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Good Dawg Training LLC is a dog training business in Santa Rosa, California offering private lessons and group classes, working from a dedicated training facility. They describe their approach as reward-based training, take aggression cases by assessment, and publish pricing from $200 per session to $750 per course.
Santa Rosa, CA • Training facility • 5.0 ★ (63 Google reviews)
Last reviewed: Sep 5, 2026
82 / 100
Highly transparent
How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.
Based on what the business publishes about itself
Colette Edwards brings an unusual background to dog training: nearly three decades working with marine mammals, including fur seals, dolphins, and sea lions at facilities in South Africa, where she trained both animals and other trainers. After immigrating to the U.S. in 2022, she founded Good Dawg Training, applying the same positive reinforcement principles she used with marine mammals to dogs. Her credentials include certification through the Karen Pryor Academy and a degree in dog and cat ethology from Pretoria Technikon.
According to their website, the training philosophy centers on understanding why a dog behaves a certain way rather than just addressing the visible problem. Edwards describes her approach as "one-size-fits-none," emphasizing individualized plans built around each dog's needs. The Santa Rosa facility offers private lessons, group classes, and consultations covering everything from puppy socialization to reactivity, separation anxiety, and resource guarding. They also provide scent work training and foundation skills for dogs whose owners are considering therapy dog certification.
A client testimonial on the site claims Good Dawg is one of only three trainers trusted by UC Davis's behavioral science department in the North Bay Area. The business offers free initial behavior assessments and runs enrichment workshops teaching owners how unmet needs can drive unwanted behaviors.
Private lessons form the core of Good Dawg Training LLC's offerings, with eight-session packages for puppies ($600), adult dogs ($700), and two-dog households ($750). A six-session therapy dog track builds on foundation skills, and drop-in socialization for puppies 8 to 18 weeks runs $20 per session. A free assessment is required before private training begins.
$200 per session
A stand-alone one-hour session (or two half-hour sessions) for dogs that have already completed the required free assessment.
One hour of one-on-one training, deliverable as a single hour or split into two half-hour visits.
Best for: Dogs who have completed the free assessment and need a single training session.
Requirements: A free assessment is required.
Duration: 1 session
Focus: Basic obedience
Price not published.
Six half-hour sessions teaching eleven foundational skills that prepare a dog for future therapy dog work.
The dog and owner attend six half-hour private sessions building foundation skills.
Best for: Dogs being prepared for therapy dog work who need foundational skills first.
Requirements: Foundation skills needed before progressing to therapy dog work.
Duration: 6 sessions
Focus: Therapy dog training, Basic obedience
$600 per course
Weekly half-hour private sessions covering confidence building, socialization, potty training, biting prevention, cooperative care, recall, leash walking, and marker training, tailored to the individual puppy's pace.
Owners attend weekly 30-minute private sessions with their puppy at the facility, plus four included Puppy Yappy Hour play sessions.
Best for: Puppies under 18 weeks old, including shy, excitable, or rescue puppies, or those in busy households.
Requirements: Designed for puppies under 18 weeks (4.5 months) of age at the start of class.
Duration: 8 sessions
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Basic obedience
$700 per course
A package of eight half-hour private sessions addressing behavior issues such as reactivity, pulling on leash, jumping, and separation anxiety, based on the dog's individual assessment.
The trainer works one-on-one with the owner and dog across eight short sessions, building a personalized plan and homework between visits.
Best for: Dogs over 5 months old with behavior or obedience challenges.
Requirements: For any dog over 5 months
Duration: 8 sessions
Focus: Basic obedience, Leash reactivity, Leash training, Fear & anxiety
$750 per course
A private training package designed for two dogs from the same household, each requiring a separate handler across eight half-hour sessions.
Both dogs and their handlers attend eight half-hour sessions together at the facility.
Best for: Households with two dogs needing simultaneous training, each with its own handler present.
Requirements: For 2 dogs in the same home. Each dog needs its own handler.
Duration: 8 sessions
Focus: Basic obedience
Price not published.
A 2-hour interactive human-only workshop covering the six categories of enrichment, how unmet needs contribute to unwanted behaviors, and practical ways to enrich a dog's life.
Owners attend a 2-hour in-person workshop without their dogs present.
Best for: Dog owners wanting to understand enrichment needs; limited to 20 adult attendees.
Requirements: Humans only - no kids under 12.
Duration: 2 days
Focus: Basic obedience
$20 per session
A supervised group play session for young puppies to build socialization skills and independence in a safe, positive setting, with separate sessions for small and larger breeds.
Puppy parents attend with their puppy for a 45-minute supervised play session split by breed size.
Best for: Puppies aged 8 to 18 weeks, with preference given to shy or scared puppies needing extra support.
Requirements: Puppy Age Range - 8 weeks - 18 weeks (4.5 months); older fearful adolescent dogs allowed case-by-case with a free assessment.
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Fear & anxiety
Single private sessions cost $200, while eight-session courses range from $600 for puppies to $750 for two dogs in the same home. The $20 Puppy Yappy Hour is the lowest entry point. Pricing for the enrichment workshop and therapy dog program isn't listed.
| Program | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Hour Private Training | $200 per session | 1 session |
| Social Therapy Dog Training | Not published | 6 sessions |
| Private Puppy Training | $600 per course | 8 sessions |
| Private Training | $700 per course | 8 sessions |
| 2 Dog Deal | $750 per course | 8 sessions |
| Program | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Enrichment Workshop | Not published | 2 days |
| Puppy Yappy Hour | $20 per session | Not stated |
They explicitly describe their approach as force-free. Aggression and reactivity cases are considered individually, with a free assessment determining fit.
Public materials reviewed by Barklen do not specify which training tools are used.
As described in the business's own materials
According to their site, worked with marine mammals and other animals (fur seals, dolphins, sea lions, penguins, etc.) since 1994, including roles as an assistant curator training animals and other trainers. Transitioned to dog training after immigrating to the U.S. in 2022.
Credentials listed on their site: Karen Pryor Academy - Comprehensive Dog Trainer, Karen Pryor Academy - Puppy Start Right for Instructors, Karen Pryor Academy - Cooperative Care, Karen Pryor Academy - Dog Sports, Karen Pryor Academy (Ken Ramirez) - Snake Avoidance Training, Sally Gutteridge - Area Search for Dog Trainers, Member of APDT International (Association for Professional Dog Training International), Dog and Cat Ethology cum laude, Ethology Academy, Pretoria Technikon, South Africa, 7-year in-house marine mammal behavior & training certification, South African Association for Marine Biological Research, 9 years as assistant curator of Mammal & Bird Department, training trainers and animals, setting exams, Co-author of papers/posters on marine mammal training; presented at three IMATA conferences, Coordinator for Shape of Enrichment African workshop, and Enrichment Project Coordinator & Trainer, Natal Zoo. Barklen has not independently verified these.
Good Dawg Training LLC operates from a dedicated training facility in Santa Rosa, CA, offering private lessons and group classes.
Their site says they serve dog owners and their puppies or adult dogs throughout Sonoma County, including families dealing with reactivity, rescue adjustment, separation anxiety, resource guarding, and new puppies.
Operates as the Good Dawg Training & Enrichment Center in Santa Rosa, California, serving clients throughout Sonoma County.
Suite 12 at 2700 Yulupa Ave puts the facility in a commercial area of Santa Rosa. Parking and accessibility details don't appear on the site.
Barklen analysis
Barklen analysis based on 5 published Santa Rosa listings (18 with published pricing). These comparisons are computed by Barklen, not claims made by Good Dawg Training LLC.
Price: entry price below the published Santa Rosa range for group classes ($20 vs. $125–$207).
Reviews: 5.0★ from 63 Google reviews, among 5 published Santa Rosa programs.
Transparency: 82 out of 100 (highly transparent), with 71% price transparency and 80% program clarity. 1 of 5 Santa Rosa listings show certifications; this business lists APDT.
| Program type | Good Dawg Training LLC | Santa Rosa range | Barklen read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Classes | $20 | $125–$207 across 8 Santa Rosa programs | Entry price below the published Santa Rosa range |
Generated from what their public materials leave open
2700 Yulupa Ave Ste 12, Santa Rosa, CA
Barklen reviewed Good Dawg Training LLC against the business's public materials and published this listing. That is not a check of licenses, insurance, or certifications. See our methodology for what a verified listing does and does not mean.
Details the public materials do not address (owner visits during programs, progress updates, overnight staffing, insurance, guarantee, dogs per trainer, and others) are turned into the questions above rather than filled in.
Last reviewed by Barklen: Sep 5, 2026
Contact Good Dawg Training LLC directly by phone or through their website, or request a quote through Barklen and we will pass it along.
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