I had an AMAZING experience with The Balanced K9! I was nervous to get a dog walker, and try out…read moreboarding for the first time with my dog, but Sharnae was so understanding and wonderful. She listened to my concerns, and made me feel comfortable about my dog going out with his new friends. Before my dog Hank went out with the pack Sharnae organized a Meet and Greet at my home. Hank and I were able to meet all the walkers, and I had the chance to talk about any quirks that Hank has. All the walkers were so kind, knowledgable and professional. Hank went on walks twice and week, and every time I came home from work after his walks he was so happy and tired. Sharnae sent me the best photos of Hank and his friends on the walks. All the dogs looked so happy! Hank has a very sensitive stomach, and they would also let me know if anything seemed off with him that day. I ran into one of the walkers on their pack walk at The Berkeley Marina once, and Hank was so happy to see them! I was so impressed by how much control the walker had over all the dogs. They were all well taken care of, and happy! I moved out of state, and I truly miss The Balanced K9. They are amazing!!

So, this review is under the new ownership, Roxane Moaveni. I came to Roxane through a friend who…read moreis a veterinarian. What I like about my experience has been how grounded and practical Roxane and her team are. We had recently adopted my Scooby from a rescue and were only just learning that he had some additional emotional needs. It became clear that he needed more than basic training. Roxane recommended a trainer who was exceptional and worked to incorporate what we were doing with that trainer. She is reliable, honest, and has treated my dog well.

My four year old cocker has been going to Tracys TLC since he was nine months old. Tracy and her…read morehusband Jim run a top notch business and Prince enjoys his afternoons there.

I feel so lucky to have found Tracy's TLC for my dog, Wrigley. Tracy & Jim are amazing and so good…read moreat what they do. They not only care for our dog, but treat him like family. Wrigley enjoys his walks so much and is always tired afterwards. They are extremely trustworthy to come into my home each day to get Wrigley, and always very professional. Tracy & Jim also board Wrigley, which makes it so nice to know our dog is in such great care when we are away. Their rate is very reasonable too! I highly recommend Tracy's TLC for any pet care needs you have!

Our 2 1/2 year old Bernie doodle loves her weekly "dog pack" walks/hikes with Paul and pups. It has…read morebeen a game changer in releasing some of the boundless energy she has. Thanks to the Natural Dog and Paul and Nora!

When we were faced with the possibility of boarding our lab for over a week at one of the big…read morenearby facilities, I was determined to find a better alternative. I wanted somewhere she could feel cozy (not stuck in a kennel for most of the day!) and get plenty of loving attention and exercise. After a few lackluster interviews with sitters I found on our town's facebook group, I got a recommendation for the Natural dog. I was immediately drawn by their pictures of their pack on hikes in hills and appreciated the quick, thorough response I got to my inquiry. We scheduled a trial night to make sure our girl would be a good fit for an extended stay (we loved that they did this check) and I could tell right away from seeing Paul interact with her that she was going to be in good hands - he is definitely a bit of a dog whisperer. While we were away, we got daily photo updates of her living her best life, exploring the trails and snuggling on the couch. It gave us so much peace of mind knowing she was happy and well cared for. We've already booked two return visits :)

A year or so ago I highly recommended Karen, and I need to provide another review. We were going…read moreback East for a 10-day trip and had dropped our Frenchie off with Karen. By the second day our dog was having stomach issues (she had been fine when we left and was still eating/drinking and enjoying Karen's hikes), but Karen immediately recognized that it wasn't just a nervous stomach. She took her to an ER Vet who found a large mass on our dog's spleen, and they had to perform an emergency splenectomy. This came out of nowhere! Karen spent hours at the vet with her before and after surgery. Long story short, the mass was benign and 1.5 months later she is doing great! We could not immediately return back to the Bay Area because we were back East for a family memorial service, but Karen nursed her back to health. I don't trust anyone more than Karen with our dog now - she is so experienced and caring and without her quick action our dog may have died of a burst spleen. I am so thankful our Frenchie was with with Karen. She is a smart, trusted, and super fun caregiver who dogs love and parents can truly trust with their dogs' lives!

We are very thankful for Karen and Piedmont Pet! We have entrusted our animals to Karen for…read moreseveral years and have only ever had great experiences. Piedmont Pet is an excellent in-home boarding and daycare provider for small dogs. Nervous pet owners like me will appreciate the genuine care, attention to detail, and communication Karen brings to every pet care interaction. Our little 17-lb terrier mix has a few health issues and is on a special diet and meds, and needs to be in an environment where he will be handled gently. We never, ever worry with Karen! She was extremely thorough when we first started working with her, making time to ask lots of good questions and answer all of ours. She is a confident and very experienced animal lover who organizes and handles small-dog pack walks like the pro she is. We get daily photos of his adventures when our dog is with Piedmont Pet which we really, really appreciate. Karen takes care of him like one of her own (little sweaters in the winter, no-pull harnesses, comfy beds and blankets, etc.), and we can tell he feels secure and comfortable with her and his "vacation pack". His time there is a great mix of snuggles and downtime and walks and enrichment time. Karen also provides drop-in visits for our cat when we're away which we really appreciate. Our cat doesn't like anyone and she actually plays with Karen and allows pets (we get pics and videos of this too)! We feel secure knowing our sweet little dog buddy is in great hands and our less-sweet but still loved cat buddy is getting wet food and playtime when we can't be there. Strongly recommend Piedmont Pet, especially to anyone with small dogs in the East Bay in search of secure, loving home boarding or daycare!

Thank you very much for taking such excellent care of my boy. I am incredibly impressed with the…read moreprogress he has made interacting with other dogs, which would not have been possible without you and your exceptional team. Having invested significantly in "professional trainers," it is clear that being part of a PACK has made the true difference in his reactivity journey. I deeply appreciate your efforts. Knowing there is such a warm and caring environment for him provides great peace of mind whenever I travel. Thank you for everything you do.

Buddy returned home a very happy camper. Thank you for your attention to all his needs and…read morepreferences. I unreservedly recommend The Pack to anyone needy doggy-daycare or longer stays.

Maya's team is amazing! The staff really care about your fur babies and put their best interest…read morefirst. Appa, my shiba inu is a selective dog and only likes a handful of dogs... But she's so excited when she gets picked up from daycare, she won't even turn around or notice us saying bye! That's phenomenal considering she doesn't care about dogs outside of daycare. So happy to have found this gem where Appa can thrive and socialize in a safe environment. Much love, Sherry

Maya. Is. The. BEST!…read more When it comes to our babies, we all look for someone we can trust, but with Maya (and her team) you'll not only have competent, trustworthy care but someone who truly loves your dog. I've worked with her for years. And when I went on a 21-city book tour, she and I were basically splitting custody of my girl. And I never worried, not even once. Sending your dog to Dog's True Dream is not sending them to "camp." It's sending them to their second home, filled with love, care, and attention. Can't say enough good things about this business.

We are moving away from the bay area and so, so sad to be leaving Kaellyn! Kaellyn walks Blue M-F…read morein her pack hikes with 5-6 other dogs. She is reliable, professional, and so loving of our dog. In her pack hikes, Blue has gotten so much better with recall and general obedience. We will truly miss her! I don't even want to think about how much Blue will miss her and his doggo friends. SOB!

Our rescue dog Wyatt has always loved other dogs and people, but when he first came to us it might…read morebe said that he loved them too well. We were incredibly fortunate that K Lynn spotted my wife being walked by Wyatt. Over the ensuing months, Wyatt went from a loving but somewhat unruly dog to -- I have to say it -- the perfect dog. OK, I'll grant that every dog person says that about their dog, but K Lynn has done some amazing things with Wyatt. First of all, his recall is ironclad. He can be running away from me toward some desirable target, like another dog or a squirrel, but when I call his name he slams the brakes as though he's seen a cliff, then trots happily back to me. Second of all, he went from loving other dogs by immediately jumping all over them to being a very polite canine citizen -- sidling up, bowing, and taking the full measure of the other dog before engaging in play. I can take Wyatt anywhere without fear that he'll run away or misbehave. Third, he's just happy. You can tell. K Lynn will swear up and down that she's not a dog trainer, and I suppose that's the case. But in my experience, if you've got a dog who's got some rough edges, she is fantastic. She starts by working one-on-one with the dog to make sure she can manage him in the context of a pack walk. Then she'll introduce him to other dogs in the pack, one at a time, to make sure he can be socialized. If all goes well, pack walks follow -- at first with a short leash, and then slowly with more freedom. As this process progressed, we could see Wyatt's home behavior improving every day. K Lynn is a pro. She communicates clearly, follows through, and runs a very tight ship. With her on the job, I know I don't need to worry about Wyatt during the day. She's also been great about advising us on how to make sure we're all sending the same signals to Wyatt. She taught me how to use eye contact and non-verbal communication with him, and since that day I haven't had a single behavioral issue I couldn't correct. She has a true gift for canine communication, and I'm grateful to have learned a bit from her.

I wish Yelp would let us give 1,000 stars... there are really not enough stars available here to…read moreexplain how wonderful Jolie and R Positive Dog Walking are! We have been the luckiest to work with Jolie for the past 9 years. It is a big deal to trust someone to take your dogs out into the world for adventures, or stay in your home and care for your dogs when you're traveling. Jolie is the absolute best we've ever worked with and we trust her completely. She is professional, genuinely loves the pups, is an excellent communicator including daily updates and photos, and is always looking out for the dogs' well-being. To illustrate how amazing Jolie is: one of our dogs had severe anxiety when she was younger, and we searched high and low for a walker who would be a good fit for us. Jolie met us for training sessions before starting walks, was incredibly patient as we continued that training, thoughtfully chose locations for walks where triggers would not be present, and showed so much love and care for our dog. Fast forward to today: our dog is a confident girl, enjoying her adventures with Jolie and happily greeting other dogs and people on her walks, and our lives are forever changed for the better If you are looking for a dog walker or dog sitter, look no further - you are in the best hands with Jolie!!

I highly recommend R Positive Dog Walking. Jolie has been walking my two elder dogs for the past 6…read moremonths. The pups love her and eagerly anticipate their group walks. Jolie takes them to the beach and on hikes in state parks in the Berkeley/Oakland area. She sends to me and posts on Instagram photos of their outings, and sometimes I get a little jealous of my dogs' fun time! What sets Jolie apart from other dog walkers is that she incorporates positive reinforcement training in her walks. My pups are a little excitable and she worked with them so they don't bark when she arrives to our home. Generally, I've noticed that the dogs are a lot calmer and less reactive on our neighborhood, leashed walks since being R Positive clients. Jolie is also very caring and loving towards the dogs. About 4 months ago, my 12 year old dog went blind but is still active. Jolie did not seem phased that she would have a blind dog in her group. She has been incredibly patient with our blind pup and thoughtful about what the dog can and can't do now. I've used Jolie for daily dog walks and dog sitting at our home over a weekend. She sends regular updates and photos, and the dogs were relaxed when we got back after being away. Jolie is a fantastic dog walker!