SpiritDog Training Review: Best Budget Course for New Owners?

My neighbor texted me last spring asking if she should spend money on an online dog training course. Her golden retriever mix was 8 months old, pulling like crazy on leash, and ignoring every command she tried. She’d watched free YouTube videos. They helped for about three days.

She’d narrowed it down to two options she kept seeing: SpiritDog and Brain Training for Dogs.

I’d already used SpiritDog myself. So I walked her through it — what it actually is, what’s inside, and what it won’t do for you. She bought it. Three weeks later, her dog was walking on a loose leash. Not perfectly, but noticeably.

This SpiritDog training review covers everything I told her, plus what I’ve learned since.

What SpiritDog Training Actually Is

SpiritDog is an online dog training platform built by Steffi Trott, a trainer who’s been working with dogs since 2013. She studied under well-known trainers and eventually moved away from in-person sessions to make her methods more accessible.

The platform sells individual courses and bundles focused on specific problems. Reactivity. Leash pulling. Puppy basics. Recall. Public manners. There’s no one giant program that covers everything in a fixed order. You pick what your dog needs.

That’s intentional. And it matters — more on this in a minute.

All training uses positive reinforcement. That means rewards (treats, praise, play) for behavior you want, and ignoring behavior you don’t. No corrections. No punishment. This is important if you have a sensitive dog or you’re just not comfortable using force.

What’s Inside the Courses

Courses are built around short video lessons. Most run 5–15 minutes each. You watch, then you go practice with your dog.

Each lesson builds on the last. The structure is clear enough that you don’t need to think about what to do next — Steffi tells you. That matters a lot for first-time dog owners who get paralyzed by too many choices.

Here’s what a typical bundle includes:

• Video lessons broken into daily steps
• Written summaries and printable PDFs
• Progress tracking
• Ability to ask the trainers questions and get actual answers

That last point is underrated. A lot of online courses sell you a video library and leave you alone. SpiritDog lets you ask questions and get real responses. Not instant, but usually within a day or two.

The courses are self-paced. You don’t log on at a set time. You watch when your dog (and you) are ready.

SpiritDog Pricing: What You Actually Pay

Pricing varies by course and promotions change regularly. Based on what I’ve seen across multiple sources, individual courses tend to run around $39–$99. Bundles like the Tackling Reactivity Bundle sit closer to $99–$149.

There’s also a SpiritDog Academy subscription — around $35/month — that gives access to all courses. And a lifetime membership option for people who want everything without a recurring charge.

Compare that to group classes at $150–$300 for a 6-week session, or private sessions at $100+ per hour. Online training isn’t the same thing, but for the right dog and owner, it gets surprisingly close.

There’s a 60-day money-back guarantee. I haven’t personally tested it, but multiple sources and reviewers confirm it’s honored without much hassle.

You can also sign up for their email list and get a free 7-day course. That’s a low-risk way to see whether the teaching style clicks for you before spending anything.

The Courses Worth Knowing About

The two that come up most in real owner reviews are:

Tackling Reactivity Bundle — This is their most talked-about course. Reactivity means your dog barks, lunges, or loses it when they see other dogs, strangers, bikes, etc. The course walks you through what’s actually happening in your dog’s brain (it’s fear-based, almost always) and gives you a day-by-day plan to work through it. Day 1 focuses on calming your dog through sniffing exercises. By day 25, the goal is keeping your dog calm when triggers are close.

Ultimate Puppy Program — Covers everything a new puppy needs: potty training, biting, basic cues, socialization. It’s structured as a week-by-week program, which I find easier to follow than a giant unordered course library.

Other popular courses include Loose Leash Walking, Reliable Recall, Focus In Public, and a multi-dog household course for people with more than one dog causing chaos.

SpiritDog vs Brain Training for Dogs

This comparison comes up constantly. Both are positive reinforcement programs. Both are online. Both have good reviews. But they work differently.

Brain Training for Dogs uses a level-by-level structure. You start at level 1 and work your way up through increasingly complex skills. It’s more like a curriculum — comprehensive, sequential, text-heavy.

SpiritDog is problem-first. You pick a course based on what your dog is struggling with right now. The platform doesn’t hold your hand through a full obedience journey — it helps you fix a specific thing, fast.

My honest take: if you have a dog with a particular behavioral issue (reactivity, pulling, recall problems), SpiritDog is better suited. If you want a complete from-scratch training program and prefer reading over watching videos, Brain Training for Dogs fits better.

Neither is wrong. They serve different needs. The mistake most comparisons make is declaring a winner when the real answer depends on your dog’s actual situation.

What SpiritDog Does Well

A few things stand out after spending real time with the courses:

Steffi’s teaching style is unusually clear. She doesn’t just tell you what to do — she explains why the dog is behaving a certain way. That context makes the training stick. When you understand the dog’s motivation, you stop feeling like you’re fighting your dog and start feeling like you’re working with them.

The lesson length is honest. Ten to fifteen minutes per day is genuinely doable. Not “doable if you wake up an hour earlier.” Doable if your dog wakes you up anyway and you have coffee in hand. Short practice sessions also match how dogs actually learn — dogs don’t retain much from marathon training sessions.

The trainer support is real. This isn’t a FAQ page. You can submit questions and get personalized answers. For new owners who hit a wall with a specific step, this is a big deal.

Where It Falls Short

I’m going to be straight here, because most reviews aren’t.

SpiritDog doesn’t work well if you need your dog to be reliable off-leash in unpredictable environments. The courses teach skills well. But real-world proofing — getting your dog to listen reliably around serious distractions — takes more than any online course can give. That’s just the honest truth about digital training in general.

The course library can also feel scattered if you’re not sure what your dog’s main problem is. If you buy the wrong course, you lose time and probably money. The free 7-day intro helps, but it doesn’t always make the choice obvious.

And if your dog has serious aggression toward people or other dogs, online training isn’t enough. That needs in-person help from a certified behaviorist. SpiritDog says so themselves, which I respect. But some buyers don’t register that caveat until they’re already frustrated.

Who SpiritDog Is Actually Built For

New owners with a specific problem to solve. That’s the sweet spot.

If you just got a puppy and don’t know where to start, the puppy program gives you a real structure. If your dog is making walks miserable, the reactivity or leash walking courses give you a practical plan. If your recall is broken and your dog ignores you outside, there’s a course for that too.

It’s also a solid fit for people who’ve tried group classes but felt like the pace was too fast, or who can’t make a weekly class work with their schedule.

It’s probably not the right pick if you want a complete obedience program from basics to advanced skills in one package. SpiritDog courses are deep on specific topics but don’t connect into a full training journey unless you buy the Masterclass bundle.

Is SpiritDog the Best Cheap Dog Training Course Out There?

That word “cheap” is doing some work here. $39–$99 per course isn’t nothing. But it’s dramatically less than in-person training, and you get lifetime access plus the ability to rewatch whenever you hit a rough patch.

Among the best cheap dog training courses available online, SpiritDog stands out because of one thing: the trainer access. Most budget courses are purely self-serve. You watch videos and figure it out. SpiritDog actually lets you ask questions and get answers, which is worth more than the price difference between it and its competitors.

Is it perfect? No. Is it worth trying if you have a specific behavioral issue to work through? Yes — especially with the 60-day refund option sitting right there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SpiritDog training actually worth it for a complete beginner? Yes, as long as you have a clear goal. Pick one course that matches your biggest problem, follow the daily steps, and don’t try to do three courses at once. Most beginners see noticeable change within 2–3 weeks if they practice consistently.

How is SpiritDog different from just watching YouTube training videos? YouTube gives you scattered tips. SpiritDog gives you a day-by-day sequence that builds. The trainer access is also the difference — if you get stuck, you can ask. YouTube can’t answer you back.

Do the courses work for older dogs, or just puppies? They work for adult dogs. The reactivity, leash walking, and recall courses are used by owners with dogs of all ages. Older dogs can absolutely learn new behaviors — it just sometimes takes a bit longer.

Can I get my money back if it doesn’t work for my dog? SpiritDog offers a 60-day money-back guarantee. Multiple real reviewers have confirmed this works. Just contact their support.

SpiritDog vs Brain Training for Dogs — which one should I actually buy? If your dog has a specific behavioral issue, go with SpiritDog. If you want a full beginner-to-advanced curriculum and don’t mind text-heavy lessons, Brain Training for Dogs fits better. They’re not the same product even though they’re often compared side by side.

My neighbor’s dog is still not perfect on leash. But perfect was never the goal. The goal was walks that didn’t feel like a fight. That part, SpiritDog helped with.