We had a wonderful experience with Good Dog Workshop and can't recommend them highly enough. We reached out for help with behavior issues we were having with our rescue dog, and from the very first session, we felt supported, understood, and empowered. Their approach was calm, clear, and incredibly effective -- they helped us understand why our dog was acting out and taught us how to respond in ways that built trust and confidence. One thing that really stood out was how thoughtful and hands-on they were -- they even brought two of their own well-balanced dogs to help with socialization. That made a huge difference in helping our pup feel more comfortable and learn from positive role models. We saw real results quickly and now feel so much more connected and in control. If you're facing behavioral challenges -- especially with a rescue -- Good Dog Workshop is the team you want in your corner. We're so grateful for their help in bringing out the best in our dog. read more

We were looking for some basic training for our new rescue dog, Chili. He's an unknown mix with a lot of puppy energy, although they say he's 2 YO. As new dog owners, my family (especially my teenaged son) needed some guidance on being good dog owners. Brian was EXACTLY what we needed. He spent about 2 hours with us, taught us all how to project the kind of dominant energy Chili will respond to and advised us on how best to build a healthy relationship with Chili through exercise and play. He even helped us introduce Chili to our beloved grumpy old cat with no hissing or barking! We are all feeling so much more confident about harmony in our family going forward! Best time and money I've spent in ages...thank you!! read more

Good Dog Workshop - Our Good Dog! - Pet Training Near Me

Brian did an excellent job matching me and my retired racer up with Marina. She was a perfect fit for us and has helped me immensely in creating a happier and more secure environment for my dog. Her training method is straightforward and effective; there was no need for overly-complicated training exercises or special tools. I am still amazed by how quickly we fell into better habits and behaviors, and therefore a better relationship. My dog was very serious and somewhat-aloof when I first adopted her; now she is a huge goofball who loves to snuggle and be best friends with anyone who comes in to the house. I have met with Marina twice, and plan on working with her again in the future. I highly recommend Good Dog Workshop-they know what they're doing! read more

We have a sweet, affection, and strong-willed GSP. While I adore our dog who is great 95% of the time, I also want to maintain the use of my arms! Our 16-month old GSP is ready to *charge* in to the world with no sense of stranger danger (or of cars) and just loves meeting other dogs and people. I really needed a solution if I was to enjoy walks again. Brian matched us with Marina - perfect! She walked with us - observed and coached the whole time. I realized before I called that I needed to change as much as our pup did. Marina reassured me that we have done a lot of things right with our GSP - which was a relief! I had been feeling as if I was failing our pup on a daily basis. On our walk, Marina told me how to communicate in effective ways with our pup. She also explained his body language and what that means in Dog World. Things that I thought were "good" turned out to be more of a ploy - hind legs ready to spring does not mean, "Yes, Mom - I am listening and will not pull on the leash anymore." I've recommended GDW and Marina to our neighbors and I will to you, Reader, as well. You will learn so much! read more

We had Marina come out for a training session. It was much more training us, as owners, than training the dog, which was great! We needed to be shown how to interact with our dogs so that they behave appropriately. Seeing the strategies in action was much more helpful than reading about them. We feel more confident and prepared to help our pets be good citizens. I would definitely work with these guys again. read more

Brian is AMAZING and runs a great operation. He offers no-nonsense, practical training at a very reasonable price. He is extremely knowledgeable, kind, and models how to lead your dog in a clear and human fashion. We were concerned about our 1.5 year-old Plott Hound's aggression at the dog park, and within 2 hours, pretty much everything had been resolved. We walked away with a plan for how to reinforce our pup's new habits, and we're so grateful for the ongoing support we get via text and phone. He is very easy to get a hold of, and very flexible in terms of scheduling. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with Good Dog Workshop! I adopted a rescue dog who came from difficult circumstances. As a first time dog owner, I quickly realized I was in way over my head. I was hesitant to spend money on a trainer so I tried to self-educate and go it alone. After realizing I needed extra support, I went to see a couple different trainers in my area, but nothing really clicked until I was referred to Marina by a friend. I can't emphasize enough what a game-changer Good Dog Workshop was for me and my dog. Working with Marina gave me the confidence and skills I needed to tackle what seemed like an impossible task. If you're on the fence about getting a trainer, let me tell you - it is absolutely 100% worth it. Training with Marina has been an investment in both me and my dog's quality of life that has totally paid off. Thanks for everything! read more

Brian is adept at interpreting humans and dogs and especially how they interact together. In just a couple hours he revolutionized how we interact with our dog and now we have had tons of succes getting her to do things that were not impossible the prior 7 months. He listens and is patient as we describe our needs and struggles. He offers practical solutions that you can do without having to buy a lot of equipment or requiring treats on hand 25/7. We highly recommend Brian and will be calling on him periodically but n the future. read more

We are in California so we were a bit skeptical about getting help over the phone. Turns out it was just what we needed! After our first phone consultation with Brian we understood what we need to do with our two female German Shepherds so they will get along and we don't have to find a new home for one of them. Brian is VERY knowledgeable and empathetic. THANK YOU, BRIAN! read more

We were fortunate enough to know Marina through her prior employment at our Vet. Recently, we have a found ourselves the lucky parents of a rescued dog. While sweet, our new little girl needed formal training. We could not be more pleased with the results. Marina and GDW took the dog for few days in order to observe her behavior, and instill proper discipline. During that time,we were kept up to speed and provided both pictures and videos documenting her progress. This included her walking with other dogs, playing at at the dog park and calmly waiting for her food. Upon completion, we were given detailed instructions and feedback that will enable to ensure we maintain her good status. If you need to get your dog trained, do yourself a favor sand skip the big box store cookie cutter class and check out GDW! read more

I can not recommend Brian and Good Dog Workshop enough! What initially impressed me was the time and thoroughness he spent before I "officially" became a client. When I first was in touch with Brian, I was deciding between two dogs to adopt the following day. He spent the better part of an hour listening to me talk through both dogs and offered great advice and perspective. During this consultation call he also asked very thorough questions to overall understand what my concerns were and where I may want to focus our time together once I adopted a dog. This was a very different experience than I received with a few other trainers who quite frankly asked very little about the dog and were just focused on booking an appointment. Additionally, keep in mind this was all time spent talking to me before I'd even committed to a session together. I think this really speaks to the fact that he cares about both people and dogs tremendously and he's willing to invest in the relationship with the owner to ensure success later on. This investment in our relationship has only continued. He checked in after my first night with the newly adopted dog and after we had our session with Brian he continued to both make himself available when I had questions and to proactively check in and see how things were going. It's so relieving to have someone like Brian available as a resource to make sure I'm continuing to do right by my dog. As for the session itself, it also was hugely beneficial. I was initially a bit skeptical when he says most people only need one session but after spending time together I now understand why. He ultimately teaches us how to read our dog, the other dogs we may encounter, and more importantly how to communicate with dogs. He's very observant and picks up on things (both in the humans and the dogs) that I had overlooked and then has the ability to translate the dog's perspective into understandable human terms. Once he does this a few times you start to really understand and are then able to shift your approach and perspective about the relationship with your dog. These tools can then be applied to any situation in the future. Lastly, I really enjoyed the evaluation he performs. As new dog owner I was a bit anxious to understand how my dog interacted with other dogs and if there were any concerning behaviors or aggressive tendencies. Having Brian there to test her around his dogs was such a relief and really put my mind at ease during this crucial evaluation. We ended our session going to the dog park together (another thing I had been apprehensive about) but it turns out after some education on my end and with Brian there to coach me it's not such a scary thing and I now feel much more confident in my ability to read the people and dogs at the dog park to ensure I'm not putting myself and my dog in an unwanted situation. Overall I am so grateful to have found Brian and If I could give more than five stars I would! read more

Our family needed help with our good boy Gus. He was aggressive to most dogs. It limited us because we had so much fear and uncertainty built up from it. We avoided walks at certain times, avoided certain places, neighbors avoided us or our house because of his growling/lunging/barking when they are walking their dogs and he has ruined parts of the house from other dogs passing by. With as loving Gus is to us and people that come in our home, we knew there was something we were missing. I was recommended to try Good Dog Workshop and am so glad we did! Brian reached out to me right away. He was very focused on our needs and confident he could help us. He went over and beyond to help us as soon as possible. We meet with Marina the very next day and within an hour she was able to asses and teach us exactly how to understand Gus and to properly communicate with him. She also assisted us in bringing home our new puppy and got us off to a great start training her! I can not tell you how much this has changed our lives! We have confidence and peace of mind with both our pups. She is absolutely our Dog Whisperer and I highly recommend this company! read more

We have used Brian's service when we adopted a shelter puppy who has separation anxiety. Despite being in Warrenton, Brian drove to Fairfax to help us. He is super observant picking up on things that we didn't see as a problem but realizing it months later - my dog's possessiveness of his bones and food. Brian definitely helped with the separation anxiety and even a year later when the dog relapsed to his anxiety, Brian took the time to give me a call and provided his advice on the situation. We definitely recommend him! read more

We just adopted a rescue who was most likely abandoned at some point, so she has a lot separation anxiety. Brian did a great job reading not just the dog but also our behavior with the dog and helped us identify small things we do that reinforces her anxiety (ex make a big fuss of leaving or returning home). He was very knowledgeable and empathetic. His philosophy is that a calm submissive and respectful dog makes a happy dog and a happy environment. We picked up a few tips and behaviors we need to model to calm her anxiety and reinforce a stable environment. He also brought three of his dogs over to evaluate how our dog responds when being introduced to other dogs. That was very helpful as we want our dog to be socialized and get along very well with other dogs. Overall I would definitely recommend him and would use him again. read more

Good dog workshop helped me out a lot. Gave me great tips over the phone with issues I've been having with my pup, even though I didn't live in the area. Very friendly and call tell they have a passion for dogs. read more

There is not enough praise that I can give for Brian! I read every review on Angieslist, Yelp and various internet sites. BELIEVE the reviews....Brian knows what he is doing! I believe one of the Angieslist review stated that their Vet recommended Good Dog Workshop!! So, we decided to take our lovely and high-energy 1 year old Goldendoodle (Bella) to the Good Dog Workshop training. Brian offers training both in the owner's home and at his facility; we opted to take a lovely ride to Warrenton because one area of focus was to minimize Bella's anxiety with car rides. We also wanted Brian to train Bella (and the owners) on how walk properly utilizing a leash because Bella leads and pulls the leash. Also, we wanted Bell to learn how to socialize better because she wants to play with every dog and jump and kiss every human she sees!! Immediately upon arrival, Brian met us at the car to start his introduction to Bella prior to her jumping out of the vehicle. I don't understand it, maybe he is a dog whisperer, but he was able to calm Bella. Over the next two hours, Brian, made us clearly understand that we (the humans) were NOT doing our part by being the pack leader. IT WAS A HARD ADJUSTMENT for me especially during the first 20 - 30 minutes. So, do yourself a favor and just listen to what Brian tells you to do! I really could not be more pleased. We learned so much in the training, starting with the leash itself. We were using the WRONG type of leash for initial training. We ended up purchasing one of Brian's "slip not" leash. Bella responded to it immediately. While Bella is not quite over her car anxiety,we made great progress and we have the teaching tools to get her to anxiety free! As a matter of fact, on the car ride home she was not as anxious and appeared to be a bit more relaxed (not completely relaxed but much improved.) She walks so much better on a leash and off leash she was near Brian and I during the walk. When Bella strayed slightly, we did a command and she focused on us and she came! Simply an AMAZING day!! We now have to continue to train but I feel so confident that we can do this because of Brian! Also, he recommended that we stop by Carousel Ice Cream to get both the humans and the pup a cup of ice cream! Note: the pup cup was free!! WHAT A GREAT DAY!! Thank you so much Brian! For the reader: You should definitely use Good Dog Workshop training! read more

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We've had problems with our dog Ginger not getting along with other dogs. Marina came to our house and showed us methods to help. She brought 2 of her dogs with her and showed us how to introduce Ginger to them. She also gave us pointers on how to control both our dogs after the dreaded doorbell ring. I am very pleased! Marina has offered to come back to help when we have my son's dog for a week. read more

My husband and I are so pleased with the help we received Good Dog Workshop! I was pointed in his direction by a friend who volunteers at the shelter we adopted our dog Baloo from. She said Brian is the best, and I couldn't agree more! After the initial phone consultation, we were surprised to hear that we likely would only need one session of training, considering we believed Baloo's reactivity/"aggression" issues to be more severe than a single afternoon could solve. However, by the end of our nearly 3-hr long session with Brian, we felt very confident that we had all the tools we needed to continue Baloo's training on our own. Brian explained to us that Baloo is not actually aggressive, but merely confused about his place in the household and in need of structure. He emphasized that we needed to exercise Baloo more and be strong leaders for him. My husband and I learned so much from Brian's practical advice, demonstrations, and thorough answers to our many questions. He even brought along his own dogs to help us implement the techniques we had learned! This was a big plus in our eyes. Brian was extremely responsive and professional from the very beginning. He even called a few days later to check in and see how we're all doing. Our relationship with our Baloo is improving slowly but surely, and we've even had successful introductions to new people and dogs! We are extremely happy with Good Dog Workshop and would not hesitate to recommend this training service to others. read more

I called on Brian to help me with my Yorkie, Beau's aggression toward strangers. He was very knowledgeable and showed me how to take the lead so that Beau will feel more secure. He also encouraged more exercise to burn off energy to curtail undesirable behavior. His techniques are proving effective and I highly recommend his services. read more

From the moment Marina walked in the door I knew I made the right choice. She quickly assessed my dog's behaviour and was able to explain all his body language to me. After 2 sessions I feel like I have a different dog. She gave me the confidence and understanding to continue the training. I can now introduce my dog to people and other dog buddies without fear of how he will react. Marina knows what she is doing and has a natural gift with dogs. She is worth her weight in gold and would recommend her a 100 times over. read more

Brian knows dog psychology! My 6 yr old Pugle mix is very energetic and hyper. Although we run and walk with her regularly, she is never tired. Our dog has occasional leash aggression towards other dogs and gets very upset when we leave so Brian helped us understand our dog better in order to correct her behavior and make her feel confident we are coming back. Within a matter of hours, our dog excelled and we are more confident she will be the fun loving dog we know she is, and make new friends with other dogs read more

My maltese, Lily, would bark at any person or car driving by, and forget during a walk! She would lunge and bark uncontrollably at anybody and anything (even a statue in a yard!). Brian came out to our house and asked questions and observed. He gave us excellent tips on how to control the situation so we could become the leader of Lily's pack instead of allowing her to think she was the leader. We saw results that day! When I was walking her that evening not only did she ignore the people out and about, but when I stopped to talk to a neighbor, she actually laid at my feet!!! Even my neighbor couldn't believe the difference. We are continuing to work with her and train her, but the difference we've seen in just a few days has been remarkable! Thanks Brian for giving us the tips to make our house calm and pleasant again! read more

I did a workshop with Brian last weekend. It was so much fun and was so interesting watching Brian work with these dogs and change behavior right in front of us. I learned a lot and my girl, Nala, did too! Thanks, Brian! read more

When you take in your fifth dog, and it's a pupppy being introduced to an already, well established dog family, it's time to bring in a trainer. The training was for ME because it was time I learned to speak "dog." I found Good Dog Workshop on Angie's List and was not disappointed. The owner, Brian, is well versed on the 'how to's' of taking control, earning respect and herding the pack. After two hours I was well on my way to being a better dog parent. I highly recommend Good Dog Workshop for any and all dog realted issues. From individual sessions to group workshops your time and money will be well spent. read more