Expert Pet has been an absolute dream for our Samoyed, Elsa. She has been going there for over a…read moreyear now, and before that she was under the care of the daycare manager, Thalia, at a previous daycare--so in total, Elsa has been working with Thalia for over four years. Thalia is truly incredible, and having that continuity of care has meant everything to us. Elsa genuinely loves going to daycare--she pulls me to the door at drop-off and can't wait to get inside. She's made best friends there that she clearly adores, which is such a joy to see. We receive detailed updates and photos, so we always know how her day went. What really sets Expert Pet apart is how much they go above and beyond. From fun activities to adorable holiday photo shoots, it's clear how much care and effort they put into each dog. We also love that it's a small, neighborhood daycare rather than a kennel-style facility with dozens of dogs. The personalized attention, thoughtfully matched play groups, and access to both indoor and outdoor space make a huge difference. We are truly heartbroken to be leaving for another city, but we wanted to make sure we shared the strongest possible recommendation for Expert Pet. Any dog would be incredibly lucky to be cared for here.

Furbaby all smiles checking out their chews. I liked how exotic some of them were, especially the…read morefrog legs and the fish wrapped beef. The workers were super nice too and the selection was vast! Water in the front too for the dogs! I'm so excited to come back.

Ceslie has been a game changer in my dogs' training journey. I highly recommend her to anyone who…read moreis considering a trainer. I have two high energy pit mixes whose leash reactivity had gotten worse in the past half year, and it had reached a point where it was unmanageable because they would start barking and lunging at other dogs even from a healthy distance. I met with a few trainers to get a sense of their methods and styles, and Ceslie felt like the best match because of how she took the extra time to know my dogs and understand their behavior before recommending a plan, compared to others who jumped into training without asking many questions. There was a noticeable difference in how my dogs responded to Ceslie after their first class. She was thoughtful in customizing a plan that fit their needs, from teaching proper corrections to reinforcing obedience to providing the right equipment. She also taught me how to be a better handler (something often overlooked in training!), and it's truly strengthened my relationship with my pups. We had weekly sessions over the course of a month and there has been significant improvement in my dogs' behavior. Walks are stress-free and enjoyable again because we're able to bypass other dogs without issues, their door etiquette has improved, and we're now slowly working on their separation anxiety (slow and steady process but we're making progress!). Ceslie has been incredibly supportive and responsive through it all and I'm very grateful for her guidance with what I thought was a hopeless situation. I'm now considering sending the pups to her daycare program!

Bringing a ridgeback into our family and pack of little dogs was a major shift in dynamics - Ceslie…read morehas been an incredible resource for training, walking and boarding!! We have loved partnering together, with her easy, professional communication, reliability, fun and safe walks with a lot of exercise and socialization....and her commitment to setting our pup up to thrive! Our dog is always so excited to go out with Ceslie, coming home from walks and/or boarding tired and happy, with her tail wagging!

Reynaldo is our local dog whisperer. He's very good with my Lucy and all the other dogs. You can…read moretell how much love all the dogs have for him and he for them. Next on the agenda is grooming. I can't wait.

Reynaldo and his assistants are great. Mudpuppy over in Castro was refusing to style-cut my 17yo…read moretoy poodle, claiming it "stresses her out." Reynaldo is a dog whisperer and seems to have a great bond with dogs. He's able to do the French poodle cut with no problem, so I started coming here. The price here is also a bit cheaper than MP, which is nice. The best part about coming here? You get to hang out for a bit with a dozen other well-behaved, sweet dogs. I kind of want to ask him if it's cool that I buy coffee and hang out here to do work. You know how there's cat cafes? This place is like the dog cafe version of that!

Almost brought my pup here yesterday, was walking up to the door on mission street, the windows…read morewere open and I could hear the worker screaming at the dogs every time they barked. And sounded like he was slamming a crate shut each time he screamed. Could also see in the basement because the window was open, just a crate and a food and water bowl and a very lonely pup. I suggest no one bring their dog here. We walked away immediately. Also smelled pretty bad walking by, you would think that it would be cleaned regularly

We've trusted Paws Pet N' Play to take care of our dog for over 3yrs now. We typically do the daily…read morecare package and from time to time the overnight service when we're on vacation. They've done a great job and would recommend them for your puppy or adult dog!

We boarded our bearded dragon here while we were away for three weeks and could not have been…read morehappier with the experience. The pricing was reasonable, the staff were friendly and helpful, and most importantly, our little dinosaur was well taken care of. We are pretty sure he enjoyed his vacation almost as much as we enjoyed ours. We would definitely use them again in the future!

I swung by to buy timothy hay for the guinea pigs I'm fostering for a local rescue and I was so…read morethrilled to see that The Animal Connection also had rescued guinea pigs (as opposed to guinea pig from a breeder/breeding mill like the ones at Petco/Petsmart). The person working there was very nice and I think they care about animals... but they still buy some animals from breeders/breeding mills to resell them... It's really sad that some pet stores still do this, while so many rescued animals need homes. I hope The Animal Connection with do the right thing by transition to rescue-only and partner with local rescues to help get animals adopted who needs homes, and stop buying/selling any animals from breeders/breeding mills. Please do the right thing! Myself and soooo many other animal guardians really want to support businesses like yours, but not animal exploitation.

Your dog will love Justin! He is the kindest, gentlest, most positive-training dog walker we've had…read morewith 3 dogs across 15 years. Our sweet but occasionally skittish pup wags her whole body when he comes to the door. We know she's having a great time at Crissy Field or wherever she may go with him. Occasional IG videos and pictures are so fun and creative, but you won't get tons of photos because he's present and actively paying attention to the dogs. Outside of walks, Justin is a knowledgable and patient trainer. He's 100% reliable, responsive, and clear at communication. We are so grateful to have Lark Bark and Justin in our life!

Justin has been walking, boarding, and training our dog Mammoth for the last 3 years. Just is…read morereliable and trustworthy, and his love for the dogs in his pack clearly shows through. On top of it, he takes great photos of videos of his pack. It has been a game-changer for Mammoth to have fun trips to the beach with his pack while we've had to return to the office. It has also been so helpful to have Justin board Mammoth when we need to go on weekend trips that aren't dog friendly. We initially struggled to find walkers who would service the North Beach area, and we are so lucky we found Justin!

When we adopted our pup (Hazel), we wanted to make sure she was well-socialized and cared for when…read morewe had to work or travel. Sniff played such a huge role in bringing out the best in our timid little rescue and making her into a confident, happy girl who loves to see her canine pals coming. We've had some fantastic dog walkers, including Josh who was so sweet and thoughtful with all of Hazel's quirks and charms, and are so grateful for Heather boarding Hazel and treating her like a member of the family. Thank you for all that you do, Team Sniff!

Jim, Benny, Tilek, Sabrina, Olive and the rest of the team at Sniff treat my dog, Ziggy, like…read morefamily. In 2020, Jim & Benny taught me how to safely manage Ziggy off leash at a park and we have depended on their expertise and care for dog walking and boarding ever since. Ziggy loves Jim & Benny and the team so much and I have learned an amazing amount about dog behavior and training. The team are reliable, trustworthy, organized, and the loveliest of humans.

We feel so lucky to have found Bree to board our senior cat, Scout. Traveling has always been…read morestressful for us because Scout needs inhalers, medication, and extra special care, but Bree gave us complete peace of mind. She is responsive, communicative, and sends great updates that reassure us Scout is safe, comfortable, and happy while we're away. The sweetest part is seeing the connection Scout and Bree have formed -- Scout truly loves being with her. We couldn't recommend Bree more highly!

Bree took such great care of our cats, Norma Jean and Jackson. We were away for a few weeks and…read morenever worried about them. She communicates often with videos and photos. So fun to see how well they are doing. They can play, relax and sleep anywhere in her home. Bree has a special connection with animals, we will be using her services again when we travel in 2026.

Betty has been wonderful to our dog Lovie. She's been very accommodating, even when we call her…read morelast minute, she's been willing to take her in. When we are away Betty sends us status updates on how our pup is doing. She'll send us photos/videos of Lovie either having a great time with other dogs or just relaxing on the couch. It's a good feeling to know that when you're away... Your dog is in good hands and being very well taken care off. Every time we pick up Lovie from Betty's place she's just exhausted! Which is nice because half the time we are too! But it just shows that she enjoyed herself while we were away and got plenty of play time in... If you're looking for a great place for your dog stay while you are away... You can trust Betty! -Lindsey, Brandon & Lovie

Betty has been my go-to dog sitter for nearly ten years. She boarded my yellow lab nearly every…read moreweek when I lived in San Francisco and traveled for business and pleasure. Over the last couple of years, she has sat both of my yellow labs whenever my wife and I travel on vacation. Even though I now live south of San Jose, I still make the trip to San Francisco for boarding because the dogs love her and I trust her completely. Without fail, Betty provides a diary of my dogs' stay, complete with fun pictures! I always hate to leave my "kids" behind, but the diary makes me feel like I was right there with them. Thank you Betty!

We have had a wonderful experience with Ruth. She has been a godsend for our high-energy dog and…read morealways brings him back well-exercised and happily socialized. Ruth is responsible, conscientious, and a great communicator, and we have so much peace of mind knowing our dog is in great hands.

I cannot say enough great things about Ruth. She is incredibly reliable, communicates well, and…read moretruly cares about my dog like he is her own. He always comes back from walks happy, well-exercised, and nice and tired. When he boards with Ruth, he returns home relaxed and content. I can tell he has been loved and well cared for. I feel completely at ease knowing my dog is in such good hands. Highly recommend!