Clearly this woman, Sarah, the org head, is way more important than me and my wonderful young Husky poised to sign up for therapy dog training. She told me training would be in the spring but I had to follow schedules on the website. After 7 months of waiting I wrote her and she said the training wasn't happening. I had checked religiously every week or so to see if there were dates. She brushed me off without a thought with no respect for my time or her promise. She didn't even bother to email me after telling me to wait and my following up with her. I had been so eager and committed but after this treatment, I am done! My beautiful young male Husky w ill not be trained to visit nursing homes, veterans homes and schools due to what feels like a chic girls club. I guess she really doesn't care as much about this as her website led me to believe. I will find another organization. What a waste of our time. Thanks a lot. read more

The mission of this organization is amazing, and there are some great people there. Though I have no drama to tell, my personal experience as a volunteer was underwhelming - which, for an organization whose work heavily relies upon the engagement of volunteers, it was disappointing. The training sessions were certainly helpful, but unfortunately the trainer was unpleasant and unprofessional in the way she dealt with humans - even telling stories belittling and ridiculing not only other volunteers but also clients the organization is supposed to be helping. My dog loved her at least. After getting through the training class - the experience Of finding a placement wasn't great either.it seemed as though they hadn't thoroughly vetted places for their current enthusiasm and understanding of the program, and apart from organizing a first "test" visit, did nothing to support future visits. I had the opportunity to share some of this with the manager in a very gentle and constructive way, suggesting the need for a post training evaluation, although she was very nice and understanding, she did not seem to have the willingness or scope to dream of systemic improvements. read more

The Good Dog Foundation was recommended to us by our trainer Yuri, so we had no hesitation in signing up for the 5 week course. As our pup was already up to the basic good behaviour training level we did not need to do that extra training course with Good Dog. Personally I'd say that all responsible dog parents should do basic behaviour training regardless of whether they intend to get their dog certified for Therapy work. The training sessions with Renee were fun for humans and dogs alike and her role playing deserved an Emmy! It took a few weeks for us to do our first supervised visit, which was totally our fault due to work commitments and myself being out of town for a while. However, we've now done our first visit and set up for it be a regular Monthly one. We've also begun the fairly long process for being accepted at one of the New York Hospitals (they have their own stringent systems to satisfy), and we are in discussions between another public facility and the Good Dog Foundation to be able to visit there as well. Good Dog Foundation provided a long list of potential locations to visit, and basic details of what each one was about including potential visiting times, days and availability. Obviously some places are more appealing to visit and some have the likelihood of being more demanding on the handler and the dog. If you're flexible in your outlook and willing to be guided by the Good Dog Foundation then you should have no problem finding a suitable placement. Oh, and we've found everyone at the Good Dog office to be lovely, helpful and supportive, so my advice would be to pop in, say hello and get their advice. read more

My pitbull mix, Penny, has been a Good Dog since 2015 - I was happy when we were able to go right into the 2nd level of classes since she had previous obedience training. We've worked with most of the Manhattan trainers through our certification process, re-certification and now her taking the Crisis Response training classes. We have our regular volunteering location, which we are happy to be able to do visits on weekends since I work during the week. All of our interactions with the Good Dog staff - from the trainers, volunteer coordinators up to the top - have been affirming to the volunteer work we do. This is also evident in the numerous other dogs we've met at group visits or in our different therapy classes - we've seen dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes. They're supportive of Penny and the work she does and I feel like they really look at each dog as an individual. They understand the bond between the humans and animals, and the good work that these dogs do in the various volunteer situations! I'm glad that they have a wide variety of partnerships for volunteer opportunities so the dogs can reach a variety of people - and as they always say, this is the humans volunteer time as well as the dogs so we should do visits we both want to do! Thanks for supporting my Good Dog in the work she does, which makes her a better and happier dog and for supporting so many humans in our community that need a visit from a waggly tail! read more

From the moment I was inspired to become a certified therapy dog team, The Good Dog Foundation made the process seamless and fun! The 5 week course was an excellent value and provided a helpful refresher course in dog training commands. I have also volunteered on the GDF's Gala committee to help sell tickets for their annual fundraiser, which was so much fun and my dog got a free ticket! All of the employees of this organization are kind and welcoming! I highly recommend the GDF if you want to volunteer with your dog! read more

excellent company geared towards giving back to the community! after taking up the training courses, my furry friend (jade) and i took on the city ! putting smiles on faces as a therapy dog:) staff very friendly highly recommend ! the mission statement of this company allowed me and my dog to help the community in more ways than i could imagine and something i've always desired (giving back to the community by doing something simple and heart warming ) thank you Good dog and staff for consistency , friendliness , and for welcoming me and jade into your community! read more

I agree with the other reviewers - the 6 classes to be certified were helpful and worthwhile, but getting placed is another story.. Most volunteer opportunities are during the day so difficult for those that work 9-5 jobs, and the majority of emails sent to the coordinator to be placed go unanswered. Perhaps they are understaffed like many nonprofits but it is inexcusable considering people pay hundreds of dollars to participate on a regular basis. Since October I've gone on one visit, which was wonderful and led by a terrific trainer, so hopefully they get their administrative operations figured out. Bottom line: I wish I'd looked into other dog therapy programs. read more

I've been volunteering with Good Dog for a year and I love it! I did not have any of the issues with placement that other reviewers did; either there was a large staff turnover or they did something else to make improvements. The certification process was easy (much easier than some other agencies I looked into) and I was able to find a placement pretty quickly. Most placements are during the standard workday (M-F 9-5) but it was not difficult to find a weekend placement. If you have a sweet doggie and want to find a flexible volunteer opportunity, look into certifying with Good Dog! read more

Just re-certified for year 2 with Good Dog! My husband and I have loved our first year. We are able to do our visits at our local long-term care facility which makes it very convenient for our crazy schedules. The training was fun and covered everything we needed. They really prepared us for our visits. The staff has been so helpful and very responsive to any questions we've had along the way. We can't thank them enough for helping us and our pup prepare for the great experience of dog therapy. read more

My dog and I have been volunteering through the Good Dog Foundation for the past two years and I highly recommend them. They have relationships with many different types of facilities so you can find a visit that meets your interest and availability. My regular visits include hospice and a Veterans hospital. I have participated in ad hoc visits to universities and disaster response. The GDF prepared me well. The visits are what you make of them. read more

My dog and I volunteer with the Good Dog Foundation and had an excellent experience during training and have continued to find our trainer and the rest of the staff to be very responsive and supportive. I also appreciate the range of volunteer opportunities they offer and what appears to be a good partnership with the site my dog and I visit. I have seen through our work how animals can be a source of joy, comfort and companionship and am thankful to the Good Dog Foundation for helping to bring that to more people's lives and situations! read more

GDF was the perfect organization to help me spend more time with Penny and give back to the community. The 6 classes were more about me than they were about Penny - how to act, what to ask, things to be aware of. We were able to find a spot in the GDF network that's a 5 minute walk from home and we love popping in on our night walks to see Patients and Staff. I highly recommend Good Dog Foundation if you love your dog and your dog loves people! read more

The training classes were great and both I, and my pup, looked forward to them every week. We also met some lovely people in the class. Renee (the trainer) was immediately available to accompany us on our first visit and it was helpful having her there. We've visited the Good Dog office and everyone was terrific. I'm happy to be a part of the Good Dog team. We are now doing monthly visits at a facility and have also had our first interview at a medical center. The hospital has provided us with paperwork to fill out and Good Dog are helping us. It's a lot of paperwork to visit hospitals, but understandable as they have to check both the dog and the handler's health and medical background. I'm also looking forward to group events where several dogs are sent out to help humans in crises. We are waiting to sign up! Overall it's been a rewarding experience for myself and my pup. We've only just started and I'm sure it will get even better! Thank you Good Dog and Renee. We're happy to be on the Good Dog Team. read more

I signed my dog up for this organization because I thought he'd be a great fit for cheering people up. Good Dog were very happy to take my $300 for the six week training program and insurance - and it was a fun class, no doubt - but way less helpful when it came to actually placing my dog in a facility where he was wanted (in the first retirement home we went to, next to no one wanted a visit from him; in the second, we were told that the residents were afraid of dogs. Well then, why tell me to contact them and go there?) I'm hoping someone from this org will read this and respond, because at the moment (I've reached out again about finding a facility, and been blown off) I'm tempted to say it's a bit of a scam. read more

We love good dog! The classes were challenging but so rewarding. Our dog actually learned that she has to be able to sit in a room with other dogs and wait patiently to say hi to them. The class was fun and run very well. It was so easy to get placement after. We found a facility right near our house and Renee was free to do our first visit right away. We had a wonderful experience and highly suggest good dog if you want to train your pup to be a therapy dog. Amazing program!!!! read more

We've been with Good Dog for over a year now. A great team. We also got re-certified and all the trainers we worked with were effective and beyond kind to the animals. We wanted to do dog therapy but wanted to make sure our dog would be comfortable and not be confused when on visits. The training really helped ensure that. Since then we have had flexible options with all the places we've chosen to go. We were a bit slow kicking off but as much down to our own delays, but now work with various groups including seniors and at risk kids. Plus I really like when an emergency hits, the amazing team and volunteers at Good Dog jump into action to provide services. Within a day of Orlando, we were at an LGBT centre providing therapy. We've also made friends. Its been a great experience and we look forward to continuing to work with Good Dog. We know it makes a difference and we get something out of it ourselves. I thought our dog would be tired of 'giving' but he loves it and gets excited when he knows we're visiting again. There's a lot of hard work goes into trying to keep on top of everything and a lot of volunteers working to make it happen, and we really appreciate that. read more

We have really enjoyed being therapy pet volunteers through The Good Dog Foundation. The training program is an easy commitment that is both informative and helpful during visits. Our visits make people very happy and our dog is excited to get lots of love and attention from the residents we visit. Our location is very convenient to the volunteer location and when we tell our dog it is time fir a visit, she can lead us to their door! I have to say it has also been a very nice experience to share with my 13 year old daughter, who gets to see the direct benefits of volunteer work. read more

Certify with Pet Partners instead (formerly Delta). Good Dog is very politically oriented and this should be an organization that is only interested in serving the public that needs us. My dog and I volunteered with Good Dog for many years. My dog, Chia, became afflicted with a vertebral condition that affected her limbs and she could no longer walk as quickly or well on smooth hospital floors. Her cheerful personality was intact and I carried her into the hospital and room to room where she got in bed with the children bringing much joy to them and their families. When time came for her next re-registration, we were denied with the excuse, your dog needs to be able to walk into the hospital. Not sure where that's written in the by-laws. When Pet Partners learned of this injustice, they welcomed us with open arms in a heartbeat; Chia passed all of the tests with flying colors and continued to bring joy. It was Good Dog's political and petty decision not to renew Chia's certification. Very ugly decision that they tried to keep her away from the patients, their families and the hospital staff that adored her for so many years. We beat them. You should too. read more

Today I received a sad insight into the long reach of prejudice. I have a black dog. He is a rescue who is very well trained by an incredibly reputable trainer who has commented that both his temperament and intelligence make him a "once in a lifetime dog." My dog is loving and affectionate -welcoming to people and all animals alike. I went with him to an evaluation at Good Dog Foundation today and could tell right away that the evaluator was looking for a reason to find fault with my dog. My dog was asked to perform approximately 10 different tasks - some of which had been mentioned in a cursory way in the email setting up the appointment, but the expectation at the evaluation differed just enough that i was very unclear as to what exactly they were expecting. My first clue: why not just be clear?? As mentioned, he performed admirably: clanking pans thrown on the floor, a person using a walker, then wearing a mask, a stranger hugging him - he was pristine. Sit, stay, down heel - textbook. When another dog invaded our evaluation space, I expected the evaluator to ask them to leave as I had been asked to leave when I arrived a few minutes early, she did not show us the same courtesy and of course my dog was interested in the other dog - BRIEFLY! At the end she said he's a nice dog but you need to go to therapy 1 classes. I was confused; he sits, stays, goes down, can be hugged, takes thing gently with his mouth, knows "leave-it" and heels on command and nothing rattled him. That's what they teach in that class! When I inquired she said, "He's interested in other dogs and smelled the thing on the floor during the "leave-it" test." ARE YOU KIDDING ME! But here's the kicker; another dog - a yellow lab tested today as well - was told that he was too well trained for Therapy 1 but needed to settle down around other dogs before entering Therapy 2. So the difference here is that my dog is black. I find this disgusting. I've heard tell of a "black dog" syndrome but to see it firsthand especially when we are attempting to volunteer our time to help others is absolutely shameful. read more

I agree with many of the other reviewers. I had a great experience at the training classes despite the high cost to attend them. In March I contacted Good Dogs' Placement coordinator with a placement I thought suitable for both my dog and myself considering both his personality and my background. Despite many phone calls, emails, etc. over two months with assurances that contact with the placement was made, hold open certain days, etc. start dates, then postponements, to the latest that I thought I had a confirmed time and place for our first visit only to find out that the facility had no idea of who I was or why I was there. I still haven't been successful getting a placement confirmed. They may be busy certififying teams after we pay for the classes, but placement procedures really need to be worked on. Maybe they need more help. A friend got her dog certified from another nationally recognized pet therapy program 4 weeks ago. She and her dog have already made visits and are booked through July at their facility. Time to take my "good dog" elsewhere. read more