still loses his mind over squirrels. He still gets too excited when guests arrive. But the destruction stopped. The leash pulling dropped by 80%. The sustained attention went from 4 seconds to 30. And he genuinely enjoys training – which means I do too.
Three things to take with you:
- The root cause of most problem behaviors is boredom, not disobedience. A dog that destroys furniture when left alone is not defiant – they are a brain with nothing to do. Brain Training for Dogs addresses the cause, not the symptom.
- Fifteen minutes per day is genuinely enough. That is not marketing. That is the actual daily time investment. The sessions are designed to be short because dogs learn better in focused bursts than in long grinding sessions.
- The 60-day guarantee makes it risk-free. You either see measurable improvement within 6 weeks or you get every dollar back. I have never seen a more fair offer in the online dog training space.
For the complete leash training method that pairs perfectly with this course, read our guide on leash training a puppy that pulls on walks.
For dogs that need recall work alongside mental stimulation, read our dog recall training step by step guide.
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