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 :)

My family and I are thrilled we met Barak and HIGHLY recommend Barak/BayNine Training. We brought…read moreour Golden Retriever puppy, Winnie, for his program and are extremely impressed with the results. From our first meeting with Barak at our home, it was clear he is exceptionally knowledgeable of canine behavior, training techniques, and positive reinforcement methods. He took the time to explain what was going on every step of the way, for me, my wife and our two daughters. We even included my mother-in-law in the training process! Under Barak's training, Winnie made remarkable progress in obedience, socialization, and her overall behavior. Commands such as place, down, come, heel, and leash manners were taught clearly and consistently. She no longer pulls when walking, isn't distracted and makes going on long walks so enjoyable. We were able to understand our puppy's personality and learning style, creating a training plan that was both effective and fun for us all. Now Winnie and our cat, Belle get along - which we never thought would happen! Equally important, Barak helped build our confidence by providing practical advice and ongoing support. We still e-mail him for advice and attend the on-going training sessions. What sets Barak apart is his patience, professionalism, and genuine care for the dogs AND the people he works with. His approach encompasses not just training the dog but educating their humans. This created a positive learning environment that strengthened the bond between our family and Winnie while achieving excellent training outcomes. We wholeheartedly recommend Barak to anyone seeking a skilled, reliable, and compassionate dog trainer with proven results. Having a well-behaved puppy has changed our life and Winnie's! THANK YOU BARAK!!! Jerry G & Family

----------- TL;DR: Barak's 35-day Board and Train program is…read morea major investment, but it completely transformed my sweet but highly reactive dog. It fixed his severe leash reactivity, his 4 AM barking, and his total lack of recall when distracted. The cost includes 35 days of boarding and unlimited weekly group classes. One month later, the results were surprising: we went from a stressed caretaker dynamic to true companions. I can now take him on errands without fear, and finally having the power to tell him "No" has been game-changing. Highly recommended. ----------- DREAM DOG Totoro is what you might call the dream dog. He is incredibly kind, loyal, and mostly well-behaved. However, he had a "Jekyll and Hyde" personality. Indoors, he was docile and lazy. Outside, he was possessed by his excitement. He is so gentle he couldn't even get food out of a Kong! But we had three major stress-inducing issues: ZERO RECALL WHEN DISTRACTED: I spent a lot of time training him with high-value treats like bacon and ribeye. When it's just the two of us, he would shoot out of a cannon when I called him. But the moment he played with another dog, those ingrained habits were completely forgotten. He went totally deaf, which was a major safety concern. LEASH REACTIVITY: When he's leashed, he gets frustrated at times when he sees other dogs, and he might lunge and growl at passing dogs, making walks a bit of a chore. SUDDEN BARKING: He developed a habit recently of waking up at 4:00 AM and rush out the room barking like the house was on fire. Before Barak, I only used positive-reinforcement training. Totoro knew the commands, but positive reinforcement simply could not compete with his intense excitement around other dogs. Barak is a balanced trainer, using proper corrections alongside rewards to teach boundaries that hold up under extreme distraction. I was hesitant about negative reinforcement, but Barak showed me his high-quality e-collar. I used it on myself and could barely feel the low-level stimulation, which put my mind at ease. Enrolling in the 35-day Board and Train program was a significant investment. However, I factored in that I was getting 35 days of boarding included (which I planned a trip around). More importantly, the cost includes unlimited group training classes afterward. You don't just drop your dog off and forget it. The weekly classes give you structure so your money doesn't go to waste. Barak was also incredibly responsive via text whenever I have questions (and I had many). The results are night and day. It is like the show Severance :) there is no more "Outie" Totoro, just the well-behaved "Innie" Totoro! He isn't brainwashed; he is still his happy self, just infinitely better behaved. Barak figured out his leash reactivity was just him frantically checking if other dogs were "safe." Now, we walk past other dogs peacefully. Update: One Month Later MAN'S BEST FRIEND Barak's training has unexpectedly transformed our relationship. Before, I would never consider taking Totoro on errands. Even with only a 1-in-20 chance of him being reactive, I didn't need the stress. On walks, I was constantly on guard, which can turn dog ownership into a one-sided, anxiety-filled chore. Today, we have genuinely become companions. Instead of leaving him behind, I actively look for dog-friendly breakfast spots. The fear of taking him out has completely dissipated. I enjoy his company, and I can feel our bond grow, even in year 5. He is much happier now that he doesn't feel my stress radiating through the leash. THE POWER OF NO Previous trainers taught specific commands like "leave it," but never the general command "No." For example, Totoro has a habit of licking his ankles raw, leading to expensive vet visits, Cytopoint shots, and the dreaded cone of shame. Now, I can simply say, "No." He stops, looks up, and tries to figure out what he is doing wrong. Imagine being a parent without the ability to tell your kid "No." Having Totoro understand that single word is game-changing.

Hands down, Christi is the best dog walker in the East Bay. She is a first a dog lover, who is…read moreconscientious, organized, and thoughtful. Her pack walks exhaust the dogs while being safe and exciting for them. Her dog sitting sets my mind at ease as she knows dogs, her level head and knowledge ensure peace of mind while we are away.

this is also a long overdue review, I have used BARK AROUND THE BLOCK for many years. and…read more her staff are excellent. my dog; Rommel, a French bulldog he absolutely loves walking with her. She socializes the dogs with the group walks offered in the afternoons or morning walk. during the ongoing months The scheduling and communication is excellent ! My dog has improved greatly in all aspects of his socialization as well as his obedienc. Believe it or not for his breed he is so chill now. He loves his group walks! The trails are varied which is fabulous and keeps it interesting for the dogs. I have been extremely pleased with the excellent level of service provided by Bark Around the Block She is deserving of the Best Dog Walker of Alameda for the consecutive years, it has been awarded to her Company!

Les is the best dog trainer (and people trainer) i have ever worked with. She is very skilled and…read moreoffers a variety of approaches to work with your pup. No canned training instructions with Les. She is kind and easy to work with. She was immensely helpful in giving us insight's as to what may be going on with our pup as he had a tough1.5 years before we got him. We understand him better and can be more helpful to him when he gets agitated or barky. We ask him what can we do together to help him. It works. Call Les and dog squad. 5 stars.

(SLC, UT) After scheduling two different appointments with dog squad- both times being…read moreinconvenienced while having to reach out and further accommodate scheduling errors on Dog Squads end, I still wanted to move forward with their service. Both appointments at scheduled time I did not hear from them. One occasion waiting with my newly adopted dog in the cold outside their locked office- they apologized- but otherwise in no way made this right. It gets worse. When I questioned paying the full amount for the 4 week boarding option upfront (after 2 less than positive experiences impacting overall comfort level paying such a large amount without a little more going right!) Emily stopped communications and I feel I became collateral to their mistakes. I suppose I should have followed the initial red flags but it felt horrible she took me wanting a little more trust built by asking for an invoice that specified what the full amount ($2300 or so) provided. She just went dark. No response but she kept my $100 that I wouldn't have spent if I knew asking questions about payment would make her cut me off. I would highly recommend going elsewhere before spending a dime.

Randy and his team are amazing!!! - I had a last-minute holiday trip, new in Oakland, and after…read moreseeing the reviews and being in contact with Randy, I knew this was the place. The passion Randy and his team has, it is visible from the first time. He took care of my baby Pepe so well. Professional service from the meet and greet to the moment I picked him up, without mentioning the daily updates along with the flexibility the team displayed. Cannot recommend this place more! - Gracias Randy!

This is our first time at The Pack. The owner, Randy, was wonderful with my 10 year old German…read moreShepherd who had never been boarded before. Randy is kind and gentle with all the dogs making for a safe calm environment. Randy sent me several video updates for my peace of mind. I definitely highly recommend "The Pack".

We've been taking our boy Magnus to Kit's House for a couple months now for overnights and day…read moresits. Mags has a great time, looks forward to it, and always comes back a little better behaved. Kit is a natural who has a special way with dogs. Highly recommend for dependable dog sitting in and around Alameda.

We've been using Kit's House for our dog Abby for years. Kit is responsive and our dog runs right…read moreup to the door- she loves being there. The backyard is perfect and the love Abby gets from Kit and his family is unparalleled. I highly recommend Kit- and would be happy to talk to anyone if they have questions !

Jennifer is a masterful dog trainer. Two months ago, we picked up a 7-week old Golden-doodle, Max…read more We'd had dogs before. But it was a long time since we had a puppy. We knew that Jennifer was working with friends of ours and their dog, and they were very happy with her style and results. Knowing how busy Jennifer is, we asked them to find out if she'd make time for our new puppy. We are so glad she said yes! She is great! She trains the dog and the owner at the same time, with humor and discipline. There are two things you need to appreciate about Jennifer. First, she is a no-nonsense trainer. She loves dogs and takes the training seriously. You should be ready to do the same. The second is that she is a real expert in the science of training dogs. It's something special to watch how she treats the dogs with such a reach knowledge and understanding of what they need and when. Finally, Jennifer makes the training fun for the whole family. Our son has special needs, and it is wonderful to watch how Jennifer works with him and helps him learn how to train our dog. It is so fun to watch them together. She makes us all laugh. There isn't a better trainer around!

Jennifer has been a significant part of our dog's training for more than a year, ever since he was…read morea puppy. She understands dogs and getting the behaviors we want. She showed us how to motivate and train Leo and turn around any problem behaviors. On our first big trip out of town, she called us to see how things were going and helped us through some challenges. Recently, I wanted to do even more with Leo. Jennifer has been working with me to train Leo for AKC Rally, where he recently titled at the novice level and we're moving on! She has helped to make the person/dog relationship a pleasure. What more can you ask. Jennifer is GREAT. Knowledgeable, fun, passionate about dogs and their owners. She's also responsive, reliable and caring. She wants the best for our dog and us.

This review has been a long time coming. We've wanted to work with Courtney since 2019. Our dog has…read moreanxiety & noise sensitivity issues and we wanted to help her build confidence. I emailed Courtney back in October for a consultation. They responded quickly with dates and times, I booked a consultation in 11/8/2019. When it came time to our appointment, we had to be rescheduled multiple times due to whatever issue Courtney had. We didn't think much at the time, but this should've been a HUGE red flag. We ended up seeing her on 11/16/2019. Following that, we paid $310 for 4 packs of 30 min lessons on 12/16/2019. We scheduled 4 lessons around the end of January to February. We had to reschedule our lessons due to their dog passing away and health reason (totally unfortunate situation). However, in February, they said they would refund our money once Courtney recovered. We waited until March before we contacted them due to her health reason. Courtney responded via text message once on 03/6/2020 and they responded once through email on 04/5/2020 about how refunds are being worked on. They never responded again. We've emailed & texted multiple times. I really didn't want to write this bad review about a small business, but it's really unfair to take our money, not provide sessions, tell us they'll refund us, and then disappear when it comes time for refunds. All we wanted was for our dog is build confidence and now we're left with nothing. We have been waiting since February 2020 for our refund and it is currently August 2020. I have slowly come to terms that they scammed us, but I want to prevent this situation from happening to someone else. I would give Courtney 0 stars if I could. Please take your business elsewhere, there are other trainers who are more reliable all over the bay area. Don't make the same mistake we did. I attached pictures following the timeline of this whole situation.

We first reached out to Courtney in 2017 for help getting our senior chihuahua more on track with…read morehousebreaking. Since then, Courtney has remained a consistent source of support in working with this highstrung but loving little guy, and most recently walked us through a pretty miraculous introduction between him and our newborn baby. Books the chihuahua is terrified of children and had barked and lunged at babies in the past, and I was so worried about bringing our daughter home to meet him and keeping them both safe and happy. Courtney coached us on how to prepare Books for having a baby in our pack, and gave us insight into how he might be feeling and thoughts he might have. When introduction day came, Courtney was there and walked us through the entire interaction. Books had some behaviors that worried me, but Courtney explained them and assured me they were normal. Before we knew it, he was licking baby's ears and feet! Thanks to that positive first encounter, he has accepted her as a pack member and wants to be near her all the time. He's still having anxiety about the change, and Courtney has been generous about texting with us and offering solutions that have worked (thundershirt and a lil' CBD tincture). I should also mention that Books was terrified of Courtney at first (as he is with most new people), and after training with her a few times, she became one of his favorite people and now he gets excited if he even sees her car in the neighborhood! Courtney was also very generous in advising a friend and I about a stray dog we rescued from a cemetery. The dog was terrified, and Courtney offered a lot of pro bono advice about separation anxiety and helping him relax, and eventually did a formal session with his foster mom. Courtney's help got him to relax enough to stay in a not-very-dog-friendly building until he was adopted. Thank you Courtney and Devoted Dog Training for helping our family be happy together!