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!

"You don't train the dog; you train the handler."…read more This couldn't be more relevant having worked with Ceslie. To be clear, while I saw training results with my pup by day 2, I didn't realize how imperative it is for YOU to learn patience and consistently implement the training. Point being, you are a student, and Ceslie is an incredible teacher. Her experience and knowledge are obvious, but what's special is how quickly she identifies the issues and gets you on track, like day 1, it was uplifting. Ceslie gets it. She'll adapt to your style and help you get to that obedience baseline you want to see in your dog. She balances compassion with firm direction-- Ceslie's a pro. For context, my guy was 7 months old at the time, rescue, half German shepherd mix w/ HIGH ENERGY... oh, and 75lbs. While he's never shown aggression, he's a liability because he LOVES everyone-- favored meeting strangers over recall, jumps on people, would be a brat, throwing tantrums when given commands. I always wanted a dog, but I was overwhelmed. Within a month (mornings, 4 days a week), I hit baseline with my dog--- he recalls, he doesn't jump, most importantly, taught him to fetch so I could properly get energy out of him... such an immense amount of weight lifted. Proof of progress with pics (she sent me photos of training each day) TLDR; Ceslie rocks. Stop looking.

I got my first pet from the Animal Connection. She's a hamster and her name is Elena and I'm so…read moregrateful to the owner and staff for helping me provide her with everything she needs to be healthy and happy. The store always has what I need for my hamster including food, toys, tips to keep her healthy and safe, and interior decorations for her living space. The owner and staff are all very friendly and helpful and I love it everytime I go there. Thank you Animal Connection!!!

Great independent shop. I come here for my crickets and toys for other people's pets. They have a…read morevery cute parakeet that hangs out at the counter that makes me want to have one again. Highly recommend.

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.

I took my 71‑lb Chow Chow in for grooming. Before I found…read moreBFF, Eddie had been rejected by every other grooming shop I called or visited. At home, whenever I take out the nail clippers, he growls, bares his teeth--and he can bite. The staff here must be dog whisperers. The groomer who worked with him (with over 20 years of experience) trimmed his nails in just minutes. I didn't hear any struggling at all. How she did it, I honestly don't know. I also learned today that they offer bathing and boarding, which I'm definitely going to try soon. A happy dog makes a happy me. Needless to say, I highly recommend this shop. Feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to know more about my experience. Or you may meet me in the Sunset area/GGP with my Chow Chow.

Love how our two dogs looks so pretty after the grooming !!! This is our second time we have…read moretaking our dogs to BBF. For sure we will be going back to BFF again !!!

Janet is very reliable and clearly loves our dog. She transports Maggie in her Doggie Business van…read morewhere she is safe and secure. She takes Maggie for very long walks and Maggie is clearly exhausted when she returns home. Janet communicates very well with us, she is very trustworthy. We have no hesitation in recommending Janet for your dog walking needs.

Janet takes great care of my dog, rain or shine! She's reliable and my dog is always happy to see…read moreJanet so you know she takes good care of her and has fun. I trust my dog will be happy, get exercise and socializing each day while I'm at work. I come home to a happy pup.

Carla is just the best!…read more Our overactive border collie absolutely loves her. Carla takes the dog pack out for super long off leash walks and when Jack comes home he naps for hours. She's very flexible with scheduling and always accommodates us if we're out of town or have a change in our schedule. She also does boarding which has worked great for us on weekend getaways when we can't bring Jack. They get kongs every night and we think Jack may start to like Carla more than us

I have been using Bark About Town for almost 2yrs now (this review is long overdue!)…read moreMy dog was adopted as a rescue, full of anxiety, fear aggression, and very cautious of men. Carla has been a blessing in helping socialize him and refer me to an excellent trainer to continue his skills and curb his behavior. My dog loves the pack walks/hikes and occasional overnights. Carla is an excellent communicator and alerts you if one of the pack dogs might be sick so you can keep an eye out for your own pup. She's thoughtful, responsible and loves my dog like her own.

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.

I called to see if my dog can get groomed the day of and the worker was so nice and was able to…read moresqueeze me in! The groomer Lei was so nice and accommodating to my dog. She seemed very gentle and nice to my dog which I really appreciated because my dog can get a little anxious with grooming. Overall the service was great, the interior is so cute, and I'll definitely be coming back!

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!

OMG, Alia is incredible! We had to leave our 14 month old puppy for a 12 day work trip (SO GLAD TO…read moreFINALLY BE HOME!) and we had so much anxiety leaving him for this long for the first time. I cannot even begin to tell you how reassuring it was to see photos and videos of Moose playing and romping around in Golden Gate park and Alia's amazing backyard. Because of those regular updates we were able to really focus on our trip and let go of that worry. MOST importantly though.. we cannot say thank you to Alia enough. Moose is an 80+lb monster and we hadn't been the greatest at training him as much as we would have liked. He pulled, his recall was bad, and he lunged happily at new dogs a lot. NONE OF THAT EXISTS anymore. He stays when he's told, he doesn't pull, and he comes when called almost immediately. We were flabbergasted on our morning walk with him after coming home. Just wow. Alia, thank you thank you thank you thank you. You've not only given us peace of mind but you've given us a happier and more well behaved puppy. We're eternally grateful and so thankful for you.

Alia was a great care taker for our dog. She was reliable and understood dogs well. Appreciated the…read morecommunication via the photos from the walks.

I can't say enough great things about Top Dog SF! This might sound a little unconventional, but I…read morejust hosted a 10th birthday party for my dog here after he went through a really intense health journey last year so this milestone meant everything to my family and I. From the very beginning, the process was incredibly smooth. Reaching out through their website and coordinating the booking for a non-hosted event was so easy, and the communication was clear, responsive, and genuinely helpful. The space itself was absolutely perfect and exactly what I was looking for to celebrate with close friends and family. Everything came together seamlessly, which made the day even more special and stress-free. I catered food and brought my own decor and it was an easy set up and takedown. I'm so grateful to the team at Top Dog SF for helping make this meaningful celebration possible. I would 100% book here again. Thank you so much!

We took our puppy Mila to Top Dog for two months of puppy head start and had an excellent…read moreexperience. Mila is a Lagotto Romagnolo (10 weeks when we started) and can be a bit of a handful, but Mike worked wonders. She's great on leash now and her overall behavior has improved significantly. Mike is always attentive and genuinely cares about the dogs. He even recommended food options that helped resolve some of Mila's stomach issues, which was great. Shoutout to Michelle and Raina as well. Mila loved them and they took her on tons of walks. They were both awesome with her. The most valuable part is that we came away feeling equipped to keep training her ourselves. We've since taught her a bunch of tricks on our own. Well worth it. Would highly recommend to any new dog owner!