Everything being as it is, our regular groomer has been out of business for over 2 months, and our back-up was just too busy, so our mutt had gone just a little too long without grooming. Dorris got us in w/minimal wait and was very informative and gave us good advice and also a good recommendation for our pups bad breath. We have a mini schnauzer and have found that very few can give a great beard and eyebrow cut, but when I returned to pick him up, wow, was I happy. I don't think that in the two years that we have had him, he's ever looked this good. Needless to say, Pet Whisperers is definitely our new go-to for grooming. Thanks Pet Whisperers! read more

The Pet Whisperers - Pet Training Near Me - Escondido, California

All of the people are amazing! They're like family to me. I have a beautiful rescue dog thanks to their charity, and my life has been changed for the better. If you're in San Diego, I always recommend the Pet Whispers. They have a lot of love, care, and experience. read more

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We were using them for about 2 years. We would drop our dogs off for several weeks at a time. Unfortunately when you witness what we witnessed you can not unsee it. We will NEVER use this place EVER again. What we witnessed would put these people in jail. DO NOT USE THESE PEOPLE IF YOU LOVE YOUR DOGS. read more

I just want to remind people to read the reviews about the big dog side of the business. Please please don't let your dogs go there. I still feel bad about letting my puppies go there, 2 years later! I have been so very careful to visit any place first and see where there are staying and I expect photos and feedback and if my gut is not comfortable for any reason, I keep looking. I was not welcomed to see where my pets were staying but they were in some kind of cage or kennel because I heard it. Our fur babies need us to be their advocate. Once again this is only for the big dog side. read more

our little puppy Piper is an absolutely wonderful dog and loves people. Our problem was we had no other dogs for her to really socialize with. Also there were potty training difficulties and some diva behavior lol . Then along came the Pet Whisper's. Samantha was super professional and we could tell right off the bat she was excellent with dogs. They quickly gained our confidence to turn our little girl over to them for doggy day care and eventually Boot Camp. Our little girl absolutely loves it, and has made many new furry friends along the way. Thank you so much. read more

The Pet Whisperers - Piper at day care on a walk with her new friends. - Pet Training Near Me - Escondido, California

We are so glad to have found the Pet Whisperer. We are confident that our 4 yr old maltipoo enjoyed it and that his behavior has improved already! Every one we met there is genuinely an animal lover. We love this place and its people! read more

The Pet Whisperers - Pet Training Near Me - Escondido, California

I have never had more trust in people until I found the Pet Whisperers. Not only do I depend/ trust them to watch my fur baby whenever we go out of town.... I had them do a bootcamp to help my dog with severe anxiety. WOW my dog came back so much more confident and well behaved. The team is amazing and help me out with advice all the time. My dog Diesel loves going on pack walks and gets so happy when he sees he is going with The Pet Whisperers. Plus they do SO MANY fun activities and trips. They really know how to prepare your pups for everything. I recommend them to everyone I know and have had several friends using them and fell in love with them as well. If you want real training or people you can truly trust worry free go through the Pet Whisperers. I now look at them like family as I trust them if not more than family. I love Dana and Dorris and the rest of this awesome team! read more

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I will never bring my dog back here. I could write a novel on how terrible this place is for my poor dog, but honestly I am still fuming when I think about it--even months later. read more

I see a lot of good reviews for the Little Dog house here, but my experience with the Big Dog house was pretty bad. This is not a business, this is no different than pet sitting from a (dirty) home. I gave them multiple attempts and benefit of the doubt, but after 4 bad experiences I feel compelled to share that I felt the the Big Dog house is running a scam. Communication is like pulling teeth. Texts go unanswered for 12 hours, or not at all. Calling me when I'm out of the country and gave them an alternate contact, and to tell me they're not sure if they're picking up or dropping off my dog. HOW can you not be sure if you have my dog or not?! They claim to pick up your dog between 9-10am, and drop off between 5-6pm. On two occasions they did not show up until 11:30am. They claim to do grooming, but again, after requesting it I came home to find my dog not groomed. I have no idea if they actually even picked her up that day. No feedback provided whatsoever. Walks and activities are not as advertised as long and/or expending your dog's energy. I visited the house one day around 12pm, and the owner claimed they had already finished their walk for the day. If pick-ups are actually happening around 11, there's no way those dogs were actually walked. I never saw a photo of my dog on a walk when she stayed with them. The house is very run down, dirty, and smells of urine. The owner did not check for any vaccinations or flea/tick prevention. Not worth the $35 per day, wouldn't be worth it if it was free. I'm shocked someone would claim to run a business like this, and that he has any customers at all. I will keep going to the Animal Keeper in Poway for $25 for 12 hours of actual exercise and boarding, with clean facilities. read more

These people are truly amazing. Their knowledge and love for our dogs is so apparent. We are so grateful they are in our lives and are helping us be the best owners we can be to our Great Dane. And Shiloh LOVES her Fridays with Dana and the other big dogs. The Pet Whisperers are the very real deal, led totally by their love and respect for animals. read more

The Pet Whisperers - Pet Training Near Me - Escondido, California

More than once I have seen a woman with purple hair, walking 10+ dogs and kicking a small dog while doing so jerking the dogs around they do not look happy and it's impossible for them to be able to go to the bathroom while being tied to 10+ other dogs. All of the dogs tails are between their legs and look like they are in fear and definitely are not enjoying their daily walk with this person. read more

I was skeptical when I first began to work here, but immediately I realized that this business was incredible with dog training. I work with Dane and Doris, as well as Melissa (who is the secretary) and some fellow coworkers, who are all mature, sweet people. There are reviews about abusive behavior, and I can only imagine where they got that idea. Everyone I work with is incredibly smart, and has vast knowledge in dog psychology. I learn more every day! I've worked first as a photographer as a summer job, but then returned as an employee for seven months now. Currently I am training my own service dog in addition to working there, and the method I am using is a vibration collar. Before I first used it on a dog, Dane personally had me place the shock parts on my palm and turn it up to the highest setting. There was barely anything at all. It isn't a shock or a buzz, but a tiny vibration to distract the dog mid-action and get them to think about what they're doing. This moment of thought is what the trainers use to re-direct the dog's thought process, and change the dog's behavior while the dog thinks that he/she changed the behavior all on his/her own. The improvement I've witnessed in all the dogs is incredible. There is a little white dog named Artemis who was rescued, and she used to be terrified of everything. Dane taught her that people and dogs will not hurt her, and that she should be herself. She is currently a very sweet, friendly dog and wears a little fox sweater (look for her if you ever visit!) She is so small and cute. Customers sometimes physically visit the house (there is no separation between big and little dogs anymore, they're all at the same place) with their dog to see how the place looks/works before bringing their dog there, which I think is a mature and smart move to make. Obviously, some people will love it and some people won't, but at least seeing how it is first helps people not jump to conclusions. Some reviews comment on the house being dirty, and (chuckle) as an employee, I can personally tell you that there is a LOT of cleaning that goes into working there. If a dog made a mess, boom, someone needs to clean it up pronto. Beds and blankets are washed on a regular basis, crates are ALWAYS cleaned when a dog leaves, or if the same dog has slept there for several days. If a dog makes a mess in his/her crate, it's cleaned up as soon as it's seen. The house is vacuumed several times a day, the potty yard outside is kept in tip-top shape, and the front area is picked up when dogs run out. This isn't including the cleaning ladies and the yard workers that visit and do work (not sure how often, but regular enough for me to occasionally see them.) In short, it's a lovely business. You see actual results, without shady means. Everyone is taken care of, and all the employees are very well trained and kind. If you have a need, I highly suggest you check it out beforehand! :D Have a lovely day! read more

Gretchen R.: I have been sending my 2 rescue dogs for twice-weekly outings with the Pet Whisperers for over a year. I've been so pleased with their care and training. Our dogs were rough around the edges after living on the streets, but with time and loving care, as well as good training, we can now take our dogs anywhere. We have The a Pet Whisperers to thank for that. Our dogs love their buddies and wait by the front door excitedly on Tuesdays and Thursdays for Dana to come and pick them up. We have also been taking Saturday classes with the Pet Whisperers so we can become better care givers and learn new skills. I am so happy with them, I have referred 3 different people to them, and now they are satisfied customers as well. read more

Dane as well as everyone at The Pet Whisperers have been absolutely amazing! They truly and genuinely want the best for the pups! They are visibly well experienced and knowledgeable in how to handle even the toughest of dogs. We are very happy with how our dog has done so far in their doggy boot camp and look forward to further doggy day trips and adventures as well as more training and learning what's best for having a well behaved and loving family dog. Which is exactly what we want! We are very pleased with our experience and would highly recommend them! Hands down 5 s! read more

I had a horrible experience with this group of "trainers" My dog and I experienced a very traumatic event when he was 6 months old. This caused fear aggression with my dog and Dane the trainer we had was supposed to specialize in fear aggression. My pup was boarded with Dane for 4 weeks and it was like pulling teeth to get anybody to communicate with me about his progress. I was honestly worried that I wasn't going to see my dog again. Once they finally got in contact with me saying my dog could come home then we went to 3 of the Tuesday classes and Dane was scheduled to come for a home visit.....he never showed. No contact at all has been returned since then. I've tried so hard to continue my dogs training. I don't think they are a legitimate business. I think they scam those that they think they can. EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL read more

I rarely write reviews but felt compelled to do so because The Pet Whisperers is truly the best. Dana that runs the little dog house part is a true dog lover and expert. She is very responsive and would send me videos and pics occasionally during my dog's stay. They do a great job of posting on Facebook too. I love seeing the daily excursions that they take the dogs on. I also love that they pick up and drop off making it super convenient. My dog does longer stays with them, up to two weeks, and always comes back happy, healthy, better behaving and smelling great (thanks to their fantastic bath). Such a great value too. After my dog's latest Christmas boarding, they gave me a 'Snow Paw' wish catcher with his paw imprint in the middle presented in a Christmas card. Such a sweet surprise that we'll treasure. read more

When our sweet rescue dog started acting up after a week, we took him to a qualified dog trainer. We were that our dog was untrainable, would never be able to go a to dog park, would not get along with other dogs and could not be trusted around children. He suggested returning him. Imagination our sadness and extreme disappointment? We didn't know where to turn. A friend referred Dane and thank God she did. He came the following Saturday to make his own determination. He stayed for over an hour,he said he could train our dog and stated he was not a lost cause to be thrown away like trash. He did just that! We live our Rocky and are thankful everyday for Dane. He and his mom are the real deal! read more

The Pet Whisperers - Pet Training Near Me - Escondido, California

Their prices are very reasonable in comparison to other doggie day cares and dog boarders in the area. They provide pick up and drop off and provide a kennel/cage free environment for the dogs to co-mingle. My dog has been twice now and is learning manners and getting great socialization around the other dogs. My dog is disappointed to come home after a day in their care and seems to really enjoy his adventures with them. Highly recommend. read more

The Pet Whisperers - Class at Bates nut farm meeting the other animals - Pet Training Near Me - Escondido, California

I am thrilled to have found The Pet Whisperers. They take some of our neighborhood dogs for pack walks so we joined in the fun with our two basset hounds and pug. My dogs love going with Dana in the mornings and have a great day out and change of scenery. Boarding them is a dream as well as you don't have to worry one bit---most relaxing vacation i have been on when they stayed with them for two weeks. thank you all!!!! read more

I decided to try The Pet Whisperers after several friends showed me pictures of their dogs having cage-free fun while they were away. I used to feel bad sending my dog to other boarding facilities because he would only get out for a few hours for an additional fee. This place is great! My dog gets a vacation while I'm away feeling guilt free! Plus, the Pet Whisperers is much less expensive, they pick up and drop off your dog, send you pictures and updates, and take the dogs to great places for a change in scenery. I will be calling them each time I need boarding. read more

Like most people, my dog is part of my family. When my girlfriend and I are away at work, our dog is home alone. We've been using the Pet Whisperers for the past couple of months now and consistently she has been absolutely exhausted the day after Gabe takes her for the day. There is nothing I love more than a tired puppy, and she clearly has a fantastic time when she's at day care. We trust them with our family and they have not let us down. You can follow their account on Instagram or Facebook, and they're very transparent with the good times they have with the pups. The service is very reasonable for a whole day of play, and they make it super easy by coming to your place and dropping your pup off at the end of the day. We love them so much we'll keep using them as long as they'll have us! read more

The grooming is so good! No one could cut my dogs hair right but pet whisperers could! They are suoer professional and super caring. I'm so impressed! read more

Amazing, amazing, amazing. The Pet Whisperers offer interactive, real-life, meaningful dog training. Beyond sit and stay, they help people understand the best way to communicate with their dog. The goal is not to produce robotic dogs but rather dogs who can think through situations and make good decisions. So many of the training activities are designed for mental stimulation and they are done in real-life situations. For example, we have gone on training adventures with our dogs in paddle boats, kayaks, restaurants, movie theaters, nature hikes, pack walks, petting zoos, dragonfruit farms, and much more. Dogs and people learn how to interact and communicate in everyday situations that are fun and have real-life applicability. Doris, Dana and the Pet Whisperer crew know their stuff. They can deal with everything from aggressive behavior to matted fur (excellent grooming services too). If you want an opportunity to bond with your dog while learning new life skills that will boost confidence for canine and human alike, check out The Pet Whisperers. read more

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dane may be good with doggie day care needs. he talked a good talk with my concerns of my dobbies aggressive behavior and stated he could correct it, but i was very concerned when showing up at his house with my dog... a very runned down house...very dark inside and strong urine smell due to 15 plus dogs in one room/kitchen. i asked to see the back yard where the dogs "could run in the grass" he make excuses not to show me and when i did get a glimpse it was weeds and dog poop... he never asked for any info on me or info on my dog. i had to volunteer the info.. he told me my dog would be taken out to a park or "adventure " daily! against my gut telling me this was not a good place to leave my dog, i thought i would give them the benefit of the doubt.. when i called today to check on my dog and asked if he is going out to a park or something dane said maybe this evening.. i drove over an hour and picked my dog immediately up! after talking with people in the dog world and checking out any social media i could find. he is not a dog trainer what so ever!!! he claims to be and will sell you ocean front property in arizona but be careful!! my dog could not get out of the front door faster than he did... i am really disappointed that dane told me what i wanted to hear...also 90% of postings on his facebook are not his nor any of the dogs he has at doggie day care..the videos and pics are of someone else's doggie day care. shame on you dane! and by the way, dane said there is no such thing as a certified trainer...your so miss informed dane! you don't know what your talking about. shame on you both for being con artists! read more

I have not used this facility myself, but often see their employees walking dogs in a group in Poway on Saturdays. This past Saturday I observed one of their employees handling a young boxer in abusive manner. She gave the dog one verbal command to sit, and when he ignored her, she choked him on his choke chain for 6-7 seconds by pulling it high above his head, as tightly as possible. It went on so long, the dogs's abdominal muscles began to contract in a sign of respiratory distress, and it ended when he finally collapsed into a sitting position. A few minutes later, the dog tried to lie down (it was 85 degrees at the time, and more than half the dogs in the group were laying down as the group was standing around listening to a folk circle). She used same maneuver of raising the lead of the chain to her shoulder height to lift the dog back into a sitting position. She did this three times in a row, before the dog understood that she wanted him to stay in a sit. Using a choke collar to cut off a dogs airway and gain compliance is a training technique that I have not seen used in 25 years. It can cause permanent and serious damage to the neck and windpipe, and there are much better methods. I was shocked to see a company that alleges to use "whisper" techniques using this type of technique. I decided to post this on Yelp after I called the company on Saturday afternoon (about 15 minutes after the event) and did not receive a response I think is adequate. The girl who answered the phone was very nice, confirmed this was one of their dogs/trainers, but indicated she was only an assistant answering phones and would pass along the info to the owner/manager. I left my name/number and asked her to have him call me so I could describe exactly what I saw. It's now Wednesday, and I haven't heard from him, which leads me to believe this facility either endorses this type of technique, or is just isn't interested in following up on the issue. Either way, I would strongly discourage anyone from using this facility. Dog trainers should be firm, and not all "physical" techniques are inappropriate, but you must be very careful when using a choke collar, and cutting off a dog's airway intentionally is never appropriate. read more

I sent my Grandpa 's dog, my very large and spoiled dog, and my sisters three dogs to Dana and Dorris. They have all had good experiences. We continue to go to day camp, and training class once a week after boot camp. I understand that some people do not like clear corrections for dogs, but I have researched and Talked with these folks at length. The concepts are sound and the dogs are put into the correct place in the pack. They feel secure, happy, not worried, or anxious. We tend towards anthropomorphism with our pets, but I now appreciate that I was confusing my dog. I really like these folks. No place is perfect but I trust them with my big baby. read more

I'm so happy to have found these ppl. Doris and Dana are great with all creatures, especially dogs. My puppy, Boo is so afraid of dog barks & other loud noises, she gets very anxious and can't focus. (you would think she was abused!) Well, these ppl KNOW how to snap her out of that behavior. In a few minutes they gained their trust, simply by showing her the others dogs aren't allowed to come AT her. Oh and they have this service dog with them that is so balanced and trained really well in public, my dog has latched herself to this dog and mimics her. Also you don't just drop your dog off at their place, they take them out and about, hiking, to the beach, in and out stores.... By the time Boo gets home she is POOPED! We also use them as groomer...I cant' say enough nice things about them! read more

Amazing dog lodging. They have a "small" dog house and a "big" dog house where they keep your dogs in the home according to their size. So your little ones aren't getting run over by much bigger dogs. All the staff is very friendly and professional. The most amazing thing I love about them is that they pick up and drop off your pet which is so helpful! read more

This must be doggy heaven! A family run business truly devoted to the health and happiness of our four-legged family members. The dogs get to roam free, go on adventures as a pack and get lots of personal attention from this amazing group of people. I found The Pet Whisperers through a friend during a tough time... our entire family was dealing with a health crisis and needed to be in Los Angeles for an unspecified period of time. We needed boarding for our dog ASAP and definitely didn't want to kennel him. One call to Dane set everything in motion and the next day he picked up our pooch. We've been able to watch their daily activities on Facebook and Instagram giving us all a big smile during a difficult time. We will be clients for life! read more

My pug likes to go here for boarding because there are no cages. She is visiting people and dogs!!

I'm sad to have to write this review because my family has always trusted them with our dog, but NEVER again. I wish I could give their pet boarding 0 stars, but Yelp doesn't have it. I will start off by saying that Noah and Caleb are awesome dog walkers and our dog will miss her weekly walks with them. The problem we have with the Pet Whisperers is their overnight procedure. They are horrible with their office booking and their management. We had schedule to have them pick up our puppy dog for three weeks and the week before we were going to leave for 7 days we called them to make sure that our dog was scheduled for those days. They said that they forgot to put our dog on the books, but she would do it as she speaks. So we figured that when they picked up our dog on Tuesday that they were going to return her on Monday night after the daily walk. We even gave the driver gallon ziploc bags with her food portioned out, two small bags per day, and the ziplocs had her name on it with instructions on it for 1 bag in the morning and 1 bag for evening. To our horror, they dropped our puppy dog back to our house on Tuesday night after the daily walk. Our dog was home alone from Tuesday night until Sunday night all alone with no food or water. Luckily we came home a day earlier, she was so so skinny. We figured that she stayed alive with the sprinkler water that came on once a day for 7 minutes, and that was all she had. For them to make that mistake is unforgivable, but to have them not call us back after countless calls is simple cowardly. If you feel that you still trust them with your family member then I would drop her off and pick her up, and call at least every other day to make sure your dog is still there. Thank you, Robert read more

I am so impressed by the level of care and intuition they had with my dog! Not only do they teach your dog to be the best they can be, but they teach you how to be the best owner to support your dogs growth and how to target the behaviors you brought them in for. Using a pack mentality has tremendously helped my pit bull be the most respectful, happy, and obedient dog and I am beyond grateful for the amazing work they do. Dane is like a dog wizard, he has so much experience and could very quickly point out strengths and weaknesses I never even realized my dog possessed, and I don't trust anyone with my baby the way I trust them. Not only do they work with you and your dog in training, but the interactions and walks with other dogs really makes a big difference. Their highly competent staff is trained to be very good with the dogs and if you're looking for somewhere to help you out with training from mild- severe behaviors, this is 100% the place you should go. Once again, I am extremely grateful and impressed with the work they do. read more