Good CitiZEN Dog

Pros: Operated by an experienced dog-trainer Cons: Separation of dogs of different sizes not handled well My husband and I have known the owner Deborah for over 10 years. She trained our first puppy, Mabel, and her skills allowed us to end up with a dog that was well-behaved, and able to cope with most social situations. When we learned she was opening a location in Tacoma, we were there before she opened to see about signing our little dogs up. During the open house, we toured the "small dog" and "large dog" areas. We were pleased that dogs of different sizes were being kept separate. Our dogs are less than 10 pounds each. The large dog area is down a long flight of stairs in the back of the property, which is also where the play yard is. Small dogs are housed in a small room next to the office upstairs. Depending on who was working, our dogs were either taken out on leashes for walks down the street, or taken downstairs to the play yard for short periods under supervision. In January, my husband and I had separate conversations with Victoria, the facility manager. We were trying to figure out how to get our dogs some more social time, as they were often pretty isolated because there were seldom any other little dogs there. Apparently there was some confusion after those conversations. The following day Mabel was attacked by a large dog down in the play yard. A deep bite had narrowly missed her jugular vein, and she had 6 broken ribs as well. We were later told that the other dog had twice attended Deborah's "Growly Dog" class for dogs with aggression issues. The emergency vet told us she was very lucky to be alive. Even though dogs are unpredictable, you expect a dog daycare to always be on top of things. We trusted Good CitiZEN as professionals to eliminate potential conflicts and protect our dogs. Our dogs were allowed near a big dog with "history". Victoria told us that taking the dogs into the play yard went against her better judgement. Sadly they were taken there anyway. When my husband and I met with Victoria and Deborah a week after the attack, I asked Victoria if the little puppies that had been there the week before had stayed home that day. She responded that they were down in the play yard with the big dogs. Deborah did offer to pay our bills, but also reminded us that she was under no obligation to do so. In exchange for payment, we would be expected to sign a release, which included a paragraph that would have subjected us to some serious monetary damages if any "disparagement" occurred. Since this incident was already common knowledge among the vets and our family, we can't stop people talking. We did not sign the release. At this writing, the bills have not been paid.

My partner and I became puppy owners about 7 months ago and were invested in raising the best dog possible. Not only for ourselves but for our community, as well. That being said, we did plenty of research on where to take our darling little Lottie to be trained and after awhile we took our chances with Deborah and Good CitiZEN. The best decision we have ever made together was to choose Lottie and the next best decision we have ever made together was to entrust Deborah in helping us train her. Not only is Deborah a real life dog whisperer, she is a real life dog owner whisperer, too. Deborah addresses each and every client (and dog) with such care and attention to detail you always leave knowing you and your furry friend are truly being cared for on a personal level. You can tell how much Deborah truly cares about what she does as soon as you walk into the facility. The staff are always smiling, the space is clean and bright, and if you take your dog there for daycare you know they're going to care for them as their own. Although Lottie is still a puppy, she is becoming that dog we set out to raise and we will continue to work with Deborah for years to come. We would highly recommend taking your beloved fur-mily member, young or old, to Good CitiZEN Dog Training. It may just be one of the best decisions you ever make.

I first called Deborah about our dog situation in January 2015-- our three dogs and my live-in brothers two dogs weren't getting along. She's been invaluable since then! My previously mauled and reactive Shiba Inu took the Adv Meet and Greet class (LIFESAVER, that one!), our two new puppies did daycare and Puppy Classes 1, 2, and Advanced, and I plan on bringing one or more of them back for refresher courses should they (or I!) need it. I also use their grooming services (Mindi is INCREDIBLE!) at least once a month, more in prime Shiba shedding season! I couldn't have made it through the past year and half without Good Citizen. My dogs are well-behaved, happy, healthy and most importantly, happily coexisting!

Our 9-month old puppy Cody, a terrier/poodle mix with boundless energy, absolutely loves going to Doggie day care at Good CitiZEN Dog! His tail starts wagging as soon as we pull up to their new Tacoma location, and he can't wait to get inside to play. The best thing about day care is at the end, when we pick up a pooped puppy--Cody's ready to relax with us instead of driving us crazy. The new facility is very attractive, and always clean in spite of a large furry clientele. Cody has also taken a puppy class at CitiZEN dog, and it was a terrific and fun experience for both humans and canines. If you're looking for day care, grooming, or lessons, you can't go wrong with CitiZEN Dog! Five stars!