In an era where digital transformation is not just a trend but a necessity, dog owners are finding themselves at a crossroads between traditional face-to-face training and the burgeoning world of online solutions.
Face-to-face classes have long been the only option for dog training, but with advances in technology opening up access to a worldwide pool of talent, the offer of unparalleled flexibility, greater choice and variety of resources that outshines the confines of physical training sessions, remote training is fast becoming the favoured choice for modern dog owners.
Thanks to its wider pool of professionals, access to a diverse array of methodologies, and being part of a global community of dog enthusiasts, remote dog training is not merely a convenient alternative to local classes; it's a gateway to a world of knowledge, where expert advice and varied training styles are always available. The future of effective and enjoyable dog training seems to lie not at the local park or training centre, but in the expansive, interactive world of online communities.
Face to Face vs. Scentventure
First of all, I want to say that I am still a face to face dog trainer i.e. I meet clients in person and work through a training programme to modify their dogs’ behaviour. This article is based on my experiences as both an in-person and online practitioner.
I started Club Dogwood when my face-to-face classes reached a 7 month waiting list. I knew I could teach Scentventure just as well online. . . what I didn’t expect was that it would get even BETTER results than face-to-face. More on that soon.
Secondly, I don’t work with clients unless they also follow my online programme because I can’t cover everything I need to when we have limited face to face time together. (This is the same for my other Scentventure Guides working in person too; they insist their clients use the Club Dogwood programme at home.)
Several reasons – the first, a team of trainers & behaviourists can solve behaviour problems more thoroughly than a solo practitioner; and that means faster and more effectively. We confer and collaborate in order to provide a full and complete solution for each of our unique members.
Scentventure has the same features you’d expect from face-to-face training:
Our trainers & behaviourists diagnose the real problem (because it’s often not what you think)
Give you a training plan to follow and work with you until you achieve it.
Feedback on your progression and tweak the plan whenever necessary.
There’s just one thing though… people think Scentventure is actually BETTER than face-to-face training in many ways, not to mention way cheaper.
(I know! I can’t believe I said that either because I am a face-to-face trainer!)
“The online membership keeps me on track in a way that in-person training never could; seeing the journey of other members motivates me to keep going. Where in-person training is often for a set period of time and number of sessions, the online membership is there whenever I need it. I can dip into courses to help at a time that suits me, and I can always ask a Scentventure guide for advice no matter the topic. Also, in-person training doesn’t have a whole community of people picking you up when you’re down and cheering you on, Club Dogwood does.
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Let’s compare what’s on offer across the 3 key areas that most dog owners consider when choosing a dog trainer:
Support Hours Available
Expertise & Specialism
Cost
Support Hours Available
Life doesn't follow a pre-arranged appointment schedule, and neither do your dog’s behaviour challenges. Real life problems happen in your dog’s real life environment any day or the week at any time of the day, rarely in class at 6pm every Tuesday or when the trainer comes to your house once a week.
Face to Face Support Hours:
Finite amount of time available. Often or a lack of availability when you most need immediate assistance.
Limitations on the depth of coverage for complex issues. Impossible to go deep in 1 hour/week.
Waiting list of several months (good trainers).
Scentventure Support Hours:
The unbeatable advantage of 7-days support, ensuring you're never alone on your journey to stress free walks.
8 til 8 coverage (and there are always knowledgeable members in the community outside these hours).
No need to squeeze appointments into your busy schedule. Enjoy the flexibility of personalised support at a time that suits you best and get immediate access to all of this.
What we find our members want most is results. And they want the fastest, easiest way to achieve those results, which happens best when you can access support 7 days/week.
2. Expertise & Specialism
Canine behaviour challenges require a multifaceted viewpoint and collaboration between experts with diverse skills. A happy, well-balanced and well-behaved dog isn’t built with training alone.
Face to Face Expertise & Specialism:
A practitioner excelling in training may not possess the depth of knowledge in nutrition, health, scentwork, enrichment, and life stages or breed types.
If your dog’s needs extend beyond their field, you will miss out on comprehensive solutions.
Smaller network and fewer resources. Impact on the variety and depth of tools, research, or techniques available to you.
Scentventure Expertise & Specialism:
Thousands of cases providing solutions to the problems or reactivity & distraction.
Decades of combined wisdom including University Degrees, Masters Degree, industry leading recognised qualifications + 1000s of hours of Continued Professional Development. This Hive Mind is at your disposal.
Specialist skill sets for a collaborative approach: reactivity, advanced aggression, nutrition, health & behaviour, scentwork, mantrailing, hoopers, tracking, TTouch, puppies, adolescents, senior dogs, breed types/groups, environment optimisation, predation, human mindset, human wellbeing and wellness.
Elite Practitioners selected from across 3 Continents (we’re not tied to the limited local pool of talent)
A team of experts who collaborates to provide not just training but a complete well-being solution, uncovering hidden root causes and unlocking every last drop of potential.
One person can’t excel at everything, but a team can. I will never go back to being a solo practitioner because I prefer to over-serve my clients. I think back now to all the things my students missed out on and regret not putting a holistic team together sooner.
3. Cost
If you’d like to try something besides Scentventure, here are the common alternatives.
Hire an in-personal behaviourist. The average price for a consultation comes to £250+. That’s for the diagnosis and report - no training support.
Hire a trainer to take your dog off your hands and do it for you. These services range from £450 to £4000+ (and I wouldn’t send my dog to any of them).
Continue to hire less expensive trainers and hope they’ll be the unicorn that solves it for you. Get this wrong, however, and you’ll end up throwing good money after bad.
It gets expensive to solve problems thoroughly in person. We get more accomplished in a community like this one because we have a team of specialists to deliver a full and complete solution, and time to integrate the full change.
If your dog has more than one issue e.g. they’re pulling on the lead and they’re reactive, face to face training gets very costly. In Scentventure we can work on several issues at the same time using the Calm First approach.
Do the maths with me: it will cost you at least £50/week for an entry-level face to face trainer – not a behaviourist, obviously.
Instead of spending £50/week you can spend less than £40… per month.
That’s £1.25/Day for an elite high level team of Scentventure trainers & behaviourists.
How do we deliver all that for £1.25/day?
TOTAL TRANSPARENCY!
Can we be honest? We’re terrible at keeping secrets. We like to be open about our costs and why shouldn’t you know the inside story?
Your subscription allows us to plan strategically and allocate resources where they matter most—directly into speeding along your results. The stability of a membership helps absorb costs and invest in improving and expanding the quality of services over time. That’s why we can continually invest in cutting-edge team, enriching content, and expert resources.
And it’s why we can guarantee one fixed cost/month versus the ever-expanding situation of ‘more sessions needed.’
Join Club Dogwood and experience the power of a community that's not just affordable but has the infrastructure to ensure your success.
Jump in before 10pm 14th January to get a proven step-by-step programme AND 121s with a behaviourist. You no longer have to choose!
These members prefer the real life environment, stress free approach, flexibility and motivation they get in Scentventure…
“‘’Much greater depth and breadth of what is on offer. And I think the main thing is the continuity of our training journey - Scentventure has become part of our everyday life now whereas it was harder to maintain what we did in the in-person courses once they ended. Plus knowing there is help on-hand whenever something crops up, rather than having to access a trainer through doing another in-person course.’’”
As Alex says, face to face training tends to work for a while, while you’re on a programme and you employ new things but eventually dog owners fall back into old patterns. At the end of the day, most dog owners eventually come to the realisation that it’s not just their dog that needs to change, but that they do too. Success in dog training is about your knowledge and understanding, and the most effective, efficient way to achieve that is outside of practical sessions.
“‘’Life can be stressful and hectic at times and with other commitments it can be difficult to commit to face to face training. I also think the real work is what you do outside of face to face training anyway.’’”
“‘’It gives me opportunity to practice new skills in my dog’s own environment where they felt most comfortable and also fit around my schedule.’’”
“‘’My previous experiences of in person dog training were quite stressful as they were group classes and Jax is excitable around other dogs. The online element means I can clearly explain issues or things I wanted to work on and also receive tailored advice because when a Scentventure Guide replies to your post, you’re getting their full attention.’’”
“‘’I don’t feel nervous or anxious with the trainers and I get a lot of valuable feedback. The group is always there any time of the day/night when I need advice. I’ve made friends and never feel judged.’’ ”
“‘’It’s totally flexible. If some weeks we can’t do as much then it’s okay. It fits into our lifestyle better than trying to make it to an in person class.’’
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“‘Because training and introduction to activities isn’t confined to one hour time slots once a week there is scope to go into more in depth discussions, attend online classes, and add some fun and creativity to the process too.’”
“I love the feeling of ongoing support that you don’t get in person. Being part of the group reminds you to keep going even when you may have had a bad day.”
“‘’With 1-2-1 training you tend to get to tackle one issue at a time (e.g. loose lead walking, recall, car training etc). Scentventure is a lifestyle approach and all the different bits add up to building a true partnership with your dog that benefits all of the other training goals you might have. The unlimited access to feedback and advice from the Scentventure Guides is far beyond what you get with standard 1-2-1 training and is accessible seven days a week, instead of in a pre-booked slot once or twice a week. It’s so much easier to stay on track when you have a whole online community to support you and share your journey with.’’”
Which Path Will You Take?
Will you follow the herd down the well-trodden path, seeking quick fixes with in-person trainers that merely patch up the problem in the short term? Will you stick to the same old outdated advice, just because "that's how it's done" in the dog training industry?
Or, will you blaze the new trail for long-lasting results, where easy loose lead walking, lightning-fast recall, calm greetings, and endless fun, freedom and adventure awaits?
The choice is yours – mediocrity or mastery. Which road will you choose?
“‘’All I can say is Scentventure has been our saviour and today truly shows that time, love, patience, sticking the plan and having belief in you and your dog (and we are entirely remote as we are in London) works.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us on this journey, today I do not have a reactive dog.’’”