IACP International Hall of Fame · Inducted 2025 351K122KMember login
Watch the course trailerShelter Dog Training Course

If you can train a shelter dog, you can train any dog.

25 hours. 150+ videos. 12 years inside real animal shelters. Not a studio, not staged dogs. Every technique tested on the dogs nobody else would touch.

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2025 IACP International Hall of FameOver 20 Years Training
150+Videos
25+Hours
48Lessons
12+Years · Real shelter work

As seen on

CBS NewsNBC Today ShowThe New York TimesKathie Lee & HodaThe CW San DiegoKTLA 5 Morning NewsAccess Live

Most courses use staged dogs. We didn't do that.

Most training programs film with dogs that are already trained. Easy dogs. Cooperative dogs. Dogs that make the trainer look good.

That is not what you'll see here.

Every dog in this course came from a real municipal animal shelter. No prior training. No known history. In some cases, no one knew if the dog had bitten before. These are the dogs that test whether a technique actually works.

This course is the result of more than 12 years working inside municipal shelters, SPCAs, and humane societies across the country.

Fair. Balanced. Basic tools only. A leash, some treats, and a method of communication dogs understand quickly.

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Robert Cabral working with a shelter dog

Who's teaching you

Robert Cabral is an IACP International Hall of Fame trainer with over 20 years working with dogs that had nowhere else to go. Most of that career was spent inside shelters.

When he walks you through a training session with a dog that has a bite history, unknown trauma, and three days left before a behavioral euthanasia decision, that is not hypothetical. That is what he did on Tuesday mornings for over a decade.

His Bound Angels program trained shelter staff and volunteers at municipal animal shelters across the country.

The techniques in this course were not designed for ideal conditions. They were built for the conditions you actually work in.

Hall of FameIACP International, 2025
Bound AngelsFounder, shelter dog rehabilitation
350K+Subscribers
“One person in my class told me that last year she killed 300 dogs because they had those behaviors and she didn't know what to do. In one day, I showed her a skill that could save those dogs in a fair, humane way.”
– Robert Cabral
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Anyone who handles dogs will learn something here.

This isn't a beginner course for people who just got a Labrador. The material covers nearly every aspect of dog training, behavior, and engagement, built specifically around the dogs that are hardest to work with.

  • Dog trainers who want to level up with real case material
  • Shelter staff, vet techs, and animal care technicians
  • Rescue organization volunteers and fosters
  • Animal control officers
  • SPCA and humane society management and employees
  • Municipal shelter trainers and employees
  • Rescue dog adopters who want to understand the dog they brought home
  • Anyone who loves dogs and wants to understand what they're actually dealing with

Over 25 hours. Two tracks.

The course runs two parallel tracks: classroom theory and hands-on demos. Both matter. You need the theory to understand what you're seeing and the demonstrations to know what to do.

12+ hours

60+ classroom lecture videos

Theory, training outlines, breed behaviors and characteristics, how-to walkthroughs, Q&A, safety protocols, and practical knowledge that took 12 years to accumulate in the field.

  • Dog handling safety
  • Breed breakdowns and drive analysis
  • Behavior analysis and what's actually behind the problem
  • Understanding how canines think and process information
  • The methodology behind behavior modification
  • Reading canine body language before something goes wrong
  • Genetics, drives, and how they affect trainability
  • Corrections, rewards, and when each applies
  • The senses of the dog: what they detect, what they respond to
  • Understanding canine aggression: the types, the triggers, and the difference between reactive and dangerous
13+ hours

80+ dog training demo videos

Real dogs. Real sessions. Narrated throughout so you understand not just what Robert is doing, but why, and what he's reading in the dog at every moment.

  • Safely handling dogs with no known history
  • Leashing and controlling difficult dogs
  • Luring, shaping, and marking behaviors
  • Basic obedience with untrained shelter dogs
  • Behavior modification for real behavioral issues
  • Dog-to-dog introductions and playgroup management
  • Getting reactive dogs around other dogs
  • Safely removing dogs from kennels
  • Engagement training: getting a dog to want to work with you
  • Fair behavioral assessments
  • Leash and long-line training
  • Using treats and rewards correctly, and knowing when they stop working

76-page manual + section quizzes

A downloadable PDF of the complete course. Use it alongside the videos or as a standalone reference. Quizzes at the end of each section let you check your retention before moving on.

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From trainers and shelter workers.

I particularly loved watching students work through the techniques with untrained dogs. Most online content shows demonstrations with already-trained dogs. Robert's course skips none of the initial phases. My toolbox expanded a great deal.
Michael · Dog trainer · Course member
I just recently finished the Shelter Dog Training Course. It was awesome. So many amazing videos and lectures. There were things I was missing in my training and this course has joined them together for me.
Rose · Course member
This is an excellent course on dog training. The real-life examples of training are golden. Robert is an excellent communicator and explains concepts thoroughly. I highly recommend this course for anyone interested in professional dog training.
Erick · Course member

Shelter Dog Training Course

$949

One-time purchase. Everything included. Starts immediately.

  • 150+ training videos
  • 60+ classroom lectures
  • 76-page manual + quizzes
  • Certificate of completion
  • All future additions included
  • 1-year membership to RobertCabral.com (170+ private lessons)
  • Lifetime access from any device
  • Interest-free payment options at checkout
Get instant access

If you are not 100% satisfied, contact us within 7 days and under 10% course completion for a complete refund.

Discounts for municipal shelters, SPCAs and humane societies

If you work in a shelter or rescue organization and want to enroll your team, we offer group pricing. Email us with your organization name and how many people you want to enroll.

Email us for group pricing

Before you join

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Do I have to work in a shelter to take this course?

No. The course is open to anyone who loves dogs and wants to be a better handler, trainer, or advocate. If you work in a shelter or with shelter dogs, you'll get specific, immediate value.

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How long does the course take?

The course contains about 25 hours of material: video lessons, reading, and quizzes. You work at your own pace. There is no deadline.

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Is this breed-specific?

No. Because the course was filmed inside a real shelter environment, you'll see a wide variety of breeds, drives, and temperaments. The skills you build apply across the board.

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What tools are used in the course?

The entire course was conducted using only slip leads. No e-collars, no prong collars, no head collars.

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Do I need my own dog to take this course?

No. Robert recommends completing the course, or a significant portion of it, before applying the techniques.

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What's the difference between this course and the membership?

The course is designed for those who work with shelter and rescue dogs, want to become trainers, or want deep behavioral knowledge. The included 1-year membership provides access to 170+ private training lessons. You get both.

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One-time purchase. Lifetime access. Interest-free payment options at checkout.

More dogs saved. Because more people knew what to do.

In over 12 years working in shelters, Robert watched dogs get euthanized not because they were dangerous, but because nobody in the building knew how to work through a behavioral issue.

Not for lack of caring. For lack of training.

This course is Robert's answer to that. If you can train a shelter dog, a dog with no bond, no history, no reason to trust anyone, you can train any dog.

Get instant access — $949

One-time purchase. Lifetime access. Interest-free payment options at checkout.

Shelter Dog Training Course150+ videos · 25+ hours · 76-page manual · Lifetime access
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