Brain Training for Dogs Review

If you’re searching for a Brain Training for Dogs review, you’re probably not looking for another generic list of dog-training tips.

You may already know about the program and are trying to answer a much more important question:

Is Brain Training for Dogs actually worth paying for when there are so many free dog-training resources available online?

That’s exactly what we’ll look at in this review.

Brain Training for Dogs is an online dog-training program created by professional dog trainer Adrienne Farricelli. The program combines mental stimulation, obedience training, problem-solving games, and reward-based training techniques into a structured curriculum.

The official program currently describes a seven-level progression containing more than 21 brain-training games, along with obedience training, trick-training material, puppy-training resources, troubleshooting information, videos, and an archive of dog-behavior material.

But a long list of features doesn’t automatically make a product worth buying.

So in this review, we’ll look at:

• What Brain Training for Dogs actually includes
• Who Adrienne Farricelli is
• Whether her professional background can be independently verified
• How the training approach compares with current reward-based training guidance
• What the program may be useful for
• Its limitations
• Brain Training for Dogs vs free YouTube training
• Brain Training for Dogs vs a professional trainer
• Whether the program is legitimate
• How much it currently costs
• Who should consider buying it
• Who probably shouldn’t
• And, most importantly, whether we think it’s worth the money

Quick verdict: Brain Training for Dogs is worth considering for dog owners who want a structured, reward-based training program they can follow at home. Its biggest advantage is organization and progression rather than access to information that can’t be found elsewhere. However, it shouldn’t be treated as a universal solution for serious aggression, severe anxiety, or other complex behavior problems.

Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link. If you purchase through our link, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Our review is based on publicly available information about the program, its published curriculum, the creator’s professional background, and established guidance on humane dog training.

What Is Brain Training for Dogs?

Brain Training for Dogs is an online dog-training course developed by Adrienne Farricelli.

The program is built around the idea that dogs benefit from mental stimulation as well as physical exercise.

Instead of focusing only on traditional commands such as “sit,” “stay,” and “come,” the program uses games and exercises intended to encourage dogs to pay attention, solve simple problems, learn new behaviors, exercise impulse control, and interact with their owners.

The official curriculum is divided into seven progressive levels:

1. Preschool
2. Elementary School
3. High School
4. College
5. University
6. Graduation
7. Einstein

The program describes the early stages as foundational training and gradually introduces more difficult activities involving patience, concentration, problem solving, motor skills, and impulse control.

That progression is one of the most interesting parts of the product.

There is an enormous amount of free dog-training information online, but the problem is that free information isn’t always organized into a logical training path.

Brain Training for Dogs attempts to solve that problem by giving owners a system to follow.

Who Is Adrienne Farricelli?

Before paying for any dog-training program, it’s reasonable to ask:

Who is actually behind it?

In this case, the answer is Adrienne Farricelli.

The official Brain Training for Dogs website describes Farricelli as a professional dog trainer with CPDT-KA certification. Its biography says she began working in an animal hospital in 2006, volunteered at a local shelter in 2007, and later obtained certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.

But we don’t have to rely entirely on the vendor’s own description.

That’s where the independent information becomes useful.

What PetHelpful Says About Adrienne Farricelli

PetHelpful has a dedicated author profile for Adrienne Farricelli, where she is described as a dual-certified dog trainer, behavior consultant, and former veterinary assistant.

According to that third-party profile, Farricelli:

• Has worked professionally with dogs since 2005
• Worked at an accredited animal hospital
• Volunteered at a local animal shelter
• Completed 219 hours of apprenticeship under a master dog trainer
• Obtained CPDT-KA certification in 2011
• Established dog-training businesses
• Has continued her education in canine behavior
• Completed additional coursework involving canine theriogenology and dog emotion and cognition
• Earned a Diploma in Canine Behavior Science and Technology in 2023
• Focuses on positive reinforcement and gentle behavior modification

The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) also currently lists Adrienne J. Farricelli in its certified dog trainer directory for Arizona.

That doesn’t prove that Brain Training for Dogs will work for every dog.

It does, however, give us something important that many questionable online courses don’t have:

A clearly identifiable creator whose professional background can be independently checked.

What Does CPDT-KA Mean?

You may have noticed the letters CPDT-KA after Adrienne Farricelli’s name.

CPDT-KA stands for Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed.

The important thing for consumers is that this isn’t simply a title someone can invent for themselves.

Farricelli’s certification is associated with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, and she appears in its current certified trainer directory.

PetHelpful also documents her professional training background and continuing education, including her 2023 diploma in Canine Behavior Science and Technology.

So, when evaluating the person behind Brain Training for Dogs, there is substantially more information available than simply:

“I’m a dog trainer. Buy my course.”

That’s a positive point in our assessment.

What Does Brain Training for Dogs Actually Include?

The official program currently describes a fairly extensive collection of material.

The core course contains more than 21 brain-training games, organized across seven levels. It also includes obedience training, trick-training videos, puppy-training material, behavior information, troubleshooting guidance, video demonstrations, and additional resources.

According to the official course page, the program includes:

• More than 21 brain-training games
• Seven progressive training levels
• Video demonstrations
• Step-by-step instructions
• Troubleshooting material
• Obedience training
• Trick-training videos
• Puppy-training resources
• Behavior-training resources
• More than 100 articles in the behavior archive
• A private members’ forum
• Access to an online members’ area
• A support system for questions

The program therefore goes beyond being simply a collection of dog puzzles.

It’s more accurately described as a structured online dog-training system with mental-stimulation activities at its center.

How Does the Seven-Level System Work?

The progression is one of the main selling points.

Level 1: Preschool

This is presented as the foundation of the program.

The exercises introduce attention, targeting, eye contact, and engagement with the owner.

Level 2: Elementary School

The program begins introducing activities involving the dog’s senses, exploration, and mental stimulation.

Level 3: High School

The emphasis moves toward patience and impulse control.

Level 4: College

Exercises become more challenging and focus on concentration, motor skills, patience, and following cues.

Level 5: University

The program introduces additional challenges involving problem solving, impulse control, learning, and interaction with the owner.

Level 6: Graduation

More advanced exercises are introduced, including name recognition and more complicated movement-based activities.

Level 7: Einstein

The final stage contains more advanced tricks and challenges such as toy tidying, ring stacking, and playing the piano on cue.

The names are obviously designed to make the program fun.

But underneath the branding is a sensible concept:

Start simple → teach the dog how to learn → gradually increase difficulty.

For beginners, having that progression can be more useful than having hundreds of unrelated training videos.

Does “Brain Training” Actually Make Dogs Smarter?

This is where I think consumers should be careful.

The product’s marketing uses phrases such as “hidden intelligence” and suggests that mental stimulation can improve behavior and learning.

But I wouldn’t interpret the product name literally.

Completing puzzle games doesn’t mean your dog will suddenly gain a higher IQ.

A more realistic interpretation is that mental stimulation gives dogs opportunities to:

• Learn new behaviors
• Practice problem solving
• Focus their attention
• Exercise impulse control
• Interact with their owners
• Use their senses
• Learn through reinforcement

Those are useful goals.

So I would think of “brain training” as mental enrichment and structured learning, rather than a promise to increase your dog’s intelligence in some measurable way.

That’s an important distinction.

Does Brain Training for Dogs Use Positive Reinforcement?

Yes.

The official program describes its training approach as force-free and based on positive reinforcement.

This is also consistent with the current position of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB).

AVSAB’s current guidance states that only reward-based training methods should be used for dog training and behavior modification. It specifically advises against aversive methods such as electronic collars, prong collars, choke chains, leash corrections, and other forms of physical or psychological punishment.

In simple terms, positive reinforcement means rewarding a behavior you want the dog to repeat.

For example:

Dog sits → dog receives a reward → sitting becomes more likely to be repeated.

The reward doesn’t necessarily have to be food. Depending on the dog, it can include praise, play, toys, or another reward the dog values.

Of course, the technique still needs to be applied correctly.

Simply giving treats without understanding timing, reinforcement, environment, and the reason behind a behavior isn’t a complete training strategy.

What Problems Can Brain Training for Dogs Help With?

The official program covers a wide range of training and behavior topics.

Its sales material specifically mentions areas including:

• Barking
• Chewing
• Jumping
• Digging
• Whining
• Leash pulling
• Impulse control
• Hyperactivity
• Reactivity
• Puppy training
• Obedience
• Difficulty following commands

That makes the program potentially useful for owners dealing with fairly common training challenges.

However, we need to make an important distinction.

Teaching a dog a new skill is not the same thing as treating a serious behavioral disorder.

A dog may bark because it is bored.

Another may bark because it is fearful.

Another may bark because the behavior has been reinforced over time.

And another may be reacting to a specific environmental trigger.

The same outward behavior can have very different causes.

That’s why I wouldn’t describe Brain Training for Dogs as a universal cure for behavior problems.

What Brain Training for Dogs May NOT Be Suitable For

This is one of the most important sections of this review.

An online course has an obvious limitation:

The trainer isn’t physically there to observe your dog.

If your dog has serious aggression, severe fear, dangerous reactivity, a bite history, or another complex behavior problem, an online course shouldn’t be your only source of help.

AVSAB recommends seeking appropriate professional assistance for significant behavior problems and emphasizes the importance of humane, evidence-based approaches.

Even PetHelpful’s own author profile makes a similar distinction, noting that online articles aren’t a substitute for professional veterinary or behavior advice and recommending hands-on assessment for sick or aggressive dogs.

So, in these situations, professional help may be more appropriate:

• Serious aggression
• Bite risk
• Severe fear
• Complex anxiety
• Dangerous reactivity
• Behavior that puts people or other animals at risk
• Problems that haven’t improved despite consistent training

Brain Training for Dogs can still potentially provide useful educational material, but it shouldn’t replace individualized assessment when the situation is serious.

Brain Training for Dogs Pros and Cons

Pros

1. Structured curriculum

This is probably the biggest advantage.

You aren’t simply given hundreds of unrelated videos and told to figure everything out yourself.

The program has a progression.

2. Focus on mental stimulation

The program puts considerable emphasis on activities that make dogs think, learn, and interact with their owners.

3. Reward-based approach

The program’s stated force-free approach is consistent with AVSAB’s current recommendation for reward-based dog training.

4. Can be followed at home

You don’t need to attend weekly classes to work through the online material.

5. Covers more than brain games

The additional obedience, puppy, behavior, troubleshooting, and training resources make the program broader than a simple puzzle-game collection.

6. Identifiable creator

Adrienne Farricelli has a professional background that can be independently investigated through PetHelpful and the CCPDT directory.

Cons

1. You still have to do the work

Buying a dog-training course doesn’t train the dog.

You do.

The program can provide instructions, but the owner still needs to practice consistently.

2. No personalized in-person coaching

An online course can’t physically observe your dog and correct your technique in real time.

3. Free alternatives exist

A motivated owner can find an enormous amount of dog-training information for free.

4. It isn’t appropriate for every behavior problem

Serious behavior cases may require individualized professional help.

5. Results aren’t guaranteed

Every dog is different.

Training success depends on the dog, the behavior involved, the environment, the owner’s consistency, and whether the chosen training approach is appropriate.

Brain Training for Dogs vs Free YouTube Training

This is probably the biggest question potential buyers have.

Why pay for dog training when YouTube is free?

That’s a legitimate question.

Here’s how I would compare the two:

If you enjoy researching dog training yourself, YouTube may be perfectly adequate.

But there’s a hidden cost to free information:

your time.

You may spend hours watching different trainers who use different terminology, different techniques, and different training sequences.

Brain Training for Dogs attempts to reduce that problem by putting everything into one structured system.

So you’re not necessarily paying for information that doesn’t exist elsewhere.

You’re paying for organization, progression, and convenience.

That’s where I think the product’s value proposition is strongest.

Brain Training for Dogs vs a Professional Dog Trainer

An online course and a professional dog trainer aren’t really equivalent products.

A private trainer can observe your dog in person, see your handling technique, identify triggers, and adapt the training to your specific situation.

That comes with a higher cost.

An online course is considerably more accessible.

I’d look at it this way:

Brain Training for Dogs may make sense if:

• You want to train your dog yourself
• Your dog’s problems are relatively manageable
• You want a structured starting point
• You prefer training at home
• You want more mental-stimulation activities
• You want to improve basic obedience and engagement

A professional trainer may make more sense if:

• Your dog is aggressive
• Your dog has bitten someone
• Your dog has severe fear or anxiety
• Your dog’s behavior is dangerous
• You need personalized feedback
• You have tried consistently without making progress

And these options don’t necessarily have to be mutually exclusive.

An owner could use an online program for general training while seeking professional help for a specific behavioral issue.

How Much Does Brain Training for Dogs Cost?

Pricing is something you should always verify before purchasing because online offers can change.

At the time of this review, the official Brain Training for Dogs sales page displays a $67 price and describes the program as being covered by a 60-day money-back guarantee.

The sales page also describes access to the course material, videos, behavior resources, support system, and private members’ forum.

Because pricing and promotions can change, don’t rely on an old review that quotes a specific price indefinitely.

Check the current offer before purchasing.

Check the current Brain Training for Dogs offer

Is Brain Training for Dogs Legit?

Based on the information we were able to verify, Brain Training for Dogs appears to be a legitimate online dog-training program.

There are several reasons for that conclusion.

The creator is identifiable

Adrienne Farricelli isn’t an anonymous marketer.

Her professional background is documented by PetHelpful, and she is listed in the CCPDT’s certified dog trainer directory.

The program has a defined curriculum

The official site provides a seven-level training structure and describes more than 21 brain-training games, along with additional training resources.

The training philosophy is clearly stated

The program describes itself as force-free and reward-based, which is consistent with AVSAB’s current guidance on humane dog training.

There is a stated refund policy

The official sales page currently advertises a 60-day money-back guarantee.

None of these things guarantee that you’ll love the course or that your dog will respond exactly as you hope.

But they are reasonable indicators that we’re dealing with an established training product rather than an anonymous website selling a vague “secret.”

Is Brain Training for Dogs Worth It?

This is the question that matters most.

My answer is: it can be worth it for the right owner.

I don’t think the biggest reason to buy Brain Training for Dogs is that it contains information you could never find elsewhere.

You can find free dog-training information online.

You can also find free dog games and mental-stimulation activities.

The real potential value is structure.

If you are the kind of owner who searches YouTube for:

“How do I train my dog?”

and ends up with 50 different videos from 20 different trainers, a structured program may save you considerable time and confusion.

Instead of asking:

“What should I teach next?”

you have a progression to follow.

That’s useful.

But if you’re happy researching and organizing your own training program, paying for a course may not be necessary.

Who Should Consider Brain Training for Dogs?

I’d consider the program a better fit for:

First-time dog owners

A structured curriculum can make the training process less overwhelming.

Owners of bored or under-stimulated dogs

Dogs need more than physical exercise. Mental activities can provide another form of enrichment.

Owners who prefer training at home

You can work through the program on your own schedule.

Owners who want more than basic obedience

The games provide additional challenges beyond simply teaching sit, stay, and come.

Owners who prefer reward-based training

The program’s stated methodology aligns with reward-based training guidance from AVSAB.

Who Probably Shouldn’t Buy It?

I wouldn’t recommend buying the program simply because you hope it will instantly solve a serious behavior problem.

It may not be the right first choice if:

• You need one-on-one coaching
• Your dog has serious aggression
• Your dog has a significant bite history
• Your dog has severe anxiety or fear
• Your dog’s behavior creates a safety risk
• You don’t have time to practice
• You are perfectly happy using free training resources
• You expect a course to produce instant results

In serious cases, professional assessment should take priority.

Our Verdict: Is Brain Training for Dogs Worth It?

Yes — for the right type of dog owner.

Brain Training for Dogs isn’t magic.

It won’t turn an untrained dog into a perfectly behaved companion overnight.

And I wouldn’t buy it based on the idea that “brain training” will literally increase your dog’s intelligence.

What makes the program interesting is something much simpler:

structure.

You get a progressive training system built around mental stimulation, obedience, problem solving, and reward-based exercises.

The creator’s professional background is also more substantial than we often see with online dog-training products. Her credentials and experience are documented not only by the official program but also by third-party PetHelpful and the CCPDT directory.

The program’s force-free, reward-based positioning is also consistent with current AVSAB guidance on humane dog training.

However, there are limitations.

You still have to do the training.

Free alternatives exist.

And serious behavior problems may require individualized professional help.

Our overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Best for: Dog owners who want a structured, reward-based training program they can follow at home.

Biggest strength: The structured progression and broad collection of training resources.

Biggest weakness: It can’t replace personalized professional help for serious behavior problems.

Our verdict: Worth considering if you want a guided dog-training system and don’t want to piece everything together yourself.

See the current Brain Training for Dogs program

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brain Training for Dogs a scam?

Based on the identifiable creator, documented professional background, defined curriculum, established website, and stated refund policy, it appears to be a legitimate online dog-training program. That doesn’t guarantee individual results.

Is Brain Training for Dogs good for puppies?

Yes, the program includes puppy-training material covering areas such as potty training, crate training, socialization, and bite inhibition.

Does Brain Training for Dogs use positive reinforcement?

Yes. The official program describes its approach as force-free and based on positive reinforcement.

AVSAB’s current position also recommends reward-based training methods for dog training and behavior modification.

How many games are included?

The official program states that the core course contains more than 21 brain-training games organized across seven progressive levels.

Can Brain Training for Dogs stop barking?

The program includes material addressing barking and other behavior problems. However, barking can have many different causes, so no responsible review should guarantee that the program will stop every dog’s barking.

Can Brain Training for Dogs cure separation anxiety?

I would be cautious with the word “cure.”

The program includes exercises and behavior material that may be relevant to some dogs, but serious separation-related problems can require individualized assessment and treatment.

An online course shouldn’t be considered a substitute for professional help in severe cases.

Is Brain Training for Dogs a subscription?

The official sales page currently presents the program as a purchase with access to the course and associated resources. Because offers can change, check the current sales page for the latest pricing and terms.

Does Brain Training for Dogs work for every dog?

No training program can realistically guarantee identical results for every dog.

Dogs differ in temperament, history, environment, motivation, learning ability, and behavior problems.

The owner’s consistency also plays a major role.

Is Brain Training for Dogs better than YouTube?

Not necessarily.

YouTube is free and contains an enormous amount of dog-training information.

The main advantage of Brain Training for Dogs is that it provides a structured curriculum, which may be more useful for owners who don’t want to spend hours deciding which training method to follow.

Who created Brain Training for Dogs?

Brain Training for Dogs was created by dog trainer Adrienne Farricelli. Her professional background is documented by both the program’s website and the independent PetHelpful author profile, and she is currently listed in the CCPDT certified trainer directory.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a dog-training program that gives you a clear path instead of forcing you to piece together advice from dozens of different sources, Brain Training for Dogs is worth taking a closer look at.

Just keep your expectations realistic.

You’re not buying a magic solution.

You’re buying a structured training system that still requires your time, patience, and consistency.

For general obedience, mental stimulation, and owners who enjoy working with their dogs at home, that structure may be exactly what you’re looking for.

For serious aggression, severe anxiety, or safety-related behavior problems, look beyond an online course and seek qualified professional help.

In short: Brain Training for Dogs is a reasonable option for structured at-home training—but it’s best viewed as a training resource, not a miracle cure.