We highly and confidently recommend Mike and BK Paws & Play. We've worked with Mike consistently since 2021 and he has been absolutely instrumental in our journey with our rescue, Goose. At 40lbs, anxious, and leash-reactive, Goose wasn't the easiest first pup for us to raise together. Since he is an athletic, medium-sized dog, we needed someone with the confidence and experience to handle his size, triggers, and reactivity. Mike was that person. Through years of consistent weekday and occasional weekend walks, Mike helped Goose socialize safely on solo and 'pack' walks. Knowing that Mike has worked with many of the same dogs and owners in the neighborhood for years really speaks to how much he is trusted with our four-legged family members. Because of Mike, we understand Goose so much more now. Our relationship is full of trust and, honestly, way more fun. The daily photos and updates were incredibly reassuring, but Mike's support went far beyond walking. Over the past year, he provided refresher training that significantly strengthened Goose's obedience and our own communication skills. Most recently, when we moved to a new neighborhood, Mike went above and beyond by coming over for a two-hour session to help us introduce Goose to our new home, giving us the personalized advice we needed to get off on the right foot. We're sad that we're unable to work with Mike regularly, but we're already looking forward to his occasional dog park hangouts so Goose can reunite with his friends. If you have a 'difficult,' anxious, or larger rescue dog and want a professional who truly understands them, Mike is the person you want in your corner. read more

BK Paws and Play - Dog Walkers Near Me

Mike is the real deal -- and if you're a dog owner in Brooklyn who takes your pup's wellbeing seriously, stop searching and book him now. We've been using Mike for regular dog walking, and from day one the difference was obvious. He's everything you want in a walker: consistent, communicative (we actually know what's happening on every single walk), and -- most importantly -- genuinely dog-obsessed in the best way possible. You can tell this isn't just a job for him. He cares deeply about creating a safe, secure, and enriching environment for every dog in his care. Max and Nora always comes home happy and tired in the best way. But the real game-changer for us was the dog training. We came in with two dogs and behavioral issues we honestly thought were just... who they were. Things we had quietly accepted as permanent. Within a short period of working with Mike, those issues shifted -- almost instantly. The progress was nothing short of life-changing. His approach is calm, methodical, and clearly rooted in a deep understanding of dog behavior. He doesn't just correct problems; he helps you understand the "why" behind them, which means the changes actually stick. It's rare to find someone who combines professional-grade training skills with the kind of warmth and dedication that makes you feel like your dogs are in genuinely good hands. Mike is that person. We're so grateful we found him. read more

We will 100% be using this service again. Mike was immensely professional and communicative while we were away-- we had him coming over twice a day to walk our elderly pug while we were away. We were able to meet Mike and make arrangements in person, then while we were gone Mike sent pictures and updates. What an excellent business to have in the neighborhood! read more

BK Paws and Play - A picture snapped while Mike cared for our old man! - Dog Walkers Near Me

Ever since I started using BK Paws and Play a few years back I have been comforted with the knowledge that my dog is well cared for! Mike is so kind, responsive & responsible. I always get a photo & an update (water bowl filled, went number 1, etc.) afterwards letting me know how his walk went. This is very helpful as an anxious pet parent who feels terrible leaving her pup alone for too long! Highly recommend to anyone needing walks by a trustworthy team! read more

BK Paws and Play - Update pic - Dog Walkers Near Me

Mike and his team are the absolute best! Our dog is extremely reactive and we had nearly given up walking her and Mike was able to work with her to not only continue on walks but also to walk with other dogs. His service is dependable and gives us peace of mind that our dog is in great and capable hands. read more

Mike and the team are wonderful. We started working with Mike when we first brought our rescue dog home. Our pup had severe separation anxiety and Mike helped us to calm and assure our new pup in his new home. Since then, Mike and his team have been taking Chuck on a walk every day for 5+ years. Mike has also helped with boarding when we were on vacation, helped to transition Chuck when we moved into a new apartment, even helped us cope when we eventually had to put Chuck down. Chuck loved his daily walks with Mike and other neighbors dogs, and we loved Mike and his team. Mike and his team of walkers are extremely professional but friendly, excellent communicators, and manage to get some of the best photos of the dogs they work with. I can't recommend Mike enough! read more

We've been using Mike & his team for many years now for both weekly walks for our dog and for longer dog boarding if we're on vacation. Mike is an excellent communicator who sends regular updates and pictures as well as being flexible if we need things last minute. Our dog also loves him and his weekly walker Kenny! Would highly recommend BK Paws to anyone read more

Mike has been an amazing walker for us and our dog Couscous. When we first started working with him, we were still working through some pretty intense dog reactivity on leash/walks with our trainer. Mike was great about working with our trainer to learn what Couscous needed and what our training protocol was to keep consistency. He progressed slowly with her and she transitioned beautifully into Mike's pack and has made many dog friends and walking buddies through Mike over the years. We trust Mike completely with her, and are so grateful for his care and dedication. read more

Mike has a great attitude, and took great care of my puppy - he usually walks a few at a time which is great since my guy is very social.

Mike and his team are absolutely incredible! Years ago I had an awful experience with a different Brooklyn-based walking service. The walkers were not communicative and traumatized my dog, Sloane, by grabbing her out from underneath furniture rather than forming a connection with her. I was devastated. I asked around for other walker recs and was immediately pointed to Mike and BK Paws and Play. He came to my apartment and met Sloane and took his time getting to know her. We had an awesome first meeting and from then on I never had a single worry about Sloane's walks! He has taken the time with each new walker to introduce them to Sloane and create familiarity between her and them. It's been magical for us since Sloane is pretty scared of strangers. I couldn't be happier with BK Paws and Play and enthusiastically recommend them to all BK dog owners! read more

Adding stars on stars here . . . Mike and his team have been walking my pups consistently for the last 6 months, and what a great service. Both of our dogs are rescues with extreme trauma, and the BK Paws and Play team have been instrumental in keeping them happy and healthy in NYC. Mike observed both dogs when we initially set up the service and has set up a routine for entry, leashing them up, and dropping them off that makes both dogs comfortable. The thing that makes me trust the whole team and their service is that I didn't get a "Oh, I just love dogs..." statement. Mike and his team understand that with difficult dogs, it's about minimizing confrontation and creating consistency, and careful observation to assess triggers and reactivity during a walk. I would highly recommend the BK Paws and Play team for any pup! read more

Trista and Mike were the best walkers we could have asked for. Our pup, Kimchi, is incredibly anxious during walks and struggles to cope with any loud noise (which is NY, is constant), or even to step off the stoop. They were so patient with him and really developed a trusting relationship with Kimchi. Kimchi also made some good doggo friends along the way, especially his walking buddy, Churro :) Thank you, Trista and Mike! read more

BK Paws and Play - Dog Walkers Near Me

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First time boarding my dog here a couple of days ago, and he loved them- which makes me happy because I feel good knowing I have a reliable dog-sitter/walker for him. I love that I got texts, and picture updates on his stay. He met some new friends as well. Thank you Mike for taking care of my dog as if he was your own. read more

Mike is the type of person that really cares for animals. I needed a sitter for my three house trained rabbits this past summer. When I met Mike I was really amazed by the level of questions he asked about caring for the rabbits. The next few days while I was away, Mike would send me updates about how they were doing, pictures, videos and ask questions if he was unsure of something. It made me feel so comfortable while I was on my trip. I cannot recommend BK Paws and play enough. Mike's level of care is a rare find in NYC and I am so glad to have met him. read more

Mike and his team are awesome! I have a fearful rescue who is reactive to most dogs and some people, and Mike and our walked Kenny have been incredibly patient and accommodating, even coming to work with our trainer. Highly recommend! read more

Mike and his team, who were recommended by our dog trainer, have been walking our dogs almost every day for over a year. They have been nothing short of fabulous. Our young dog is leash reactive, and they have been wonderful with him. They have slowly introduced him to new dogs, and now he can walk with other dogs without a problem and is much less reactive to other dogs on the street. They communicate with us and clearly care a lot about all the dogs they walk. I can't imagine what more anyone would want in a dog walking service. The best we have ever worked with. read more

We held off on getting a dog walker for a long time because we were nervous about trusting someone with our little guy Walter. He's a very anxious rescue dog and doesn't take to new people well, but Mike was amazing with him. He really took his time getting to know Walter, earned his trust and even helped build up his confidence. We scheduled walks for weekdays when my husband and I were at work but every once in awhile I'd be working from home and would see how excited Walter was to see Mike every day. Truly a rarity for our dog! We were thrilled with their dog walking service, their communication and their obvious understanding and compassion for our dog. It was a relief to know that someone we could trust was checking in on our pup each day. My husband and I ended up moving to a neighborhood outside of their range and I will miss working with them. Could not recommend them more! read more

We connected with Mike and his team through our trainer, as owners of a recovering reactive dog we were nervous about using a dog walker but really wanted to have back-up in case we needed someone. Mike and our walker Sarah have been wonderful and great with our dog Gus. They are super communicative and it is great to know that our dog is getting walked in an environment that works best for us. We are moving away but would recommend BK Paws to anyone whose dog needs a little extra attention to have a great walk. read more

Mike and team are great! Super dependable! Kenny, our walker, is really on top of it. My dogs are "special needs". Little Caeser has crazy anxiety and Oiler is a blue heeler/shitzu mix (enough said). They are a handful, but Mike and team have weathered the storm in stride. I would highly recommend their services for anyone looking for a dependable mom and pop dog walking service. read more

Mike walks with my dog Benny every weekday. He has the key to my house, he comes in, Benny is usually excited already waiting to see him, and they go for the walk. Rain, snow, sun, Mike and Benny are always together. I trust Mike a lot. He also helped with some of Benny's behaviors issues, he gives me tips and he also boarded Benny for a full week that I had to travel to work. Very glad to have met Mike and I strongly recommend him. Thank you Mike! read more

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Mike walked and boarded our Belgian Malinois Mandoo for the year we lived in Fort Greene. We can't say say enough good things about his service. Very professional, kind and friendly guy, and very patient, which was good as Mandoo has boundless energy and quirks. She loved going to stay with him and really appreciated the mid day walks while we were both at work. The updates/pictures from her walks/stays were always timely and very welcome. Highly recommended!!! read more

We have been using BK Paws and Play for the last 5 years. They are INCREDIBLE with all of our dogs and have become a part of our family in a big way. They provide incredible love, exercise, training and COMMUNICATION. We always get pictures of walks, updates on dogs behavior, health and happiness. They are skilled at dog training as well and were immensely helpful in helping us out when we rescued an abused, aggressive staffordshire terrier and needed to integrate him into our pack. I trust BK Paws with my home, family and my dogs - which is great because they are one of the more affordable services in the area. Without them we would never be able to travel, we would never have been able to adopt and rehab our third dog and we definitely would not enjoy worry free days when we have to be at work or away from home for long periods of time. THANK YOU to the team at BK Paws - we HIGHLY recommend them. read more

Mike of BK Paws and Play was my dog walker and cat sitter for the last three years I lived in Brooklyn. Mike is amazing with animals and cares for them like they're his own. He and my older pup, Miles, became the best of friends and Miles ALWAYS enjoyed his walks. Mike is dependable and extremely attentive to details so I always knew Miles was in good hands. After each walk he would send me a detailed note. He also refreshed Miles' water bowl every time and made sure the cats weren't left out so they were given their fair share of treats. One of the things I miss most about Brooklyn is Mike and his services. Maybe one of these days he'll expand his business to The A but until then I'll be cheering him on from down here and referring any of my Brooklyn folks with furry friends his way. read more

In short--- (1) I'd trust Trista and Mike with our anxious doggo under any circumstances (2) They've helped her learn and grow in a city that can be tough for anxious dogs, step-by-step and day-by-day! (3) They genuinely care about her well-being and have a gentle and calming presence (4) The BK Paws portal is a really quick and easy way to talk with them and manage payments, so setting up and maintaining (or adjusting) a schedule is super easy Mike, Trista and Benny have been genuine lifesavers with our highly anxious mutt, Yuzu. Yuzu was really scared of NYC street walks - any big noise, car, skateboard, or person will set her shaking and spinning. We rescued her last year and after months and months of training (individual and group), she was still struggling to make any progress on her walks. After working with Trista for the last 3 months, we've seen a huge change in her willingness to keep goin'. She still doesn't LOVE it, but Trista (and Mike and Benny's!) gentle touch and knowledge of how to use a K9 Lifeline leash has put her more at ease than she's ever been. I'm confident that they've played an integral role in her comfort out on the chaotic streets. We have also had Yuzu stay with BK Paws boarding multiple times, and we get pictures and updates of our doggy enjoying her time with the other dogs visiting. I can rest assured that she's safe, getting lots of belly rubs, and is having FUN when she's with these guys! read more

Mike has helped my Frenchie socialize with pack walks and a knowledge of how animals, that have had bad experiences can become aggressive to bigger dogs need time. He walks my dog with larger mellow Dogs and his behavior has improved so much, he is calm sometimes tense but less aggressive or overprotective every day. Mike cares and it shows! read more

Mike is incredibly reliable and has saved us on short notice more times than I can count. Our pit bull Darby loves him and even gets to meet some of the other dogs on walks sometimes. Additionally, he always adds water to the bowls and checks in on our kitties as well. I'd happily recommend his services to anyone in the neighborhood! read more

I have used BK Paws and Play for the past two years. Mike is great with my two labradors. He is also extremely professional, trustworthy and reliable. He is a great with communication and always accommodating when we need to change the schedule. I have never had an issue with him or our other walker Kenny. I highly recommend! read more

We've been working with BK Paws and Play for over 3 years. They're great with our dog Babe and she loves when they come by. They leave detailed notes on Babe's walks and we've been so appreciative of them taking care of our 1st baby. Highly recommend their services! read more

So proud to work for this company! The care put into to each pets care is bar none :)