The highlight of my day is picking up my 8 month old Golden Cava-Doodle in the late afternoon. He…read moreliterally has a smile on his face and he's super excited to see me. He's had the best time of his life with his dog buddies for 4 hours and I can tell the instructors have had fun too. We've been with Woof Academy since our little boy dog was 3 months old and he loves every minute of it. He loves to play in the small pool and he's made some incredible dog-friends. I think everyone is very involved at the academy and it seems like the dogs and the humans make each other smile. It's been a great experience and I would highly recommend the Woof Academy for your puppy so he/she gets socialized.

Beautiful, clean facility, multiple training programs available, staff are experienced and caring…read moredog trainers, and the puppy socialization class is the best. My otherwise shy, fearful puppy loves the socialization classes, he comes home happy and tired after each session. We are also learning useful basic obedience skills in the puppy class. Highly recommend!

Cara is excellent training your dog. She is very knowledgeable and very patient. Has great methods…read morethat does not include a shock dog collar. I would highly recommend her!

I can't recommend Cara enough! From the very first session, it was clear that she truly understand…read moredogs and their behavior. Cara took the time to assess my puppy's individual needs and developed a training plan with the goal of forming a strong relationship with my dalmatian, Ruth. Cara was incredibly patient, calm, and encouraging. Check out her YouTube videos to get Cara's vibe for traning and see if her apporach works for you. Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, we were not able to complete our eight-week training plan, but Cara was completely understanding and refunded me for the remaining sessions. I was beyond grateful that she was so understanding of situation. Cara has a genuine love for animals, and it shows in every interaction. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, kind, and results-driven dog trainer, look no further. I'm so grateful for the transformation in my dog's behavior (even in the short time we spent training together) and I would recommend Cara for anyone struggling to train their dog basic obedience, or develop a relationship with their new puppy, and much more!

To start the check-in process with Michaela (sp) was flawless. We had an in-depth discussion of…read morewhat the full bath treatment/haircut was going to be, and the final quote was given to me after I had a consult with the groomer. RiO was in Amanda's professional care today, and provided an exceptional experience and grooming service for my best friend's 4th birthday treat! Complimented with a HaPpY B-DaY bandana! The management made it right by providing a previous credit given for my satisfaction, and it was applied to my bill. Paw Commons is #1!!! Sent with thanks for taking care of Rio and providing a great 'spa treatment'! Amanda, BTW, he smells amazing!

I want to share my experience so other pet owners know what to expect before booking…read more When I called to make a Memorial Weekend reservation for my puppy, I was given a total price and told the first night would be free. At no point was I informed about a mandatory daily insurance fee ($5-$6/day). I only discovered it while signing paperwork at drop-off. When I called to raise this concern, Michael told me it is not their job to disclose additional charges over the phone - that it is meant to be mentioned at drop-off. So by their own admission, they intentionally withhold fee information until you are already there signing paperwork with your dog in tow. When I followed up via email, Karly shifted the explanation, saying the fee is listed on their website under "add-ons", a label that implies optional, not mandatory. At pickup, they also attempted to charge an undisclosed meet-and-greet fee. They waived it, but it was yet another surprise charge. Most frustratingly, I explicitly declined a bath since my puppy had just been groomed. They bathed her anyway, and I had to take her home wet. California's SB 478 Honest Pricing Law exists for exactly this reason. Required fees must be disclosed upfront, not revealed at drop-off when you are least likely to walk away. The facility seemed fine, but the pattern of hidden fees, contradictory explanations, and disregarded instructions means I will not be returning. To Paw Commons management: before attempting to negate this review, please know I have email receipts documenting everything stated here. A good business responds to legitimate feedback with accountability and an apology, not by attacking the reviewer. UPDATE: After posting my review, I was contacted by Ben (manager/owner). He did apologize, which I appreciated, but the call was otherwise unproductive -- no real remedy was offered, just justifications for how they run their business. He defended burying mandatory fees under the "Add Ons" section by saying they "assume" customers read through the entire site, and that having two insurance coverage options makes it too complicated to list fees upfront. That's not a valid excuse. There are plenty of ways to present two options clearly while still showing customers what they'll actually owe per night. Additionally, a meet and greet fee was charged that is nowhere on their website and was never mentioned at check-in. Surprise fees should not be how customers find out what they owe. An apology without a willingness to fix these issues doesn't change my experience.

What a wonderful program! We took our sweet little rescue there, and it was a fantastic experience…read more When we were worried about separation anxiety, we had another consult through the same program and were over the moon with our support that we got! We got everything we needed and more!

Patti was such a great help when it came to training our puppy Winnie! She tailored every session…read moreto our dog's needs and how we can better support/train her. She also took the time to send us a recap after every session with resources so we always had something to refer back to. We enjoyed every session and have nothing but Pawsitive things to say :)

We've been bringing our two golden retrievers to Kamp Kanine since they were puppies, and they…read moreabsolutely love it. Tyler and Hali are next level when it comes to care and communication. They send photos, pay close attention to each dog's needs, and always have them washed and ready right on time when we ask. I also really appreciate how thoughtfully they group the dogs to keep everyone happy and safe. I've tried other daycare centers, and none compare to Kamp Kanine. The drop-off and pick-up process is so easy, and I have complete peace of mind every time. M Rivera

Hi, I was a kamp client for over five years. I withstood the business closing without notice when…read morethey lost their lease, many waves of management changes and a nasty virus impacting two of my dogs. Recently, a manager raised concerns about one of my dogs who has always been "high octane" and when I engaged in a constructive conversation with the owner that included my own observations about unsafe drop off procedures, two of my dogs were disinvited from participating in camp anymore (including one kamp had never raised any concerns over). Really disappointing that Kamp would treat a loyal customer this way and after the owner, Gian, represented to me the business day before that he was committed to working towards solution. They've turned into one of those places that is interested in easy dogs and easy money, not longevity of a client base. Goodbye from a good client that paid $600 per month.

Rosa was awesome! She was so patient with us and our dog. His aggression was so bad and she really…read morebrought it down. She showed us how to react and not to react when seeing another dog and now we can introduce our dog to others safely. Thank you Rosa!!!!

When we first got Carl, he was extremely reactive, untrained, and could be aggressive in ways that…read moregenuinely scared me. I loved him immediately, but I felt overwhelmed and unsure how to help him. He had big emotions, big triggers, and no tools to cope with them, and I knew I needed someone experienced and compassionate to guide us. From the very first session, Lana took the time to understand both Carl and me--my concerns, my fears, and my hopes for him. She created a thoughtful and personalized plan that focused on helping Carl feel safe, supported, and more regulated. She also taught me how to read his signals, how to approach training with confidence, and how to create a calmer environment at home. Because of Lana's patience, expertise, and consistency, Carl has made incredible progress. The dog who once felt unpredictable and reactive now shows his sweet, loving, goofy side more and more each day. I'm so grateful for her guidance and would recommend Lana to anyone--especially those who feel scared or overwhelmed and want to help their dog become the best version of themselves.

Bark Busters came to us highly recommended. After some research and reviewing Ted Talk and…read morearticles, I signed up our two rescue mix breed ~20lb boys. We are grateful to James of BB who placed us with Jenna. Our boys issues: high reactivity outside, especially other dogs, and inside, door bell, ring cameras, etc. Coupled with greetings by jumping and owning the house. Jenna set us on a path of activities for inside and was incredibly patient letting me share and ask questions, learning constantly. As we fine-tuned and we all got more comfortable we moved our training to outside. The methodology used is absolutely amazing and, I dare say, short of a miracle. We practice regularly and introduce the boys to different circumstances. All that food luring and positive food reinforcement training certainly has its place but only the techniques of BB with Jenna has helped our boys become trusting, comfortable, and happy. Here I thought I had to scan the horizon constantly to be aware of incoming dogs to prepare myself to hide behind a car or go in the corner behind garbage cans to get maximum distance. Not true. I walk no longer with my head on a lazy susan. We all are forever grateful. Our boys can lead richer more social lives. Thank you!!!

I'm updating my original 6-month review now that it has been a full year since we hired Bark…read moreBusters to help with our rescue dog Mimi. As first-time dog owners, the early support really did help us. Having someone we could call during those overwhelming first months was a relief. Over time, though, I realized I was hoping the training would shift toward more positive reinforcement. The constant, harsher corrections worked at first but eventually didn't seem effective anymore and started affecting my relationship with Mimi. I noticed this during a family trip where Mimi, who is usually fearful of strangers, bonded more easily with my husband and his family. She gravitated toward them when scared, and I realized it might be because they weren't following the correction-heavy approach, while I was. I also asked for help with Mimi's fear and reactivity toward other dogs, but was told they didn't have dogs available for training and that I would need to bring a calm, socialized dog myself. As a non-trainer, that was very hard, but we tried by traveling many hours to introduce her to my husband's family dog. The experience ended up being chaotic since the family didn't fully understand what the process required, and new people and dogs kept appearing even though Mimi wasn't ready. Her reactivity came back in that environment, which made me feel like the training had only put a bandaid on deeper fear issues. Maybe I should have clarified expectations better from the start, but with a high-need dog and being new to all of this, I didn't know what to expect. Since then, we've switched to a positive reinforcement trainer who organizes structured group activities. Mimi is still scared of bigger dogs and can still be reactive, but she's improving slowly and has been able to meet a few smaller dogs. She's also still fearful of people, but she nips a lot less now, so progress is happening. Overall, Bark Busters helped us in the beginning, but long-term we found that a different, more positive approach has been a better fit for Mimi.

I met Cathy November 2011 while volunteering as a Canine Coach for adoptable dogs at the Rancho…read moreCoastal Humane Society down the street. Cathy sponsors an adoptable every class free of charge to improve their chances in finding a forever home and as a Canine Coach I would transport and train said animal. As if that weren't enough to fall in love with Take the Lead. I coached three dog through her 6 week course and she asked me to stay on as an intern trainer. I've been volunteering there ever since. Her methods are painless and positive. She teaches people to read their dogs body language so that we don't ask something of our dog that hurts, makes them uncomfortable or would create undue stress. Her motto is "It takes two to pull" so be prepared to be trained as well. Classes are an hour. They are fun and functional, you learn how to handle real-life situations, how to train your pet to be a good patient at the Vet, the Groomer and Dog-sitter. There are special guest speakers, games and play. Your dog is begging for you to call Cathy at Take the Lead!

Looking for a positive fun way to train your puppy? Cathy Meyer is the answer! We call her Aunt…read moreCathy and put our Havanese in her capable hands. She trained us how to have a happy, trained, well adjusted puppy. From puppy kindergarten to Good Citizen classes we always had fun and learned something new. We can take Max anywhere due to all his training. We loved every minute and 3 years later still visit Aunt Cathy at her puppy daycare. Highly recommend it

Jan is the best! I can leave town and feel 100% comfortable that my two cats are well cared for…read more She spends time sitting with them, which as older cats is what they like the most. BONUS- I have asked Jan for last minute care on a few occasions and she has always helped me out. Best cat sitter!

Jan is fantastic! She stayed with our two dogs over a 5 day period and we couldn't have been…read morehappier with our experience with her. She gave us daily updates on our dogs accompanied with pictures to let us know how everything was going. She was very responsible and respectful of our home, leaving everything clean and exactly how we left it. But most importantly to us, the dogs were happy and in great shape when we returned. I would not hesitate to recommend Jan and hope that she is able to stay with our dogs whenever we are out of town in the future. Wonderful experience!

Took my 9 month old great dane for training after a friends referral…read more We both got some much needed training : ) Me on how to handle this giant bundle of joy and him on how to be a good dog plus a few tricks. Really great expereance all the way!

Marilisa had helped us train our rambunctious little Rottweiler when surgery prevented him from…read moregoing to group puppy classes. I loved her 100% positive reinforcement approach and the puppy did too! He grew up to be a happy friendly dog who minds well ... with one exception ... he hates getting shots. When he got "fired" by our vet for being too much of a handful when getting vaccines, I called Marilisa for help. She was fantastic. After training him in the basics needed for a successful visit to the vet (including learning to love the muzzle) Marilisa recommended a different vet office and arranged for us to visit a couple times so our dog could get used to it without any procedures or shots. He now does much better at the vet, not perfect but who among us likes to be poked with needles? The new vet she recommended is much more creative in working with him and I gained more confidence in the knowledge he isn't a "bad" dog, just one who needs a little extra help to keep his cool at the vet. Thank you, Marilisa!