Dog Gone Good!
Categories: Pet Training, Pet Boarding/Pet Sitting [Edit]
San Francisco, CA 94101 (415) 437-0848
14 reviews
Neighborhood: West Oakland
"So I can't really review Happy Hound, so we will leave it up to my dog. Since she can't talk this what I have observed, she perks up when we…" read more »
11 Reviews for Dog Gone Good!
I like to refer to Mike as the Dog Whisperer. He has a way with dogs that is truly special. When Mike speaks, dogs and people alike listen. We have taken both the Level 1 and are in the middle of his Level 2 class and all I can say is that his classes are both fun and informative and our little dog Owen has become everything that we had wanted him to be and more under Mike's training techniques.
The one thing to keep in mind when signing up for Mike's classes, is that you really need to commit yourself to being in town and available for 6 consecutive weeks to make sure that you and your puppy are getting everything you possibly can out of the class. Having missed one class ourselves, we found that Mike did an incredible job of reviewing the information that was discussed the week before, but it was not the same as us being there.
Overall, if you have a puppy and want a well behaved adult dog, Mike Wombacher's classes are the way to go! I can't imagine going anywhere else.
Mike Wombacher is incredible; it's amazing how quickly his techniques work. I have a 5 month old Papillon who just finished his six week level 1 puppy class. He now knows the commands sit, down, stand and can stay in each of those positions. He also knows the commands off and come. Mike also had us go through handling exercises, which makes vet visits a breeze.
Classes are fun; I look forward to them each week. It's so exciting to see your dog learning and socializing with other puppies in a safe controlled environment.
We're signed up for level 2 and look forward to learning more from Mike.
Check out his website. http://www.doggonegood... He also has a really good book called, "There's a Puppy in the House".
My first introduction to Mike Wombacher was the weekend we picked up our puppy. We had his book "There's a Puppy in the House" and it listed his phone number. Facing some problems we called and, to our immense surprise, he called us back that same day and gave us invaluable advice.
As soon as our Vizsla was old enough we enrolled her in his puppy classes and both she and our German Shorthair Pointer puppy have now gone through four levels with Mike and can't recommend him enough.
Mike's classes have taught us the basic obedience skills that make for well mannered dogs; complete strangers compliment me on their behavior.
But more than that, Mike's hands on training has produced two dogs who's behavior I can predict and be assured of in any situation. Babies and toddlers have nothing to fear from my dogs. My 1 year old nephew shares his soggy cheerios with my 1 year old dog and because of Mike's training, I KNOW that no teeth will so much as rest against that chubby little hand. Two year olds can pull themselves up by my dogs' tails without fear of reprisal and ears are fair game too.
He asks a lot of us owners, but so he should. A great dog isn't a matter of "luck of the draw" but the result of hard work by owners. Mike will get the results you are looking for and your dog will love him as much as you do by the end of puppy classes!
Mike is a little hard to get a hold of ( i.e., not so readily available on e-mail.) You need to call him to find out when his next series of classes begin -- schedules are generally not available anywhere in printed form. Mike tells you himself, you send in a check ($195 for 6 weeks), and if it's cashed, you assume you're in, and you show up for the first class. In the city Mike tends to hold Puppy Kindergarten at Bow Wow Meow. Higher level (Puppy 2 & 3) classes are taught at K9 to 5 or Muttley Crew.
I and the puppypoppa generally did not completely jive with the Mike's personality, but the stuff he taught was invaluable...
1) OFF command - useful in preventing your puppy from continuing with an undesired behavior -- whether nosing at unspeakables or eyeing something tasty (your dinner?) you've just set on the coffee table. To this day many a potential disaster has been quickly averted because of this command.
2) Cradling/ body exam - Mike helped us be comfortable with handling our pup in order to do body exams - in the event of an emergency we're able to get her to get her to lie still, open her mouth, handle her paws.
3) Sit/ stay - when puppy parents are far away - across the room or not visible -- this was one of the harder exercises, and our pup still needs work with this.
4) Recall when pup is playing/ distracted -- again, one of the harder exercises, but useful tips and tricks.
We took about 3 6-week sessions with Mike and moved on to Agility at the SPCA.
Mike Wombacher of Dog Gone Good was recommended to me by the folks at my favorite pet store "Bow Wow Meow." I have a 3-year old pit bull who has a serious like/dis-like for small animals. After working with another trainer for several months, although my dog had made considerable progress in many other areas, the aggression problem remained. Determined to help my dog overcome this problem, I contacted and signed up for a 5-session training course with Mike Wombacher.
At our first meeting, I was a bit nervous . I felt apprehensive about having to establish rank with my dog and my ability to "demote" her. Prior to our first session Mike had asked me to purchase a prong collar (pinch collar). I had used one in the past, but didn't think it would be necessary since I didn't think my dog had a problem with walking on leash. Mike showed how to use the collar properly (without hurting my dog). My dog now always walks right along-side me and looks at me for direction.
Another thing Mike suggested was that I no longer allow my dog to sleep on the bed with me, nor get up the couch. I actually like having my dog sleep with me so I didn't like hearing this. grudgingly, i did as he said and followed all of his recommendations.
I am happy to say that my dog is doing extremely well. I am now able to walk confidently past small dogs without fear of my dog's reaction, I simply say "off" and she will look away and continue walking.
Mike also recommended that I purchase a training (pager) collar. After seeing my dog being to sit still and quietly for nearly half an hour while being sniffed by a long-haired Chihuahua, I plan on following Mike's advice. I am currently waiting to receive the Dogtra collar which I purchased on-line. Mike showed me that with proper use, the training collar could mean the difference in keeping other dogs, as well as mine, safe from harm.
My dog showed tremendous improvement after just a couple of sessions with Mike. I signed up for five sessions and we still have one left. My dog has come such a long way, I'm now able to walk my dog confidently past any dog -- even the small dogs who think they're big dogs. I'm happy to say that I would highly recommend Mike Wombacher of Dog Gone Good. He has certainly helped me and my dog.
Our vet recommended Mike's classes to us for our rambunctious german shepherd puppy. By the end of the six week course, our girl was a completely different dog. On the first day of class, we were told that out of the three objectives to achieve, "obedience, trust and respect," trust and respect were the most important. I think that sums up Mike's philosophy very well. And while we're so pleased at how much better behaved our girl has become, the most rewarding part of this experience has been how much the trust and respect between us has really become the foundation of our relationship.
We bought Mike's book, "There's a Puppy in the House!" before starting the class, but when we tried to use the book's handling exercises on our own, the puppy howled and struggled so much that we felt like we were torturing her! Using the book as a supplement to the class rather than the primary resource worked out much better. Mike and his wife Rose explained how to implement each exercise and command very clearly, and of equal importance, corrected us when we did things wrong. They also provided specific advice on how to adjust our training methods based on our dog's individual personality - which in our case, was a very headstrong one!
As others have noted here, to get the most out of the classes, you also need to heed Mike's instructions to practice with your puppy at home every day. Progress with our puppy seemed uneven at first - she learned the basic sit-stay-down, etc. commands quickly, but whined throughout the "off" exercises and continued to struggle when we tried to cradle her. By week four, however, a metamorphosis occurred, The cradle exercise actually became a way to help her to calm down and relax when she got over-excited, she doesn't flinch at all when we touch her paws now, and we're no longer having to constantly worry about her trying to destroy all the furniture, despite the fact that she's still teething. While she still has a very lively personality, she's also developed a very sweet, affectionate nature. Even people on the street we meet while walking our puppy have been commenting on how well-mannered she is for a four month old! We plan to continue on with the puppy two level class, and are really looking forward to it. I would highly recommend Mike's classes, especially for first-time puppy parents.
Our breeder recommended Mike's book "There's A Puppy in the House", which we read cover to cover and followed when we brought our pup (yellow lab) home at 8 weeks. Using Mike's approach, housetraining was incredibly easy - our pup had two accidents in the house in his first two days home and has had none since (he is now four months old). We live in Oakland and when I saw Mike's book on the counter at Redhound, I told them that of the many, many puppy/dog books I had read, that Mike's was by far the most useful and is the one I refer to most often. When they told me that he teaches puppy classes in the store, we put our name on the list for the next class. We had been planning to do the Sirius classes, but after consulting with our breeder who highly recommended Mike's approach as being balanced and effective (she was also positive about Sirius, but said that Mike is amazing and to take his class if at all possible) and reading more about the two approaches, we decided to take the classes with Mike at Redhound and are really glad that we did.
We just completed Puppy 1 and while much of what he covers in class is outlined in his book, going through the exercises with him was invaluable. I am truly amazed at how much our pup (and I) learned in 6 weeks. What really impressed me about Mike is that he really takes the temperament of the individual pups into account when he gives his feedback and guidance - no one size fits all solutions. Mike is very clear and direct - attributes that make him a great teacher. As others have mentioned, he does have high expectations of both his human and canine students, which I liked. He continually raises his expectations of both pup and trainer, which results in a great feeling of confidence. I thought the structure of the Puppy 1 class was a nice mix of puppy playtime and training. We are just in week two of the Puppy 2 series, which definitely steps up expectations, but in a good way. I really cannot speak highly enough of Mike. He is one of those rare people who really understands dogs, dog training and human behavior - the combination make him a highly effective teacher. Also, if you are bringing a new pup home, run out and buy his book (There's A Puppy In The House)!
My puppy and I are currently taking Mike Wombacher's puppy socialization class and it has been very helpful. I also have Mike's book which is great, but sometimes its hard to get the nuances down just right. That is where the hands on help really makes a difference. Mike also does 1:1 dog training for those that need special attention. He really knows his stuff. His classes are offered in a couple of locations like K-9 to 5 in SOMA and at Bow Wow Meow
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I used to look after Uma (Max's dog) occasionally last summer and I saw how much she learned when Mike Wombacher started working with her. I'm now seeing the same results with Darwin (Jeremy's puppy). He offers group puppy training classes, which I believe are about $200 for a course of 6 sessions.
Mike is very calm and his communication uncommonly lucid (puppy training is really owner training of course :-) When it comes to dogs he's a real life Dr Doolittle. Has a great book too.
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Mike's initial evaluation of Uma (my Wheaten terrier) was: "oh, she doesn't seem to know DROP! yet. I will teach her that before I leave today", which is exactly what happened. Say no more.
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mike did a great job with my lucy, who became the star of the class. (yes!!) one thing to note, though - mike has expectations of the parents. if you aren't into this and you simply want him to do all of the work for you, don't bother signing up. though not quite up to the socratic method found in law school, you will need to be accountable.
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