How to Housetrain Any Dog vs Brain Training for Dogs: Which Is Better?
If you’re standing in your kitchen at 6 a.m. cleaning up another mess your dog left overnight, you are not in the mood for a training philosophy debate. You want a solution — and you want it fast.
Two programs come up repeatedly when dog owners start searching for help with housetraining: How to Housetrain Any Dog and Brain Training for Dogs. They are both digital programs sold through ClickBank. They are both backed by positive-reinforcement principles. They both carry 60-day money-back guarantees. And on the surface, they can look interchangeable.
They are not the same program.
How to Housetrain Any Dog is a purpose-built potty training guide with a focused 7-day framework for solving elimination accidents, whether you’re working with a new puppy or an adult rescue dog. Brain Training for Dogs, by CPDT-KA certified trainer Adrienne Farricelli, is a comprehensive behavioral development program built around 21 progressive brain games — it covers housetraining within a much broader curriculum aimed at developing your dog’s intelligence, focus, and impulse control across multiple behavior domains.
The question isn’t which program is objectively better. The question is which program matches the problem you’re actually trying to solve right now.
Quick verdict: If potty accidents are your primary or only problem, How to Housetrain Any Dog wins this comparison — it’s purpose-built for this specific challenge, tightly focused, and designed to deliver results within a week. If your dog has housetraining issues plus other behavioral problems — pulling on leash, destructive chewing, excessive barking, reactivity, anxiety — Brain Training for Dogs is the stronger long-term investment. Many owners end up using both in sequence: How to Housetrain Any Dog to solve the immediate problem, then Brain Training for Dogs to address the full behavioral picture. Both carry 60-day guarantees, so neither is a financial gamble.
At-a-Glance Comparison Table
| Feature | How to Housetrain Any Dog | Brain Training for Dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Housetraining / potty training specifically | Full behavioral development through brain games |
| Training method | Positive reinforcement, schedule-based, crate-integrated | 100% force-free positive reinforcement; intelligence-based progressive training |
| Housetraining content | Entire program; dedicated 7-day protocol | Covered as part of broader obedience curriculum; not the primary focus |
| Brain games | No dedicated brain game system | 21 structured progressive brain games across 7 levels |
| Scope | Narrow and deep — one problem, thorough solution | Broad — covers housetraining, barking, chewing, leash manners, reactivity, anxiety, and more |
| Creator | Focused housetraining guide | Adrienne Farricelli — CPDT-KA certified professional dog trainer |
| Content format | Digital PDF guide with step-by-step protocols | PDF/video members’ area with structured leveled curriculum |
| Price | Typically $27–$47 (check official site) | Typically $47 (check official site) |
| Guarantee | 60-day ClickBank money-back guarantee | 60-day ClickBank money-back guarantee |
| Best for | Owners whose only or main problem is potty accidents | Owners dealing with multiple behavioral issues or wanting long-term behavioral development |
TL;DR
- Our pick for housetraining specifically: How to Housetrain Any Dog wins when potty training is the primary problem — it’s focused, fast-acting, and purpose-built for this challenge.
- Choose How to Housetrain Any Dog if: you have a puppy or adult dog with elimination accidents as your main behavioral problem, and you want a targeted protocol that can show results within 7 days.
- Choose Brain Training for Dogs if: your dog has housetraining issues plus other behavioral problems — barking, chewing, reactivity, anxiety — and you want one comprehensive program to address the full picture.
- Consider using both: How to Housetrain Any Dog first to solve the immediate potty crisis, then Brain Training for Dogs for broader behavioral development.
- Both carry 60-day money-back guarantees. Neither purchase is a financial risk.
How to Housetrain Any Dog — What You Get
How to Housetrain Any Dog is a digital guide built around a single, well-defined mission: solving potty training problems in dogs of any age, breed, or background. Whether you’re working with an 8-week-old puppy that’s never been inside a home before, an adult rescue dog with inconsistent housetraining history, or an older dog that’s been having accidents after years of being reliable, this program targets the specific problem without padding.
The 7-Day Framework
The program’s centerpiece is a structured 7-day housetraining protocol that works by establishing a clear, predictable elimination schedule and pairing it with consistent positive reinforcement. The logic is straightforward: dogs aren’t having accidents because they’re spiteful or unintelligent — they’re having accidents because no one has clearly communicated where the right place to eliminate is, or because the schedule they’re operating on doesn’t give them enough opportunities to succeed.
The 7-day framework works by:
- Establishing a consistent feeding and elimination schedule so your dog’s body learns to predict when elimination opportunities will come
- Implementing a crate integration strategy that leverages a dog’s natural instinct to keep their sleeping area clean — crates aren’t punishment, they’re a powerful communication tool when used correctly
- Creating clear positive reinforcement loops that make outdoor elimination the obviously rewarding choice every single time
- Teaching owners to read pre-elimination signals so accidents can be intercepted before they happen
- Providing a troubleshooting framework for common setbacks — the dog that succeeds for three days and then backslides, the dog that eliminates outside and then again immediately inside, the dog that won’t eliminate on leash walks
For a deep dive on everything inside the program, see the full How to Housetrain Any Dog review. If you’ve come across concerns about the program’s credibility, I addressed those in the Is How to Housetrain Any Dog a scam? article. For current pricing and any promotions, the How to Housetrain Any Dog pricing article has the details.
Crate Training Integration
One of the program’s genuine strengths is how clearly it explains crate training as a housetraining tool — not as a separate skill to learn, but as an integrated component of the 7-day protocol. Many owners come to this program having avoided crates because they feel cruel, and the program addresses this directly: a correctly-sized crate used appropriately is not a punishment. It’s a communication device that gives your dog a clear, confined space where they will naturally resist eliminating. Done right, crate training for housetraining dramatically accelerates the process — your dog learns the rule faster because the feedback loop between “not here” and “out there” becomes unambiguous.
Who How to Housetrain Any Dog Is For
This program is the right choice if:
- Potty accidents are your primary or only problem — not one of five simultaneous behavioral issues
- You have a new puppy that needs to learn from scratch
- You have an adult rescue dog with inconsistent or no housetraining
- You’ve tried DIY schedules and they haven’t worked, and you need a structured protocol with the sequencing spelled out
- You want to see progress within a week — the 7-day potty training method framework is designed for fast results when followed consistently
- Your budget is tight and you want to spend on the exact problem you have rather than a comprehensive program that covers dozens of topics you don’t currently need
It is not the right program if your dog is having accidents as part of a larger behavioral picture — separation anxiety that makes them panic and eliminate when left alone, submissive urination triggered by fear or excitement, or other behavioral components that require addressing the root cause rather than just the elimination schedule.
Brain Training for Dogs — What You Get
Brain Training for Dogs is a comprehensive behavioral development program created by Adrienne Farricelli, a CPDT-KA certified professional dog trainer. Where How to Housetrain Any Dog goes narrow and deep on one specific problem, Brain Training for Dogs goes broad — it’s designed to develop your dog’s overall intelligence, focus, and self-control through a structured series of 21 progressive brain games organized across 7 levels, from “Preschool” through “Einstein.”
The core theory of the program is that most behavioral problems in dogs — including housetraining failures, destructive chewing, excessive barking, reactivity, and anxiety — are rooted in under-stimulation and insufficient mental engagement. A bored dog is a problem dog. A mentally engaged dog, one whose intelligence is being exercised and who has developed genuine impulse control and focus, behaves better across every domain — including elimination.
The 21 Brain Games
The curriculum is built around 21 specific, structured mental exercises, each with step-by-step instructions and video demonstrations. The games progress in difficulty, which accomplishes two things: it prevents the dog from getting bored with repetitive exercises, and it systematically builds the cognitive skills — focus, impulse control, problem-solving, responsiveness to the owner — that underlie reliable obedience in all contexts.
The game structure also creates a clear training roadmap. Rather than a book full of techniques to try in whatever order you feel like, the curriculum has a defined sequence: you start at Preschool level, you complete each level before moving up, and each level builds on the skills the previous level developed. The progression is methodical in the way a good curriculum is methodical — not arbitrary.
Housetraining Coverage in Brain Training for Dogs
Brain Training for Dogs does cover housetraining — it’s included within the broader obedience curriculum. The program addresses the foundational principles: consistent schedules, appropriate crate use, reinforcing outdoor elimination, reading pre-elimination signals, and handling accidents without punishment. Adrienne Farricelli’s explanations are clear and grounded in the same positive reinforcement science that runs through the rest of the program.
What Brain Training for Dogs does not do is dedicate the entire program to housetraining. For an owner whose only problem is potty accidents, that breadth can feel like it dilutes the focus. You’ll get good housetraining guidance, but it arrives as one component of a much larger curriculum.
Where Brain Training for Dogs has an indirect but real impact on housetraining is through the impulse control and focus development built into the brain games. A dog that has worked through several levels of the brain game curriculum has genuinely better self-regulation — which translates into better ability to hold elimination urges until the right opportunity arises, better responsiveness to schedule cues, and better ability to signal their needs to the owner. The positive reinforcement for behavior problems foundation that runs through the program benefits housetraining even when the specific housetraining modules aren’t the primary focus.
Who Brain Training for Dogs Is For
Brain Training for Dogs is the right choice if:
- Your dog has multiple behavioral problems, not just housetraining — the program is designed to address the whole dog
- You want to invest in your dog’s long-term behavioral development, not just fix the immediate problem
- You are committed to a force-free, science-backed positive reinforcement approach across all your training
- Your dog shows signs of boredom, under-stimulation, or anxiety — the brain game curriculum directly addresses these root causes
- You want access to a professional trainer’s comprehensive curriculum, including the private community forum and direct support
- You have a dog with separation anxiety, submissive urination, or fear-based elimination — these require behavioral development approaches, not just scheduling protocols
For a standalone deep dive, see the full Brain Training for Dogs review. For pricing details, the Brain Training for Dogs pricing article covers current costs.
Head-to-Head: How to Housetrain Any Dog vs Brain Training for Dogs
Now let’s work through the specific comparison dimensions that matter when you’re choosing between these two programs.
Housetraining Depth
This is where the comparison is most decisive.
How to Housetrain Any Dog exists for one purpose: solving potty accidents. Every page, every protocol, every troubleshooting framework in the guide is dedicated to housetraining. The 7-day protocol isn’t one chapter in a broader curriculum — it is the curriculum. The depth of coverage on scheduling, crate integration, signal-reading, accident interception, and setback recovery is simply greater than what any comprehensive program can offer on any single topic.
Brain Training for Dogs covers housetraining as part of a much broader program. The guidance is solid and science-backed, but it shares space with 21 brain games, extensive behavior modification content, and obedience training across multiple domains. An owner who needs dedicated, detailed, protocol-driven housetraining guidance may find they have to do more work to extract and apply the housetraining-specific content.
Edge: How to Housetrain Any Dog — decisively, for owners whose problem is specifically potty accidents.
Behavior Coverage Beyond Housetraining
How to Housetrain Any Dog does what it says on the label. It addresses housetraining. If your dog also barks excessively, chews furniture, pulls on leash, or reacts aggressively to other dogs, you’ll need a separate resource for those problems.
Brain Training for Dogs is the comprehensive program. The 21 brain games and the broader behavioral curriculum address the full range of common behavior problems. Owners dealing with complex behavioral pictures — dogs that have multiple simultaneous issues — get more total value from a single investment in Brain Training for Dogs than from buying separate targeted guides for each problem.
Edge: Brain Training for Dogs — for owners dealing with behavioral complexity beyond housetraining.
Speed of Results
How to Housetrain Any Dog’s 7-day framework is designed for fast results when followed consistently. The promise implicit in the program’s structure is that meaningful improvement is achievable within a week. This matters when you’re dealing with daily accidents and the stress and hygiene concerns that come with them — you want the problem to stop, and you want it to stop soon.
Brain Training for Dogs is a longer-arc program. The brain game curriculum is designed to develop behavioral skills progressively over weeks and months. Housetraining improvements come through the combination of the specific housetraining guidance and the broader impulse control development — which is real and durable, but not a 7-day fix.
Edge: How to Housetrain Any Dog — for owners who need fast, targeted results on the housetraining problem specifically.
Value for Money
How to Housetrain Any Dog is typically priced in the $27–$47 range, which is very competitive for what it delivers on its specific problem. If housetraining is your only problem, you’re paying for exactly what you need and nothing you don’t.
Brain Training for Dogs is typically priced around $47, which delivers outstanding value given the breadth of the curriculum — 21 structured brain games, video demonstrations, private community access, and behavioral guidance across the full range of common dog behavior problems. For an owner with multiple behavioral challenges to address, the per-problem cost is very low.
Edge: Roughly tied. How to Housetrain Any Dog wins on focused value for the housetraining problem. Brain Training for Dogs wins on total value delivered across behavioral domains.
Credential and Authority
How to Housetrain Any Dog is a focused practical guide. Its authority comes from the clarity and effectiveness of its protocol, not from the author’s credentials per se.
Brain Training for Dogs is created by Adrienne Farricelli, a CPDT-KA certified professional dog trainer. CPDT-KA certification is the standard credential for professional dog trainers in North America — it requires documented training hours, a written examination, and adherence to a code of professional ethics. For owners who want their training program backed by a recognized professional credential, Brain Training for Dogs has a clear advantage.
Edge: Brain Training for Dogs — for professional credentialing and the independent verification it represents.
Format and Accessibility
How to Housetrain Any Dog delivers its content in a digital PDF format that’s easy to read and reference. The protocol structure — day-by-day, with clear action steps — makes it easy to follow in real time during the 7-day process.
Brain Training for Dogs provides a PDF guide plus video demonstrations in a members’ area, along with access to a private community forum. The video demonstrations are particularly valuable for the brain games, where seeing the exercise in action is more instructive than reading a description. The members’ forum gives owners a real-time troubleshooting resource that a PDF alone can’t provide.
Edge: Brain Training for Dogs — for the combination of video content and community support.
When to Choose How to Housetrain Any Dog
Choose How to Housetrain Any Dog if:
Potty accidents are your main problem right now. If housetraining is the issue you go to sleep thinking about and wake up dreading, you need a focused solution — not a comprehensive program that addresses twelve things at once. How to Housetrain Any Dog was built for exactly this situation.
You have a new puppy coming home. The 7-day protocol is well-suited to establishing housetraining from day one — which is much easier than correcting ingrained habits later. Getting the schedule and crate integration right from the beginning saves months of cleanup and frustration.
You have an adult rescue dog that isn’t housetrained. Rescue dogs often arrive with inconsistent or no housetraining history. The program’s protocols work for adult dogs, not just puppies — and the guide addresses the specific challenges that come with dogs who have developed bad habits in previous environments.
You want results in a week. The 7-day framework is designed for owners who need the problem to stop quickly. Consistent application of the schedule, crate protocols, and reinforcement procedures can produce meaningful improvement within days.
Your budget is limited. If you can only invest in one program right now, and your problem is specifically potty accidents, spending money on the program that does exactly what you need is more rational than spending the same money on a broader program and sifting through it for the housetraining content.
You’ve tried DIY approaches and they haven’t worked. Many owners have read blog posts, watched YouTube videos, and tried their own interpretations of potty training — and still have a dog that’s having daily accidents. The structured, sequenced protocol of How to Housetrain Any Dog provides the scaffolding that DIY approaches often lack: a clear day-by-day plan with defined actions at each stage and a troubleshooting framework for when things don’t go as expected.
For an overview of how this program stacks up against all your options, see my roundup of the best online dog training programs and the complete dog training guide for broader context.
When to Choose Brain Training for Dogs
Choose Brain Training for Dogs if:
Your dog has multiple behavioral problems. If housetraining is one problem among several — your dog also barks excessively, chews furniture, jumps on guests, pulls on leash, or shows reactivity — then a focused housetraining guide solves one problem and leaves you needing to find solutions for everything else. Brain Training for Dogs addresses the full behavioral picture in one comprehensive program.
Your dog’s accidents may be anxiety-related. Some housetraining failures aren’t about scheduling or consistency — they’re about anxiety. Separation anxiety, submissive urination triggered by fear or excitement, and stress-related elimination require behavioral development work, not just scheduling protocols. Brain Training for Dogs’ approach to developing impulse control and emotional regulation addresses these root causes more directly.
You want a long-term behavioral investment, not just a quick fix. Brain Training for Dogs develops your dog’s intelligence, focus, and self-control progressively. The benefits compound over time — a dog that has worked through several levels of the brain game curriculum is more trainable, more responsive, and more behaviorally stable in all contexts. If you’re thinking about your dog’s behavioral development over years, not just weeks, Brain Training for Dogs provides a more durable foundation.
You’re committed to a fully force-free approach. Brain Training for Dogs is explicitly built on force-free, science-backed positive reinforcement. If the methodology of your training matters to you as much as the outcome, knowing that the entire program — not just the housetraining section — is grounded in the same ethical principles gives you consistency.
You want professional credentials behind your training program. Adrienne Farricelli’s CPDT-KA certification and years of professional training experience give Brain Training for Dogs a level of professional authority that matters to some owners.
You want community support. The private members’ forum in Brain Training for Dogs gives you access to a community of other owners and to Adrienne Farricelli’s guidance when you hit challenges. That real-time support is genuinely useful when your dog does something the guide didn’t explicitly prepare you for.
Can You Use Both Programs Together?
Yes — and for many dog owners, this is actually the most practical approach.
The scenario plays out like this: you have a dog (puppy or adult) with active housetraining problems that are causing daily stress and hygiene issues. You also have other behavioral goals for your dog — you want them to be calmer, better focused, less destructive, more responsive. You need the potty problem solved now, and you also want a comprehensive training foundation.
In that case, the two programs complement each other well rather than overlapping wastefully.
Sequence: Start with How to Housetrain Any Dog to address the immediate problem. The 7-day protocol is designed to produce meaningful improvement quickly, which stops the daily chaos and gives you mental bandwidth to focus on deeper training work. Once housetraining is under control — or at least well on its way — start Brain Training for Dogs to build your dog’s intelligence, impulse control, and behavioral foundation at a sustainable pace.
Complementary coverage: How to Housetrain Any Dog’s scheduling and crate integration protocols lay a practical behavioral foundation — your dog learns that you are the source of both rules and rewards — that makes them more receptive to the brain game curriculum. Brain Training for Dogs’ brain games then deepen that foundation, developing the impulse control and focus that makes the housetraining gains durable.
Financial practicality: Both programs are in overlapping price ranges and both carry 60-day guarantees. You can start How to Housetrain Any Dog this week, evaluate its results over the first 7 days, and then purchase Brain Training for Dogs once you’re confident in the housetraining progress. Your 60-day refund window on How to Housetrain Any Dog is still open throughout that process.
The combined cost of both programs is still far less than a few sessions with a professional trainer — and you get programs you can return to and re-reference at any point in your dog’s life.
Our Recommendation
After examining both programs’ structure, methodology, content depth, and the problem profiles they’re designed for, here is my clear recommendation:
If potty training is your primary problem — buy How to Housetrain Any Dog. It is purpose-built for exactly this challenge. The 7-day framework is focused, actionable, and designed to stop the daily accidents that are making life difficult. You are not paying for content you don’t need, and you’re getting more depth on the specific problem than any comprehensive program can provide. For housetraining specifically, the focused specialist beats the comprehensive generalist.
If your dog has multiple behavioral issues — buy Brain Training for Dogs. A focused housetraining guide will solve the potty problem but leave everything else unaddressed. Adrienne Farricelli’s 21 brain game curriculum is designed to develop the mental engagement, impulse control, and focus that underlies good behavior in all domains — including, indirectly, better housetraining. For behavioral complexity, the comprehensive program is the smarter investment.
If you can budget for both — start with How to Housetrain Any Dog and follow with Brain Training for Dogs. Solve the immediate potty crisis first, then build the broader behavioral foundation. The programs sequence well, and the combined investment is still a fraction of private training costs.
One thing I want to be clear about regardless of which program you choose: both carry 60-day money-back guarantees through ClickBank. ClickBank’s refund process is legitimate and buyer-friendly. If you work through either program and it doesn’t deliver what you need, contact ClickBank support within 60 days. There is no financial risk to either purchase beyond the initial commitment.
My specific recommendation for most readers arriving at this comparison with an acute housetraining problem: start with How to Housetrain Any Dog. Address the problem you’re dealing with today. Then, once the potty situation is under control, give Brain Training for Dogs serious consideration for the deeper behavioral development work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Housetrain Any Dog vs Brain Training for Dogs — which is better?
They serve different primary needs. How to Housetrain Any Dog is purpose-built for potty training with a focused 7-day framework — it’s the better choice when housetraining is the only or primary problem. Brain Training for Dogs covers the full spectrum of behavior with 21 progressive brain games — it’s better when your dog has multiple behavioral issues beyond just housetraining. Many owners use both: How to Housetrain Any Dog first to solve the immediate potty problem, then Brain Training for Dogs for broader behavioral development.
Can Brain Training for Dogs help with housetraining?
Brain Training for Dogs includes housetraining guidance within its broader obedience curriculum, but it’s not its primary focus. The program’s strength is developing a dog’s focus and impulse control through brain games, which does support housetraining success — but for owners whose main problem is specifically potty accidents, How to Housetrain Any Dog’s dedicated 7-day protocol is more targeted and will produce faster results.
Which potty training program is more affordable?
Both programs are in a similar price range as ClickBank products. How to Housetrain Any Dog typically runs in the $27–$47 range; Brain Training for Dogs typically around $47. Check both official sites for current pricing — ClickBank vendors adjust prices regularly. Both include ClickBank’s 60-day money-back guarantee, making both purchases risk-free within that window.
Can I use both programs at the same time?
You can, but most owners get better results sequencing them than running them in parallel. Use How to Housetrain Any Dog first to address the immediate housetraining problem with focused protocols. Once housetraining is stable, start Brain Training for Dogs for broader behavioral development. Running both simultaneously can diffuse your attention and slow progress on both fronts.
Is the 7-day framework in How to Housetrain Any Dog realistic?
The 7-day timeline is realistic when the program is followed consistently — meaning every scheduled bathroom opportunity happens on time, crate protocols are applied correctly, and every instance of outdoor elimination is reinforced. What the 7-day protocol achieves is meaningful, measurable progress and the establishment of reliable habits. Some dogs show dramatic improvement within a few days; others need the full week or a few additional days. The troubleshooting framework in the program addresses the most common reasons for slower progress.
Does Brain Training for Dogs work for adult dogs?
Yes. Brain Training for Dogs is designed for dogs of all ages, and many of its most enthusiastic users report using it successfully with adult rescue dogs. The brain game curriculum is adaptable to different starting points — you begin at the level appropriate for your dog’s current skill, not at a level determined by age. Adult dogs can have shorter initial training sessions while they build focus, but they respond to positive reinforcement at least as well as puppies and often better, because they have greater capacity for impulse control.
What if neither program works for my dog?
Both are ClickBank products with standard 60-day money-back guarantees. ClickBank’s refund process is straightforward: if either program doesn’t deliver what you need within 60 days of purchase, contact ClickBank customer support for a full refund. Your purchase is not a permanent commitment. That said, both programs require consistent application — inconsistent use of a sound protocol is the most common reason dog training programs fail to deliver results.
Are these programs suitable for puppies as young as 8 weeks?
How to Housetrain Any Dog is suitable for puppies from the time they come home, typically 8 weeks. The protocol is designed with young puppies’ limited bladder capacity in mind — the scheduling framework accounts for how frequently very young puppies need to eliminate and adjusts expectations accordingly. Brain Training for Dogs recommends waiting until a puppy is at least a few months old before starting the brain game curriculum, as very young puppies tire quickly and have limited concentration spans. For housetraining a new puppy arriving at 8 weeks, How to Housetrain Any Dog is the more immediately applicable program.
Informational only. This article is for general informational purposes and is not professional, legal, medical, electrical, or financial advice. Survival, energy, and water-treatment decisions carry real risks — consult a licensed professional for your specific situation. Product claims are the manufacturer’s; verify current details on the official site.
By Megan Forsythe — off-grid homesteader & CERT-certified emergency preparedness instructor.