Victoria Stilwell Academy

Name

Victoria Stilwell Academy

Legal name

Victoria Stilwell Academy, LLC

Website

https://vsdogtrainingacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dog Training Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education & Training (Teaching/Instructional Design) Certifications (EDAAANAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Dog trainer certification
• Professional dog training education
• Animal behavior courses
• Online pet training platform
• Canine behavior training

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Dog Trainer Course: Flagship certification program priced at $3,950. Includes comprehensive curriculum covering dog training skills, teaching people, and business fundamentals. Can be taken 100% online or with In-Person Track add-on ($7,450 total).
2. Specialized Courses: Individual courses including Reactivity for Professionals ($499), Fundamentals of Dog Training & Behavior ($199 with promo code), and free preview courses. One-time purchase for access to course content.
3. Dog Behavior Conference (DBC): Annual 3-day virtual conference offering earlybird registration at $159 (standard $189). Approved for 24 CEUs from IAABC, CCPDT, PPAB, and VSA. Generates revenue from ticket sales to dog training professionals.
4. Tuition Financing: VSA partners with Climb Credit to provide financing options for students. Installment plans available (3, 6, 12, or 18 payments) with 7.5% administrative fee. Climb Credit loans range from $199 down with payments as low as $178/month.
5. Scholarships: Various scholarship programs including Animal Welfare Advocate Scholarships, Group Scholarships (10% discount for 3+ students), and Pet Professional Guild scholarships. These facilitate enrollment growth rather than direct revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Victoria Stilwell Academy sells professional dog training certification and continuing education courses through its proprietary Student Learning Center, with the flagship Dog Trainer Course (Level 5 OCN London accredited, $3,950) available 100% online or with an add-on In-Person Track. Supporting offerings include the Fundamentals of Dog Training & Behavior course, the Reactivity for Professionals course, the Shelter Zones Approach course, free preview courses, and the annual virtual Dog Behavior Conference (24 CEUs). The methodology is science-based positive reinforcement developed by Victoria Stilwell, delivered with 1:1 Faculty Advisor mentorship.

Product overview

Victoria Stilwell Academy is a dog training education platform offering multiple courses and programs. The flagship product is the Dog Trainer Course ($3,950), a comprehensive professional certification program that can be taken 100% online or with an add-on In-Person Track. Supporting courses include the Fundamentals of Dog Training & Behavior Course (10-hour intro at $199), the Reactivity for Professionals Course ($499), and free Starter/Preview courses. The academy also hosts the annual Dog Behavior Conference and provides financing options and scholarship programs. The Dog Trainer Course is accredited by Open College Network London at Level 5.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dog Trainer Course: VSA's flagship professional certification program for aspiring dog trainers, combining online learning with in-person intensives and mentorship.
• Dog Behavior Conference (DBC)
• Fundamentals Course
• Reactivity for Professionals

Products and services

• Dog Trainer Course Flagship professional certification program for aspiring dog trainers, priced at $3,950 USD (£2,995 GBP). It can be taken 100% online or with an add-on In-Person Track ($7,450 total). The course is accredited by Open College Network London at Level 5 and covers dog training skills, teaching people, and business fundamentals. Each student is assigned a dedicated Faculty Advisor with weekly 60-minute Office Hours via live videoconference and Skills Assessments. Aimed at individuals seeking to become certified professional dog trainers and launch their own dog training businesses.
• Fundamentals of Dog Training & Behavior Course Introductory 10-hour course covering the fundamentals of dog training and behavior, priced at $199 with promo code 100PROMO (regular price $299). Students who complete this course and later enroll in the Dog Trainer Course receive a full refund. Aimed at dog owners and aspiring trainers who want foundational positive reinforcement training skills.
• Reactivity for Professionals Course Specialized course priced at $499 focused on dog reactivity and behavior modification for professional trainers and behavior consultants. Designed for current dog training professionals who want to expand their skills into reactivity work.
• Shelter Zones Approach Course Dedicated course focused on shelter and rescue environments, teaching force-free training techniques to reduce stress and improve outcomes for sheltered dogs. Aimed at animal welfare professionals, shelter staff, and rescue volunteers.
• Dog Behavior Conference (DBC) Annual 3-day virtual conference for dog trainers and pet professionals, featuring world-class presenters covering training, behavior, and cognitive science topics. Early-bird registration at $159 (~£119); standard at $189 (~£139). Approved for 24 CEUs from IAABC, CCPDT, PPAB, and VSA. Distributed globally as a Zoom webinar and accessible to attendees worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates can start profitable dog training businesses with comprehensive skill set
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Open College Network (OCN) LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026VSA became a Qualified Center with OCN London, with the Dog Trainer Course accredited at Level 5. This accreditation provides formal recognition of the program's quality and enables graduates to earn a recognized qualification. The partnership involved a comprehensive review process.
• Pet Professional Guild (PPG)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPPG partners with VSA to offer full scholarships to VSA's Dog Trainer Course for PPG members once per year. This scholarship program supports PPG members seeking professional dog training certification and strengthens ties between the organizations.
• University of LincolncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Daniel Mills, a leading international authority on companion animal behaviour from the University of Lincoln, serves on VSA's Advisory Board. He is a pioneer in pheromone therapy and has developed interventions for behaviour problems for over 20 years.
• Duke UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Brian Hare, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University and founder of the Duke Canine Cognition Center, serves on VSA's Advisory Board. His publications on dog cognition are among the most heavily cited papers on dog behavior.
• Barnard College, Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Alexandra Horowitz, Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology at Barnard College and Director of The Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab, serves on VSA's Advisory Board. She is author of the NYT #1 bestseller 'Inside of a Dog'.
• Karen Pryor AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeveral faculty members and advisory board members are graduates or associated with Karen Pryor Academy, including Alicea Howell (certified through KPA in 2008) and Brad Waggoner (awarded B.F. Skinner scholarship to attend KPA).
• Villalobos Rescue CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTia Torres, founder of Villalobos Rescue Center and host of 'Pit Bulls and Parolees', serves on VSA's Advisory Board, bringing expertise in rescue, training, rehabilitation, and placement work.
• Canine AssistantsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJennifer Arnold, Founder and Executive Director of Canine Assistants (non-profit that has placed over 1,300 service dogs), serves on VSA's Advisory Board. She is a NYT bestselling author and has been profiled on CNN's HLN Leaders with Heart.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Association of Professional Dog Trainers: APDT is the largest US trade association for dog trainers; multiple VSA faculty sit on its committees. It functions as an industry-body peer rather than a competitor, but defines the membership ecosystem VSA draws from.
• Pet Professional Guild: Pet Professional Guild is a force-free industry association that already partners with VSA on scholarships. It is an adjacent ecosystem player that influences referral traffic and credentialing standards in VSA's target market.
• International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants: IAABC is the leading animal behavior certifying body that approves VSA conference CEUs. It sits in the credentialing ecosystem VSA operates within, though it is not a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Udemy: Udemy is the broad incumbent online learning marketplace where inexpensive ad-hoc dog training courses compete with VSA's premium certified programs. Useful as a TAM/bottom-of-market comparator for online professional pet education.
• Zoom Room Dog Training: Zoom Room is a US dog training franchise offering group classes, private lessons, and an in-house academy for franchisees. It overlaps with VSA's end customer (aspiring trainers and dog owners) but operates a retail/physical model rather than VSA's online-only certification.

Direct peers

• CATCH Canine Trainers Academy: CATCH is a mentor-based dog training certification with online coursework and hands-on components, mirroring VSA's structure. It is one of several similarly positioned programs competing for the same DTC enrollment funnel.
• Karen Pryor Academy: Karen Pryor Academy is the leading dog training professional certification program and VSA's most direct competitor. Both target aspiring trainers with mentor-led, force-free curricula; multiple VSA faculty members are KPA graduates, evidencing the tight comparability.
• Animal Behavior College: Animal Behavior College offers a distance-learning dog trainer certification with optional externships — a comparable online-plus-practical structure to VSA's DTC + In-Person Track. Targets the same entry-level aspirant market.
• Academy for Dog Trainers: Academy for Dog Trainers offers a flagship dog trainer certificate program with mentorship, directly comparable to VSA's Dog Trainer Course. It targets the same career-changer persona using force-free methodology.
• Fenzi Dog Sports Academy: Fenzi Dog Sports Academy is an online-only dog training education platform with a multi-instructor model, comparable to VSA's online + intensives hybrid. Both sell monthly subscription access and course bundles to serious hobbyists and aspiring professionals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vsdogacademy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDwUwV_PjQf0lMXsIyzonoQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/vsdogacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/victoria-stilwell-academy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Victoria Stilwell Academy