Dunbar Academy Essential Puppy Training Course

Why it is listed

Use Dunbar Academy Essential Puppy when you want the SIRIUS-lineage 5-stage online plan at $200 lifetime with a 30-day refund. Pair with a local class if you need live socialization. Not a diagnosis. We are not veterinarians.

Pros & cons

Pros

• dunbaracademy.com Essential Puppy Training Course PDP 2026-09-07: one-time $200 lifetime access, or Top Dog Academy $20/month for this course plus other courses and a private Facebook group. 30-day money-back guarantee. Organized into 5 developmental stages with 100+ step-by-step videos, downloadable documents, and short quizzes.
• Stages named on the PDP: (1) Household Training — potty, crate, chew toys, settled alone; (2) Confidence Training — socialization, desensitization, outings, handling, grooming; (3) Lure-Reward Training — useful skills on cue; (4) Motivation and Reliability — phase out food lures, life rewards; (5) Life Skills — distractions and harder set-ups. Page says ideally start at 8–16 weeks; still useful for older pups.
• SIRIUS® Puppy Training founded 1982 by Dr. Ian Dunbar; Kelly Gorman Dunbar and Jamie Dunbar credited for distilling the Essential course. siriuspup.com states the Essential course is included free for three months with every SIRIUS class and sells stand-alone on Dunbar Academy for $200.

Cons

• Stand-alone Dunbar Academy purchase is pre-recorded — no live Zoom/1:1 on this PDP (live is a SIRIUS class add-on). Ease app/Zoom points on this page are zero beyond fully online access. Safety vaccines/class-size points are zero (online).
• We do not invent CPDT letters; credentials scored from named Dunbar/SIRIUS founders on the page. Top Dog Academy $20/month is a membership option — the $200 one-time path needs no ongoing membership.
• An online developmental curriculum is not a behavior diagnosis. Fear, aggression, and bite history belong with a veterinarian or a credentialed behavior professional.

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