Advance your skills with unprecedented access to exceptional trainers.

Our conversations help us expertly apply modern dog training techniques to real-world cases.

A safe haven for professional dog trainers to engage in genuine discussions to enhance our client-facing skills and deliver exceptional results. 

We do this by bridging the gap between modern dog training theories and their real-world applications.

Here's the idea...

The Modern Dog Trainer Collective is like an exclusive club for professional dog trainers. 

It's a space where trainers from all over the world can come together to chat, share their experiences, and learn from each other.

Think of it like a virtual conference room, where several times a week, trainers meet up for live video calls. These calls are similar to interactive workshops, where we discuss different scenarios we've encountered while training dogs and share how we've handled them.

The idea is that by hearing about a wide variety of real-life situations from other trainers, members can learn new strategies and techniques that they can then apply in their own work. 

It's a way to gain practical, hands-on knowledge without having to personally experience every possible training scenario.

A word from Ines, Founder of The Modern Dog Trainer

Our vision for this community.

What You Can Expect to Gain

Our mission is to elevate the collective knowledge of the dog training industry to accelerate the adoption of modern dog training around the world.

  • Knowledge Sharing and Learning

    Members share their experiences, insights, and latest industry trends. This helps you stay updated and gain a deeper understanding of your field. Regular conversations with other professionals can help you learn from their successes and mistakes.

  • Grow Your Network

    A genuine community dedicated to helping you grow. You'll build a strong professional network that can lead to collaborations, partnerships, or job opportunities. You can also find mentors or become a mentor yourself.

  • Innovative Mechanics

    You'll gain new techniques you can use with your clients to get better results. Innovative approaches to navigating challenging home lives will be on the table for discussion.

  • More Confidence

    You'll soon learn that you aren't alone. Many other trainers struggle with similar challenges! Your confidence will grow as you discover you actually know more than you realize.

  • Gain Experience

    When you immerse yourself in a community of experienced professionals, you can gain real-world experience quickly. Get exposure to how hundreds of other professionals might approach a similar situation.

  • Happier Clients

    When you use the techniques you'll learn in this community, your clients will RAVE about you to their friends and family. You might even have to start a waitlist!

What Members Have to Say...

  • Professional Friendships

    "I love learning new things about each other I feel it humanized us vs "colleaged us" and then the discussions of how things benefit us and each other. Thank you!"

  • Collaboration

    "It's so nice to have other trainers to talk to bounce ideas around. We can't know everything by ourselves and this gives a community where we can share ideas safely and think about our own cases more in depth. I love the creative collaboration!"

  • Overcome Imposter Syndrome

    "Really loving these! Have already told some other trainers I know about it so great to know we're opening membership back up! It's helping me overcome my imposter syndrome!"

Join us The Modern Dog Trainer Collective

Level up your skills & deliver incredible results.

Get access to...

An intentional community full of learning opportunities to improve your in-the-field skills for better results!

  • Monthly Live Industry Expert Panel Discussions ($450 Value)

  • Live Case Trouble-Shooting Discussions

  • Live Common Scenario Best-Practices Discussions

  • Discussion Summaries One-Pager PDFs

  • Guided Casual Connection & Conversation Sessions

  • Community Surveys, Polls, and Voting

  • Members-Only Curated Resource Library

  • Mobile Access via App or Browser

  • BONUS: Members Only Directory

  • BONUS: Repository of Trainer-friendly Zoom Virtual Background

Live Calls

Each week we host live calls. Each one has a specific purpose and structure. Each one is guided by expert hosts. 

Common Cases Creative Solutions (CCCS)

There's more than one way to approach the application and implementation of modern dog training. During this call, we discuss a common scenario every trainer is likely to come across and how we would all approach it! 

Our specific goal here is to help trainers find the most innovative solutions to real-world challenges using modern learning theory. Questions and solutions are documented in a summary one-sheet. This call is currently held every Thursday at 11am Eastern.

Behavior Breakthroughs 

These calls are centered around troubleshooting challenging or complex real-life cases that are submitted by members of the community.

We work to identify key pieces to the puzzle to unlock solutions to the case together. Questions and solutions are documented in a summary one-sheet. You are sure to walk away with a fresh perspective on the scenario that was presented and clear next steps to move forward if you happen to be the Spotlight Trainer! This call is currently held on the second Tuesday of the month at 11am Eastern.

Chats with Canine Colleagues

Scavenger hunts? Trivia? Participate in a guided call with games intentionally designed to organically break the ice and build connection. 

You know those fulfilling conversations that happen organically at the end of a long day at a conference over a casual dinner? 

Yea, that's what we're facilitating during these calls. A way for you to meet and connect with other trainers on a personal level. You'll find a warm group of sympathetic trainers excited to get to know you. 

Our goal with this call is to create an opportunity for life-long friendships to form. To host a space where you can meet your new training bestie!  This call is currently held every Friday at 11am Eastern.

 


Each month we'll host an expert panel to discuss different applications of modern dog training theories to the real world. Members will get an opportunity to submit questions for the panel to discuss so you can gain powerful insights into how experts you look up to might work through a complex real-world scenario. This call is currently held in the last week of every month. This call is now RECORDED! 

So far, we have hosted

  • Michael Shikashio 
  • Amber Quann
  • Madie Brustkern
  • Laurie C. Williams
  • Angie Madden
  • Adam Skandarani
  • Sarah Stremming
  • Marge Rogers
  • Eileen Anderson
  • Sue Sternberg
  • Laurie Lawless
  • Caitlin Kuczko
  • Michele Ellertson
  • Jamie Bozzi

We've discussed topics like Turning Passion into a Sustainable Profession, Should Dogs Share? An in-depth look at Resource Guarding, Giving Dogs Choices," Nosework, and "Helping Rescue Dogs Adapt to Their New Homes!" 

Each month, we’ll be choosing a trending topic and bring you a panel to discuss the practical implications of modern dog training theories we are all hearing about.



What Topics Will We Be Discussing?

It's all on the table... 

  • Applying classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. 
  • Navigating complex situations you encounter in the field. 
  • Best practices for client management techniques.
  • Troubleshooting low client compliance with training protocols. 
  • Clever ways to apply modern dog training for family dogs.
  • Common scenarios & creative solutions to get incredible results with clients. 
  • And more!

Weekly Learning and Collaboration

Become the most skillful trainer in your area.

More member quotes...

I highly recommend signing up, I’ve managed to make just one of the calls and just that was worth the membership! See you in there 🙌. 

Emma Parish Tyler



Why are people joining?

Here's what they're saying...

  • To learn the practical side of dog training as I finish up KPA

  • No-brainer price for what's offered

  • Continued education and a bit of professional therapy :)

  • To not feel so alone when trying to use LIMA for difficult cases. I've used some methods I don't love but have 'worked' and I really want to help people ethically and love the methods I use.

  • I am in a rural area accross the country from my former mentor and was looking for a way to continue to grow on my own!

  • To collaborate and learn from other dog trainers

We are Modern Dog Trainers

We are committed to utilizing the most up to date knowledge to train animals while deepening the relationship between humans and dogs through trust, mutual respect, and compassion. 

We believe in the importance of evidence-based, humane methods and positive emotional states for both dogs and humans.  A core purpose of this community is to provide trainers everywhere access to a wealth of knowledge of the community as a whole so you can learn how to apply learning theory to real world scenarios.

We pledge to strive for a high level of excellence in the field, and maintain strong ethical standards with clients and their dogs.

We employ the least aversive, minimally invasive approach in behavior modification and training, which can be guided by the Hierarchy of Procedures for Humane and Effective Practice as outlined by the IAABC. 

We are not only raising the bar for ourselves as trainers, but also for the entire dog training industry. 

We hope that you will join us in this commitment to creating a better world for our beloved canine companions & their caregivers. We look forward to working together to improve the lives of dogs and their human families. 

Let’s make waves in the industry by elevating and supporting each other and showing the world what it means to be a Modern Dog Trainer. 

Together we can remove the obstacles to successfully implementing best practices when real-world obstacles add complexity to the training equation.  

Elevate Your Skills

Come learn inside this innovative and supportive professional dog trainers from around the globe.

JOIN THE COLLECTIVE

Community Manager & Host

Megan Wallace 

B.S. Biology, CPDT- KA, CNWI, CCUI 

Megan has been training dogs since age 11 when she attempted to certify her family dogs as therapy dogs. While the family dogs were a bit old to pursue new careers, being 11 and 13, Megan was at the start of a lifelong passion for dogs which eventually became her career. In 2016, she branched off into her own full-time business, and has helped countless families find resolution to their dogs’ puzzling behaviors! Megan realized that she has a passion for helping other pet professionals hone their skills in working with both dogs, and their clients. 

She feels that communicating with people is integral to dog training, and often overlooked. This began a collaboration with The Modern Dog Trainer in 2020, with the goal of helping other trainers learn her client communication system. She enjoys developing new programs, and brainstorming ideas with Founder/CEO Ines McNeil, and connecting with trainers as they develop their businesses.

FAQ

  • What if I can't make the calls? Are they recorded?

    This community has been intentionally designed to minimize outside-of-call communication to reduce conflicts. To minimize the opportunity for clips to be taken out of context, calls are intentionally NOT recorded. Instead, we'll provide a call summary one-page PDF you can download, save for your records, and review at your leisure with the best highlights and takeaways from the calls. We do not expect you to make every call!

  • Is there a community forum?

    This community has been intentionally designed to minimize the opportunities for conflict. We all know how easy it is to get sucked into nuances and frustrating discussions in Facebook groups and other written forums, so because of this, we do not include a written forum in this community. You simply cannot provide enough context on a situation in written form for a productive discussion.

  • Will the calls be awkward? Is it a free for all?

    Let's be honest, since the pandemic, we're all a little socially awkward these days. We have been extremely intentional about how this community is run. Each call has a purpose, a host, and a structure to facilitate respectful communication and connection among colleagues. Great care has been taken to make sure you will feel guided and safe during each discussion. We can't wait to show you how it's done!

  • Will there be CEUs?

    We're working on acquiring CEU credits from multiple organizations to help you collect credits toward certifications you value.

  • Is this a monthly subscription that you can stop at any time?

    Yes, this is a month-to-month program so you can cancel anytime. That said, we hope that you'll enjoy it so much and find it so valuable to your work as a professional that you'll stay for years to come!

  • How long are the weekly and monthly calls?

    We know you're busy - we are, too - so each call is exactly one hour. We have each call timed and we stick to a strict agenda so that we don't go over and interfere with whatever you might have scheduled next - like a client lesson!

  • When are the calls?

    Right now, the weekly calls are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 11am Eastern / 8am Pacific. We chose this time because it helps ensure we're taking care of our own team's work/life balance and not making them work evenings and weekends and we find that the morning time is usually most open for trainers. The monthly Pawsitive Pro Panel is the last Wednesday of every month - times will vary due to speaker availabilities.