The Good Dog Training and Rehabilitation

I CANNOT say enough wonderful things about Brittany and The Good Dog. We are still in the midst of private training sessions but the changes in our little guy’s demeanor are astounding. In a matter of a few weeks, he’s so much better behaved!
From the get go, I found the trainers at The Good Dog (namely, Brittany) to be responsive, caring, and extremely knowledgable. Before turning to TGD, I had an extremely negative experience with another training place. Brittany took the time to talk with me at-​length before signing me up for anything. She helped pick the right training package and made sure we understood everything along the way.
So far, the experience has been immensely helpful and all of our friends who know our dog Charlie agree that the changes so far have been tremendous.
Do your dog (and yourself) a favor and take your dog here!

The Good Dog has literally changed our lives and kept our deaf, food aggressive pittie pup in our home. Their communication, professionalism, and true empathy for our situation was unparalleled to any trainer we have worked with. We took a chance on sending our pup there, and it has paid off big! After working with Sean and the staff at TGD, we now even recognize things in our other dog we are working to change. We are able to use what we learned, along with the videos on the website, to make behavior modifications became immediately evident. We even got an ecollar for our other dog. The low level ecollar training is an unparalleled communication tool, and not one bit inhumane. Without it, our pup would likely have ended up euthanized.
Just like kids, dogs need rules and boundaries, and a way for us to clearly communicate with them. Whether you are hopeless (which we were), or just need a solid trainer for your dog, TGD will surely be able to help. And since Duke got back, he is so well behaved you would never know he was a monster just a month ago!

I want to write all the good words about Brittany at TGD. I have a female German Shepherd, Clementine, whose brain gets a little spooky-​scary when her anxiety peaks. I had been through four or five trainers before I had had it with paying so much money, and not getting any results for Clem. She was still a complete wreck when we would go out on walks, terrified of other dogs, even dogs across the street and down a ways. Her walks were the worst parts of my day and I would make them as short as possible.
Brittany really understood Clementine’s needs, and even though Clem still isn’t totally where she needs to be – it’s been about four months since our last training, and she’s still got her demons – Brittany has given my pup and I all the tools to get there eventually. Brittany offers advice and training in a way that never makes you feel like you’re really behind the ball, but also provides quiet revelations so that you understand your dog like she does. The e-​collar TGD uses to train each dog is a magnificent piece of simple tech that will change your life completely if you have a dog that has any behavioral issues. Not knocking it, but with these issues, like the ones Clem had/​has, treats and praise as training just doesn’t cut it.
Clementine is a changed dog! Not perfect, by any means, but we’re working on it – and Brittany at TGD got us all the way here!

The whole team at TGD is so incredibly good at what they do. Anyone who has had troubles with their dog understands how much it can take a toll on your everyday life. We brought our dog in for a 2 week board and train to work on leash reactivity and general anxiety/​whining issues. What we found out was that we had a much more nervous dog than we realized. Thanks to Sean and Brittany, we have come home with a much better understanding of our dog and also the tools to help him get better.
After looking for a trainer like this in San Diego for 2 years, we were happy to find Sean and make the drive up there. I will say this, it was worth every penny. We have had some challenges since we’ve been home, but Brittany was quick to hop on a call with me and go over the areas where we were struggling. They have provided us a lot of support through this whole process. I am so grateful for the whole team at TGD and I know Dante is too

I would not be surprised if Brittany actually had a PHD in dog walking (and another in dog owner training). In just two 1-​hour sessions, she taught us how to turn our rescued Whippet-​Doberman puppy from a distracted sled-​pulling machine in to a calm follower.
Full of information and advice, Brittany also answered other questions we had, and told us how to work with our pup on Come, Stay, Down, Place, biting habits, housebreaking, and training in general. She’s an expert with both prong and e-​collar training, and was able to debunk myths, and provide lots of advice. She was also accommodating to our schedule (and a reschedule), prompt, friendly, professional, and most importantly, effective.

I brought my dog, Raisin, to Sean and Laura a few months ago. Before they saw him, there is no way he’d ever come when I called him, he’d go crazy in his crate, he’d pull on the leash, and he’d go absolutely nuts around cats or horses or deer.
Sean and Laura changed him all for the better. Now he’s perfect on walks and can be off leash just about anywhere. His separation anxiety is much improved as well. It’s important to put in the work on your own after the training, but they did a great job getting Raisin to where he is now. I can’t believe how long I dealt with the constant worry that Raisin was going to take off and get hit by a car or get lost in the woods, etc.
I was very impressed with Sean and Laura. They are extremely professional, responsive and accommodating. The difference in my relationship with Raisin before and after is amazing, and my life with him is infinitely better than it was before.
Thanks Sean and Laura!

I cannot say enough good things about Sean O’Shea and Laura Morgan of The Good Dog Training team. I have a 4Yr old adopted GSD (Troy) who was soft and emotional but at the same time a neurotic wreck. He already had a bite history and we had already tried other training technique with other trainers with no progress. After Troy spent 3 weeks with Sean and Laura he became a more relaxed, balanced dog. Sean also taught me that I needed to change my relationship with Troy. Although Troy was a sensitive and sweet dog he needed stronger leadership from me to feel confident in himself.
Although the price can be high, its totally worth it especially if you have a reactive or aggressive dog. Seriously, run don’t walk to The Good Dog!

I’m writing a review just based on Sean’s online videos.
Excellent! The «before and afters» are incredible. Sean absolutely «gets» dogs, and he knows how to teach their humans to «get» them too. He has tons of informative videos for people with dogs and for current and aspiring trainers. His methods and preferred tools create constructive and positive communication between human and dog.
He’s calm, patient, and understanding with both dogs and humans (and I can tell all this from a few videos!). If I had a dog with any type of issue from minor to severe, I’d definitely bring him to The Good Dog.

I brought my dog, Pinto, to Sean, with severe leash reactivity issues and separation anxiety. After boarding for a week at his company, Pinto came back relaxed and non-​reactive on the leash.
Sean really took the time to hash out the issues and the reasons WHY Pinto was having them. Ultimately, a lot of it had to do with me and my need to spoil/​baby Pinto. My dog and I were both co-​dependent on each other.
Since returning from The Good Dog Training and Rehabilitation, I have had to establish boundaries and limitations. It was hard at first, but seeing the results has been well worth it.
Sean has worked with a variety of dogs/​behavioral issues (check out his videos on the website and youtube) and I was so happy that he was able to help Pinto get his mind right and lead me in the right direction of having a well balanced dog.
Special thanks to Laura, who is Sean’s right hand. She was very responsive to any emails, questions, etc. and very helpful during our training session.
I would highly recommend this company for anyone that is considering hiring a trainer because their dog is having issues. They offer a variety of programs and services.

I can’t say enough positive things about Sean and Laura at The Good Dog, they truly are the best at what they do. Sean understands how to get inside your dog’s mind and sort it out, bringing out the best and teaching them how to shed the worst. It really is a therapy session for your dog as well as yourself!

We have a year and a half old Goldendoodle, and taking him to The Good Dog is the best thing we have ever done for our little Topher.
The difference in Topher’s behavior and state of mind is palpable. Overall, Topher was a great dog… he was sweet, friendly, playful, loved people, gentle with kids, great with most dogs, and really smart. But he had some issues. Topher would pull on the leash, jump on the table for food, occasionally bite hands (playfully) while playing, he would chase bikes and skateboards, would get stubborn at times and only follow commands if a treat was involved, and he was anxious and clingy. After just 1 session with Sean, we saw most of these issues vanish, and by the second session a week later, Topher had pretty much tackled every one of his issues.
Now, in addition to being the smart, friendly, lovable guy he always was, Topher does the following… he remains calmly by our side on walks, obediently sits and lays down when we tell him to (and doesn’t move until we release him), goes to his «place» when we command him (and he doesn’t get up off his mat until we release him), doesn’t jump on people or bite hands, and he can calmly sit at the edge of a bike path watching bikes and skateboards zoom by, completely unphased. Now, we even run Topher on the bike path, and he has lost all interest in bikes and skateboards. But the best change is his state of mind. Topher is visibly more relaxed, comfortable and at ease in the world. He doesn’t seem to mind if we get up and walk away, he doesn’t race to the door at the sound of the door bell, and he’s just much more at peace.
We’re thrilled with the changes that Sean helped evoke in Topher, but we’re equally appreciative of the care he took in explaining the theory behind his approach. Sean equipped us with an understanding of how these changes lead to other, bigger changes in Topher’s state of mind, which helps us reinforce the learnings by always keeping the bigger picture in mind. Instead of telling us what to do, Sean explained why we’re doing it, which creates less of a situation where we’re blindly following steps, and more of a dialogue between us and Topher. Sean hasn’t just helped Topher overcome some behavior and mental issues. He helped us to understand Topher, and empowered us to have a much closer relationship with our dog.

Sean was referred to me through my work at a vet hospital and I never thought I could be SO impressed. I finally called Sean about my 3yr old dachshund Robyn who, for over a year, was putting on the breaks EVERY time I tried to walk her. She also had issues while at work with me– aggression toward dogs coming in and out of the hospital and incessantly jumping from chair to counter. While some people thought she was a cute greeter, my coworkers were tired of having charts walked on and I didn’t like her barking at boisterous dogs that came into reception. Sean did an initial 2 hour session with me which COMPLETELY transformed my dog on her walking. He pinpointed her issue as insecurity (rather than what I assumed was a Napoleon complex) and over the next few weeks, worked with me to conquer her insecurities and dependence as well as teach my husband and I how to shift our relationship with her. Sean had an ENDLESS amount of knowledge on our relationships with our dogs and how it affects the dynamic. He taught us how to be more authoritative and trustworthy to her without ANY kind of emotional or physical abuse, the fear of which often deters a lot of people from hiring a trainer. He was patient and incredibly observant about things I never would have picked up on. Now, Robyn is a STAR on her long walks! She is no longer jumping on chairs or barking at dogs that she hears come into the hospital. She stays in her «place» calmly and all my coworkers are stunned by her swift transformation! She isn’t perfect but the training continues to be a rewarding process and Sean gave us the tools to continue. I would recommend him to ANYONE because he knows that doing everything you can to make your dog feel secure and calm through behavior-​modification is the highest form of love we can give. He is such an awesome person with a truly synergistic approach to dog training. I could slap myself for not calling him sooner. THANK YOU SEAN! –Michelle D

Our dog, Woody – a 20lb Border Terrier, was a lost cause. By age 6, his dog aggression had reached dangerous levels. Not only was he vicious toward other dogs but, if thwarted, would attack anything nearby including me, the dog walker, and a few other people. One of my greatest fears was that he would bite a child – mine or someone else’s. In addition to his dog issues, he was rapidly becoming unmanageable inside the house, as well. He was constantly jumping on people, scaring kids with his over-​excited behavior, stealing food off the table, darting out the front door… he was completely unmanageable and had to be locked in a room whenever we had guests over.
Over the years, we’d tried many times to solve Woody’s problems. We’d spent more than ten thousand dollars and tried numerous reputable dog trainers who used reward-​based training – clickers, treats, distraction, spray bottles, penny cans, you name it– with absolutely zero results. After all that time and money, he could do a perfect SIT but he’d snarl and practically froth at the mouth when he saw any dogs – even on tv!
The last trainer we hired, after 6 weeks board and train, actually told us Woody had a «wire loose» in his head and was «unfixable.» We had resigned ourselves to constant vigilance and the thought that Woody would probably live a short life – either he’d attack the wrong dog or bite a child and have to be put down. It was an extremely stressful situation.
Then someone online mentioned Sean O’Shea and The Good Dog and how great Sean was at dealing with aggressive dogs. We visited The Good Dog website and emailed Sean and told him our story. After a bunch of emails and a long phone conversation, he convinced us he could help. Still somewhat skeptical, we agreed and Woody went to Sean for 3 weeks of board and training.
As the days went by, we watched videos of Woody’s progress with growing hope and amazement. Woody took walks with other dogs! He sat, relaxing, next to other dogs and there wasn’t a single growl or bark or attack or anything!
When Woody came home after his training was finished, he was like a different dog. He was calmer and didn’t jump on anyone. He didn’t dart out the front door. He was more responsive and better behaved. Even our friends who said it wouldn’t work were completely amazed. It’s like night and day. We still have to keep the training going and it takes a bit of work but compared to what we dealt with before, this is SO much less stressful and has such a positive result that it’s worth every effort.
This training has made our lives, and Woody’s, so much better. Taking a chance on Sean is one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Our only regret is that we didn’t find Sean years ago. He is amazing. After Woody, we truly believe he can help any dog with any issue. We cannot recommend him highly enough.

I am so thankful to have found Sean O’Shea and The Good Dog. He has done incredible work for me with some VERY dog – aggressive dogs of all kinds, from chihuahuas to Pitbulls. To see all the dogs walking together, on either side of him, and with each other, left me with NO DOUBT as to his competence and talent in working with and modifying negative behavior (s). He KNOWS his craft very well and is so thorough with his explanations that he inevitably does what is the most important part of training dog behavior: Training the human. The dogs are great at learning. It is the egocentric, all-​knowing human who is usually the one that takes the most work.
So THANK YOU Sean & The Good Dog for not only giving us and the dogs the tools we needed to get along, but also for helping so many dogs who very well may have ended up on the streets or worse.
We ALL thank you. You keep dogs in homes rather than given up by frustrated owners.

After working and consulting with several different trainers for issues with our foster dog, we finally found Sean and Laura at the good dog. My only regret was that we didn’t find them sooner!
A lot of trainers have good methods and information, but are hard to work with on a personal basis. Sean has the rare ability to be amazing with both the dogs and the people, because he has a really good understanding of both. He was more than happy to explain things to me until I really understood what he was saying without ever getting frustrated, even if it took a while. And our foster dog was a really tough case — but Sean never gave up on finding different ways to make things work with him.
And after contacting many different trainers, I can honestly say Sean was the most professional, always with a quick and thorough response to any call or email.
I am always handing out Sean’s number to friends with dog issues — I really cannot recommend The Good Dog highly enough!

The negative review posted by «JC N.» is completely appalling to me. I have never posted a review or comment on Unilocal up until now but feel compelled to share my own POSITIVE experience that I had using Sean’s services.
I adopted my dog Buddy in April and within 5 days of being brought home, he turned from being a sweet angel into a barking, howling monster. The first two days at home with me, Buddy was absolutely well behaved in my home and on his walks. On day three something changed and Buddy began displaying extreme leash aggression and frustration on his walks. He began pulling on the leash and lunging, barking, whining and howling at every other dog he saw.
It was so severe that neighbors would come out of their homes at 6:30am during our morning walk to see what the commotion was all about. This complete turn in Buddy’s behavior was confusing, upsetting and stressful for me. The situation got even worse when my boyfriend came back from out of town. When he came to my place and met Buddy for the first time, the dog barked at him uncontrollably and endlessly, the entire night, keeping us awake all night but also keeping my neighbors awake as well.
I contacted several people, businesses and organizations looking for help before finding Sean. One of the large, «brand name», chain pet supply stores that offered obedience classes said I could try to take one of their classes but if Buddy became too disruptive we would be asked to leave. I also called a pet boarding/​training facility that is well known in the San Fernando Valley with a heavy celebrity clientele list and they advised they could help but it would cost me in excess of $ 2,000! The rescue organization where I got Buddy from didn’t return my call for a week and when they did they offered little advice except giving me the option of returning the dog. I did not want to give up on this little dog, he had been found on the streets and my guess is had been through enough already, I wanted to give Buddy the home and love that he deserved.
I felt like I was getting nowhere in terms of helping Buddy when I happened across Sean’s company vehicle driving by and jotted down the email address. Sean called me within ten minutes of receiving my email and we spoke on the phone for at least half an hour and set up an appointment for later that week. Within 45 minutes of our very first appointment, Sean had Buddy walking on the leash with ABSOLUTELY NO AGGRESSION problems. Buddy was happily enjoying his walk outside, and was not lunging, barking, howling or screaming at any other dogs, not even the dogs he usually targeted. My boyfriend and I were completely amazed. We were witnessing a complete change in Buddy’s behavior with our very own eyes in less than an hour. Sean, Buddy and I continued our training sessions for several weeks after that. He worked with me on how to establish myself as the «pack leader» and queued me in on what factors were setting Buddy off. In the following weeks, Buddy was able to approach other dogs that he would normally lunge, bark, growl and howl at, and Buddy even went on pack walks with other dogs and displayed no behavioral issues. He is now such a happy, relaxed dog (and his pet parent is just as happy and relaxed as well!)
Sean is well recognized and well regarded in my neighborhood and my community. People know him well as we always see him on his pack walks. During our training sessions people would stop Sean on the streets and ask him for his business card. My neighbors would also stop me on the street to comment on how Buddy’s behavior has improved so drastically thanks to Sean’s help. My own veterinarian knows Sean well and commends him for the work he does.
Take it from me to do not put stock in the negative review below. The photos posted with such negative comments are completely taken out of context. Picutres of some scratches and cuts show to me that Sean is not afraid to work with EXTREME cases, with dogs that have such severe behavioral issues that they are on the brink of being put down. He has a compassion and dedication to giving these abused, traumatized animals a second chance and he is saving lives. Photos of dogs participating in pack walks or walking on a treadmill are not indications of neglect or mis-​treatment. Cesar Milan, probably the most famous of dog behavior specialists, uses the same techniques on his (very popular) television program «Dog Whisperer». These are also training methods used by a number of training facilities (including the ones I called in my search for help for Buddy).
I have nothing but accolades for Sean’s professionalism, caring nature, patience and true love, passion and dedication to the work he does.

Unfortunately I am in Pennsylvania and don’t have the opportunity to have Sean work directly with my dogs, BUT… I saw his web page and a case he had with a scared dog named Ruby. I myself have a very, very scared dog, it’s my girlfriends that she brought with her when she moved in with me. I was running out of options and patience with the dog and how he acted so I emailed Sean after seeing his video and the changes he did with Ruby. Sean gave me his number and asked me to give him a call to discuss the situation and gave me some great pointers to start getting him off on the right foot. My girlfriend and I called him and he talked on the phone with us for about 45 mins, he was very professional and you could hear the genuine concern in his voice. He just to helped someone he never met, nor probably will ever meet, what more can you say about a person. On top of that he has been very diligent answering any follow up questions I’ve had and has been a real inspriation for taking on and making our dog into a normal non scared boy.
Sean is a great guy, easy to talk to and an obvious true love for our furry friends. The animal rescue world could use more Sean O’Shea’s.

After 1 year of puppy school, obedience 1 and obedience 2 classes I had a «treat trained» and poorly trained, overly enthusiastic dog with a some bad habits and one dangerous one. He was severely cat aggressive with my cats, especially if I was holding one of them.
I hired Carolyn M., who has also left a review for Sean above, to help me with the cat aggression and we worked together for some time. Eventually when progress wasn’t being made, she called Sean in to help.
His calm, patient demeanor and expertise got some pretty amazing results in a short time. His insights into «dog think» gave me the tools to work with my dog and get him to do what I wanted him to do and no longer attack the cats or me. All the time being compassionate with my little guy and understanding of my ability, or lack thereof, to get up to speed on the training.
Because of Sean I now understand my dog much better and his stubborn streak, and how to make him listen to me and do what I ask. I now have a really good dog and my own training to deal with the minor «stuff» that still needs work.
Along with his fabulous abilities working with dogs’ issues, he was professional, punctual, respectful and a joy to have in my house. I would never have any compunction handing him my much loved dog to train, board, walk or anything else. He treats dogs and their people with respect., understanding and kindness.

In my pastime of dog rescue, I seem to have developed a weakness for nervous dogs. My foster, Minnie, was one of the most difficult dogs I’ve ever placed. She was extremely fearful/​dog aggressive. Minnie was an intelligent, beautiful dog who was very happy in the tiny world of my back yard. (She got tons of personal time, and we played elaborate, extended games of fetch.) I had stopped walking her at all for fear she might attack another dog. Clearly, this was not a recipe for getting her adopted. Sean gave me the skills to begin to socialize Minnie. With Sean, Minnie turned a corner. Many people — including other trainers — advised me to put her down. Shortly after Minnie’s work with Sean, she found her very own loving home. I’m still in close touch with her. Her neuroses are calmed, and all is well in her world.
Sean has helped me with other rescues and continues to talk me through my own dog neuroses in a funny, bright, professional way. He’s a joy to work with. As is his sidekick, Laura. Sometimes I pretend not to know what I’m doing just to have them around! :)
Sean, Laura, and The Good Dog make such a wonderful contribution to the canine culture of L.A. In my book, we’re lucky dogs to have them!

My friend recommended Sean for my very stubborn bull terrier. Since she was eight years old, I just figured I would never be able to break her of several behavioral issues, including aggression with other dogs and sometimes people.
I was nervous and skeptical. Sean amazed me at what he was able to accomplish in just one visit! I only needed six visits to correct her! Why the heck did I wait so long? Sean is a natural with dogs, every bit the ‘dog whisperer’. I am so grateful.
I recommended him to other friends, who also LOVE him, and they have also recommended hi to others. I have only wonderful things to say about this guy. If your dog has issues… HE IS the dude to call. He’s professional, sweet and polite, just a pleasure to work with. THANK YOU SEAN O’SHEA!
(Do NOT listen to the ridiculous review from JC N sounds WAY too personal. Must be jealousy)