Good Dog

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

Contacts

• Official website: https://www.gooddog.com/
• BBB-listed business phone: (855) 446-6336
• Customer support; also for reporting concerns about breeders/members (Terms §21.1): [email protected]

Locations

Buying a puppy through Good Dog (GoodDog.com)? What to check

Good Dog, Inc. (gooddog.com, often written as "GoodDog") is not the breeder, shelter, or rescue you're buying or adopting from. Its own Terms of Service say plainly: "Good Dog is a technology platform ... Good Dog does not own, create, sell, resell, provide, control, manage, offer, deliver, or supply any Listings or Breeder Services," and "Dogs are never in Good Dog's possession." Breeders and buyers "connect directly with each other through Good Dog's platform to arrange dog sales," and the breeder "retains sole discretion and responsibility for determining how, when, and under what conditions a dog will be transferred to a buyer."

According to Good Dog's own "How to use Good Dog" guide, the process runs: (1) search the vetted network and message a breeder directly — "there's no middleman at Good Dog"; (2) put down a deposit once a breeder confirms a puppy, completed on "Good Dog's secure payment platform"; and (3) complete a final payment before pickup, since "all payments must be completed on Good Dog for your safety." The guide states deposits are "typically... non-refundable," with each breeder specifying their own deposit policy on their profile, and recommends reviewing that policy and asking questions before paying.

Good Dog's Terms (Section 2.10) state: "While Good Dog screens Breeders through review of their self-reported practices and documentation, we cannot and do not verify or guarantee day-to-day operations or ongoing compliance with our standards," and that Good Dog "does not endorse any Member, Listing or Breeder Services." Ask the breeder for health-testing results, the written contract and any health guarantee before paying; a health guarantee comes from the breeder, not from Good Dog.

Good Dog Payment Protection is optional and applies only to payments made through Good Dog with "Protection & Support" included. Good Dog's Payment Protection page says it can cover a deposit when the breeder stops responding for at least 14 calendar days without providing a puppy, does not honor its own refundable-deposit policy, or cancels; and a final payment for non-delivery, a puppy not of the advertised breed, missing core vaccinations (DAPP, and rabies if of age) or pre-placement vet exam, or a breeder not honoring its written policies, including health guarantees. To be eligible you must first try to resolve the issue with the breeder and file a claim within 14 calendar days of discovering it. It does not cover money paid outside the platform, payments without Protection & Support, or amounts above what you paid through Good Dog; reimbursement "may be partial" and is at Good Dog's discretion, and the Terms state that "Payment Protection is not insurance and does not guarantee reimbursement for all issues." Some published BBB complaints dispute how Good Dog handled Payment Protection claims; these are complainants' accounts, not independently verified findings.

On cancellations, Section 10.2 of the Terms says the right to cancel a confirmed purchase "is determined by the individual Breeder's cancellation policy, these Terms, and applicable law," and that "where required by applicable law, refunds must be provided regardless of the Breeder's stated cancellation policy."

• Read your specific breeder's deposit and refund policy on their Good Dog profile before paying, and get any promises in writing.
• Pay only through the platform. Good Dog's Terms prohibit paying a breeder outside the platform to avoid fees, and off-platform payments are not eligible for Payment Protection.
• Know your state's pet lemon law. Several states give puppy buyers remedies if a veterinarian finds the animal unfit soon after sale. In New York, for example, the Attorney General's pet lemon law complaint form cites General Business Law Article 35-D, Section 753, and asks whether a veterinarian certified the pet unfit for sale within 14 days of purchase.
• Check federal licensing where it applies. The USDA's Animal Care Public Search Tool shows Animal Welfare Act licenses, inspections and compliance records for licensed dealers; not every breeder is required to hold a USDA license, so absence from the tool is not by itself a violation.
• To report a breeder, a scam, or inappropriate conduct, Good Dog's Terms (Section 21.1) say to email [email protected] and complete the form the company sends; "All concerns are investigated by our screening and compliance departments."
• If a dispute with Good Dog itself isn't resolved, note that its Terms (Section 19) contain a binding arbitration provision with a class-action waiver and a small-claims exception. The Terms also reproduce California Civil Code §1789.3 information for the California Department of Consumer Affairs' Complaint Assistance Unit, and BBB accepts complaints about Good Dog, Inc.

Company background

Good Dog, Inc. is a Delaware corporation with an office in New York, NY, per its own Terms of Service. According to Better Business Bureau records, the business started on September 15, 2017 and was incorporated December 29, 2017; it has been BBB Accredited since September 20, 2019 and lists Joshua Wais as CEO. BBB lists its address as 120 Broadway, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10271, and its phone as (855) 446-6336. Good Dog's privacy policy separately lists a correspondence address for its Privacy Department at 169 Madison Ave STE 77816, New York, NY 10016.

Good Dog describes itself as a platform connecting prospective dog owners with breeders, shelters and rescues. Good Dog says its community standards and screening process, which evaluate breeding practices, physical and mental health of breeding dogs and puppies, environment, and buyer education/policies, were developed with veterinary and academic advisors including Dr. Brian Greenfield, DVM (canine reproduction and breeding management) and Dr. Gayle Watkins, PhD, of Avidog International; Good Dog's site states "Avidog University, formerly the world's leading educational institution for responsible dog breeders, is now part of Good Dog."

Disambiguation. "Good Dog" is a common business name unrelated to gooddog.com. A BBB name search turns up multiple separate, unrelated businesses trading as some form of "Good Dog," including: Good Dog Inc. (dog boarding/training, Woodstock, IL), Good Dog Restaurants, Inc. (Chattanooga, TN, listed as out of business), Good Dog Enterprises Inc (confectionery manufacturer, Hampton, VA), and The Good Dog Spot, Inc (pet services, Chicopee, MA). None of these are affiliated with Good Dog, Inc./gooddog.com, the New York-based dog marketplace covered on this page.

Complaint record: USAComplaints, BBB, Trustpilot, and other sources, reported separately

Several sources track feedback about Good Dog, and this page reports each separately rather than blending them into one figure:

• USAComplaints: 0 complaints submitted about Good Dog / GoodDog on this site as of September 28, 2026 (searches for offender names and text mentioning "Good Dog" or "gooddog.com" returned only unrelated businesses, such as an unaffiliated dog rescue group and a dog-walking service, with no matches after 2017 when gooddog.com launched).
• BBB: Good Dog, Inc. (New York, NY) is BBB Accredited with a Rating of B; BBB's stated "Reasons for rating" is "87 complaint(s) filed against business." BBB shows 87 complaints in the last three years (43 closed in the last 12 months). Published complaints include breeder-termination, deposit and Payment Protection disputes, and a dispute over how Good Dog handled a reported harassment concern. The reviewed BBB complaints include Good Dog's published responses. BBB reports a 4.1/5 average from 254 customer reviews, while Trustpilot reports 4.6/5 from 3,409 reviews.
• Trustpilot: a claimed profile (since December 2018, on a paid Trustpilot subscription) showing 4.6 out of 5 from 3,409 reviews.
• The CFPB company-suggestion lookup returned no match for "Good Dog" when checked on September 28, 2026.
• ComplaintsBoard: no dedicated Good Dog / gooddog.com business profile was found on ComplaintsBoard.com as of this check.

Because each source covers a different population, time window, and methodology, none of these figures is added to or averaged with any other.

Is Good Dog Legitimate?

Good Dog, Inc. is a real, operating company: a Delaware corporation with a physical office in New York, NY, BBB-accredited since 2019, with a listed CEO (Joshua Wais) and a track record back to 2017. Good Dog says its screening considers breeding practices, physical and mental health, environment, and buyer education and policies. Its Terms state that this screening relies on breeders' self-reported practices and documentation and does not verify or guarantee day-to-day operations. Disputes with Good Dog itself are subject to the binding arbitration provision in Section 19 of its Terms.

No state Attorney General action, federal regulator consent order, or federal lawsuit specifically naming "Good Dog, Inc." as a party was identified in the sources checked, including a search of CourtListener's dockets and opinions conducted September 28, 2026; online discussion (e.g., consumer forum posts about Payment Protection denials) exists but is not, by itself, evidence of a filed legal action, so it is not treated as a verified fact here. Readers can weigh the BBB and Trustpilot complaint and review record above, and Good Dog's own description of what it does and does not do, for themselves; this page assigns Good Dog no rating, score, or "scam" label of its own.

Frequently Asked Questions