Brandon McMillan’s Dog Training MasterClass Review: What to Expect?

Last updated: October 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson. See our review methodology.

Brandon McMillan is the Emmy-winning host of CBS’s Lucky Dog, and his MasterClass teaches the system he uses on the show. We reviewed it from the full lesson plan and MasterClass’s description of each lesson, read on 13 October 2026. Below: who McMillan is, what each lesson covers, what it costs, and when you should hire a trainer instead.

Brandon McMillan: a background

McMillan grew up around animals. According to his Wikipedia profile, his father and uncle were exotic animal trainers in the entertainment industry, and at 18 he moved to Los Angeles to work for his uncle’s company, which supplied animals for film and television. In 2010 he opened a dog boarding and training facility outside Los Angeles and began training service and therapy dogs.

He is best known as the host and trainer on Lucky Dog, where he takes shelter dogs that are hard to place, trains them and finds them homes. MasterClass describes him as “a master animal trainer and the Emmy-winning host of ‘Lucky Dog.'” That background matters here: his method is built for ordinary dogs with ordinary problems, often dogs with an unknown history, not for show or sport training.

What the class promises

MasterClass’s summary: “Brandon shares his simple, effective training system to help you develop trust and control with your dog. From using commands like sit, stay, and down to fixing barking and digging, you’ll learn how to improve your dog’s behavior and create a lifelong bond.”

The class is built in three parts:

• Groundwork (lessons 1 to 5): how your particular dog differs, trust and socialization, the principles for every session, and hand signals and leash technique.
• The 7 Common Commands (lessons 6 to 12): sit, down, stay, no, off, come and heel, one lesson each.
• Problem behaviors (lessons 13 to 15): housebreaking, door dashing, and digging, chewing and barking.

MasterClass also includes a downloadable workbook with “a sample training tracker, an easy breakdown of Brandon’s 7 Common Commands, and more.”

Watch Brandon McMillan’s MasterClass →

What’s in the class: all 15 lessons

Lesson titles, running times and descriptions come from the class page on masterclass.com, read on 13 October 2026. MasterClass re-edits and renames classes from time to time, so check the class page before you plan around a specific lesson.

The lessons are not evenly sized. The groundwork lessons run 7 to 10 minutes, sit is under 6 minutes, and the harder commands get the most time: off (20:12), heel (20:42), stay (16:25) and down (15:27). That is a sensible weighting, since those are the commands most owners struggle with.

The 7 Common Commands, and why the order matters

McMillan teaches the commands in a set order, and the order is part of the method: each builds on the control the previous one creates.

Two principles from lesson 4 run through every command: prepare yourself mentally before a session, and follow a control, train, treat pattern with the dog. Lesson 5 explains why he pairs verbal commands with hand signals and which commands use them, so the dog has two ways to read what you want.

How to work through the class: a two-week plan

The class is short to watch but takes weeks to practice. This is how we would pace it with a new dog. It is our suggestion rather than part of the class, so adjust it to your dog.

Keep the workbook’s training tracker going through the two weeks. If a command stalls, rewatch its lesson before moving on, since each one builds on the control of the last.

What you will need

Lesson 5 covers leash and grip technique, so a standard leash and a well-fitted collar or harness are the basics. Small, soft treats suit the control, train, treat pattern. A quiet room for the first sessions helps, as does a longer line for practicing recall outdoors. None of this is specific to the class, and you do not need special equipment to follow it.

What it costs

Every plan includes every class, McMillan’s included. MasterClass does not sell single classes: the class page offers the membership (“Get this class and 200+ more”), so the real question is whether you will use more than one class in a year. We read these prices from MasterClass’s checkout on 13 October 2026, when no sale was running. The 30-day money-back guarantee covers first-time purchases made on the MasterClass website; renewals and memberships bought through Apple or Google follow those stores’ rules (our cancellation and refund guide has the steps).

If you are not in a hurry, wait for a sale. MasterClass took 50% off annual memberships for Black Friday in both 2024 and 2025, and our Black Friday tracker follows this year’s offer. A gift membership works too, but it renews automatically after its first year unless the recipient turns renewal off. The full plan comparison is in our MasterClass pricing guide.

One correction to a claim you will see repeated online, including on an earlier version of this page: there is no separate “individual” plan for this class. $15 a month, billed annually, is simply the Plus membership.

Compared with paying for private lessons, a $120 membership is cheap, but the comparison is not like for like. A video class cannot watch your dog or correct your timing. If the class gets you most of the way and you still need help, a few sessions with a trainer on top is a reasonable plan.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Practical from the first lesson. Ten of the 15 lessons are about specific commands or behaviors, so you can start training the same day.
• Trust before control. Lesson 3 frames the relationship around exercise, socialization and leadership rather than dominance, which most owners will be more comfortable with.
• Sensible time allocation. The hardest commands get the longest lessons.
• A workbook you will use. The training tracker makes it easier to keep sessions consistent.
• A trainer who works with ordinary dogs. His shelter-dog background shows in the focus on everyday manners.

Weaknesses

• No lessons on serious behavior problems. The lesson plan does not cover aggression, fear, reactivity toward other dogs or separation anxiety. Those need a professional.
• Little on life stages. The class does not have separate lessons for puppies, adolescent dogs or senior dogs, beyond the variables lesson.
• No feedback. As with any video course, nobody watches your dog or corrects your timing.
• Abrupt ending. The class ends on the digging, chewing and barking lesson, with no wrap-up or plan for what to train next.
• Membership only. At under three hours, it is hard to justify a membership for this class alone unless you will use other classes too.

When to hire a trainer instead

A class like this suits a healthy dog that needs manners. Look for a professional if your dog bites, growls at people, lunges at other dogs, panics when left alone, or if a behavior appears suddenly (which can also have a medical cause, so talk to your vet). The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers runs a “Find a Dog Trainer” directory of certified trainers.

If you want a goal to train toward after the class, the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen program is a good one: AKC describes it as “a 10-skill test that teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to their owners.” McMillan’s commands cover much of the groundwork.

Who should take it, and who should skip it

Take it if you

• have just adopted a dog, especially a shelter dog with an unknown history;
• have a puppy or young dog and want a clear system from the start;
• want to fix everyday problems such as jumping, pulling on the leash, door dashing or house accidents;
• would use other MasterClass classes too, so the membership pays for more than dog training.

Skip it if you

• have a dog with aggression, fear or reactivity problems (start with a certified trainer or your vet);
• already have a well-trained dog and want advanced, sport or trick training;
• only want this one class and would not use the rest of the membership.

Is the Brandon McMillan MasterClass worth it?

For new and first-time dog owners, yes. It is one of the most hands-on classes MasterClass makes: a clear sequence, specific commands, and lessons sized to how hard each command is. We rate it 4.5/5. It loses half a point for what it leaves out (serious behavior problems and life-stage advice) and because, like every MasterClass class, it comes only with a membership.

If you have a new dog and you are considering MasterClass anyway, this class alone can justify the first month: watch the groundwork lessons, then one command lesson a day, and use the 30-day guarantee if it is not working for you. For other practical classes on the platform, see our best MasterClass courses ranking or our MasterClass worth-it analysis.

Start Brandon McMillan Teaches Dog Training →

What owners and trainers say about his methods

The first-hand reports we found on Reddit are mixed in a useful way. In a 2022 r/MasterClass thread, a new puppy owner who followed McMillan’s lessons on two guest passes shared by other members posted a one-month update: their 8-week-old puppy was reliably doing sit, down, stay, come, off and no, and they were starting heel. They called the class not all-encompassing but close, and other commenters in the same thread said they would not pay for a whole membership for this one class.

An older r/Dogtraining thread (2020) is far more critical. Commenters there described some of the techniques they had seen from McMillan on television as aversive or dominance-based and said they would rather pay a trainer than buy a video course. We have not seen his TV work and can only judge the class from its lesson plan, which frames the relationship around trust, exercise and socialization rather than dominance. But the criticism points to a real divide in dog training, and you should know where the professional bodies stand.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s 2021 Position Statement on Humane Dog Training recommends that only reward-based methods are used for all dog training, including the treatment of behavior problems, and says aversive methods carry real risks to welfare and to the dog-owner bond. A sensible way to use this class is to follow its sequence of commands and its structure, and to use rewards rather than corrections wherever a lesson leaves you a choice. If you find yourself using force to get a command, stop and get help from a certified trainer.

What MasterClass members say, and how to avoid the renewal surprise

MasterClass’s Trustpilot page had a TrustScore of 1.6 from 1,178 reviews when we read it on 13 October 2026. Trustpilot itself notes that MasterClass has not invited customers to review recently, so the page leans toward people with a problem. We read the 60 most recent reviews (March to September 2026). 49 gave one star, and most of those were about billing, not classes: an annual membership that renewed automatically, trouble finding where to cancel, support handled by an AI chatbot, and 50% refund offers after a renewal had gone through. Several people who received a gift membership said activating it asked for a card that would renew. The content complaints that did come up said classes felt basic or like a long TED talk. The few happy reviewers praised the instructors and the production, and the most useful advice came from one of them: pause, take notes and treat it like a class, not a show.

None of that is specific to this class, but it should change how you buy:

• It is an annual charge. The class page says “Starting at $10/month, billed annually”: the monthly figure is the yearly price divided by twelve, and the membership renews each year until you cancel the renewal.
• The refund window is 30 days. MasterClass’s FAQ says it offers a full refund within 30 days of the date you bought the subscription, and that there are no refunds for partially unused membership periods.
• Cancel the renewal early if you only want one year. MasterClass says you cancel renewal on the Settings page of your account, and the membership will then not renew. Doing it the day you join, or putting the renewal date in your calendar, avoids the most common complaint above.
• Certificates are extra. MasterClass Certificates are a separate product with their own price, not part of the membership.

Our MasterClass cancellation guide walks through the steps, including memberships bought through Apple or Google, which those stores handle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brandon McMillan’s MasterClass worth it?

For new dog owners and dogs with everyday manners problems, yes. Ten of its 15 lessons teach specific commands or fix specific behaviors. It does not cover aggression, fear or reactivity, which need a professional trainer.

How long is the Brandon McMillan MasterClass?

15 lessons and 2 hours 58 minutes, according to the class page on 13 October 2026. Lessons range from under 6 minutes (sit) to almost 21 minutes (heel).

What are Brandon McMillan’s 7 Common Commands?

Sit, down, stay, no, off, come and heel. He teaches them in that order, one lesson each, after five groundwork lessons.

Does Brandon McMillan’s MasterClass cover housebreaking?

Yes. Lesson 13 covers housebreaking, which MasterClass says can be learned in a week or two with his method. Lessons 14 and 15 cover door dashing and digging, chewing and barking.

Is the class good for puppies?

Yes, it suits puppies and young dogs well, though it has no separate puppy lessons. The groundwork lessons on trust and socialization are a good starting point for a new puppy.

How much does Brandon McMillan’s MasterClass cost?

MasterClass does not sell single classes. Memberships cost $120, $180 or $240 a year (checkout, 13 October 2026), and all of them include McMillan’s class. There is no separate individual plan for this class.

Does Brandon McMillan use dominance training?

No. MasterClass’s description of lesson 3 says he builds the relationship on exercise, socialization and leadership rather than dominance, with trust as the foundation.

Who is Brandon McMillan?

An animal trainer and the Emmy-winning host of CBS’s Lucky Dog, where he trains shelter dogs and finds them homes. He grew up in a family of animal trainers and opened a dog boarding and training facility near Los Angeles in 2010.

Can I watch Brandon McMillan’s MasterClass for free?

Only for a short time. The class page has a free trailer, and MasterClass’s FAQ says memberships include 14-day Guest Passes that members can share with friends, so a friend who is a member can give you two weeks of access. Memberships themselves have no free trial; the 30-day money-back guarantee on first-time purchases is the closest thing. We don’t link to the unofficial uploads and downloads that show up in search results.

Do dog trainers recommend Brandon McMillan’s methods?

Opinion is split. Some owners report quick results with his command sequence, while force-free trainers on Reddit have criticized techniques from his TV work as aversive. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends reward-based methods only, so use rewards rather than corrections when you follow the class.

Does MasterClass renew automatically, and how do I cancel?

Yes. Memberships are billed annually and renew each year until you cancel the renewal, which you do on the Settings page of your MasterClass account. MasterClass offers a full refund within 30 days of purchase, but its FAQ says there are no refunds for partially unused membership periods, so cancel the renewal before the renewal date if you don’t want a second year.