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My husband and I could not be happier! After just 2 private lessons with Mike, our 2-year-old golden retriever has been transformed into a wonderful walker on leash and a reliable trail-mate off leash. This means we we are no longer worried about recall, and we can all have a lot more fun outside! Our only regret is that we did not find out about Mike a year ago when we first adopted our 1-year-old puppy.
Verified
I've taken Puppy 1 and am currently in the middle of Puppy 2 with Mike at Dog Gone Good, and I can't recommend his classes enough. Mike is truly a wealth of experience and knowledge. What I love most is that he doesn't just tell you what to do or how to train your dog - he explains the why behind it and helps you understand the psychology of a dog. Once he starts sharing, it's one of those moments where you think, "That makes so much sense...how did I not realize that before?"
In many ways, this has felt like personal training for me as a dog owner as much as it has for my dog. I've had two dogs before, both around 25 lbs (a Boston Terrier and a French Bulldog/Boston Terrier mix), but this is my first time with a larger, working breed: Java, a Malinois mix. While I had some prior experience, Mike's classes have been incredibly helpful in teaching me how to work with my dog's instincts and energy, and avoid some of the mistakes I made in the past.
What I also appreciate is how Mike builds both confidence and a "knowledge toolkit" that I can apply when I'm training or handling Java on my own. Each class feels thoughtfully tailored to the specific dogs and their needs. Mike is truly a master at reading dogs and adjusting accordingly.
As further testament to how valuable these classes are, I just purchased Mike's book, Integrated Dog Training, and fully intend to read it cover to cover. Java still gets a bit rambunctious in class, but his progress outside of class has been amazing. It's also great that he gets mentally stimulated and tired out! I'm excited to see how far he continues to go with the foundation we're building here.
Verified
Michael was strongly recommended to me, and I knew on speaking to him that he would be my kind of trainer. That initial impression was furthered by my first session. Michael has a finely honed sense of dog behavior - he reads dogs, and their people, exceptionally well, and has deep insight and instincts for teaching humans about their dogs. Nothing is varnished - he is very direct and honest, but also very effective and considerate. As mentioned in previous reviews, Michael is not cookie-cutter - he customizes his training to the dog, and to the person, and that makes all the difference. I saw an immediate difference in Loki's behavior on implementing what I was taught - he stopped being a puller on the leash, his recall improved notably (and is still improving), and he is well-behaved without being fearful or overly cautious. I feel that I have taken, and am taking more practical steps to keeping Loki safe, and happy, while letting him be free. All thanks to Michael, but you have to do the work and follow through on what he teaches!
Verified
I just finished Mike's Puppy Level 2 class with my new rescue pup. I last worked through a number of Mike's classes with my prior rescue 12 years ago.
Mike is fabulous. He has years of experience working with all types of dogs, finding and using the most effective means of getting the best out of each of them. Just as no two children are alike and no two parents are alike, no two dogs are alike and no two owners are alike. Mike is amazing at quickly identifying what methods are going to be the most effective with any combination of dog and owner.
We master basic obedience, fun tricks, and the "stop" command, which can save a dog from running into danger by bringing it to an instant halt and freeze.
In addition to Mike's classes, his books provide a wealth of guidance, complete with very helpful step-by-step photographs. I cannot recommend Mike highly enough.
Verified
We trained our two dogs with Mike 18 years ago and now we are training our two new dogs with him. I wouldn't do it any other way. They were so well behaved we could take them anywhere and always got compliments on how well behaved they were. He is like a dog whisperer and could help anyone in class with their dog's behavioral problems. I couldn't recommend him more highly.
Verified
We returned to Mike for new training with our new dogs. We were very happy with the success with our previous two. After a bit of one on one training to get them up to group speed we are joining puppy II classes.
He is professional, practical, knowledgeable, kind, positive and has lots of common sense. He is a good communicator. Dogs get it. Humans are slower, eventually catching up to the pooches. He is the author of several books with excellent photos. Bottom line: the successful training results with our dogs was pretty fast. Highly recommended!
Thank you, Mike!
Verified
My dog just finished a one-on-one board and train session with Mike, and she is now perfect! His approach to dog training is rare, since he tailors the training plan to the dog rather than molding the dog to a set training regimen. He has the experience to do that effectively. He is a master at reading individual dogs and understanding what each one needs and what will work. He uses just the right balance of praise, reward, and firmness, with a dose of basic kindness. My dog responded well and quickly.
Mine is a collie--a sweetheart without serious behavior problems. But she is headstrong and was not as responsive as I needed. It was important that she know expected behaviors and that she pay attention to me to accommodate my advanced age and a recent injury. Mike knew how to make that happen quickly and without stress. Every day, he sent me instructive videos of her training and tolerated my feedback. I now can use those to develop the teamwork between my dog and me.
Verified
Michael Wombacher is the real deal. I spend every class learning volumes in an always fun atmosphere and setting. Hes extremely practical in his approach and the classes have without question done wonders for our Border Collie,Sadie. I am eternally grateful he turned our pretty good pup to a great one.
Verified
We started with Mike's puppy training #1 and continued until #3. We learned all the puppy training basics up to real life training out in crissy field. It's completely worth it especially when strangers at dog parks are complimenting on our training skills. Can't thank you enough Mike!
Verified
Dog handler
As a follow up to your response to my initial review, I must correct several inaccuracies that you posted.
You are "misremembering" or outright LYING about not being at the Albany Bulb on Friday, May 10th, 2024.
You were observed by me on that date around the Noon hour.
I regret not filming the episode. I was so distraught by what I was observing at that moment that I failed to grab my phone.
However, I can describe your attire quite accurately. You were wearing: Khaki pants, a navy long sleeve shirt, and a khaki wide brim hat with a neck protector.
I remember clothing and attire, in addition to bad behavior, quite well!
The dog in question was wearing a Pinch Collar that was so tight one couldn't get fingers under it.
I have added online documentation from a reputable source about the dangers of this type of collar. See below.
It is important to make crystal clear that I have NO agenda in posting this review and rebuttal to your response, except to warn other dog owners about the risks to their pets. I am no mouthpiece for anyone or any organization.
I just don't want animals to be mistreated.
I have no competitive business interests, no personal vendetta nor similar motive in my actions. I am repulsed when witnessing abuse of any animal, especially willfully done under the guise of "training".
Having stated my position , I will point out that you DO have a clear agenda in making YOUR response to my initial post. You want to protect your reputation and subsequently, your business interests. In my extensive experience interacting with businesses providing services to the public, when a problem is brought to light, the overwhelmingly vast majority of businesses and their customer service departments ,will try to correct an error or seek to improve a situation. It's a rarity to have a consumer attacked in such a vicious manner, whether or not they are an active or potential future customer.
It's bad business practice, for one.
In my personal experience, those individuals who retaliate so aggressively online or in person when getting negative feedback are reacting , at least in part, with defensiveness born out of guilty sentiments. As the great Bard said:"He doth protest too much!"
Yes, prong collars can hurt dogs if used incorrectly. The repeated pressure from the collar can cause skin and muscle inflammation, and in extreme cases, cervical spine injuries. Prong collars can also scratch or puncture the skin around a dog's neck, and cause stress, fear,and even aggression .
Many dogs will suffer a collapsed trachea from these collars. It does not take a lot of pressure to sustain an injury of this magnitude.
https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/The-Dangers-of-Training-Collars.pdf
Reply from Dog Gone Good!
2024.05.18
I have no idea who you are or what you saw, but this is a complete and blatant lie. Never in my life have I ever injured any dog in the course of any training so you clearly have some kind of agenda you're running. Not only that, but if you know anything at all, you'd know that it's literally impossible to injure a dog with a prong collar, even though that's a lie that advocates of so-called 'positive only' training like to spread around as misinformation because they can apparently only promote themselves by denigrating others. Clearly you're a mouthpiece for that point of view and happy to tell blatant lies in service to it. You should be ashamed of yourself for propagating lies for ideological reasons of your own. As you said, you don't even know who I am and when you say the other day, you should know I've been out of town for the last two weeks. So really don't know what you're talking about.
Verified
Mike is a knowledgeable and effective dog trainer who is invested in your pup! Our GSD puppy, Hunter, went through Mike's puppy level 1 and 2 classes and it was the best way to start our journey as dog owners. The classes provide supervised socialization, Q&A, individual dog assessment/attention and training exercise practice. My husband and I finished the classes feeling confident in continuing the training and our dog has a great foundation for more advanced obedience. Thank you, Mike!
Verified
As new dog owners, we had done our own research but quickly realized the importance of professional support and signed up for Mike's puppy 2 and outdoor advanced training. Our goal was to strengthen our dog's recall and other safety "tricks" to give him the freedom to play and hike off leash.
Mike's teaching style stood out for its clarity and personalized approach. He not only explained concepts thoroughly but also offered valuable insights tailored to any dog's individual needs. What we appreciated most was his respect for everyone's comfort levels; he never imposed recommendations and left the decision-making to the owners.
By continuing to apply what we've learned in an outdoor, high-distraction setting, it truly helped us reach our goal. We started to clearly see significant progress towards the end of the outdoor advanced training.
Thanks, Mike!!
Verified
Mike is the absolute best and I feel lucky to be able to take his classes! We have taken puppy 1 & 2 and our dog is thriving. We had an incredibly mediocre experience using Marin humane for training before going to Mike. In the classes at Marin humane I found myself stressed and unable to correct unwanted behavior- simply put it my dogs behavior was actually worse during those classes!! As soon as we switched over to Mikes classes my stress went away, I felt more in control and my dog was actually well behaved during class and that spilled over into our life of course. And it's all because Mike gives practically tools and techniques to correct behavior - unlike Marin humane who focuses only on overloading the dog with treats. If you want an effective trainer Mike is your guy. I can't say enough good things about him! Also, his books are great!
Verified
Mike is AWESOME. I've had dogs most of my life and have worked with a handful of different trainers, and I can confidently say that Mike is among the best trainers out there.
I adopted my chihuahua mix, Oliver, at 3 months from a rescue. He was a good puppy but very shy and timid and had a tough time being consistent with basic obedience. Oliver is now 5 months and so far we have completed Mike's Puppy I class and just finished a 2 week board and train with Mike. I couldn't be happier with Oliver's progress. He is now a much more confident boy and has his basic obedience down (sit, down, stay, come, off).
Mike is also very good at training the dog's owners on proper training techniques and correction which is equally as important as training the dog. I'm so grateful I found Mike and his team. I trust them implicitly and will be continuing with Puppy II, Puppy III, and his advanced outdoor program.
Thank you Mike!!!
Verified
Mike Wombacher is amazing. Dog whisperer? I think so. We participated in Puppy-1 and Puppy-2 and both classes made all the difference. We also did this with our first dog about 14 years ago. Mike knows exactly what he's doing, he understands "dog," and he's great at communicating with people about how to get the best behavior out of your dog. Can't recommend anyone more highly.
Verified
Two of our dogs with very different temperaments went through the obedience level 2 class with Michael Wombacher. He has decades of experience with dogs of all kind and it shows in his no-nonsense approach to his training philosophy.
Unlike other classes we've tried in the Bay Area, Mike makes his classes flexible for the humans and fun for the dogs, all while making sure dogs are making progress towards the training goals.
At the end of six weeks our dogs are much better behaved. They can sit/stay/walk reliably on command and perform fancy finishes, emergency stops and have fantastic recall.
Verified
I learned about Mike when I was blown away by how well behaved my friends dogs were. I attended his classes with my puppy and loved his approach so much I asked him to set up classes at Neon for all the new puppies we hope will become our customers! He has a very logical, accessible and caring approach to understanding your dogs needs and helping them learn the commands and behavior necessary to be welcomed wherever you want to bring them!