BusinessPaws Spotlight: Good Dog, DYNO

Good Dog, DYNO is a relationship-based dog training business that was founded in early 2023. Good Dog, DYNO specializes in offering Denver’s most affordable dog training with evidence-based interventions, like positive reinforcement (R+) and customized curriculums designed by certified trainers. Their team consists of three business partners, Jonna Cammack, Lydia Rakov, and Savannah James, supported by three junior dog trainers. Good Dog, DYNO provides free Puppy Socialization classes through their program called Wiggle Waggers, which has serviced over 600 puppies to create safe and controlled spaces to learn social skills and foster canine confidence. They also provide Citizen Canine courses to pass obedience tests, Barks & Rec for learn-through-play programs, and Workshops for controlling overarousal. Good Dog, DYNO decided to open their doors after learning many clients could not afford R+ training and balanced training was not a solution for their animals’ reactivity. Good Dog, DYNO works with many clients with court ordered dogs whose canine aggression increased with aversive training. 

Jonna Cammack, founding partner of Good Dog, DYNO and Animal Behaviour College certified dog trainer (ABC-DT), shares their experience with the lack of puppy socialization during the 2021 pandemic. After Good Dog, DYNO founding, they received many requests for younger aggressive dog training and decided to make their Wiggle Waggers class free to incentivize structured play during a crucial window in canine social development. This class is now offered five times a week and is one of their most popular services. Several puppies, within an eight to twenty week window, begin with a shy demeanor who quickly become the center of attention within weeks.

While still a very new business, Jonna is thrilled to have reached their one-year mark while achieving profitability with a solid clientele base. With a community fostered around sharing knowledge and resources, they have a contract with the State of Colorado which helps support interns to become dog trainers and help them pass their Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) test. 

Business partner Lydia Rakov focuses on teaching the staff within Good Dog, DYNO to think about their client’s individual environment and how to train the trainer. They believe the training team possesses great public speaking skills and as a whole have a great attitude to help and learn from one another. Overall, Good Dog, DYNO’s leadership is relaxed and straightforward which allows their business to foster an open office environment where new ideas are met with open ears.

Jonna discussed how being a business owner is encouraging for leading a better career, but had significant initial challenges adopting a positive work-life balance between all three business partners. With a snowballing business, Jonna remembers a busy 90 hour work week with many phone calls, emails, and training sessions. Their business partner Savannah James has a heavy workload, but as a new business owner it requires lots of effort to figure out best practices and solutions to canine care for their clients. Jonna recalls a time where a canine respiratory illness created a setback within their business and they were able to overcome the challenge by contracting vaccination clinics, providing extra facility cleaning, and purchasing doggy personal protective equipment. During this setback, Jonna and their partners learned a lot, particularly that being prepared and flexible is key when life is unpredictable.

At Good Dog, DYNO, they’ve witnessed a transformation in several of their clients socialization behaviours. Take Aspen, a German Shepherd who joined them before her first birthday. German Shepherds are known for their protective instincts, which can sometimes lead to social challenges. Aspen began exhibiting signs of reactivity, but with focused and intensive training she made a remarkable turnaround. Her behaviour modification training has made a significant impact on their family’s relationship with Aspen, paving the way for future long-term owner enjoyment.

Another example of a dog whose development made a significant impact on the team at Good Dog, DYNO was Dutchess, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Dutchess by 20 weeks had developed significant reactivity towards larger dogs. Initially, she responded with barking, lunging, and growling out of fear. However, through Good Dog, DYNO’s learning-through-play socialization program Dutchess overcame her fears, but also became a social leader becoming known as the “Mayor” of her class. These stories hold profound impact for both the dogs and families supported by Good Dog, DYNO, fostering stronger and more positive relationships.

Jonna sees the future of positive reinforcement training gaining more traction within the dog training community. Good Dog, DYNO is taking steps to educate people on evidence-based interventions and promote canine good citizen techniques. Their team is staying ahead of changes by keeping up to date with animal science and ensuring they continue to stay educated and evolve within the industry.  Jonna is excited to build “Train the Trainer” manuals to standardize training across their organization, enabling tangible work to make her team and community better trainers. As an entrepreneur, Jonna gives advice to future pet-entrepreneurs to be ethical, transparent, and prepared. When working in the pet care industry, Jonna focuses on following behaviour science principles, instead of trends.

You can learn more about the programs and principles of Good Dog, DYNO by navigating to their website, Facebook, or Instagram pages.

‍Good Dog, DYNO is a valued client of BusyPaws, making use of our booking, CRM, communications, and payments systems. We’re pleased to share a small part of their story with the pet care community.

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