Joined yelp to write this review! Referring specifically to 'Alphadog University' training. Completely outdated methods. Our dog now goes to a veterinary behaviorist, who was horrified that this place uses e-collars and prong collars, counter to all scientific community consensus. The people here are nice and mean well. But some guy's book is the gospel here. And I mean gospel as in unthinking adherence to dogma. Not taking into account the last few decades of canine cognition research. Our dogs deserve better, and businesses like this should use critical thinking skills to be honest about whether their approaches are up to date. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Alpha Dog. Everyone (literally everyone) is extremely polite and helpful. My puppy Ricky has been attending AlphaDog since he was 3 months old. He has always come home safe, happy and tired! The staff know him by name and always make me feel at ease leaving him. If you are on the fence about AlphaDog, DONT BE! This place is wonderful and my go-to lodging/daycare. BONUS: they have grooming services too! read more

AlphaDog Lodging - The AlphaDog staff are polite, professional, and always smiling! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Weird that this place is so popular in Marin. Sure their branding is good and lobby looks nice. But unlike other dog day care facilities, Alphadog does not have webcams. Who knows what happens there. My typically happy dog comes home stressed and hyper sensitive to noises. Who knows how long they are kenneled and under what conditions. Things they told me at the initial orientation ended up not being the case at all. Very disappointing. They have trainers there and they say they're not 100% positive reinforcement. That's an understatement. This is like 1950s style 'I'm the alpha, the dog must respect me out of fear' kind of training. It's a place to go if you're absolutely desperate for dog care. But not something that I'd recommend as a positive influence on a dog's well being. Do better. read more

Shoutout to Zach for being so friendly and kind. AlphaDog is amazing, but employees like you are what truly make it special

I want to like this place. The facilities are nice and the prices are solid. However my experiences have been really poor. First, my dog came in for an evaluation for overnight stays. I told them she has severe food allergies and IBS, and not to feed my dog anything but the food I provide. Subsequently, my dog apparently didn't eat all her food, so the alpha dog staff added ground beef to her food leading my 130lb dog to develop severe diarrhea when she got home. I tried to use them for daycare. I was told no reservation was required and I could drop my dog off anytime. I showed up, and they told me they were full and said should I have a reservation. This was so inconvenient it caused me to miss out on a corporate retreat that was mandatory to attend. The facilities may be nice, but their communication is horrid, and is the worst among the dozen+ doggy daycares I've gone too. My experiences with them have caused me and my dog distress. read more

Our puppy contracted a wart (canine oral papilloma) on his mouth after going to daycare here in September, and they told us he isn't allowed back until it's removed or gone. The woman I spoke with was cold and not empathetic at all. She told me that not only could he not come back to Alpha Dog until the wart was gone, but also that all future reservations including holidays would be erased until they had a note from our puppy's vet that the wart was gone. Canine oral papilloma only generally affects puppies under 2 years of age, and typically takes at least 6-8 weeks to fall off. The warts cannot be removed or they will just return (they just need to build their immunity essentially). There was at least one other puppy who also contracted warts at Alpha Dog the same week as our puppy. Since the warts cannot be removed, it's just a waiting process, and now you have nowhere to board or take your dog to daycare until it's gone. When I called to speak to Alpha Dog after researching it and talking with our vet's office, I said that he clearly contracted it there as that is the only place he goes and socializes, and the woman I spoke with asked if he goes on walks?! I asked her if she knew canine oral papillomas are spread through dog to dog contact or by sharing dog toys, and she said she didn't really know how it was spread, but just repeatedly and coldly said that our dog wasn't able to come back until it was gone. Although our interactions with Alpha dog had been great in the past, this was extremely disappointing and frustrating. It also made for a very difficult two months of not having any doggie daycare, boarding, or puppy play dates. read more

Today my 15 mo old Golden Retriever @Hobeybakerservicedog completed his Service dog training at Alpha Dog University in Mill Valley. What a tremendous experience for both he and I. Hobey's trainer Sierra was simply amazing and I would recommend her services to anyone. She is very knowledgeable, patient and diligent She is firm when she needs to be. A lot of the training is hands-on for the handler in real life situations. Hobey's behavior around other dogs and people is impeccable. His service skills help me everyday to get along with my activities of daily living and deal with my disabilities safety and effectively. I recently completed a cross country flight (4.5 hrs) with Hobey at my feet. No problemo! He did fantastic. Highly recommend Sierra and Alpha Dog University. Matthew Boente MD read more

We love AlphaDog! Our pups are always excited to go for daycare or overnight stays. And the staff are so great to work with--Veronica you're the best!!! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a place to take care of their fur babies. read more

Service dog training with Sierra and Tianna is fantastic! These ladies are task masters to get your dog to demonstrate great behavior and responsiveness. And they show such love and care for our furry companions. So glad I went with AlphaDog service dog training for my dog. He loved it! read more

This is not business you can trust. I was in the store checking for availability, and a guy walked in whose car was towed after just one hour. She was so happy to see the guy distressed. With an annoying smile she said that was my parking spot. I quickly came out of the store, because I can't leave my dog with people who treat others like that. read more

If you're a dog person, you're likely very discerning in entrusting your dog's care to a responsible individual or team. I've sent my dog to both daycare and boarding at AlphaDog since she was a puppy, and I've always been so thankful for the caring, dedicated staff that make sure she is safe and well cared for. Whenever we pull up to Alpha, she wags her tail and beelines it to the front door so she can get to playing in the supervised yard with her friends. As a local business, the Alpha team worked really hard to support Marin families and their pets during the pandemic, something I really appreciated from the staff who operate on a first name basis with their clients (of the two- and four-legged variety). Just book your reservation early so you can snag a spot on their busy calendar! read more

This place is great if you need lodging for your dog. Place is nice and clean. As far as training, they don't do a great job. My husband and I spent a lot of money and didn't notice any improvement in our dogs behavior. read more

I've been taking my dog to Alpha for nearly two years. They are so attentive and caring for her. She enters the facility excited every time we drop her off. The staff knows us by name and are extremely accommodating when it comes to booking. read more

My dog Cooper is 8 months old and due to work from home had never been without us since we got him at 10 weeks from the spca. We then had to go out of town for 5 days and needed somewhere for him to be safe and maybe also get trained. Boy did we kick out with Alpha dogs! They did so much to be accommodating. From test sleepover to making sure I was comfortable leaving my "baby." They were honest with his level of insecurity at first, but he clearly opened up as Samantha was able to get some training in and he obviously absolutely adored her when I went to pick him up. I live in Walnut Creek, but will take hi. Back to Marin again for more visits with alpha dog and his favorite Samantha! read more

I am a local veterinarian in the area and had a patient with a foot injury boarding here at alpha dog for 2 weeks while owners were out of the country. Unfortunately the foot bandage was not able to be kept dry by the staff and therefore the pads of the foot started to slough off at the recheck appointment. I am sure boarding here is fine if your pet is healthy! But if any medical injury is present while your pet is boarding I would be hesitant to leave my own animal in their care. read more

AlphaDog Lodging - Sloughing foot pad due to wet bandage - Pet Groomers Near Me - Mill Valley, California

I started bringing my pup, Penny, to AlphaDog for socialization as soon as she was vaccinated. We quickly transitioned to doing all-day training once a week as well. My pup is now 10 months old and has consistently been going for training with Samantha once a week since she was around 4 months old. Recently, we had an emergency incident. I was taking Penny for a walk around our neighborhood in San Francisco, and I realized I had put her harness on backwards. I took it off her to put it on correctly and Penny took off down the sidewalk! There were cars zooming by on the street, and it could have been a very dangerous situation. Penny stopped about 20 feet away and looked back at me. I did the emergency stop command that we have been practicing with her as early as 4 months old. I yelled, STOP! DOWN! She thought about it for a few seconds and then right there on the sidewalk, she laid down. I told her to stay. She stayed where she was while I walked up to her, put her harness back on, and then showered her with treats and praise. Our first true emergency situation! I am so thankful we have been working with her on this command for so many months. She listened when it really mattered. Our first emergency situation was a non-issue because of all of her consistent training and repetition with AlphaDog ever since she was a tiny puppy. Thank you so so much, AlphaDog, for all that you do to keep Penny safe! I am so grateful!! read more

We can't say enough things great about alphadog. Our pup has an absolute blast, they are always super friendly, attentive to our pups needs, and give us a tired pup at home! From the initial tour to when we needed help when my wife went into labor they have been amazing to work with. Special shout out to Veronica who has gone out of the way to make us feel like part of the Alphadog family read more

AlphaDog Lodging - Pet Groomers Near Me - Mill Valley, California

AlphaDog is the best!! They take amazing care of our boys (Speck & Coppa) This place is wonderful and the customer service is outstanding. In addition to this, workers are friendly and care about your pet(s). Nothing compares to AlphaDog. Thank you for taking such good care of our boys! read more

Samantha and her training team have been a great help correcting some behavior issues Hali, our 2 year old Portuguese Water dog, was having. The report cards and videos provided after each training session are really helpful and gave us a real time view of the training sessions. Hali has made significant progress in a short time. We use AlphaDog for both daycare and training. She gets excited as soon as we pull into the parking lot. The AlphaDog folks are knowledgable and caring. A+ read more

My dear dog has been lodged and through several training courses the last of which is as a service dog. As someone with a long history or PTSD initially due to military nursing duty, I am medication free and venturing out as Covid subsides thanks to the professional and kind training we (meaning both dog and handler) received at AlphaDog. Thank you AlphaDog team. read more

I've been looking for a safe and reliable doggy daycare for my 5 month puppy. I came across Alpha Dog on my walk and went in to ask for more information. The girl at the front desk was very rude and kept giving my dirty looks. The service is awful, I got very little information. I definitely will not be bringing my dog back here as I don't feel comfortable. read more

Our dog Ducky has been going to Alpha Dog 2 times a week for day care for the past year and she is excited to get there EVERY time. We have boarded her there as well with no issues or concerns. I love that they're outside during the day. The front staff is professional and friendly and it is a very well kept establishment. I'm thankful we have a great option close to home. Thanks Alpha Dog! We love having your business in the Mill Valley community and I feel safe keeping my doggo in your hands. read more

My energetic Aussie has been enjoying doggie daycare and the occasional boarding at Alpha Dog- my pup is excited to go and comes back happy and tired! The staff is attentive, helpful and accommodating. I love the flexible drop off/late pick up times... The staff knows the dogs and can share with you who your pup has been playing with - highly recommend this spot! read more

AlphaDog Lodging - Pet Groomers Near Me - Mill Valley, California

AlphaDog is a 5-star facility with 5-star staff and 5-star management, and that much is apparent when things are running smoothly. However, I think you can tell more about a business by looking into how they handle it when things go wrong. This is a story about exceptional customer service in the face of little mini-crisis regarding my 4-yr old pupper, Luna. I brought Luna to AlphaDog for a weekend of boarding- I travel frequently and wanted to give my default puppy sitters (hi, parents) a break. I did my research and chose AlphaDog for a number of reasons, reputation and facility among them. So, I drop Luna off on a Friday morning and watch from behind a window as she tentatively joins the pack of dogs playing happily in one of the many yards. Satisfied, I take off to go enjoy my weekend away. I sent an email on Saturday afternoon to check up on Luna, and promptly get a response with a photo of her, clearly loving life and super happy. Brilliant! I get a call from Julian at 7:30am on Sunday morning- never a call you want to get from the person caring for your pup. He tells me that she cut her nose & he's super apologetic, tells me she seems happy and unaware of it but he's clearly horrified that a dog in his care has sustained an injury. He immediately offers to take her to the vet, but I'm like... a cut? Let me look at it first. I'm kind of in the "kids will be kids" camp if not reacting to bumps and bruises incurred during a day of hard play. So, I arrive back into town later that day and pick Luna up. Her nose has a little slice on it, and while it's not causing her any visible distress, the cut is in an awkward place that makes it a little more complicated than your run-of-the-mill scrape. I go home, bandage her up, and get her a night of good sleep. The next day, I notice that the wound isn't closing up like I'd expect, so I take Luna to the vet to check it out. She sends me to the ER for suchers. Nice. So, I get a call back from Julian and he's beyond apologetic. He calls the animal hospital I'm at and doesn't let me pay anything out of pocket. I mean, he goes above and beyond to make it right. It was an accident, and accidents happen, but he insists on taking care of me and Luna. In a situation which could have been stressful and complex, I felt super supported. So, thank you again Julian + team- Luna hopes to see you again soon! read more

I brought my pup (4.5 months) to AlphaDog for his first ever boarding experience - staying for (4) nights. Entirely possible I was more nervous than he was! But the folks at AlphaDog were GREAT, super responsive and attentive to both him and me. Especially Bettina - she sent me daily updates (photo and video) to let me know how he was doing which really helped to alleviate any fears I had about my pup being scared or feeling alone or anxious.. Bettina's extra care and attention really went above and beyond, and made me feel like my little guy was in the best hands. read more

I've been coming here for almost 10 years and I still love this place! Thank you for taking such great care of Meli H. Lucky me for finding such a dynamic, caring group of people : ) read more

This is the BEST place to take your dog!! We have been taking our beagle here since he was a puppy and he loves it. It's so great to be able to drop your dog off somewhere with people who really care, pay close attention to your pup, take great care of them and teach them good habits. It's inconvenient to drop him off since we live in the Marina, but totally worth it! We have used their daycare, boarding, training and grooming services - all great! I love that when I drop off my little guy, he can't get in there fast enough and his tail wags like crazy. They get busy though, so make sure that you call and make reservations. read more

Located behind another business at a busy intersection just off the freeway, this place can be a little hard to find. Just be sure to pull into the little gravel lot on the right, just before the pet supply store (across the street from the gas station). The lady at the front desk was friendly and welcoming and Matt, the groomer, was chill. He came out to meet my dog and discuss the fur style I wanted for him. I asked for a simple summer shave down, leaving his head and tail fur long. I warned him about Tiger's agitation when it came to getting his ears and nails done, but Matt was unfazed. He brought Tiger to the back and I was sent away for a couple of hours. After an hour and a half at Starbucks across the street, I got the call letting me know that Tiger was ready. When I arrived, Matt came out with Tiger in his arms with his harness already on. I was surprised at how relatively relaxed Tiger was for having just been groomed. I took that as an indication of how well Matt handled him. Tiger's shaved body was even and smooth, his head round and puffy. I love the scent of the shampoo Matt used. My only complaint was that his ears were left a little unruly and there were a lot of tiny hairs left in Tiger's eyes that I had to wipe away when I got home. Not a big deal to me though. I was just really happy that my sixteen year old dog was not stressed out by the experience. Kuddos to Matt and AlphaDog. read more

AlphaDog Lodging - Fur cut by Matt - Pet Groomers Near Me - Mill Valley, California

I don't think I've ever seen a day care and boarding facility as nice as Alpha Dog. I've been taking my dog there for the last couple of years and he starts going bonkers half a block away. The staff, including everyone from the owner Julien to the friendly folks at the front desk, are always super helpful and conscientious. Now that we're beginning to come out of Covid lockdown I can't wait to get my doggie back there. They also have an amazing training program and the training manager Samantha is some kind of dog genius. She's also incredibly responsive to client's needs, always sending videos of their doggies and daily updates. She regularly goes above and beyond in making sure all us dog parents are uber-happy. Super highly recommended. read more

AlphaDog is a fantastic facility for both daycare and boarding. They are so easy to deal with. They reply quickly to boarding/care requests, check in/out is fast, they communicate far in advance on peak season bookings (summer, holidays, etc) and cancellation window deadlines. I noticed some discrepancies in my account and I received a call versus email response within two hours that it was resolved. My young pup comes back from AlphaDog absolutely exhausted and my old dog comes back full of youthful energy - the perfect outcome for both! It's so nice to have peace of mind when we're traveling that the dogs are in good care. read more

I rarely write Yelp reviews but my experience at AlphaDog has been so amazing I had to submit a review. Our dog, George, first went to Alpha for two months of Obedient Training and then completed approximately 6 months of Service Dog Training. All of which was with Sierra Berrik. She was incredible with training both George and my teenage daughter on the entire service dog protocol, process and methods. She is incredibly knowledgeable, experienced, empathetic and both George and my daughter loved working with her. George has successfully graduated and is instrumental to my daughter's holistic health. George continues to go to AlphaDog for daycare and has a ton of fun! My only suggestion for AlphaDog is to highlight your Service Dog Training Program and Sierra on your website. If it is there, it is buried. The only reason I found out that type of training was offered is because I called and the front desk and they told me. read more

We are *daily* long-term customers. Alpha Dog is very professional, extremely caring and has been a great place for our dogs. I recommend the day care, the boarding, the grooming and the training. read more

Alpha Dog's company was upsetting and hurtful to see how they run their business. They are constantly yelling at the dogs, will enclose a very shy dog with more "grown" dogs and it causes a lot of bullying.They aren't monitoring every cage, so the dog will be bullied for quite some time, and then when its crying or "yelping " loudly, they will spray water at the other dogs but will not remove the shy dog. This business is poorly run, it seems like they hire low patient employees, and never clean the cages. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone who loves their dogs. read more

We love Alpha Dog! I would be lost without them and Dipsea would not be the happy dog she is when I have to work. Dipsea nearly jumps out the car when we arrive because she is so excited to spend the day with friends and play. The staff are great. Zac who answers the phones and helps with scheduling has been extremely helpful when I have had last minute work pop up and Dipsea needed to get in last minute. Dipsea goes 3-4x a week. She comes home happy and exhausted. A tired dog is a good dog. Alpha dog is a must if you are a working parent with a high energy dog. We have had nothing but positive experiences and are going on nearly 20 visits so far. Definitely recommended! read more

AlphaDog Lodging - Happy as can be! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Mill Valley, California

i brought my 11 wk old toy poodle to them. She was raised ion a farm and would not go near other dogs, walk or go near cars. I called a trainer for help because I was a new pet owners and had no idea what to do. I was clearly over my head. She told me that Alpha Dog was the best place she ever worked so I took a chance They gave her a 2 hr assessment and recommended that I start bringing her for 1 hr with her crate so she felt safe a few days day a week. She was scared but eventually started coming out on her own, but still too scared to play with other pups. After 3 wks, she started to show interest. Their experience in boosting her confidence at her own pace was amazing. Based on this experience, she eventually started allowing me to walk her, lost her fear of pavement and cars She started playing with other dogs. This staff is amazing. Their skill, love and support of her and me as a fur baby parent made a huge difference It felt very personal. It has now been over 2 years She is now in the main yard and gets to play with more mature dogs of all sizes and breeds. It is her home away from home. I still get videos of her playing. I feel blessed that she has such an enriched life Laura Fleischmann read more

We have been coming to AlphaDog for two years now,with our dog Isabella a Maltese all 9.5 lbs of white fluff;) she's excited to see her friends every time we drop her off. On the days that she stays for full day daycare..she's fed 3 times by the staff and let her play until she's all tired! Same as when it's only a half day stay she's still cared for and played out!! Isabella loves it here so it's just fair to say that as her doggie parents we love it too!! PS..they have a $20 Sundays daycare which are Awesome Sauce!!! read more

AlphaDog Lodging - This is Isabella all bark&fluff!! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Mill Valley, California

If I could give AlphaDog 10 stars I would! Only positive & glowing things to say about this incredible staff & facility. We have sent our dog for boarding & training at Alpha Dog and they are the BEST. They are kind (to animals & humans!), responsive (via email & phone), and take care of our pup as if he were their own. Our dog LOVES playing in the yard with the other dogs. We appreciate that they break up the dogs based on energy level and size so he can play with dogs that like to play like him. We love that they send "pupdates" and photos when he boards! What a nice perk! Samantha trained our dog while he boarded at AlphaDog and she did an INCREDIBLE JOB! Our dog couldn't be trusted off-leash (he would be 10 miles away before we could call for him to come back) and would pull when walked on-leash. In just 10 sessions she has him where he can be off-leash in public parks/beach/etc. and he will come when called! In addition, when on-leash he now walks in a perfect heal at our side. Samantha is patient, loving, and energetic when training. We love her daily update videos and email communication. It was so nice to see my dog's daily progress and watch her techniques to apply when working with my dog on my own. We are eternally grateful to Samantha for hard work and that we found AlphaDog! read more

The team at AlphaDog has been absolutely terrific and a lifesaver as we returned to the office. Our 1 year old (high energy) pup has been attending daycare/training 3-4 days a week for last 6+ months. Our pup is super excited to go every day and clearly loves everyone at AlphaDog. Communication has always been super easy relative to scheduling and the team is very responsive. Veronica, Ashley, Byron, Jade, Bettina and others are always a pleasure to see in the morning and evening during pick up and drop off. Overall, AlphaDog is a really well run operation that provides a safe and fun place for our dog to hang out during the day. read more

I have been taking my dog for day care at Alpha Dog for 2 years. My dog comes home happy and tired. All the care takers know my dog and welcomes her like family. Although there are closer doggie day cares to my home I would only take my dog to a cageless facility. I feel confident that Alpha Dog cares for Haley as well as I do. read more

I wish I could give AlphaDogs 10+ stars!! I cannot recommend them enough!! My dog Bowdie has gone through their obedience training (and is now in their service dog training) and he has completely changed as a dog. He used to be very nervous and skiddish around men, pull on his leash constantly on walks, wouldn't come when called, and we couldn't bring him with us places because he was too hard to handle. After training with AlphaDogs he now is always comfortable and does not get anxious easily, we now can bring him on walks without a leash, his recall is amazing and he comes right away when called, and we take him everywhere with us. He has also been able to help me so much by doing deep pressure therapy that he was trained to do as a service dog. He is so excited whenever he gets to go to AlphaDogs and play with the other dogs and the staff could not be nicer and more friendly. They are always so sweet with him and have such great customer service. If you are looking for a place to train your dog or have them go to day care you MUST go to AlphaDogs! They are truly AMAZING!! read more