Good Dog Academy

I can't help but express how impressed I am with Good Dog Academy's Professional Pet Dog Training program. It truly went above and beyond my expectations. The course covered such a wide range of topics, giving me all the essential skills I needed to understand and train dogs effectively. I particularly loved seeing the growth of my own dog and my training capabilities throughout the program. It made the whole experience very engaging. Good Dog Academy has provided me with a rock-solid foundation, and I can't wait to keep pursuing my dream of becoming a dog trainer.

I have taken several of the programs Good Dog Academy has to offer, including the PPDT and Business program and I have nothing but praise.Not just for the comprehensive professional content but also for the invaluable help, and detailed constructive feedback they offer throughout. Thank you Jaime, Geri and everyone else involved!

This course was everything I had been looking for in a certification program; the theory and practical knowledge of positive reinforcement dog training in conjunction with valuable feedback from experienced professionals. On top of that (if you have the chance to take advantage of the Pandemic Special), GDA sets you up with canine first aid AND a business course. All of this is absolutely conducive to a full time working schedule.Jaime, Geri and everyone else at GDA are EXCELLENT teachers and guides, and they genuinely want you to be set up for success in your professional future. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in becoming a professional dog trainer.

If you are planning to become a dog trainer, or would like to know more about dogs, I highly recommend the PPDT course from Good Dog Academy. The course is well put together and there is a lot of information. I have learned many things. Jaime and Geri were always there to help if you were struggling with anything. A lot of great feedback as well. A webinar was held once a month and was a good place to meet other students and ask any questions you had.

I thought I knew a lot about dog training before I decided to become a certified dog trainer, boy was I wrong! This program taught me so many valuable things that I had never even thought of. I now feel like I have all the tools and education to go and start up my business. Not only was the program incredible but Jaime herself was so easy to talk to and very helpful. She got back to me right away when I had questions and was very supportive all throughout the program. I would 100% recommend this program to anyone wanting to start up their career as a professional dog trainer.

I really enjoyed The Professional Dog Training program at Good Dog Academy!My confidence was built up through the program, and the feedback provided really helped me work on my skills with the dog and their owner. The instructors were always there to support you and were available for what you needed, as they want you to be successful. I would highly recommend Good Dog Academy to anyone looking to get into the industry! I feel very thankful!

I highly recommend Good Dog Academy if you are looking to start a career as a dog trainer or if you just love your own dogs and want to learn how to train them to be well behaved.Jaime Knowles is extremely knowledgable and helpful. The course is well laid out and easy to follow - thanks to Jaime and Geri :-). The training methods are all positive, reward based (treats and/or toys).The training is fun and has helped me form a deeper bond with one of my dogs in particular - one that was fairly stand-offish. The course outline uses building blocks and teaches the WHY" behind each exercise.Graduating from this course

I just want to start this by saying that every interaction I had with Jaime and Geri was nothing but pleasant. I put off making a review for months because I don’t like leaving bad reviews, but I think that my feedback will be valuable to others who are looking to become professional dog trainers.I picked this course because of its marketing as “science-based.” I am a huge nerd for canine science which is why I was really disappointed to find two false claims in the first 20% of the course. The first being that “harnesses empower the dog to pull.” There is no evidence that harnesses cause or encourage pulling. However, they don’t prevent pulling either. Most dogs naturally pull because they want to walk faster than us and access things in the environment. What concerns me is the claim that “harnesses empower dogs to pull” could scare people away from using a harness - the safest and most comfortable option for the dog - and make them believe they need a more invasive piece of equipment.The other false claim is that “you shouldn’t pet a scared puppy because you can reinforce their fear.” This is categorically false. You can’t reinforce fear because fear is an emotion, not a behaviour. When I brought this up to Jaime she framed it as a topic which we could debate. But there is nothing to debate, it’s just not how operant conditioning works, and I would expect a CPDT-KA certified trainer to know that. This claim about reinforcing emotions made me unable to trust the rest of the information presented in the course.I ultimately decided to drop out. Thankfully I was still within my refund window and they refunded me no questions asked. I give this feedback in good faith and I hope that it will encourage Good Dog Academy to fact check their course and update it with scientifically accurate information.

I have absolutely loved my experience with Good Dog Academy. Having been mentored by a trainer as experienced as Jaime has been so rewarding. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in dog training as it reflects the latest scientific research on positive reinforcement and using the least aversive method in training a dog. I have learned so much from the program and feel well prepared to enter into the world of professional dog training.

I have had the opportunity to deal with Jamie, who runs the program with Geri, in many differnt training programs over the years and continue to go to her for guidance and and course work with the last 3 dogs I have owned. She is hands down the most proffesional and knowledgable trainer I have ever met so when the opportunity to earn my certification with her as the instructor I knew I was learning from the best. Both Jamie and Geri go the extra mile to enable you to do your best. They make time outside of class hours, supply additional material and offer their extensive knowledge and tips in all areas dog. If you are considering becoming a dog trainer or just want to know and understand more about dogs and training this is the best place to come.