Pat is fantastic! I…read moreenrolled Harley, my very reactive doxie puppy, in one-on-one sessions followed by a 2-week board and train program and it was the best decision I've ever made. Pat uses these awesome analogies to help you understand the way dogs think and react. You can tell he is extremely knowledgeable and breaks down the training process in a way where it's straightforward for both you and your pup. I can see how it may be awkward to meet a total stranger who is then teaching you how to train your "child", but it never felt that way with Pat. He is super down to earth, hilarious and extremeley personable. I continue to use his dog sitting services until this day and I can tell my Harley girl adores him!

Great improvement with Patrick's help!!…read more I have a 3 year old very reactive Maltese dog named Charlie & we did 3 sessions with Patrick and he is very knowledgeable in the dog world. Seen a great improvement after the 1st session as Patrick gives us homework's to help practice with our dog. Patrick makes training enjoyable & comfortable for both the pet and the owners. Would highly recommend training your pups with Patrick! Thank you!

Pamela has been SO incredible at getting our lovely but very active and somewhat addictive (to…read moreballs, sticks, anything she can put in her mouth) golden retriever puppy to learn to let go, to calm down, and to behave. She has also helped us to be better at understanding Darby's motivations and emotions. Fun and effective training for everybody!

Pamela is the best!!! I just adopted a second dog this week. My new dog Chance has been through a…read moreterrible tragedy in his life. His owners were killed in a double murder. There were three dogs in the home when it happened. One of the dogs was also shot and killed. Chance and his brother Champ survived the attack and were taken to an animal shelter in rural NC where they have been for the last month. I felt compelled that I need to adopt one of the dogs so they would know love once again. A good friend of mine is looking to adopt Chance's brother. I reached out to Pamela after I had a disaster in trying to crate train Chance. She was able set up a consultation in a very timely matter. She was so kind and you can tell she really cares about helping Chance make the transition to his new home. I really can't say enough good things about Pamela, she is a special person for sure. She has helped lift a huge weight off of me knowing we can work through things with Chance as he gets used to his new home and his second chance at love in his life.

Kathy is a phenomenal at training people and their dogs. She's helped us with in-home training,…read moreoff-leash practice, and everything that's come up in between. She also hosts monthly classes that are free for clients who work with her regularly and has put in lots of additional time inviting dogs (and their people) to tag along on pack walks. It's clear that she does this work because it's her passion and she cares about dogs being happy and well cared for. "Balanced" dog training includes tons of treats, lots of play, and the safety needed to make sure no one gets hurt. We weren't sure what to expect from training with Kathy, but it's been a wonderful balance of true fun, silliness, joy, and clear and firm boundaries. We're so grateful to have her in our lives.

I cannot recommend Kathy at Cause and Effect Dog Training enough! When we first reached out, our…read moreSpringer Spaniel, Checkers, was fearful, anxious, and often growled at my spouse and sometimes even at our kids. We had already tried multiple trainers, different techniques, and even followed our vet's suggestion to try antidepressants--but nothing was helping (in fact, the medication only made things worse). The moment I spoke to Kathy on the phone, I felt confident she truly understood the problem and could guide us in the right direction. And she absolutely has. Over the past year, Checkers has made tremendous progress thanks to Kathy's knowledge, patience, and the clear guidance she gave us. We followed her suggestions carefully--even switching vets based on her recommendation--and the results have been life-changing. Earlier this year, we had to travel out of the country and trusted Kathy to board Checkers. During that time, he developed a beautiful bond with her partner Dan. This was nothing short of amazing, as Checkers has always been fearful of men. Watching their relationship grow has been such a gift. With Kathy's help (and the influence of her own two balanced dogs), Checkers has learned how to be a dog--something I once thought might never happen. He now participates in pack walks and can even run off-leash in the fields, something I couldn't have imagined a year ago. If you're struggling with your dog's behavior and feel like nothing is working, do yourself and your dog a favor and call Kathy. She and Dan have changed our lives, and I am endlessly grateful for the care and dedication they've shown to Checkers and to us.

When I first adopted a shelter dog at 7 yo, he stayed here and was overwhelmed and had anxiety from…read morehis past. The staff here was able to accommodate him and updated me. I trusted that he would be safe with them. I took him to boarding school for two months to fix his past traumas and let him do a one month daycare here afterwards. He seemed a lot better with more socialization. Thank you to wag hotel Oakland for being patient and letting my dog thrive. I would recommend the 30 day daycare if pet parents are busy with their day or want socialization for their dogs

Shame on you Wag Hotel!…read more I scheduled boarding for my dog Hans at your facility back on 1/28 in preparation for a trip to Japan on May 3 - 8, which you accepted on 1/31. However, when we arrived at your facility on May 2nd, the day before my flight to Japan, your front desk staff informed me that Hans' 5/2 - 5/8 boarding was being denied due to him having a heart murmur condition. Even though I've been a loyal customer to you for over 10 years; and that Hans' heart murmur condition had already been noted in your system since 2024; and given that my flight to Japan was less than 24 hours away; and given the fact that your facility waited until I was at the checkin desk in order to inform me of Hans' boarding denial; I was still told that there was nothing that your facility could do and that it was simply following company policy. Luckily for me, I demanded to speak with a manager who then took it upon himself to assist me in finding another facility that would board Hans at the very last minute. So kudos to that manager. However, you should know that he had to make several calls going down your "other recommended facilities" list in order to find a facility that was willing to board Hans on such short notice even with him having a preexisting heart murmur condition. So again, kudos to that manager. So unfortunately, this is how our relationship ends after I've been a loyal customer to you for over 10 years. Policy aside, not only should I have been notified far in advance to my May 2nd boarding schedule, but that I should have also been given an accommodation due to the last minute nature of your notification. It was simply amazing to me to hear both your Manager, and your front desk staff all admit that a notification error had, in fact, been made by your boarding authorization unit, but due to company policy there was nothing that could be done and that Hans would simply have to boarded elsewhere. Obviously, both my years of customer loyalty and the fact that your authorization unit had made a horrendous mistake, made absolutely no difference whatsoever in my situation. So goodbye, and again shame on you Wag Hotel!

Their 'training' is entirely anchored on fear-inducing techniques. We were given a contraption that…read moregenerates a harsh noise, and my dog was visibly terrified every time the trainer used it on her. All this while they constantly reassured us all their techniques are based on positive reinforcement - what kind of positive reinforcement is centered around fear?! It gnaws at us that we ever decided to go with this service. My dog - and every dog - deserves better.

Gusty us AMAZING!!!!! We saw great results after just 1 session and learn tons with each followup…read more If you keep up with her lessons you should see great behavioral improvement and management. Our dog was already amazing, but Gusty helped with the transition of our older rehomed puppy to our family. Something to note about the Bark Busters philosophy- it uses positive reinforcement with solid results...and also acknowledges that your dog is still going to be your dog. Their personality is their personality... so they teach you how to work with the dog that you have instead of the dog that you think you should have.

We recently used Restful Pets for our beloved boy, and I truly can't recommend them enough…read more We called several other places first, and many were far out in places like Fresno or Gilroy. It was really important to us to be able to bring him ourselves and have that sense of control. I had also heard too many stories of larger operations misplacing pets or losing ashes during transport, which felt unimaginable. Some of the places we spoke to also felt very transactional. It didn't feel like they were meeting us in what was a very real, emotional moment. Restful Pets was completely different from the first call. They were genuinely compassionate. Being local made everything easier, and their turnaround was much faster than what we were quoted elsewhere. It's definitely no-frills, with no big packages or upsells, but that ended up being exactly what we needed. What mattered most was knowing he was close and that we were in control of the process, with someone who treated us with care. That made all the difference.

I got my dog "buried" through this service but have been given no indication as to where my dog was…read moreburied, no record of him being buried, nothing to indicate that this actually happened. When talking to the woman at the front desk she said something about the creamatory... so was my dog actually creamated? I am in distress and I truly think there is something sketchy going on at this business. Still waiting for any proof that my dog was buried ???

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!

I have brought my dog to Happy Hound for over twelve years, after we tried another doggie day care…read more The staff at Happy Hound knows and cares about all the dogs, they have a thoughtful system for placing every dog in the appropriate group based on the dogs' energy level and temperament (mine is cranky with other dogs and wary of people), and the staff (all great) really understand how to accommodate different dogs -- no matter the size, breed or personality. For years my dog was there five days a week as I commuted into the City, and I always knew she was safe and happy there. Really the best facility for boarding dogs. M.A.B.

Short version, they stole $2500 from us, and we heard they are oldschool and use punitive measures…read moreon the dogs. They claim to be positive reinforcement only, but I heard this from one of the two licensed dog behavioralists in the area. This tracks with talking to the boss and hearing her talk about the "alpha" which is antiquated terminology. long version - we were researching a place to board our dog, and went for the 1 month board and train. We then heard that they use punitive measures when training the dogs so in less than 24 hours we canceled. They take half the money as a deposit, which in this case was nearly $2500. We asked for a refund and they said no. They said it's in the contract, which it is, but they do not make it obvious, and certainly nobody told us that verbally. You really have to read that thing. They said we could use the money toward future services but as they use punitive measures we will not be working with them. So, they stole $2500 from us. Be careful of what you're getting into.

My husband and i were recommended Bryan, from a friend who also had a tough time with his pupper…read more Our 1 yr old Jax is a mixed Doberman and pinscher and before his training with Bryan, we had almost given up. Jax was very anxious, clingy, over protective and did not let people or other dogs near him or us. He would pull on his leash and would launch at anything that moved. When he would be at home without us, he'd howl his lungs out and would tear up his toys, my shoes, socks, couch pillows and cause all sorts of ruckus. He would poop and pee all over the house and would refuse to use his pee pads when we weren't home. We tried everything, as far as being affectionate and giving him the expensive food and toys, but it wasn't aiding our situation. Bryan took in Jax for 6 weeks and during that time, we would meet up with them and also be given lessons on how to work with Jax. After a couple of weeks, we started seeing a difference during his training; NO MORE PULLING!!! I couldn't believe it!! I sware I thought to myself Jax was never going to change, and here Bryan proved me wrong ! Jax was a whole new dog !! When it came time for Jax to come home, he was completely turned around. We are now able to walk him without a leash she no longer rips anything in the house and occasionally when he does have an accident, he goes on his pee pads. We are able to enjoy long walks out in public areas along with playtime at the dog park. Having a dog is a responsibility and a long-term commitment, so investing in our pupper is a no-brainer. It is 100% worth the training and has made our life so much easier and stress-free. I do want to also say, though that after the training, it is required to continue the same lessons that Bryan has given us so that our pupper continues with his routine. Thanks to Bryan, Jax is now well behaved and calm. We get compliments everywhere we go on how well behaved he is! We are proud doggy parents .

We cannot recommend Mutt and Tumble Dog Training enough. Bryan helped transform our two doodles…read morefrom reactive, poorly behaved dogs into calm, obedient companions who are now a pleasure to walk and have around others. Before training, we struggled with leash pulling, barking, lunging at other dogs, and nonstop chaos whenever someone came through the door. We were honestly at our wits' end. Everything changed after I saw Bryan in Jackson Square walking a calm, perfectly behaved pack of dogs. We started weekly family lessons in January 2026 with our dogs and our two 12-year-old daughters, and progress began almost immediately. Bryan quickly helped us realize the humans needed training too. With consistent coaching, support, and a board-and-train program, the transformation has been incredible. Our dogs are now well-behaved both at home and in public. We can comfortably walk them, take them to parks and outdoor restaurants, and genuinely enjoy being with them. Friends and family who knew our dogs before cannot believe the difference in their behavior. Thank you, Bryan. You really can teach old dogs new tricks.

Mitch and Patrick are amazing! We had 5 home sessions with our two Havanese dogs. We worked on…read moretraining them to be better at greeting people and on how to get them to not make at the door when the doorbell goes off. We also worked on walking and now they don't pull! So nice to be able to go on a walk without being pulled. We then did dog greeting and reactivity and got a lot of tips on what to do to help the dogs feel more comfortable. Mitch and Patrick really went above and beyond to help us!

We purchased the puppy package and worked with Mitch. Our experience was exactly what we were…read morehoping for and more. Mitch is knowledgeable, patient, and encouraging. He has a great way of pushing for progress in training and giving direct feedback while balancing it with knowing when everyone-humans and dog- need a break. Mitch was a lifeline in the early weeks of having our puppy and not knowing much about what to do. He has also gone above and beyond to listen to our concerns as they arise and help us problem solve. We just started attending puppy classes at Pet Food Express in Castro Valley, and those are excellent as well.