Training for people curious about the dogs they live with.
At Good K9 Institute we help dog owners understand their dogs — not just control them — through training, enrichment, and scent work.
Who This Is For
Good K9 Institute is for people who want to truly understand their dogs.
Dogs are complex animals with instincts, drives, and emotional lives that shape how they move through the world. When we learn to work with those instincts instead of against them, training becomes clearer, richer, and far more effective.
If you’re curious about the animal beside you and willing to do the work to build a stronger partnership, you’re in the right place.
What We Focus On
Training
Helping dogs and owners build clear communication and practical skills for everyday life.
Enrichment
Meeting the dog’s natural needs through purposeful activities that challenge the mind and body.
Scent Work
Harnessing the incredible power of the canine nose through ManTrailing and detection training.
Featured Programs
Mantrailing
Follow human scent trails through real environments and learn how your dog naturally tracks the world.
Board & Train
An immersive training program that jumpstarts progress & supports owners in continuing the work at home.
Private Coaching
Work one-on-one to address behavior challenges and build practical skills.
Detection
Teach your dog to locate specific target odors through focused scent work.
Meet Amanda
Good K9 Institute was founded by Amanda Good, a trainer focused on helping people better understand the animals they share their lives with.
Amanda’s background in healthcare and behavior informs a thoughtful approach to training — one that prioritizes observation, curiosity, and partnership.
Reviews
“Mandy at Goodk9 has been a game changer! We were able to bring a new dog home because she gave us the confidence and the skills to properly introduce our existing leash reactive dog to other dogs, something we’d been very nervous about. When our new dog started to develop crate anxiety shortly after we got him we immediately reached back out to Mandy for help. After our first session with Mandy we saw such an improvement in our dogs relationship with his crate that we’ve been able to continue to grow over the sessions we did with her and the work she had us doing in between. She’s wonderful to work with and brings out the best in our dogs! You can tell how much they enjoy working with her. We’re so grateful for Mandy’s help and would highly recommend her for all your dog training needs!”
— Megan & Andrew K. (January 2025 on Facebook)
“Mandy is a great trainer and has been a life saver for us! Probably the best review we can give is the fact that people are always asking how we trained our dog so well (and then for our trainer’s number.)
We worked with Mandy regularly in the beginning and then spaced out our sessions for reminders and fine tuning, so that flexibility has been great as well.
We were nervous about getting a younger dog with our two young children. Previously, we had only had two elderly dogs and hadn’t done much training with them. She worked with us and our new dog, Collie (a redbone coonhound mix) who was ~8 months old when we rescued her. Mandy helped us get her set up in our home with our 3 and 5 year old children who had only ever lived with older dogs.
She helped us re-potty train her when she was new in our house, and set up healthy boundaries especially with knowing the difference between her toys and the kids toys. We learned how to walk her on a leash properly so she doesn’t pull, but walks in a nice heel. Collie also has two safe spots in our home where she can be placed when the kids are being crazy or if someone new is in the house; and she will happily rest there for as long as needed!
Mandy has done a great job engaging the kids and helping them be part of training as well (especially our older son). We even did some scent work with her that was fun to see how quickly she learned how to track down our son from his smell.
Collie can be very vocal when she doesn’t like something and Mandy has a lot of patience helping her work through her feelings when working on being able to clean her ears or trim her nails getting her better set up to be comfortable at the vet as well.”
— Christine & Kevin D. (October 2025 on Google)“I cannot recommend Mandy highly enough! When we brought our German Shepherd puppy into our home, we were nervous about how our semi-reactive 4-year-old Pit Mix would handle the transition. Thanks to Mandy's expertise, patience, and guidance, the process was smoother than we could have imagined.
From the very first session, Mandy took the time to understand our dogs’ unique personalities and needs. She provided us with clear, practical strategies to ensure a safe and positive introduction, helping to build trust and structure between our two dogs. Her approach was both compassionate and effective, focusing on communication, confidence-building, and setting up a peaceful dynamic in our home.
Not only did they help our Pit Mix feel more secure and in control, but they also gave us the tools to raise a well-mannered, balanced German Shepherd. Her support doesn't end with training sessions—Mandy is always available for questions and provided ongoing encouragement, ensuring we felt confident every step of the way.
Thanks to her expertise, our dogs are now thriving together, and our home feels harmonious. Our pittie's reactiveness has reduced by volumes, and his manners have also improved immensely.
If you’re looking for a knowledgeable, patient, and results-driven dog trainer, look no further than Mandy Good She truly made all the difference for our family!”
— Sherri B. (March 2025 on Facebook)