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!

Bringing a ridgeback into our family and pack of little dogs was a major shift in dynamics - Ceslie…read morehas been an incredible resource for training, walking and boarding!! We have loved partnering together, with her easy, professional communication, reliability, fun and safe walks with a lot of exercise and socialization....and her commitment to setting our pup up to thrive! Our dog is always so excited to go out with Ceslie, coming home from walks and/or boarding tired and happy, with her tail wagging!

We boarded our bearded dragon here while we were away for three weeks and could not have been…read morehappier with the experience. The pricing was reasonable, the staff were friendly and helpful, and most importantly, our little dinosaur was well taken care of. We are pretty sure he enjoyed his vacation almost as much as we enjoyed ours. We would definitely use them again in the future!

I swung by to buy timothy hay for the guinea pigs I'm fostering for a local rescue and I was so…read morethrilled to see that The Animal Connection also had rescued guinea pigs (as opposed to guinea pig from a breeder/breeding mill like the ones at Petco/Petsmart). The person working there was very nice and I think they care about animals... but they still buy some animals from breeders/breeding mills to resell them... It's really sad that some pet stores still do this, while so many rescued animals need homes. I hope The Animal Connection with do the right thing by transition to rescue-only and partner with local rescues to help get animals adopted who needs homes, and stop buying/selling any animals from breeders/breeding mills. Please do the right thing! Myself and soooo many other animal guardians really want to support businesses like yours, but not animal exploitation.

Betty has been wonderful to our dog Lovie. She's been very accommodating, even when we call her…read morelast minute, she's been willing to take her in. When we are away Betty sends us status updates on how our pup is doing. She'll send us photos/videos of Lovie either having a great time with other dogs or just relaxing on the couch. It's a good feeling to know that when you're away... Your dog is in good hands and being very well taken care off. Every time we pick up Lovie from Betty's place she's just exhausted! Which is nice because half the time we are too! But it just shows that she enjoyed herself while we were away and got plenty of play time in... If you're looking for a great place for your dog stay while you are away... You can trust Betty! -Lindsey, Brandon & Lovie

Betty has been my go-to dog sitter for nearly ten years. She boarded my yellow lab nearly every…read moreweek when I lived in San Francisco and traveled for business and pleasure. Over the last couple of years, she has sat both of my yellow labs whenever my wife and I travel on vacation. Even though I now live south of San Jose, I still make the trip to San Francisco for boarding because the dogs love her and I trust her completely. Without fail, Betty provides a diary of my dogs' stay, complete with fun pictures! I always hate to leave my "kids" behind, but the diary makes me feel like I was right there with them. Thank you Betty!

Bree has a lot of experience and is great with animals! Our cats are usually pretty shy, but she…read morewas able to check on them for us while we traveled and got to see how much they opened up and loved having Bree around! Would highly recommend her service for any pet sitting needs.

Bree took wonderful care of my 2 cats from 7/2/2026-7/12/2026. She sent daily videos and photos and…read morekept my kitties happy. She truly understands and cares about kitties.

Just wanted to provide an update after one year of service:…read more Our doggie has been transformed. Our Corgi is what we always hoped she would grow up to be: calm, happy, obedient. She always comes when called, and greatly enjoys life. It is all down to a daily session with Janet. Janet's professional care and time added to our family's routine with our Corgi has really paid off. We could not be happier.

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.

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.

What a great selection! I've been to lots of pet food stores in San Francisco, but the selection…read morehere was the best.

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!

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!

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.

We have been with Alia & SF Doggers for over two years now, and we couldn't be happier. Our dog,…read moreKona, is HIGH energy and has issues with anxiety and aggression. We spent a lot of time and energy training her, and were very nervous to leave her in anyone else's care, but Alia and the rest of her team quickly put us at ease. Alia worked with us to understand and improve upon Kona's training, and she continues to lend us her professional expertise as Kona grows. Alia and her team are responsible, calm, and incredibly good at what they do. I know that they genuinely care about my dog, and she absolutely adores them. Plus, Alia works hard to go the extra mile for her clients. She maintains a very active instagram where we (and all of my friends and family across the country) go to check on Kona's day, she always sends updates and pics whenever we leave Kona for an overnight, and she truly takes the time to get to know us and our dog. After witnessing how well she takes care of Kona, my parents and my brother both hired her for their own pups, and now all the family dogs get to hang out a couple times a week at SF Doggers daycare. Alia is seriously a part of our family, and we would be lost without her.

Mary has sit for our cat for over five years. She understands cats better than anyone I've met and…read morealways goes above and beyond (e.g., brings a variety of toys for playtime to accommodate each cat's different tastes, takes care of our plants, etc.). Our cat is afraid of anyone entering our apartment except Mary, and is always relaxed when we come home. She even took care of our cat shortly after he had surgery for a urinary blockage and he was at ease when we returned - I would have cancelled our trip if we didn't have Mary, who sent us regular, detailed updates and lots of photos throughout. Mary is truly a cat expert and we are very grateful to have her help whenever we're out of town.

Having moved around a lot, we've had the need to hire a number of cat sitters over the years. Mary…read morehas been the best by far! She really, truly does go above and beyond when it comes to making sure our cats are well cared for while we're away. The initial consultation was very thorough and she asked a lot of questions to get to know our cats' needs, likes, and dislikes. She has taken the time to get to know ours cats on her visits and allowed time for them to get to know her. We have one very shy kitty that most people aren't able to get close to. Mary has gained his trust and he will walk right up to her and play with her. She is very good at sending us updates and photos when she is visiting. I'd recommend Mary to anyone - it feels wonderful to know our cats are well-taken care of whenever we leave home.