We have been training with CaliK9 for the past few months and have been so incredibly impressed…read morewith our experience. Hamza is extremely knowledgeable and has such a great understanding of how to handle, communicate with, and build confidence in dogs. What we've appreciated most is that the training hasn't just been about Dakota -- Hamza has given us confidence too. We are learning how to communicate with her more effectively and how to create an environment that encourages learning, growth, structure, and success. Dakota continues to improve every day, and it has been so rewarding watching her confidence and skills grow. We are truly grateful we found CaliK9 and Hamza! I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for knowledgeable, effective, and supportive dog training. And the Turbo Treats are an added bonus! Dakota goes absolutely CRAZY for the chicken hearts! Thank you, CaliK9, for helping all of us become a better team!

I have a 1.5 yr old Italian greyhound who has super reactivity high energy, and I was extremely…read morefrustrated. Within the first session, I noticed such a huge difference in not just her confidence but my own. Hamza, our trainer was amazing! He was able to explain what I needed to be for my dog in each session. He even stepped in when needed or saw that I was extremely frustrated or couldn't get my dog to complete a command although my Italian greyhound is still reactive. I feel more confident in being able to expose her to triggers and be able to correct her when she reacts. We just graduated the beginner semi private class and are excited to sign up for group class and continue to work on her reactivity

We learned lots of great skills with our 4-week board and train program. Our dog walks very nicely…read moreon the leash now, greets people much more nicely without all the jumping and barking, ignores other dogs if there's enough space. Much better, she doesn't go bonkers at the sight of another dog. We're very pleased with the results and will continue working on our skills.

I hardly ever leave reviews, but I want to give hope to anyone who is struggling with their dog and…read morefeeling frustrated and helpless. The first year with my golden retriever, Luka, was extremely hard. He was a mouthy dog who had zero boundaries at home or outside. He would get excited or frustrated and grab/bite onto my shoes or clothes daily. Walking him became an impossible task because he was extremely dog-reactive, and he dragged me a couple of times while trying to chase another dog. Walking him also became a two-person job, with someone always on the lookout for other dogs so we could turn the other way. He also began to resource guard and snapped at my dad twice.. I had already spent thousands on another trainer and didn't have much success. I began to feel like this was just what life with Luka would be like forever. It got to the point where I felt scared of him, and the life I was giving him out of that fear wasn't fair to him. So I decided to try and get help one last time. I found Lori's page and after reading the reviews I became hopeful again. I took Luka in for an evaluation, and Lori recommended their board-and-train program. I can't thank Chelsea and Lori enough for everything they've done. I've learned so much about Luka, how to manage different situations, and how to better understand his behavior. We had training lessons throughout his board-and-train stay and afterward, because we are the ones who need most of the training! Chelsea did an amazing job with Luka. At home, Luka is unrecognizable in the best way. We can actually go on adventures outside without being terrified that we won't be able to handle him. Those who knew Luka before his stay and see him now always comment on how well he is doing. I cannot recommend Lori Hamilton's Dog training enough to anyone who feels like they've tried everything and is feeling discouraged. I am so thankful because it finally feels like Luka and I can start living life and enjoying everything around us.

I contacted Steve and One Day Dog Training upon the suggestion by a close friend who had worked…read morewith him several times over the years. Lana, my 3 1/2 year-old lab mix, a foster fail that I took in as a 2 yr old, was getting bigger and stronger, jumps on anybody that comes in the door etc. She's a sweetheart, but I needed to be able to mange her energy and size My other two dogs are small and this is the biggest dog I've had. I knew going into this training that it was me that needed most of the training! Steve explained that I needed to learn how to communicate with my dogs, that they communicate differently. What an eye-opener! Everything he explained made sense and in just the few hours we spent together, Lana was already following the cues that Steve taught me. Consistency and repetition is key. We are just 2 weeks in and the process is going great! Steve was absolutely terrific to work with. Somehow, he makes the whole process easy and effortless. His follow up calls to check in are much appreciated and he's available for questions that might come up. I'm so glad I made the call and was able to work with Steve.

Steve is a miracle worker!!! I was at my wits end with my 2 1/2 year old Yorkshire terrier…read moreClementine. He was anxious, pulled on walks, barked, and was incredibly difficult. After just a few hours of training with Steve, Clementine is a new dog!!! He doesn't pull the leash on walks, doesn't bark when people come inside and most importantly he is calmer and less anxious. Steve is THE BEST dog trainer and I highly recommend him.

We (husband, myself & our large boxer Monty) love Allie's…read more We hadn't been traveling much. Hubby gets deep in his feelings around the pets. Add to that a bad experience boarding our last dog. Times that by the fact that Monty has had behavioral issues, and we were grounded. We didn't have anywhere we could trust to take care of him, especially with Monty's outgoing personality. I started taking Monty to Allie's for daycare when I started working nearby (even though we live in SF). I'd pick him up at the end of the day and he'd be comatose, something we deeply appreciate as boxer parents. I appreciate Allie's tell-it-like-it-is, roll-up-your-sleeves approach: what you see it what you get, and the lady is dedicated to her dogs -- and those in her care. As we grew to love Allie and appreciate Monty's experience at daycare, we dared to have him boarded there. It was such a sane experience. He had a behavioral issue, which Allie handled like a champ (which is amazing), and he didn't get excluded or punished; she just dealt with it. We were able to see him in vids and pics on IG during the day, putting the worrisome hubby's mind at ease (no easy task). We have now boarded him 4 times, and can tell Monty has the best time. How? This needy only child acts like he barely recognizes us and sleeps long hours once we get home. His cup is full in every way. Nothing happier for a dog owner than coming home to a safe and happy pup. :)

Allie's Doggie Day Camp is literally the best! I have a 4 year old rescued corso-mix that has been…read moregoing a year and a half and she absolutely loves it. Nala has a lot of social anxiety with people and other dogs but she has gotten so much better after joining the pack at Allie's Day Camp. Allie LOVES each and every dog that she cares for. The dogs trust her. She not only provides them fun and structure but a safe place to fully enjoy the outdoors with other dogs. She communicates honestly and clearly with me as a pet parent and I am made aware if/when my dog shows any behavior issues and requires correction. I am truly grateful for Allie's Day Camp and Boarding Services. The price is well worth the freedom my sweet Nala enjoys instead of being locked in a kennel 8 hours/day. I highly recommend joining Allie's Day Camp or boarding your dog with her when needed. It will be one of the best decisions you ever make for you and your dog(s)!!

Haley is AMAZING & incredibly knowledgeable! She has been helping us train (via private lessons)…read moreour 6mos old rescue & our pup has made incredible progress. She uses common sense dog training & I love how she gives us the leash. She instructs us so we learn how & what to do with our pup! Haley is communicative, supportive, & intuitive.

Highly recommend!!…read more I contacted Haley when I adopted my pup Sophie from the shelter and quickly learned she had intense separation anxiety and dog + cat reactivity. After my initial conversation with Haley, I was able to successfully work through the separation anxiety and cat reactivity on my own, then had a series of training sessions to address the dog reactivity. Before training, walks with Sophie caused me so much anxiety - we had to stay far away from any dogs to avoid the embarrassing meltdowns. Going on any trails near dogs was out of the question. With training, swapping her collar and lots of practice on our own, we now regularly walk busy trails and beaches and have fun! Sophie can now pass 10-20 dogs on Los Gatos Trail without issues. She prances along with so much more confidence now! I'm very grateful for Haley's help and for being so accommodating with us. Look forward to more training in the near future!

I recently moved from LA to the Bay Area with my fiancé. I have a 9 year old named Lulu and she's…read morealways had an underlying form of separaron anxiety. After the move, her anxiety skyrocketed and it was hard for me to figure out what to do next. I moved forward with Bark busters and it's been the best investment ever! I've learned so much from Josh throughout this year. We've made significant progress over the course of a few sessions. I also regularly receive in depth guidance on how to keep the peace amongst Lulu and my fiancé's Frenchie Bash. His wife Nicole, is also so kind and has made scheduling follow ups so easy. I hear back the same day when it comes to responses to questions, rescheduling, and progress updates. If you're ready to learn and understand your dogs on a deeper level, booking with Josh is the way to go. Practice goes a long way and I'm grateful to have that deeper insight on her anxiety and how to manage it. His homework assignments are so easy to understand and follow through on and I know part of creating lasting change is on me too.

I was desperate when I reached out to Barkbusters, so I willingly paid the $2k fee up front during…read morethe first session. Our foster dog was very reactive, would bite, and was very anxious; we were at the point where our kids couldn't have friends over without concern that our dog would bite and bark aggressively. So I read the reviews and took the chance, buying into their "lifetime guarantee". Let me explain why they call it "lifetime guarantee"; it's because after the initial 3 sessions, they will make it difficult for you to schedule a session. So it might be a lifetime before your dog actually gets trained! You will need to wait 2 weeks before you can schedule, and you won't be able to get a date or time you want, so you'll need to accommodate Josh's schedule in order to get an appointment. After the 3rd session, you will get the same tools you got from previous sessions, even though you tell Josh his method isn't working, he will tell you to get dog cannabis to calm your dog down. Our dog still doesn't know how to relax. I reached out the last few times to schedule and once he forgot about our appointment and pulled a no show, the other times it was pulling teeth to get him to come out (you will have to keep texting and texting) and most recently, he just ignored my text and email altogether. The "lifetime guarantee" means you will be guaranteed a lifetime before you get a trained dog, that's my experience. Not worth the cost, and I'm looking for another trainer now.

From "Cujo Junior" to "Polite Gentleman" -- Thanks to Mike! If you've ever adopted a 4-month-old…read moreSchnauzer who treats every living being like a personal insult, you know our pain. Our pup, Diego, didn't just bark; he acted like he was auditioning for a lead role in a horror movie. Walks? Impossible. Visitors? Forget about it. Even our long-time pet sitter--a woman who has survived literal wolves--couldn't go near him without fear. . Our first trainer took one look at him and basically told us we'd adopted a tiny, bearded landmine. She called him "one of the most reactive dogs she'd ever met" and gave us the kind of "good luck" that usually precedes a disaster movie. Enter Mike Hatjes from Bay Area Dog Training. We found Mike on Yelp, and honestly, we were just looking for a miracle. Mike is a unique breed himself: he's incredibly direct (no sugar-coating the fact that your dog thinks he's the CEO of Chaos) but also hilarious. He balances that "tell-it-like-it-is" energy with a sense of humor that kept us from losing our minds. The Transformation Timeline: * The Private Lesson Phase (8 Sessions): We went from "we can't leave the house" to "wait, is he actually sitting on command?" By the end of our eight private lessons, we were taking regular walks. My blood pressure dropped, and Diego actually started building confidence instead of seeing every mailbox as a mortal enemy. * The Group Lesson Phase (The Real Magic): If you told me six months ago my dog would be in a group with 10 other dogs, I would have assumed there'd be a SWAT team involved. But Mike's group lessons are shockingly amazing. Seeing my dog hold a "down" in a row of 10 dogs while each one weaves through the line? It's practically a glitch in the Matrix. The Verdict: Mike didn't just train our dog; he gave us our lives back. We can do family trips, have friends over, and walk down the street without looking like we're wrestling a caffeinated alligator. If you have a dog that makes other trainers cry, call Mike. He'll tell you the truth, make you laugh, and turn your "unbelievable" nightmare into a well-behaved companion.

When we first got our dog, a 4-year-old Jindo from Korea, he had a stubborn prey drive and would…read morepull on the leash hard enough to drag me to the ground. He was also very reactive to other people and dogs. Mike taught me to watch my dog for cues and to communicate with him. After 7 private lessons and two months of weekly group classes, my dog is now a well-behaved walking buddy (most of the time). Thanks, Mike!

Steve is one of the gems in the Bay Area. He is very focused on attending to your specific needs…read morewhen it comes to building a bond with your dog. He has a great facility and his staff if very professional. If you live in the Southbay and need dog training, you won't be sorry cause he will help you build the Relationship with your dog

If your pet is running from you should be running to Bay Area K9 Association!!!!!!…read moreAre you looking for an amazing quality caring and experienced professional who will make your two naughty dogs a little bit less crazy? Look no further! Steve is an amazing professional who understands your pets needs and your own needs. Whether your pet is old (or young) Steve's your guy.

This review is long overdue. We adopted a 2yo pit bull in February 2020 from a shelter. Then, as…read moreyou know, Covid hit the very next month. Our boy had been found wondering the streets of SJ. With my wife and I, he was the Biggest love bug. So cute, and funny, and cuddly. But we can only imagine the terrible experiences he had endured. He had a scar atop his head and was very nervous around new people, which led to behavior like growling and snapping at times. His fear was only made worse by social distancing and not being around new people. Once Covid settled a bit we sought out a trainer for him. I'll never forget the first day Dawna came to the house. Our pup growled and was very displeased that this stranger was in his space, and worse, trying to interact with him. Dawna was not a bit deterred, which I was impressed by but I remained skeptical. Fast forward something like 2 weeks: Dawna interacted with him with ease on training days and he loved receiving love and pets from her. We couldn't believe it. Dawna taught us how to train him and he was able to meet all kinds of new people and doggy friends on our outings. We are forever grateful. We only had 2 years with him. Cancer. I knew I would get emotional writing this review, which is why it has taken so long. Dawna and Megan (from Dawna's other business, Canine Corral Dog Daycare) changed our lives. We will be forever thankful for them. I couldn't recommend Happy Tails To You enough.

Dawna is MAGIC!! We have worked with her for 20+ years with many different dogs. She is a…read morefantastic trainer with a true gift backed up with extensive knowledge. She is an expert at training us humans so that we can have beautifully behaved canine companions. I love the positive reinforcement (R+) training methods she employs. So grateful for her expertise to help us.

We sent our 1.5-year-old golden retriever for three weeks. We were stunned by the results. If you…read moredon't know anything about goldens, just know that they're very welcoming and friendly, but are also overwhelmingly energetic for the first three to five years. Think zoomies x 10. They're easy to train, but that was the issue. He would ignore our commands because he wouldn't feel like doing it. We asked Ryan to focus on three areas: recall, drop it, and going off-leash. We would spend 15-20 minutes chasing after him after he'd bolt out the front door. He thought it was a game. As you know, running out to the street can be dangerous. 'Drop it' rarely worked. He would have everything in his mouth - sticks, trash, balls - you name it. Sometimes, he'd have things that aren't edible in his mouth. And frankly, we never trusted him off-leash, that was asking for it. Everything was resolved when we brought our pup home. We were so proud of him! His recall was better, he never bolts out of the front door, and with that, we trusted him off leash (only in confined areas, of course). We're super grateful for Ryan and the SMS team. Now it's on us to continue with the training! One more thing to add: our pup had perpetuating issues with digestion/stool and paw and ear infections. It was the worst! We tried everything and spent so much money. Ryan suggested that we transition to a raw diet and we haven't had an episode since. I'm so thankful for that too!

My husband and I have 5 dogs. At the time we put 4 through…read morethe program because we did not have the 5th one. My oldest dog is 12 years old with no training. I soon got 2 more dachshunds and then a German Shepherd. Being that the 3 dachshunds had no training, we knew it was irresponsible on our part to have a bigger dog that was untrained. When I dropped off my first two (German Shepherd 6 mo. & dachshund 1 yr) I told Ryan, good luck! LOL They are very energetic since they are puppies and the GS was already taking in bad habits from the little ones. Always barking, was getting on top of our counters, very reactive. Typical dog stuff. After a couple days we received videos of them walking by other dogs and no barking! I was witnessing a miracle! After 2 weeks we got them back and we saw a MAJOR IMPROVEMENT. Dogs are dogs, so of course they are still a little reactive and bark, but it's much much much MUCH EASIER to stop it! No more haggling. I say quiet and they're quiet! Especially with as many dogs as we have, we had no idea how to train them all at once. Then they took in the other two dachshunds. The 12 year old and the 5 year old who are the most spoiled. To my surprise they were very disciplined the first couple of days! The little ones always pulled on the leash and was starting to hurt my shoulder. Not anymore!! They all walk beside me with no tugging. So now my husband walks the GS while I walk the 3 dachshunds. And yes they are actually pretty good at walking all together. IT IS POSSIBLE! Now that we have another puppy, a GSD Shar Pei mix, we have him into training too. Since the other dogs are into their routine, he falls into place. We also got him a place mat, and an ecollar. Not only does this program know how to train your dog, they are also very passionate and loving about it. You can tell they love your dog like it was their own. They are also very knowledgeable about the raw food diet. I highly suggest talking to them about it. I want to say a huge thank you to Jaden and Sam too who helped make this possible! Also, being that this is basically a franchise for dog training, it was a HUGE PLUS for being in a military family. Training is every week for the lifetime of the dog, so your dog can interact with other dogs that have been through the same program. My husband and I are moving across the country due to military orders, and we don't have to worry about the dogs not socializing with other trained dogs. They have someone out there too! I hope they are just as great as Ryan, Sam, and Jaden! We are truly going to miss this little family!