Dog Gone Good! Reviews

We took two classes with Mike and are very impressed with how well our pup learned. Mike is a great teacher. I would highly recommend taking his classes.

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!

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

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!

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!!

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!

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!!!

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.

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.

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!

Our pup completed the puppy 1 and we then continued on with puppy 2. We've seen huge improvements to her obedience and overall behavior. There is plenty of time during class to ask any questions not covered by the curriculum.

I have had two dogs go through Mike's Puppy 1 and 2 Puppy 2 class (15 yrs apart) and I can say without a doubt, his expertise, knowledge and patience, are key reasons for why my dogs are so well behaved and trained. Comparing other dogs that were trained by others, his methodical approach is essential to having well-rounded and behaved dogs. I can't recommend him enough!

This review is long overdue and I really hope that a lot more dog parents find Michael from Dog Gone Good and his team! I hosted a HUGE dog event for Google San Francisco way back in October, where we welcomed about 100 dogs, and invited Michael and his team over to facilitate the outdoor event and host agility courses and behavorial talks for the dogs and their owners. They were hands down THE BEST dog trainers we have worked with in the past two years and all the dog parents who attended the event LOVED what Dog Gone Good has brought in and taught them during the event. They made a large event with so many dogs not only fun, but also very smooth and easy. We could only imagine how much more care they'll put in for 1:1 training sessions or smaller groups. Mike, from the Google San Francisco team, thank you so much for helping us with our event, and sharing your expertise with us. Best, Eli

Mike is an amazing dog trainer! We did a lot of research on training programs and instructors for our shih tzu puppy Mason and we are so glad we chose Mike's classes. We completed puppy 1 and 2 and highly recommend both if you have a new puppy. Mike is extremely knowledgeable and his approach is based on scientific and practical knowledge. Each class is an hour long and there is plenty of time for puppies to socialize and for pet owners to ask questions. Not only are the puppies getting trained, he's also teaching the owners how to build trust and respect with their dogs. We now have the knowledge to continue to reinforce what we've learned to have a well behaved puppy.