5 stars If you're looking for a loud, chaotic, dog-park-style free-for-all, Dog Balancing Hotel is NOT the place for you--and that's exactly why I love it. Terry, the owner, is incredibly knowledgeable about dogs and canine behavior. You can tell within minutes of talking to him that this isn't just a job--it's a calling. His calm, confident presence sets the tone for the entire space, which is peaceful, soothing, and structured with the dogs' well-being in mind. We boarded our two dogs here for three weeks (not a short stay!), and they did fantastic. The environment is designed to allow dogs to move, explore, and exercise, but also return to their crates for rest and decompression--something so many boarding places overlook. There's a rhythm and balance to the care here that reflects the name perfectly. Our dogs came home relaxed, happy, and in great spirits. No stress shedding, no anxious behavior--just two well-cared-for pups who clearly felt safe and seen. Dog Balancing Hotel isn't just boarding--it's thoughtful, intentional dog care. Highly recommend. read more

Dog Balancing Hotel - Double trouble! Cooper and PJ. - Pet Sitting Near Me - Oakland, California

Terry is amazing! He put so much thoughts and time to make the hotel into a 5-star resort for the fur babies. From nature sounds to thoughtful decors, you can't ask for a better hotel stay. I have used Terry's service for almost 10 years! He loves my dogs Koa, Duke and George! From the start, communication was prompt and friendly, and I immediately felt at ease. Terry treated my pups like family, taking time for walks, play, and lots of love. I appreciated the photo updates on Facebook. My dogs always came home happy, calm, and clearly well cared for. I highly recommend Dog Balancing Hotel to anyone looking for a reliable and compassionate sitter. read more

My dog Beau and I have been going to Terry's since late 2021 and I'm so glad to have found a reliable place when I have to leave my dog for travel. Beau's stays with Terry are as long as 2 weeks and we have had no problems with any of them. Once, when there were fireworks that makes my anxious dog even more stressed, Terry communicated with me the whole time and put a plan in place to make sure he was as comfortable as possible. He checked in on him throughout the night and upped the volume to "Dog TV" to drown out the noise. Suffice to say, it's so reassuring to have someone truly care about your dog's wellbeing. Drop off your dog for a spa vacation in an air-conditioned, lavender-infused, secure room with meditative audio and serene video looping for their pleasure. Stay a little to learn about your dog from Terry or to just talk about life! Highly recommend Dog Balancing and Terry. read more

I highly recommend them. My dog, sugar loves Terry and the staff there. They take care of the dogs like they are family. I have gone out of the country for 30 days or more various times and each time I've known that my dog was taken care of and loved on just like I was there. This is a place That you want to place trust in, and you want feel good about leaving your precious baby. Thank you guys for the support . read more

Dog Balancing Hotel - This is sugar - Pet Sitting Near Me - Oakland, California

I would not trust my pup to anyone else. I know when I am away, he is safe, warm, healthy and happy. Thank you Terry! read more

Dog Balancing Hotel - Shaka is not a voluntary model. - Pet Sitting Near Me - Oakland, California

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We've been bringing our dog Paxos to Terry for 8-9 years now, and we couldn't be happier with the service. Every single time we go on vacation, Terry takes wonderful care of Paxos, and it shows - our dog gets absolutely overjoyed and excited whenever we pull up to drop him off! Terry has created such a welcoming environment that it's truly become like a second home for Paxos. The level of care and attention Terry provides gives us complete peace of mind when we're away. After years of consistent, reliable service, we cannot recommend Terry enough. If you're looking for someone who will genuinely love and care for your dog, look no further! read more

We love Terry! He has a wealth of knowledge! Whenever we go out of town, Terry takes care of our fur baby. Phoenix always has a great time when he is there. We highly recommend Dog Balancing for anyone that needs a dog hotel! read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. From the moment I dropped my dog off, I felt confident she was in great hands. The environment is calm, clean, and thoughtfully set up to make dogs feel at home. What really stood out was the attention to detail. Dogs have a peaceful space to relax. There's a clear routine throughout the day, with outdoor walks, outdoor time, and personalized care Terry is great. He's patient, communicative, and loves what he does. So grateful to have found a place where my dog is safe, happy, and treated like family! read more

Terry is absolutely the best! We've been bringing our pup over to Dog Balancing for 2 years, since she was 5 months old. Terry has also given advice on training and diet, which has helped Luna grow into a wonderful adolescent. As a first time dog owner this has been invaluable. Now, whenever I tell Luna we're going to Terry's she gets super excited to go over for a visit! If you want a chill place where your pup can be treated with love, Dog Balancing is the spot. read more

Terry did a great job with my senior english bulldog. He is very knowledgeable on dogs and I felt very comfortable boarding him long term with Terry. Will book again! read more

Terry is so knowledgeable about dogs and always has great advice for us. We always feel secure knowing our 2 dogs are safe and comfortable when they stay at Dog Balancing. read more

Terrence is the best, my dog Coco love him, every time I'm going to pick him up, he doesn't want to leave! Dog Balancing the best!

Terry and his team are wonderful!! We used Dog Balancing for 3 years until our beloved Grace crossed the rainbow. Terry was always willing to share his experience and recommendations when our Grace was having allergy/skin issues. And Grace enjoyed her stays with Terry and fellow guests. I would not hesitate to recommend Dog Balancing for your furry family member. read more

We have trusted Terry at Dog Balancing to watch our dog for almost 10 years. Terry does a great job keeping our dog happy and safe whenever we travel out of town--our dog is always happy to see Terry when we drop her off! Terry sets up a safe and calm environment for the dogs that board with him and gives the dogs plenty of walks and outside time. He is great at communicating with us while we are away and keeps us informed of any issues. We would highly recommend Dog Balancing!! read more

I drive from Marin to Oakland just to board my Doberman with Terry. She gets separation anxiety and doesn't do well with other boarding facilities. But she loves visiting Dog Balancing and always is excited to see Terry. I have complete confidence in Terry - it is clear that he is an expert in dog care and training. Cannot recommend him enough. read more

I can't say enough good things about this place! Terry is friendly, professional, and genuinely passionate about caring for dogs. We've been bringing Mochi here for the past four years, and we feel comfortable this safe and calm environment. It's a place we trust and we recommend it to other dog parents. read more

Fantastic! I cannot recommend enough. Terry is kind and very knowledgable about dogs. Dog balancing Hotel is PERFECT for dogs that need structure and time for decompression. I truly trusted nobody in the Bay Area as much as Terry. I am very sad I moved away. read more

We adopted a very sweet yellow lab, Roy, about a year and a half ago. He is an older rescue and came with some challenges, especially separation anxiety. Terry helped us train Roy to be comfortable in a crate and Roy now loves his crate and can be left alone in it. Terry is very knowledgeable about dogs, and for us first time dog owners, that was very reassuring the first time we needed to board him. We felt he knew more than we did about how to best take care of Roy! He has very clear rules and routines, which helps Roy know what to expect. Roy gets anxious in the car as well, so long trips are difficult with him. He goes to Terry's every time we go out of town and he is very well taken care of there. Long walks with a dog walker who knows what they're doing, and lots of time outside. Roy loves to be outside, especially if it involves fetch. We're glad we have Terry and it is a relief to have someone who can watch him while we're away! He clearly loves dogs and loves taking care of them! read more

Dog Balancing is an exceptional doggy hotel. I've been boarding my dogs with Terry Broadnax for well over 10 years. The dog hotel has proven to be a soothing and comforting environment for my two dogs--one dog has terrible separation anxiety, but is always happy to stay at the Dog Balancing Hotel. The dogs are walked daily, and let into the yard multiple times a day to romp and play. The kennel itself is infused with soft music and lighting, soothing fragrances and clean, comfortable crates. The prices are extremely competitive and it is obvious by how well my dogs are cared for that Terry and his staff love dogs! I highly Dog Balancing Hotel. Robin read more

10 STARS This place and the owner Terry are INCREDIBLE I adopted a FMD (Formosan Mountain Dog) through Laura from Adopt A Doggie, and was recommended Dog Balancing by Laura. Leilani Miller AND I needed a place for my Dog Zamir under short notice, while we went out of state for 1 week. I was nervous because if you know FMD dogs, they're rescued wild mountain dogs from Taiwan and they're very sketchy of strangers and just have a certain temperament that's different than your average house dog. And this on top of just not knowing where I'm taking him period. Anyways, called Terry and talked for a while. He had a lot of questions about my dog. Turns out he also had an FMD and so he totally understood where I was coming from. Went and met him with my dog for about an hour and a half to see the place and feel the vibe, etc. My dog didn't bark at all shockingly. He just let him feel the place out while we talked. He was petting home before we left. That's not common. To sum it up, my dog did great. I really liked how he wanted to know my dog and his knowledge and passion is just blatant. I was really confident and comfortable leaving him after our introduction. He texted and kept me updated and posted a pic. And I literally could not of found a better place, ESPECIALLY, for my type of dog. And he had the most affordable rate I came by. Thumbtack, Google, yelp, his was the best price. So I HIGHLY recommend contacting Terry at Dog Balancing if you need a safe place for your dog while you can't be there. And especially if you have an FMD dog. I never write reviews but definitely had to for this. Thank you Terry, was very grateful and appreciative. read more

Dog Balancing Hotel - My Dog Zamir during his stay - Pet Sitting Near Me - Oakland, California

Im sure he's a great dog person but is rude and condescending. There are literally hundreds of other dog places and sitters. Do yourself a favor don't stay here where the guy thinks he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. read more

Our dog has been boarded at Dog Balancing owned by Terry twice now, each time for over 2 weeks. We couldn't be happier with the experience and will continue boarding our dog with Terry and are grateful for Terry providing great care to our dog and sharing with us science-backed evidence and advice for dog care 1. Communicating and coordinating with Terry is super easy and straightforward. With years in dog care business, Terry has established a routine that works for everyone and he does leave room for the unexpected and give you enough flexibility 2. Terry takes really nice mugshots of all the dogs and posts on the dog balancing Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Dog-Balancing-100043865898597/ so you get to see your baby when you are away (not daily posts, but honestly, you don't want to leave your baby at a place that you had to check on him/her all the time) 3. Terry regularly posts scientific papers and educational reads about dog care on the Facebook page. We find this information incredibly useful and have implemented some changes into our dog's daily routine. Terry's extensive experience as a certified dog trainer and behaviorist shines through. 4. Dog care is getting really expensive and unaffordable in the Bay Area. Terry, with years of experience in the business and presumably many returning customers, could have asked for higher rates, but that is not the case. In fact, Terry has kept the rate very reasonable. This is a huge relief for us since we typically had to board our dog for a longer period of time (typically 3-4 weeks) when visiting extended families oversees, which means the rates accumulate quickly to an amount that you start regretting having a dog. We were so happy and again relieved that our dog can stay at a comfortable, safe and affordable place without the stress of traveling. 5. Most importantly, our dog has always returned from Terry's place happy and unchanged, which reassures us of the excellent care provided. Note for dog parents concerned about crates: We have seen a couple of dog trainers as our dog grow up - they all told us the same thing - a crate is and should be used as a safe place for dogs. Terry does call that out before boarding to make sure you and your dog are comfortable with the dog staying in a crate when they are not active read more

Vast amount of Terry's experience will ensure your dog gets everything needed for happy and healthy stay. I am truly gratefull we found this place - that treat dogs as dogs, no bells and whistles, no baby talk needed. And Terry will help you in understanding, modifying behavior, and providing better nutrition for your loved pup, making you (hopefully), a better dog parent. read more

Terry is the best. He understands dogs more than anyone I've ever met and puts their needs first in every way. Whenever our two dogs stay with Terry they come home happy and healthy. I never worry a minute about them while we're gone - I completely trust Terry to keep them safe. He is also super accommodating of our occasional last-minute requests for boarding! read more

Terry is one of the most experienced dog behaviorists in the Bay Area. I've been taking my dog Rodney to Terry's for boarding and the occasional training session for 4 years. Whether I've lived in the south bay or SF, I have no problem commuting to have the peace of mind that Rodney is in true professional hands and a safe environment. read more

Rocco really enjoys his stay with Terry. My pup is a 1 year and half Rottie who is still quite rambunctious but when he is at Terry doggie spa he is very calm and relaxed. Terry is very responsive and always addresses wherever questions I may have. Terry is also a dog obedience trainer and had taught my husband and I some great tools as we wait patiently for our pup to mature. Definitely comes recommended read more