Reliable, Professional, and Caring - John is the Best! John is an exceptional dog walker--no-nonsense, professional, firm, and kind. He takes his job seriously, ensuring our dog gets the exercise, structure, and care they need. He's communicative, and focused, and also took care of our dog, a difficult Weimaraner when we were on vacation If you're looking for someone who is dependable, experienced, and truly cares about dogs, John is the one to call. Highly recommend! read more

I would grow tired from being trapped indoors all day, chew toy? boring. Mom? in meetings. TV? (window) same old channel. But wait whose that? A van pulls into my dominion and a tall fellow emerges. This is it the highlight of my day, time to see all my friends both big and small. Time to get some fresh air and possibly (most definitely) roll around in some grass. The door opens and there he is with leash in hand calling me by a different name then mom gave me. I know its him because only he makes that sound when he sees me. "Come on Tubby" he says as he ties a rope to my collar. "Hell yeah" I think, John is here. - My dog probably read more

Hands down the best dog walker out there. John is responsible, dependable and reliable. Not only was he our dog walker but he also boarded our crazy pup...with last minute requests as well. When I was sick or injured he always made sure he would take our dog out just a little longer so I could rest. Unfortunately we moved to the Peninsula so he no longer walks our dog but if you ever need a reliable dog walker don't hesitate to use him. You will not be disappointed. I guarantee it! read more

Highly recommended. John is not your average SF dog walker....and that's a good thing! You won't see him at one of the big dog parks like Stern Grove or Fort Funston with six or seven dogs on leash just standing around while he talks on his cell phone, or while he socializes with other dog walkers instead of exercising the dogs. Nor will you see him with a big group of "off leash" out of control dogs running around wildly, roughhousing, disappearing out of sight and not responding to voice commands from the walker.....who is often "yelling" at the dogs. If you spend any time at these big dog parks you will see these scenarios on a regular basis. John takes a different approach....a better approach in my opinion; 1) smaller groups on each walk for better supervision and interaction between dog and walker, this also allows for better matching of dog temperaments in the group so your dog is not stressed during the walk, 2) safer walks always on leash, not running around wildly out of control, so your dog is never unattended and is learning and reinforcing good leash skills and voice commands, 3) staying away from the big, overcrowded dog parks where things can turn bad quickly resulting in your dog being hurt, and instead, he visits the less crowded neighborhood dog parks where there are fewer dogs, less chance for interactions with aggressive dogs, yet plenty of free space to walk, play, sniff and exercise. John is an experienced, trustworthy, no nonsense, dog walker. He is not timid or shy, he knows how to take control and manage dogs behavior and to gain their trust with positive reinforcement. He always encourages positive social skills, leash skills and voice commands on walks with our dog. Our golden retriever, who is a rescue dog, was very skittish and had trust issues when we first adopted her. John helped us teach her to be a confident dog, more social and to trust that people are not going to hurt her. We can't thank him enough for helping her on her journey to becoming a good "canine citizen". read more

John has been walking my dogs for over five years now and I'm grateful for his reliability and flexibility. He has adjusted to last-minute schedule changes, and has taken my dog on unscheduled days, and goes above and beyond for the welfare of the dogs. Case in point, he doesn't walk the maximum number of dogs, or visit areas where dog conflicts are more likely to happen. I like the fact he can do either a single walk, or extend to "mobile daycare," taking my dog for most of the day. I've had previous dog walkers and have vast experience observing walkers at dog parks, and I'm confident John is more attentive and dog-focused than most. Give him a call! read more

Can't thank John enough for taking care of my unruly pit bull mix while I lived in SF! My dog is a healthier, better behaved dog because of the exercise and socialization that he provides. Once we went on vacation so my dog stayed with John--and it was such a relief to know that she was staying with John. I will miss him. :) read more

John is great! I used him 3 times a week for the year that I lived in San Francisco. Ramona, our five year old boxer, always came back happy and tired. John is super reliable: flexible and communicative about schedule, and lets us know how Ramona is every time they go out. His rates are good and the service is perfect. Couldn't ask for better! read more

We couldn't be more happy with John's services! Our dog is a little hesitant towards men, so John came by multiple times to make sure she was comfortable before taking her on trips while we were back at work. He was flexible with our schedules and we are sad to be moving away! I recommend John to anyone who is looking to get their dog some exercise and play time with other dogs during the day. read more

We love John abs so does our dog. She gets so excited that she pees when she sees him every week. Strongly recommend!!

Wonderful service! John took my lab mix, Nala, on daily walks while I was out of town and Nala was staying with my parents. I was under the impression that his rates were for the standard hour long walks but my mom said Nala was often out for up to 2-3 hours. What a deal! Nala came back tired and happy from all of her walks and my mom had nothing but praise for John. Thank you for taking care of my girl! read more

I used John on and off for about 3 years, depending on my job situation. My dog, who is now 12, would always have a great time. He would come back nice and tired, which was great for me. John also takes the time to text you with every walk, and let you know if something was different than usual. All my neighbors even came to know John and liked him! read more

John is a lifesaver! He treats Zoee like his own and is great with dogs. Very lucky to have him as our dog walker. Great rates compared to other walkers in the area. read more

Our three-year old Wheaten Terrier loves going out with John. He really understands what our dog needs and has helped to foster good human and canine socialization skills. John takes the dogs for much more than just a spin around the block (weather permitting), which is great for our very sociable terrier. Like others have noted, John is also a really good and down-to-earth guy. He often texts to let us know how our dog is doing/has done, and shows a genuine care for him. On occasions where our dog has needed some extra care and attention, he's really saved our lives. In short, the Celtic Dog Walker is excellent and I would highly recommend him to dog owners west of Twin Peaks. read more

What an exceptional service! John has been warm, professional, knowledgeable, flexible, and a perfect fit for our family. He is our regular dog exerciser Monday-Friday for our precious one year old lab-mix, Daisy. We have received nothing but excellent communication and service from the start. Daisy instantly connected with him and is always relaxed and in good spirits when we get home. We have great peace of mind knowing that we have someone trustworthy and caring to take care of our girl during the day -- we can't imagine what we'd do without John! read more

We absolutely adore John! We have a very active vizsla and John runs our dog 3 times a week. I really needed someone who could really get my dog tired (versus the traditional walk around the block) and John completely fits the bill. He takes our dog on long hikes and our dog always comes home happy and tired. I completely trust our dog with John - he's always on time, he really takes care of your dog (and checks him for ticks, any scratches, etc) every time he brings him home and is really easy to work with. His rates are also very reasonable. He's very professional, and has worked extensively with dogs so he definitely knows how to keep your dog safe. John really enjoys his work and it really shows. Give him a call - your dog will thank you for it! read more

I can't say enough good things about John. We have a 5 year old female boxer who has experienced some random aggression in the past but John has been able to handle her and provides individualized service. She gets the exercise she needs and she comes home happy and tired! We've been using John since last year and he's been terrific. He sends us texts when he picks up our dog and sends us pictures occassionally. read more

First time hiring an overnight pet sitter. I'm so lucky we found John through a very good friend. He's experienced, trustworthy & knowledgeable. I needed someone who was OK with handling a senior and a puppy together, I felt really comfortable leaving my dogs with him for the weekend. Will definitely be using his services again! read more

I can't say enough good things about John. Rex (Maltese/Yorkie) was shy at first and John was very easy going & took him one on one at the beginning. Now Rex LOVES John and we couldn't be happier. John communicates when he's out on walks, texts pictures of Rex having fun with his new dog pals! Definitely gives you peace of mind that while you're at work your dog is having a great time! Rex is well exercised and sleeps great after days with John. I would absolutely recommend his services. John takes the dogs to different neighborhoods, parks, etc (not just around the block) + he's very trustworthy, flexible on scheduling and great with the dogs!! read more

We have known John for a number of years now, and we feel very lucky that we found him on Yelp--this review is long overdue. John is reliable, and really understands our energetic dog Jersey, who often has selective hearing when it comes to commands. He has consistently taken excellent care of her, and he's just an overall great guy. Can't recommend him enough! read more

For over the past two years now, John from Celtic Dog Walker has been walking Leo, my German Shepard Doberman mixed best friend...John has done an excellent job looking after Leo and I know that after the scenic walks & runs John takes him on by the Bay, Leo has had a good work-out, is happy and feels very well taken care of. John is very knowledgeable and has worked hard to train Leo in the ways we agreed upon. Lastly, I have found John to be extremely reliable, trustworthy and professional for Leo's scheduled regular visits (rain or shine) and he has proven to be flexible and is always willing to make things work right when random events pop up at the last minute. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more

If you are looking for someone to care for, exercise and/or socialize your dog(s) - John is your guy! I have two 4 year old (and super cute) Boston Terriers, Hank and Murphy who absolutely adore him! John has been walking and exercising Hank and Murphy since early January. I live in the North Waterfront but work on the peninsula and sometimes have long work days. I was in need of someone to come to my house mid-day and let Hank and Murphy out for a bio break and to stretch their legs. John does so much more then that! It is not uncommon for John to drive them to Chrissy field or other open areas where they can run around a bit, get some fresh air and meet other dogs (under his close supervision and professional judgement based on all the little (or big?!) dog personalities involved!). They really do get a nice long mid day break that makes me feel OK about being gone so long on the weekdays. I have come to realize that John really has got to know my two dogs specific personalities - he regularly will tell me things about their outings or ask me questions about one of them that make me feel like he cares and has got to know them over the past few months. Two more points.... Firstly, if needed John will overnight pet sit! This is huge for me as I do have a fair bit of work travel. I usually try to drive them to a family member where they can live for a few days/week but in a spot, John has stayed over on 3 different occasions over the past few months. Secondly (and as evidenced by the first point!), I totally trust John with in/out access to my apartment. I found John on care.com where listed as bonded and insured with a background check on file. Bottom line, if you are looking for a professional, pet-loving and NORMAL guy to help you out with your furry friends, I totally recommend John and http://celticdogwalker.com/ read more

Bowser and I are glad we found John! I was in a bind with work starting, and I needed a dog walker fast. I was attracted to John's sincere sounding ad on Craigslist, and his reasonable fees for one hour walks. At the time, Bowser (a miniature schnauzer) had a virus and couldn't be around other dogs. John offered to walk him alone until he was all better and for the same price. I had made lots of phone calls before meeting John, and no one offered the same courtesy. I have never used a dog walker, a house cleaner, or any other person who would have a key to my apartment, and I was nervous about giving someone access. But John's graciousness and great personality put me at ease. It has now been about six months that John has walked Bowser - 3 days a week. He has put a lot of effort into making sure Bowser likes him. He walks him for a full hour. He texts me when he is with Bowser or on his way so I know that he made it that day and that everything is okay. He has never missed a day and is always very responsive. With a hectic work schedule, making sure Bowser is taken care of during the day is one thing I don't have to worry about, and that means a lot. All in all, John is a great dog walker! read more

Just like everyone else, we can not say enough good things about John! He took excellent care of our 10 year old chihuahhua mix, Bella. She's not very social with other dogs, so he took her our on her own every time. We could not find another dog walker who would do that. It also takes Bella a little while to warm up to people, but it didn't take very long for John. He would send us pics/videos of her happy as can be. Thanks John you have been a life saver! read more

WE LOVE JOHN!!!! My dog Coco (pit bull mix) was becoming pretty aggressive toward other dogs and my boyfriend and I figured it was because we could never take her to the park and play like she needs to. We mainly stuck to mile long walks and finally decided something had to change. I did a lot of research, called many dog walkers, even went to the dog walking training school website and had no luck. Now when I say no luck, it's not that people didn't want to help us. They either wanted to charge me $30+ because my dog has "special needs" or they wouldn't service my area (we live in the tender-nob) Finally I found John through care.com. I immediately noticed Johns profile and I knew I wanted to reach out to him. In the end it was he who reach out to me and I am so happy that he did. My Coco has never been happier. And socially she has blossomed. I no longer feel afraid when I take her to the park and our walks our always pleasant and without incident. John made sure Coco was comfortable with him and did many one on one walks with her, he's flexible, considerate, and all around just great. We have a walk/run combo with John and he takes Coco out 5 days a week! She always comes home exhausted, which is hard for my high energy pooch. Recently, my boyfriend and I went to a wedding that was very far away. John gladly took Coco with him on his day off. He picked her up at 2pm and dropped her off at 8pm all for only $30! He even left the light on for her which made me so happy. I love John, he is officially apart of the family. I definitely recommend him. read more