Dog training in Puglia – in English
– private sessions with the founder of Austria’s Willenskraft Academy.
Bianca Oriana Willen (CBATI-KSA), founder and head of Austria’s Willenskraft Academy, spends several weeks a year in Puglia. During her stays she offers mobile one-to-one dog training in Bari, Bitonto and the surrounding area – holistic and science-based: guided by the LIFE model, using positive reinforcement with force-free equipment – welfare-friendly, with a clear goal and plan. Sessions are held in English or German; between stays we keep working with you online. For travellers there are bookable training packages – up to a 5-day intensive workshop.
- CBATI-KSA certified
- LIFE model · holistic
- mobile – Bari & Bitonto
- English · Deutsch
The quickest way to reach Bianca is WhatsApp – no obligation, we reply personally. Or email us at oriana.willen@willenskraft.co.at.
Dog training in Puglia in brief
Does this sound like you and your dog?
New to Italy with your dog
Relocating, wintering or on a long stay: new places, new rules, new triggers. We help your dog truly settle in Puglia.
Street dogs & encounters
Free-roaming dogs are part of everyday life in southern Italy. We train calm, confident encounters – for relaxed walks without drama.
Loose-leash walking
Narrow lanes, markets, promenades: a loose leash matters here more than anywhere. Step by step towards relaxed walks.
Unreliable recall
Your dog doesn’t come when called or ignores your cues? We build a rock-solid recall – even around distractions.
New puppy or rescue dog
A puppy or a rescue has just moved in? A structured start turns them into a confident, easy-going companion.
On holiday with your dog
Beach, heat, restaurants, unfamiliar accommodation: we show you how to make your Italian stay relaxing for everyone.
Train while you travel: bookable packages in Puglia
In Puglia with your dog – on holiday, wintering or for longer? Make the time count: Bianca puts together training packages around your focus topic, matched to your travel dates and her stays in the region.
★★★★★5.0 on Google33 reviews · read →5-Day Intensive Workshop
€1,500 per human-dog team
- Preparation video call with analysis & goal plan
- 5 consecutive training days – daily private session on site
- 1 focus topic – e.g. dog encounters or recall
- Training in real-life settings: beach, old town, café
- Written training plan to take home
- 2 online follow-ups after you leave
Holiday Compact
on request 3 sessions
- 3 private sessions during your stay
- 1 focus topic of your choice
- Practice plan for the days in between
- ideal from about one week in Puglia
Single session & online
on request flexible
- Mobile private session during Bianca’s stays
- ideal to get to know us
- Online coaching all year – before, after, in between
- Focus topics: dog encounters
- loose-leash walking
- recall
- beach & city training
- medical training
- puppy basics
All packages take place during Bianca’s stays in Puglia – the quickest way to check dates, availability and your topic is WhatsApp.
Your 5-day intensive workshop, step by step
Before your trip
Free video call: analysis, goals and your focus topic – so day 1 starts without detours.
Days 1–2: foundations
Meeting on site, analysis in your holiday routine and the first sessions – right where the challenge shows up.
Days 3–4: level up
We raise the distraction level – promenade, market, beach or café – and hand you the lead step by step.
Day 5: consolidate
Final session, written training plan and clear next steps for back home.
After you leave
Two online follow-ups: we review your progress and fine-tune the plan – so the results stick.
What we offer in Bari & Bitonto
Our services in Puglia
- Mobile 1-to-1 training – at your home or holiday rental
- Private puppy sessions – the best possible start
- Socialisation and dog-dog encounters
- Medical training – stress-free vet visits
- Dummy training (retrieving)
- Intensive packages during Bianca’s stays
- Online video coaching – all year round
Mobile – we come to you
No training ground, no club membership: we train where your challenges actually happen – at home, in your neighbourhood, on the beach or at your holiday rental. Your dog learns exactly in the environment where it counts.
For travellers: even a few sessions during your stay often bring noticeable progress – and you take home exercises to keep building on.
From Austria to Puglia: the Willenskraft method
In Austria, the Willenskraft Academy trains professional dog trainers to scientific standards. Founder and head Bianca Oriana Willen brings that experience straight to Puglia.
We work holistically and science-based: strongly guided by the LIFE model, needs-oriented and tailored to your dog’s age and type. We take your dog’s nervous system into account and use positive reinforcement with force-free equipment – welfare-friendly, with a clear goal and plan, step by step: building a bond that lasts a lifetime.
The 5 Willenskraft pillars
- Your dog’s fundamental needs
- Welfare-friendly equipment
- Educating the human end of the leash
- Modern, science-based training
- Food and feeding management
“If we want to offer needs-based dog training, we cannot avoid engaging with our dogs’ needs. Only when we know their needs can we motivate them.”
— Bianca Oriana Willen, founder of the Willenskraft dog school & academy, CBATI-KSAWhen Bianca is in Puglia
Regular stays in Puglia
Bianca lives between Austria and Puglia: several times a year she spends multiple weeks at a time in Bari and Bitonto. In-person sessions are concentrated in these stays.
Spots per stay are limited: message us early on WhatsApp and we’ll share the next available dates.
Between stays: online
Training doesn’t stop: through online video coaching in English we keep working on your plan – video analysis, weekly exercises and follow-ups included.
Your journey stays continuous all year round – and on the next visit we pick up exactly where we left off.
Your journey in 3 steps
Message us
Tell us about you and your dog – via WhatsApp or email, no strings attached. We’ll share the dates of Bianca’s next stay.
First consultation
Together we analyse your situation and define clear, realistic goals.
Training on site
During Bianca’s stay we train at your place – in Bari, Bitonto or nearby – with a tailor-made plan; between visits we continue online.
Bianca Oriana Willen – founder of Willenskraft
Bianca is the founder and head of the Willenskraft dog school & academy in Austria, where she has been coaching human-dog teams for over 15 years and trains professional dog trainers. CBATI-KSA certified and a canine nutrition consultant, she works science-based and force-free, taking time for every human-dog team – with a clear goal and plan, step by step. Her dogs Viola and Venice are always part of the team – and since she regularly spends part of the year in Puglia, she brings the Willenskraft method to Bari and Bitonto too.
- CBATI-KSA
- Founder & head of the academy
- Canine nutrition consultant
- Sessions in English & German
Mobile across Bari, Bitonto and Puglia
Willenskraft in Puglia is a mobile dog school with no fixed training ground: sessions take place at your home, your holiday rental or the places of your everyday life – during Bianca’s stays in Puglia. Our core area:
- Bari
- Bitonto
- Molfetta
- Ostuni
- all of Puglia on request
Your town isn’t listed? Ask us on WhatsApp – we usually find a solution.
The Willenskraft method in action
Real training footage from our YouTube channel:
A look at our work
What our clients say
Verified Google reviews of the Willenskraft dog school & academy in Austria (in German):
Das Training war voller Aha-Erlebnisse, Bianca ist nicht nur unglaublich kompetent, sondern auch sehr empathisch, sie geht auf Wünsche und Sorgen ein und hat ein unglaublich tolles Gefühl für Hunde. Wir sind unfassbar glücklich den Weg zu der Hundeschule gefunden zu haben und würden es jederzeit allen empfehlen. Danke Bianca!
Das private Online Coaching bei der Hundeschule Willenskraft war für uns der Wendepunkt. Durch die persönlichen Problemlösungsvorschläge gab es plötzlich rasante Fortschritte bei Themen wie Beißhemmung, Grenzen respektieren und vor allem Ruhe finden. Sogar das Target Training, das sie in der normalen Hundeschule aufgrund der zu großen Lernschritte nicht umsetzen konnte, klappte im Privattraining viel schneller, obwohl wir erst seit drei Wochen dabei sind!
Wer einen Hund hat, der nicht nach „Schema F“ funktioniert und gerne Dinge hinterfragt, wie es oft bei Samojeden der Fall ist, ist hier absolut richtig. Eine klare Empfehlung für individuelles und modernes Hundetraining! Besonders hervorheben möchte ich die Trainerin Bianca: Sie arbeitet mit extrem viel Lob und schafft es immer wieder, nicht nur den Hund, sondern auch mich zu motivieren. Dieser positive Ansatz ist Gold wert, wenn man eine kompetente Trainerin sucht, die sich wirklich auf das Team einstellt!
Lg Sonja und Lumi.
Der Service und die Kommunikation waren bisher wirklich angenehm und kundenorientiert.
Das vermittelte Wissen war sehr gut zusammengestellt, und ich habe viele nützliche Informationen dazugelernt.
Die Atmosphäre war freundlich und unterstützend – wirklich ein tolles Erlebnis, danke schön! :)
Ich bin ihr sehr dankbar für diese wertvolle und inspirierende Zeit. 🫶
Ganz lieben Dank für die tollen Tipps und die Mühe!! Alles Gute für Euch!!!
Absolut zu empfehlen!
Frequently asked questions
Where does the training take place?
We are a mobile dog school: during Bianca’s stays in Puglia we come straight to your home, your holiday rental or the places where your everyday challenges show up – in Bari, Bitonto and the surrounding area. No training ground needed – your dog learns right where he lives.
What language are the sessions in?
Sessions are held in English or German. Bianca also speaks basic Italian, so key concepts can be explained in Italian too. For your first message, feel free to write in whichever language you prefer.
Is Bianca in Puglia all year round?
No: Bianca lives between Austria and Puglia and regularly spends several weeks at a time in Bari and Bitonto. In-person sessions are concentrated in these stays – spots are limited, so it pays to book early. Between stays, your training continues online.
What method do you use?
Holistic and science-based: we are strongly guided by the LIFE model, train needs-oriented and appropriate to your dog’s age and type, and always take your dog’s nervous system into account. We use positive reinforcement with force-free, welfare-friendly equipment – working towards your goal with a clear plan, step by step: setting up for success.
Who is the trainer?
Bianca Oriana Willen, founder and head of the Austrian Willenskraft dog school and academy, CBATI-KSA certified and a canine nutrition consultant. In Austria she also trains professional dog trainers – and brings that expertise straight to Puglia.
How much does the training cost?
The 5-day intensive workshop is €1,500 per human-dog team – including a preparation video call, five consecutive training days, a written training plan and two online follow-ups after you leave. Compact packages, single sessions and online coaching are available on request: message us on WhatsApp for a clear, no-obligation quote.
How do I book a training holiday in Puglia?
Message us on WhatsApp with your focus topic and travel dates. We match them with Bianca’s stays, clarify the details in a free preparation video call and reserve your spot. Spots per stay are limited – it pays to ask early.
Which focus topics are possible?
Typical focus topics are dog encounters, loose-leash walking, recall, beach and city training, medical training or puppy basics. We define your topic in the preparation call – the workshop is tailored entirely to you and your dog.
Does training make sense during a holiday?
Absolutely – often especially so: on holiday you have time, and you train exactly in the situations that challenge you on the road – beach, restaurants, new surroundings. Even a few sessions during your stay often bring noticeable progress.
Do you work on behaviour problems?
Yes. Leash pulling, reactivity around other dogs, unreliable recall, insecurity in new environments: we tackle the challenges right where they occur, with a tailor-made training plan.
How do we start?
Message us on WhatsApp or by email. We’ll have a first consultation to analyse your situation and define clear goals. Then we schedule sessions for Bianca’s next stay in Puglia – or start right away online.
Do you offer puppy training?
Yes, as private one-to-one sessions: early socialisation, positive first experiences and the foundations of good manners – tailored to your puppy in his most important developmental phase.
Is online coaching available?
Yes. If you live outside the area, prefer flexibility, or between Bianca’s stays: we offer online video consultations in English or German – also ideal as a complement to in-person training.
Ready to become a team?
Message us today – your first enquiry is free of obligation. We’ll share the dates of Bianca’s next stay in Puglia. Workshop spots are limited to a few teams per stay.
★★★★★5.0 on Google33 reviews · read →Message us on WhatsApp → +43 664 5322221