2 weeks of board and train with Pat has made huge improvements in reducing reactivity in my German…read moreshepherd mix rescue dog. Over the four years I have had her, she has progressively gotten more reactive to the point that I can no longer let her off leash except in the most controlled circumstances and walks were stressful and unpredictable. Whenever we encountered another dog or any other animal, I would have to brace myself for lunging, barking, and potentially getting dragged down the street. When I picked her up from board and train a week ago, she showed much improvement. I had been concerned that corrections could dampen her spirit but that was not the case. She's still as sweet and spirited as ever. Also, I noticed she had bonded closely with Pat which was a good sign. The improvement in her reactively became very apparent when I took her to Pat's group class for the first time today. In the past, she would have started barking from the car at the dogs in the park and I would not have been able to walk her anywhere near a park full of dogs. Today, I was able to walk her into the park without incident, and during exercises where the dogs had to walk near each other and sit within 3 feet of each other, I was amazed that she could do the exercises without a lot of stress and even seemed somewhat relaxed. That never would have happened before Pat! I look forward to taking my dog to as many group classes as we can! Thank you Pat!

Pat is fantastic! I…read moreenrolled Harley, my very reactive doxie puppy, in one-on-one sessions followed by a 2-week board and train program and it was the best decision I've ever made. Pat uses these awesome analogies to help you understand the way dogs think and react. You can tell he is extremely knowledgeable and breaks down the training process in a way where it's straightforward for both you and your pup. I can see how it may be awkward to meet a total stranger who is then teaching you how to train your "child", but it never felt that way with Pat. He is super down to earth, hilarious and extremeley personable. I continue to use his dog sitting services until this day and I can tell my Harley girl adores him!

Pamela is exceptional in understanding a dog's character, energy level, and body language. She…read morehelped us with several issues over the last two weeks and we continue our sessions to reinforce learned behaviors. We met with Pamela while discussing the possibilities of socialization for our 9-month-old puppy. She asked more questions, quickly understood the things we wanted to work on, and suggested the best plan that fitted the needs of our puppy and our lifestyle. Over the last two weeks, she met with the puppy, took him to different places, assessed his reaction to people and other dogs, and build fundamentals of better reactions. After two training sessions, I noticed how much more responsive my puppy is and how less he is nervous about distractions on walks. She also gave us a lot of advice regarding jumping (before that we tried multiple methods and those have not been as effective), counter surfing, how to redirect out puppy energy into useful work, so on. Pamela is a very experienced trainer and we are looking forward to learning more from her and our collaboration.

Pamela has been SO incredible at getting our lovely but very active and somewhat addictive (to…read moreballs, sticks, anything she can put in her mouth) golden retriever puppy to learn to let go, to calm down, and to behave. She has also helped us to be better at understanding Darby's motivations and emotions. Fun and effective training for everybody!

Kathy is a phenomenal at training people and their dogs. She's helped us with in-home training,…read moreoff-leash practice, and everything that's come up in between. She also hosts monthly classes that are free for clients who work with her regularly and has put in lots of additional time inviting dogs (and their people) to tag along on pack walks. It's clear that she does this work because it's her passion and she cares about dogs being happy and well cared for. "Balanced" dog training includes tons of treats, lots of play, and the safety needed to make sure no one gets hurt. We weren't sure what to expect from training with Kathy, but it's been a wonderful balance of true fun, silliness, joy, and clear and firm boundaries. We're so grateful to have her in our lives.

I cannot recommend Kathy at Cause and Effect Dog Training enough! When we first reached out, our…read moreSpringer Spaniel, Checkers, was fearful, anxious, and often growled at my spouse and sometimes even at our kids. We had already tried multiple trainers, different techniques, and even followed our vet's suggestion to try antidepressants--but nothing was helping (in fact, the medication only made things worse). The moment I spoke to Kathy on the phone, I felt confident she truly understood the problem and could guide us in the right direction. And she absolutely has. Over the past year, Checkers has made tremendous progress thanks to Kathy's knowledge, patience, and the clear guidance she gave us. We followed her suggestions carefully--even switching vets based on her recommendation--and the results have been life-changing. Earlier this year, we had to travel out of the country and trusted Kathy to board Checkers. During that time, he developed a beautiful bond with her partner Dan. This was nothing short of amazing, as Checkers has always been fearful of men. Watching their relationship grow has been such a gift. With Kathy's help (and the influence of her own two balanced dogs), Checkers has learned how to be a dog--something I once thought might never happen. He now participates in pack walks and can even run off-leash in the fields, something I couldn't have imagined a year ago. If you're struggling with your dog's behavior and feel like nothing is working, do yourself and your dog a favor and call Kathy. She and Dan have changed our lives, and I am endlessly grateful for the care and dedication they've shown to Checkers and to us.

Booking was easy, we got groomed here before. Our stay was 4 days. I received daily photo updates…read more They called me when his eating habits changed. They are very attentive and even give you a report card at check out. We love WAG Oakland. 10/10 recommendation

Shame on you Wag Hotel!…read more I scheduled boarding for my dog Hans at your facility back on 1/28 in preparation for a trip to Japan on May 3 - 8, which you accepted on 1/31. However, when we arrived at your facility on May 2nd, the day before my flight to Japan, your front desk staff informed me that Hans' 5/2 - 5/8 boarding was being denied due to him having a heart murmur condition. Even though I've been a loyal customer to you for over 10 years; and that Hans' heart murmur condition had already been noted in your system since 2024; and given that my flight to Japan was less than 24 hours away; and given the fact that your facility waited until I was at the checkin desk in order to inform me of Hans' boarding denial; I was still told that there was nothing that your facility could do and that it was simply following company policy. Luckily for me, I demanded to speak with a manager who then took it upon himself to assist me in finding another facility that would board Hans at the very last minute. So kudos to that manager. However, you should know that he had to make several calls going down your "other recommended facilities" list in order to find a facility that was willing to board Hans on such short notice even with him having a preexisting heart murmur condition. So again, kudos to that manager. So unfortunately, this is how our relationship ends after I've been a loyal customer to you for over 10 years. Policy aside, not only should I have been notified far in advance to my May 2nd boarding schedule, but that I should have also been given an accommodation due to the last minute nature of your notification. It was simply amazing to me to hear both your Manager, and your front desk staff all admit that a notification error had, in fact, been made by your boarding authorization unit, but due to company policy there was nothing that could be done and that Hans would simply have to boarded elsewhere. Obviously, both my years of customer loyalty and the fact that your authorization unit had made a horrendous mistake, made absolutely no difference whatsoever in my situation. So goodbye, and again shame on you Wag Hotel!

Their 'training' is entirely anchored on fear-inducing techniques. We were given a contraption that…read moregenerates a harsh noise, and my dog was visibly terrified every time the trainer used it on her. All this while they constantly reassured us all their techniques are based on positive reinforcement - what kind of positive reinforcement is centered around fear?! It gnaws at us that we ever decided to go with this service. My dog - and every dog - deserves better.

Gusty us AMAZING!!!!! We saw great results after just 1 session and learn tons with each followup…read more If you keep up with her lessons you should see great behavioral improvement and management. Our dog was already amazing, but Gusty helped with the transition of our older rehomed puppy to our family. Something to note about the Bark Busters philosophy- it uses positive reinforcement with solid results...and also acknowledges that your dog is still going to be your dog. Their personality is their personality... so they teach you how to work with the dog that you have instead of the dog that you think you should have.

Erica, was wonderful with us and our boy. We wanted the help for him quickly because we could see…read morehe was declining and that he was beginning to suffer. She came and was very calm and gentle and helped answer questions about the process. We held him and the IV was administered so quickly, smoothly and expertly he went perfectly peacefully. So glad we chose this for him.

My family is very grateful. You really helped us through such a hard time with grace, kindness and…read moreresponsiveness.

this is also a long overdue review, I have used BARK AROUND THE BLOCK for many years. and…read more her staff are excellent. my dog; Rommel, a French bulldog he absolutely loves walking with her. She socializes the dogs with the group walks offered in the afternoons or morning walk. during the ongoing months The scheduling and communication is excellent ! My dog has improved greatly in all aspects of his socialization as well as his obedienc. Believe it or not for his breed he is so chill now. He loves his group walks! The trails are varied which is fabulous and keeps it interesting for the dogs. I have been extremely pleased with the excellent level of service provided by Bark Around the Block She is deserving of the Best Dog Walker of Alameda for the consecutive years, it has been awarded to her Company!

Hands down, Christi is the best dog walker in the East Bay. She is a first a dog lover, who is…read moreconscientious, organized, and thoughtful. Her pack walks exhaust the dogs while being safe and exciting for them. Her dog sitting sets my mind at ease as she knows dogs, her level head and knowledge ensure peace of mind while we are away.

I have brought my dog to Happy Hound for over twelve years, after we tried another doggie day care…read more The staff at Happy Hound knows and cares about all the dogs, they have a thoughtful system for placing every dog in the appropriate group based on the dogs' energy level and temperament (mine is cranky with other dogs and wary of people), and the staff (all great) really understand how to accommodate different dogs -- no matter the size, breed or personality. For years my dog was there five days a week as I commuted into the City, and I always knew she was safe and happy there. Really the best facility for boarding dogs. M.A.B.

Short version, they stole $2500 from us, and we heard they are oldschool and use punitive measures…read moreon the dogs. They claim to be positive reinforcement only, but I heard this from one of the two licensed dog behavioralists in the area. This tracks with talking to the boss and hearing her talk about the "alpha" which is antiquated terminology. long version - we were researching a place to board our dog, and went for the 1 month board and train. We then heard that they use punitive measures when training the dogs so in less than 24 hours we canceled. They take half the money as a deposit, which in this case was nearly $2500. We asked for a refund and they said no. They said it's in the contract, which it is, but they do not make it obvious, and certainly nobody told us that verbally. You really have to read that thing. They said we could use the money toward future services but as they use punitive measures we will not be working with them. So, they stole $2500 from us. Be careful of what you're getting into.

Bryan is so good at what he does. If you've been thinking about scheduling dog training, just do…read moreit! After her first lesson, Kala was a changed dog. And now, after completing our first round of dog training, it is honestly hard to remember how much she used to pull on leash. Before we decided to get training, it had reached a point where we had started avoiding taking her out, which made us really sad. With a baby to manage now, an overexcited dog pulling on the leash had become too much to handle. After only two lessons, we took her back to our favorite pizza spot. It's a tight space with so many distractions and food temptations, and she stayed in a down the entire dinner. When we got up to leave, the people next to us literally said, "Wait, there was a dog here!?" Being able to include Kala in those outings again means so much to us. Thank you, Bryan!

We cannot recommend Mutt and Tumble Dog Training enough. Bryan helped transform our two doodles…read morefrom reactive, poorly behaved dogs into calm, obedient companions who are now a pleasure to walk and have around others. Before training, we struggled with leash pulling, barking, lunging at other dogs, and nonstop chaos whenever someone came through the door. We were honestly at our wits' end. Everything changed after I saw Bryan in Jackson Square walking a calm, perfectly behaved pack of dogs. We started weekly family lessons in January 2026 with our dogs and our two 12-year-old daughters, and progress began almost immediately. Bryan quickly helped us realize the humans needed training too. With consistent coaching, support, and a board-and-train program, the transformation has been incredible. Our dogs are now well-behaved both at home and in public. We can comfortably walk them, take them to parks and outdoor restaurants, and genuinely enjoy being with them. Friends and family who knew our dogs before cannot believe the difference in their behavior. Thank you, Bryan. You really can teach old dogs new tricks.

My husband and I are not novice dog owners by any means, but we needed help with our newest (at the…read moretime) addition; our Aussie who presents with anxiety. Our usual tricks with trying to redirect her attention or to stop the herding behavior (with the kids, we don't herd the kids, Lola!) were going unmatched and we knew we needed help. We started with in home private lessons with Rochelle. Some of what she taught us was a bit "duh" because we weren't thinking outside of the box, but also much of it was teaching us to be better dog owners, to tune into our dog and meet her where she was at. The 1:1 training was truly beneficial as Rochelle was able to come into our home and witness the behaviors we needed help with. Over the course of several weeks we became better dog owners and Lola learned lots of new things. We then transitioned to group classes with Rochelle which I admit the mere idea of stressed me out. Lola had never done well in public and was often triggered by too many (often random) things. But to my surprise Lola performed amazingly. She often lost her marbles about 30-40 mins into each group class but the other amount of time she was spot on and eager to learn. I am so proud that she was able to be handled by Rochelle on a few occasions and has become a confident dog who thrives in the outside social world. I will forever be grateful to Rochelle for teaching ME how to be a better dog owner and for showing me the potential Lola always had.

Mitch and Patrick are amazing! We had 5 home sessions with our two Havanese dogs. We worked on…read moretraining them to be better at greeting people and on how to get them to not make at the door when the doorbell goes off. We also worked on walking and now they don't pull! So nice to be able to go on a walk without being pulled. We then did dog greeting and reactivity and got a lot of tips on what to do to help the dogs feel more comfortable. Mitch and Patrick really went above and beyond to help us!