10 Dog-Training Instagram Accounts You’ll Love as Much as Dogs Love Squirrels

Even in a world full of warnings about it, I’m certainly not one to tell you to stay off social media — not when that would deprive you of the opportunity to get a solid dose of oxytocin-producing, mood-lifting pics and videos of dogs! Sure, doom scrolling is not helpful, but dog scrolling can be extremely helpful.

Not only will Instagram show you dogs worth seeing, it provides us all an opportunity to learn a lot from following accounts sharing great information about dog training. Here are a few of my faves.

@kikopup

Emily Larlham takes dog training to the highest level. Her dogs respond to cues to cover their nose, walk with their feet on hers, hide behind a plant (with a caption about acting like an introvert seeing a person), and to dance. There’s a video of a pair of her dogs walking with their paws crossed to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. In addition to great videos, she offers amazing training tips for everything from the value of training your dog to sit, to how to teach your dog to back up onto a platform.

@ameliathedogtrainer

Amelia Steele offers down-to-earth, encouraging ideas and supportive advice about living with and training dogs of all ages. In addition to the solid dog-training information she shares, Amelia’s reels and posts do so much to make people feel better, whether she is talking about people’s anxiety, their guilt about their dog’s behavior, or just what to do on a really crappy day. So, if you want to learn about dog training and feel better about yourself and your life, this is an account to check out.

@jwdogtraining

If you’re looking for practical advice for the many common challenges people have with their dogs, Juliana DeWillems’s Insta account is full of reels showing exactly what to do to handle a multitude of issues with your dog. If your dog is reactive to other dogs, needs to learn to settle on a mat, doesn’t come when called, greets over-exuberantly, lives in an apartment, or barks too much, there’s a reel for that. If you want your dog to behave calmly on a café patio or deal with fireworks, there’s a reel for that. 

@eileenanddogs

Eileen Anderson’s Instagram provides insights into life with dogs and fascinating training details. Eileen swears she is not a dog trainer, and while it’s true she does not work professionally as one, she trains dogs very well and understands the science behind so much of what trainers do. She is well-versed in an extensive range of research about dogs and applies it creatively to life with her own dogs, making for innovative ideas and solutions to the challenges of life with dogs.

@lilita_yaya 

To be fair, Lili Chin is not technically a dog trainer; she’s an artist. But her drawings showing dog body language have helped thousands upon thousands of people achieve the same goals dog trainers seek for their clients. She has helped people better understand their dogs, live with them more peacefully, and have better relationships with them. I consider her an incredible part of the dog-training community even without being a dog trainer, and I love to scroll through her Instagram and see photos as well as drawings of cats and dogs.

@theogrottendog

Ayoka Bubar showcases rally obedience training with her Rottweiler, Saga. I love the beautiful training work she does and seeing the joy of her dog while doing it. Saga, in addition to being a beautifully trained dog living the life, is a smiler, and is always fun to watch. The posts live up to the tag line, “Big Dogs. Big Ideas. Big Heart. Big Mouth.”

@smartbitchdogtraining

If the name isn’t enough to make you love Jiovany Alcaide and Taylor Barconey, their posts will get you there. The ideas on this account are creative and fun with a big emphasis on enrichment, games, and activities for dogs. They regularly and clearly speak out against using harsh methods of any kind with dogs, and always seen to be having fun with what they do. 

I’m not saying these are the best or the most popular Instagram accounts, but they are the ones I like the most — the ones I find myself looking forward to and thinking about, and that make me a believer in the value of social media.

@ken_ramirez_kpct

Ken Ramirez trains many animal species, so his Instagram is full of videos of feeding, training, and living with the alpacas, donkeys, and goats, as well as dogs, who share his home on the ranch in the state of Washington with views of Mount Rainier a common bonus in his content. Ken is one of the world’s best animal trainers and has been hugely influential on the field and many of us who train. He has worked with butterflies, marine mammals, and wild elephants and his videos and tips are as inspiring as they are helpful. 

@laura.monaco.torelli

Although she mainly trains dogs now, Laura Monaco Torelli has a background in marine mammal training and has also trained birds, cats, and fish, among other species. Her Instagram account showcases her talents as a clicker trainer, but it offers so much more. The detailed animal husbandry training protocols to make it easier for dogs at the groomer and at the vet are a great resource. And there are lessons for us all from her honest sharing of the long physical and emotional healing journey following the attack by a pair illegally off-leash dogs she and her beautiful dog Vito suffered. 

@patriciamcconnellphd

Trisha McConnell’s account exudes warmth and love and empathy and humor and so much knowledge and experience, with a huge emphasis on the relationship between people and dogs. Trisha was trained as an academic, has tons of practical know-how about dog training and behavior, and is a gifted storyteller. Her Instagram posts will give you all the feels — you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll shout, “A-ha!”