*This review is in regards to their boarding services only* I have been using Big Basin for over 8 years now. They were recommended to me, because they are capable of accommodating aggressive and/or working dogs. Their kennel set up allows for them to care for dogs without having to enter the kennel. Gary and Peggy are the owners of this company. They have always been a pleasure to deal with for booking boarding dates. I have never had any issues with how they have cared for my dog over the years. My dog always looks healthy, cared for and excited to come home. Their rates are pretty reasonable and are priced by dog sizes. Their prices can be found on their website. They are open most days of the week. They used to have hours posted, but have since changed their hours to appointment only. Although I have never utilized their training services, I have heard good things about their training methods. This is a great option if you're looking for boarding and/or training. read more

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They took great care of Caledon during his stay with them. They are very professional and look forward to going to get training done soon.

The owners and staff are all great, very knowledgeable, and take great care of my pup when I'm out of town. He loves going there!! They also go above and beyond to clean up his messes (see pic). read more

Big Basin Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - Modesto, California

We enrolled our 2 yr old Black Labrador in the 30 day private dog training. Oh my goodness, Gary is an amazing trainer...Last fall our dog broke my collar bone & pulled my 6.2 ft husband down to the ground w her excessive LACK of FOCUS & 70 lb strength. The 30 day private training was worth every dollar because we were not going to be able to handle her and we knew it. She is now absolutely wonderful . We picked her up last Friday and we r both so excited to experience her calm & focused. Also, she looks healthy, bright and alert. Over the weekend we continued to train on the basics... heal/sit; sit/stay (we went out about 20 ft and returned) she did not move; go to your place (bed) and she calmly lays down and stays until we take her out, for me that is just magic; we also can take her out to go "Potty" and we now can train her to go in a designate area...oh my, that is just wonderful. On heal, she never pulled once which is not the story 30 days ago. If she got a little ahead of us, we corrected her and she immediately listened & got right back into position. Amazing & Excellent work Gary!!! After our 1st weekend, on Monday we started working w Peggy to "Train us" so we don't untrained our doggy. I think Peggy has the difficult job, hahaha. She has been great to work w, she answered all our questions and tomorrow we return for our 2nd private training session...Yay! The key is to train us to lovingly reinforce all the skills our doggie has learned. One final comment: This will now be where we board our doggie on our longer vacations. I noticed when we returned on Monday for our training, Kaili wanted to say hi to everyone, was so excited to see Gary her trainer, and she wanted go inside to the kennels...signal to me, she liked being there. We are absolutely grateful to Gary and Peggy for giving us a dog we can be excited to work with and thoroughly enjoy. read more

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I've taken my dogs here for boarding and training. It's a family run business who knows what they're doing. It's nice to be able to call a human if I have a question, and not deal with a recording or some teenager who knows nothing about dogs. I adopted one dog that I eventually had to take back to the shelter. Gary was upfront with me that no amount of training was going to fix this dog's prior abuse. He didn't want me to waste my money or put my kids in jeopardy. Long story short- I found another trainer who would take my money, but turns out Gary was right. Shoulda listened to him. They're old school and very knowledgeable. I'll be bringing my dogs here and nowhere else from now on. read more

Big Basin Dog Training - One of my dogs. - Pet Training Near Me - Modesto, California

Stable business that cares about training and is attentive to the boarders that visit the kennel. Peggy and Gary have been taking wonderful care of their clients and the facility is clean and well maintained. Big grass area for training and the staff have been doing a wonderful job for 50 years. And they are truly nice people. Look forward to doing business with them in the future. read more

Big Basin is the best place for training your dog! I am always recommending Peggy and Gary to my friends, co-workers, and family. They want you and your dog to have a great relationship. They have great advice on problem solving some puppy issues! I can't say enough about Big Basin, Gary and Peggy! I'll be back! read more

I left my Newfoundland for two weeks training. Since she was over one year old Gary really wanted to keep her for at least four weeks. I am so glad I only left her two weeks. When I got her back she had lost so much weight. She was so thin. Gary even commented to my husband dogs are easier to train when they are hungry. She looks like a rescue she was so thin when I got her back. read more

Big basin dod training and kennel. I used a lot of kennels for my dogs and the best I've found is Big Basin. Extremely clean kennels and very large. Both indoor and out. I know my dogs are safe when they are with Peggy and Gary. My dog Copper has separation anxiety and I can't leave him at home when I leave for any length of time. Gary and Peggy are very knowledgeable about dogs and their behavior! They know what to do in any type of emergency ! There prices are good definitely not over priced. I would recommend this place to any of my friends. read more

I emailed to request information regarding schedules and pricing for obedience training. I have a disability and it's easier for me to communicate in writing. I got back a single line stating to call them for information; absolutely nothing else. I responded that I preferred text-based communications and would that I would move on since they could not accommodate me. Thinking that was the end of it, I was surprised to receive another email snarkily telling me that emails wouldn't train my dog. Never did this person identify themselves or even attempt to assist me. Rude and unprofessional. Will not be wasting my time any further with this company. Ridiculous. read more

So, my mother talked to a man on the phone named Gary from this place. Where he proceeded to lecture her that giving a trouble dog a chance was stupid. That if he has fear aggression issues to take him back because  we had no chance of fixing the behavior issues we are facing with the dog. Also calling my mother a fool for taking in a hound because they are "too hard to train" and " why didn't she read anything before adopting a hound." So basically, if your dog is not already half trained or an ideal learner like a lab, they can't help you. Basically he said don't brother, take back the dog back to the pound, let it die. Thanks Gray, for all the enlightenment. If you can't train a dog, don't  berate it's kind hearted owner for your own inadequacies. A person like that should not be answering phones or dealing with animals! read more

I'm very happy with Big Basin, I felt secure leaving my pride n joy with them. I just wish l could have done sooner. Thank you Big Basin.

Gary and Peggy certainly know there craft inside and out! Years of experience that shines through! I was able to recently attend their puppy training class and am more than pleased with the results. I am looking forward to bringing my pups back for further obedience training. read more

Big Basin Dog Training - Puppy training class - Pet Training Near Me - Modesto, California

SO GLAD I DID THIS!! Michelle is wonderful! She took my dog (whom I love dearly but was very difficult) and in one lesson knocked out two major problem issues for us (getting in the trash daily and walking on a leash). She gave me lots of tips and provided me with instructions to reference when I was working with my dog on my own. Would definitely recommend. It was worth every penny! read more

Took my German Shepherd for boarding for 7 days they were great , they let me bring my own food and my little psycho was happy to see me and in great shape , smelled great to. I would highly recommend them and will use them again. I have known Gary and Peggy for many years and am happy to have them care for my dog . thanks again , we will be back . Thanks from Lorena Ippolito and Lexa read more

Gary and Peggy are the absolute Best in my opinion when it comes to Dog Training and Boarding! I brought my husky Nikki in for their Board and train and I am so pleased with the amount they had accomplished in such a short time. Best investment I have made. Nikki use to be afraid of collars, car rides, waking etc. she loves it all and is very well behaved. I recommend Big Basin Dog Training 100%. They definitely will not disappoint. Awesome place read more

I trust Peggy and Gary to board my dogs. I trust that they will be safe when I pick them Up and won't be mistreated. They are not let out of the kennel, for safety reasons which is fine by me. They are fed and their kennel is kept clean. They are very knowledgable about animals and Can handle my difficult dog. I have met several kennel owners and worked in animal rescue for years, by far when it comes to dog experience and handling they are the best. You don't get 5 star dog amenities like live video or outdoors time, but for the price they do a good job. Most importantly my dogs are SAFE. read more

I just picked up my golden retriever after a four week training. It was remarkable. He is a changed dog. I am so grateful for the care and education he received. My life will be better for their expertise. read more

I called here to inquire about some training on my little yorkie boy who keeps lifting his leg everywhere. The woman I spoke with was wonderful. She talked with me on the phone for at least 15 minutes. She was very honest with me and said that you have to train your dog in his own environment, she stated that they could try and potty train him, but when he returned to the environment, he would go about his business. She advised me that if anyone tells me different, they would be untruthful and just out for the money. She gave me tips for what I can do myself, at home. I was so impressed, she didn't have to spend 15 minutes of her time on the phone with me; I felt like she genuinely wanted to help. read more

Incredible ownership team I called to get some questions and she provided me with a wealth of knowledge and set realistic expectations. All of this was done over the phone never meeting me or charging me for anything you can tell this group of individuals takes their business extremely seriously and has the love and care for animals. Thank you! read more

Boarded our dog here because we could not get into our normal kennel. When I called I was told they would be able to play with other dogs. When we got there, my wife asked and she was told they would only be able to interact with the dogs in the cages next to him. They actually said why would we let the dogs interact unsupervised. This made me a little nervous because it made me believe that they would be unsupervised most of the time. Our dog is very people oriented and needs interaction. Wanted to let people know that if you want your dogs to interact with other dogs, you might want to look elsewhere. read more

I have never been to this facility but after speaking with an older lady on the phone I have no desire to. She was very unhelpful and basically said we had no chance of fixing the behavior issue we are facing with our rescue dog. A person like that should not be answering phones or dealing with animals! read more

We have been bringing our four-legged family members to Big Basin for almost six years now. Sadly my Golden Retriever, who loved Peggy & Gary very much, passed away about two years ago. After he passed we went to the pound and adopted Jessie, our lovable Border Collie Mix. She is great with our kids and with other people, but soon we discovered she was aggressive toward other dogs, especially while on the leash. What we called her 'leash aggression' eventually led us to believe we may have to consider re-homing her, she was so anxious and aggressive on the leash, I had to stop walking her. Because our backyard is not big enough for her sole source of exercise, we didn't think we were being fair to Jessie. We didn't want to re-home her, she's great with our kids, and to lose another dog so soon after our Golden Retriever was not our first option. Thankfully we turned to Peggy and Gary, they helped us save our Jessie. She is now a wonderful dog, both on and off the leash, and we are better dog owners because of the training. They showed us how to better manage her 'leash aggression' and taught us that it's due to her fears not because she's mean. While her training is a 'process', it is one that would never have been accomplished without Peggy and Gary. They have spent a lifetime training and teaching people how to work with dogs, their experience is unmatchable. I wouldn't go anywhere else, these folks know exactly what they are doing and can train any dog breed, and their owner. One of the best gifts I received from this experience, is not only having the wonderful dog I know Jessie is, but learning that training a dog has as much to do with training the owner as it does the dog. Jessie is always so excited to stay with Peggy and Gary, she's not scared and loves to see them every time we board her with them. I will not take Jessie anywhere else. I highly recommend Big Basin for any of your training or boarding needs, they are fantastic! read more

Let me start with this. I am just about finished up with my dogs board and train with Top Notch Kennels and my dog is a whole new dog. She was a dog reactive escape artist TWO weeks ago. She is in her last week there and is doing AMAZING and honestly could come home now but I am keeping her there so that she can solidify what she has learned being that she is 6 years old. I am writing this review here because when I called Big Basin about doing a board and train with my dog, I was told by the man who does the board and training program (Gary I think? ) that she was and I quote "a lost cause" and that he would never accept her in the program because it would be a "waste of time" because of her age and the problems I stated I needed to be worked on. Listen. I read the reviews here, about how they are old school and that they will tell you the truth and not sugar coat it. Im all for it. I don't sugar coat. I was real and up front. I took responsibility and still received a literal lecture and a rude disgusting attitude. The rude high horse attitude is not cute. It's not helpful and honestly I wouldn't have trusted them to take my dog even if he allowed her to go. He said that I could never correct her aggression towards dogs in her bubble, and that I should have dealt with the problem earlier in her life. If I could have I would have but back then I was not financially able, at the ripe age of 17, to dish out 1,000-2,000 dollars to board and train her. I even acknowledged that I should have dealt with it sooner but I really just couldn't so I managed the problem as best I could. He made that decision with out meeting her, with out a consultation, just because I told him that she had an incident with a chihuahua(my dog is a Aussie X German Shepherd) and he decided that she was 100% no go. I hope he reads this. This man only wants dogs/puppies who are easy to train or are already trained and will be an easy $1,000. He was wrong about my dog. So so so wrong. I am so glad that man told me no because it lead me to choose Top Notch Kennels. And you should too, because I'm thrilled at the progress Top Notch made. And just so that men man knows... My dogs "aggression" was actually reactivity and even at the age of 6 years old, TOP NOTCH got it under control. Never. Ever in my life will I recommend Big Basin to anyone. read more

love going to Big Basin Dogs. When we lived in Modesto, used them a lot for boarding our 2 dogs. Then started to use the obedience classes. We moved away, and now take our future dogs to Peggy and Gary for advance board and training and the results show when we pick them up. We continue to use Big Basin Dogs as the training methods used not only train the dog, but instruct the owners on the best methods used to be successful in continuing your dog's behaviors. Hard to find great old school dog training methods and current methods where we live now. We do follow up with board/train for our goals with dog training has needs for advance training goals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIoGnyQOQBg Video is just one of our dogs Gary/Peggy trained while we opted for the board/train program. Gary and Peggy will say it like it is of what your dog is capable of doing in training to guide you to have a house pet, or advance training into IPO or AKC events. Gary and Peggy have been in dog business both showing, competing and training aspects as well as running their business for decades. As I said, Gary and Peggy are old school trainers and get the dog to respect the owner who is the pack leader, and develop the esteem of the dog to obey and motivate. Gary and Peggy have so far trained 6 of my Dobermans thru out the years. Thank you for reading my review. read more

Gary & Peggy love dogs & they have a nice clean place for boarding dogs. My poodles are relaxed after 2 weeks there, not nervous like their last place. I had them groomed by my groomer & they smelled great and were very happy when I picked them up, but not nervous. Peggy told me that they will groom my dogs if I asked them too. Thank you Gary & Peggy. read more

Love these folks!!! They did an amazing job with my Bella!! I was too overwhelmed caring for my father during his last days fighting cancer. Bella, my goldadore, was in distress as she knew "Grampa" was very sick. She was just 9mo old. I had started training her before Dad got ill but then had to stop to give Dad my full attention. Bella was not okay with all of this. That's when I called Peggy at Big Basin. She was so caring and reassuring as I decided the best thing to do was to put Bella in their 30 day boarding class. Bella blossomed!!! When I came back to pick her up she was great. She walks beautifully on the leash...no more pulling!!! When I stop...she sits. It is now a joy to take her for walks!!! Bella love going back for training and weekends too. read more

Another truly priceless experience with Big Basin! Peggy and Gary provide top care and awesome advice too. I am so grateful for their help and continued outstanding customer service! Jessie's Family read more

Big Basin is a lifesaver. Our dog Harley was a stray that showed up out of nowhere. He has always been a sweetheart but was completely unmanageable at first. I tried taking him to other trainers but didn't find a good match until Gary and Peggy. I signed him up for a 30-day board and train program which meant leaving him at the kennel to be trained and then coming back for one-on-one training sessions. What a difference! When I came back for him he was the same sweet dog but with respect for my boundaries and commands. And what's even more impressive, he loves both Gary and Peggy and he is always happy to come back for more one-on-one training sessions. He is so comfortable at Big Basin that it makes it the perfect place to board him when I go out of town. When he's here, I always know he's in good hands! read more

I leave my dogs at the Kennell when I'm out of town and they are well cared for and happy. Service is friendly and helpful.

Great environment and LOTS of room in the kennels for the dogs to run and play! Very happy with their services read more

Big Basin Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - Modesto, California

I highly recommend this place. Boarding here is different than other similar places. Your dog's social time is one to one human interaction which works for our Italian greyhound. I often worry if she is in a big social group, should there be some dog ramble which happens, my dog is not equipped to handle the untoward so well. She is more of a people person anyways. After meeting Peggy and Gary, I knew I found the right professional and friendly people and the right place. The location is way out there but I just think that my dog is going on a country retreat ;) read more

My DOH and I are fairly new to dog training as adults (I did it as a teenager with a personal trainer and a rotweiler), but my husband has never owned his own dog. I know, shocking. Two years ago we adopted the best little german shepherd puppy and wanted to do right by him, by finding him a good trainer and keep him stimulated. I do research for a living, so I made sure to research as much as I could for where we could find the best trainers. We attended AKC shows (not very exciting, but entertaining- like the movie Best in Show!!! lol). I looked up who the American GSD champions were. I called their breeders and asked them where to go for training. I told them we were more interested in Schutzhund sport (obedience, protection, tracking) than AKC. They directed me to breeders who were pro Schutzhund, more geared to working dogs. I also called our breeder relentlessly and asked her many questions about Schutzhund, was it ok to do with kids, what should we do to get my DOH and GSD in gear to compete, etc. She was pro Schutzhund and pro German GSD vs. American GSD. She directed me to other people. I called them. I also looked up on pedigree database where the best GSD training was in the nation. Hands down, everyone said northern California. The breeders and others I talked to told me to go to Big Basin. On one occasion, a woman, a breeder and member of another Schutzhund club I was looking to join because it was closer to my house, told me she wouldn't trust anyone but Peggy and Gary Park with training, owners of Big Basin. That was a year and half ago. We couldn't be happier with Big Basin Training (puppy class, intermediate, Schutzhund club). They are very supportive and tell my DOH what's what in dog training and they don't beat around the bush. We're going on a trip to visit family and Gary suggested we take our GSD there for a few hours to get him accustomed to "kennel time." He gets anxious without DOH, so this was a good idea. We did, and he did very well, laid down and waited for "kennel time" to be over. The only embarrassing thing was when my DOH stopped to talk to Gary and our GSD took a big steamer in Gary's office. ooops. No big deal. Gary took out a very clean and large pooper scopper, picked it up mid sentence, cleaned it up, and didn't mind it at all. ha! And we thought our GSD never pottied on concrete, guess he does. True dog people. AND our GSD is very calm in Gary's and Peggy's presence. Works for us! We wouldn't trust him anywhere else. read more

Today I called this company to find out about training that would help my dig in her current situation. I spoke with Peggy over the phone and told her the issues that we are having and instead of her trying to sell me on classes and take my money she was honest in saying that I'm better off going a different route. Peggy was very kind over the phone and explained my best options. These days you don't see honesty in a company or employees like this. I however did not get training done here, yet, but I know that due to how Peggy handled the call I can only imagine how amazing the company is at training. Thank you again Peggy! read more

Affordable, and knowledgable. Obviously I cant ask my dog how she liked her stay there, but she seemed fine to me & they really know how to train dogs, they train a lot of police dogs there. Id recommend this kennel to a friend. read more

Wonderful training center. I took my German Shepherd here when he was a pup. The trainers know what they are doing. I highly recommend.

This is my first online business review ever - a direct result of a New Years Resolution to engage in more random acts of kindness. So here goes... First - a confession. I'm one of those "my dog is my constant companion" people. I typically don't leave home without my canine best friend(s). But this is the real world - where professional obligations and tempting vacations have occasionally resulted in the need to board my dog(s). For the last 15 years - whenever I can't take them with me - I've boarded my dogs at Big Basin. And though I always wish I could take them with me - I kiss them good-bye with peace of mind - because Gary and Peggy have earned my trust. I'm hard to please, and even harder to impress. My dogs aren't exactly easy either. I found Big Basin through a close friend, & I've been recommending them (by word of mouth) ever since. read more

For the past 3 years I have utilized the services of Big Basin Dogs and have found them to be very professional and caring. My female German Shepherd was 4 months old the first time I took her to Big Basin. At that time she was a very fearful puppy with little confidence. Today she has excellent obedience, is very well adjusted and is well loved by everyone that meets her. This was made possible by the help I received from Peggy and Gary. I now have a second German Shepherd puppy. He has been going to Big Basin since he was 9 weeks old and is a very self assured little boy thanks to getting wonderful guidance from Peggy and Gary. I haven't had the opportunity to kennel my dogs with Peggy and Gary but if I needed to kennel them Big Basin would be the ONLY place I would feel comfortable leaving them. They truly care about the dogs and I know my dogs would get the excellent care they deserve. I would recommend Big Basin to anywone looking for high quality services for their pets big and small. Rest assured Peggy and Gary will take good care of your 4 legged family members. read more

We have taken our dog here 3 times. It's very clean, reasonably priced, but it was just too far away. Never had any issues. He was actually pretty clean when we picked him up. No problems. read more

My husband and I boarded our two dogs for 5 days. The owner was accommodating and respectful of our requests. Both dogs came home happy and healthy. Price was reasonable and Care was was excellent. Highly recommend! read more