Rachel was an amazing puppy training instructor! She provided excellent tips, practical guidance,…read moreand clear explanations that were easy to follow. She was very knowledgeable and always willing to answer any questions. We learned so much and saw real progress with our puppy throughout the program. I highly recommend Rachel and Woof Academy to anyone looking for an effective, positive puppy training experience.

We were recommend to Woof by our trainer for our puppy for the focus on socialization. Woof is…read moregreat, no negative treatment. Staff super friendly and professional. Love the valet drop off and pick up.

Cara is excellent training your dog. She is very knowledgeable and very patient. Has great methods…read morethat does not include a shock dog collar. I would highly recommend her!

I can't recommend Cara enough! From the very first session, it was clear that she truly understand…read moredogs and their behavior. Cara took the time to assess my puppy's individual needs and developed a training plan with the goal of forming a strong relationship with my dalmatian, Ruth. Cara was incredibly patient, calm, and encouraging. Check out her YouTube videos to get Cara's vibe for traning and see if her apporach works for you. Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, we were not able to complete our eight-week training plan, but Cara was completely understanding and refunded me for the remaining sessions. I was beyond grateful that she was so understanding of situation. Cara has a genuine love for animals, and it shows in every interaction. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, kind, and results-driven dog trainer, look no further. I'm so grateful for the transformation in my dog's behavior (even in the short time we spent training together) and I would recommend Cara for anyone struggling to train their dog basic obedience, or develop a relationship with their new puppy, and much more!

Sarah is an awesome teacher, very knowledgeable, articulate, and patient. She is passionate about…read moredog training. She keeps her classes small for lots of individual attention. We highly recommend her class! Steve and Brenda

Patti was such a great help when it came to training our puppy Winnie! She tailored every session…read moreto our dog's needs and how we can better support/train her. She also took the time to send us a recap after every session with resources so we always had something to refer back to. We enjoyed every session and have nothing but Pawsitive things to say :)

Kristen's Puppy Social hour on Saturdays has been one of the best investments we've made for our…read morerescue puppy, Frankie. After Frankie wasn't quite ready for daycare because she needed more positive socialization with other puppies, Paw Commons recommended Kristen's puppy social sessions. It turned out to be exactly what she needed. Like many rescue puppies, we don't know what Frankie's early life was like. Watching her gradually come out of her shell over the past several weeks has been incredibly rewarding. Kristen creates a safe, structured environment where puppies build confidence, learn appropriate social skills, enjoy enrichment activities and simply get to be puppies. Her years of experience are evident in the way she understands puppy behavior and thoughtfully guides each session. Seeing Frankie's confidence grow week after week has brought us so much joy. She now looks forward to Saturdays, and so do we. I especially recommend Puppy Social hour for rescue puppies. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, patient facilitator who truly understands puppy development, Kristen is exceptional. Thank you for giving Frankie such a positive start.

NEW UPDATE PER KARLY'S REPLY:…read more To clarify a few things: the meet and greet fee was not communicated to me at booking, and the fact that it was waived due to "confusion at pickup" speaks for itself. Transparency means the total cost is clear upfront, not discovered at checkout. Regarding outreach, one person called and one person emailed. The email from Karly was not an attempt to resolve the situation but rather an argument defending your pricing practices. That is not the same as making things right. No actual remedy was ever offered. Asking what would make it right without putting anything on the table is not a resolution. A gesture like a partial or full refund or a complimentary future stay would have gone a long way. Most concerning was the bath being performed after I explicitly declined it. That is not a communication issue, that is a matter of respecting a customer's wishes regarding their pet. I see from other reviews that pricing surprises are a recurring concern. I hope this feedback is taken seriously rather than attributed to customers not reading thoroughly enough. I also want to note that reading through their response, the pattern is clear: every concern I raised was met with an explanation of why I was wrong or hadn't read carefully enough. That is not accountability. The only thing they genuinely owned was the bath, and even that was buried at the end after multiple paragraphs defending themselves. A business that truly takes responsibility doesn't spend most of its response telling the customer they should have known better. -------------------------- I want to share my experience so other pet owners know what to expect before booking. When I called to make a Memorial Weekend reservation for my puppy, I was given a total price and told the first night would be free. At no point was I informed about a mandatory daily insurance fee ($5-$6/day). I only discovered it while signing paperwork at drop-off. When I called to raise this concern, Michael told me it is not their job to disclose additional charges over the phone - that it is meant to be mentioned at drop-off. So by their own admission, they intentionally withhold fee information until you are already there signing paperwork with your dog in tow. When I followed up via email, Karly shifted the explanation, saying the fee is listed on their website under "add-ons", a label that implies optional, not mandatory. At pickup, they also attempted to charge an undisclosed meet-and-greet fee. They waived it, but it was yet another surprise charge. Most frustratingly, I explicitly declined a bath since my puppy had just been groomed. They bathed her anyway, and I had to take her home wet. California's SB 478 Honest Pricing Law exists for exactly this reason. Required fees must be disclosed upfront, not revealed at drop-off when you are least likely to walk away. The facility seemed fine, but the pattern of hidden fees, contradictory explanations, and disregarded instructions means I will not be returning. To Paw Commons management: before attempting to negate this review, please know I have email receipts documenting everything stated here. A good business responds to legitimate feedback with accountability and an apology, not by attacking the reviewer. UPDATE: After posting my review, I was contacted by Ben (manager/owner). He did apologize, which I appreciated, but the call was otherwise unproductive -- no real remedy was offered, just justifications for how they run their business. He defended burying mandatory fees under the "Add Ons" section by saying they "assume" customers read through the entire site, and that having two insurance coverage options makes it too complicated to list fees upfront. That's not a valid excuse. There are plenty of ways to present two options clearly while still showing customers what they'll actually owe per night. Additionally, a meet and greet fee was charged that is nowhere on their website and was never mentioned at check-in. Surprise fees should not be how customers find out what they owe. An apology without a willingness to fix these issues doesn't change my experience.

Rosa was awesome! She was so patient with us and our dog. His aggression was so bad and she really…read morebrought it down. She showed us how to react and not to react when seeing another dog and now we can introduce our dog to others safely. Thank you Rosa!!!!

Corrina is an incredible trainer. This was our first time doing a board and training program. Our…read morepuppy went into the program chewing, nipping, and fearful and came away calmer, more obedient, and on the path to coexisting with our older dog. Corrina shows a genuine care for dogs and her craft as a trainer and continues to give us tools to continue our training at home. We feel fortunate to have found Corrina.

I cannot recommend David enough. He completely transformed all 4 of my dogs, who were honestly…read morewild, crazy, and extremely rambunctious before working with him. The difference in their behavior now is unbelievable. What truly sets him apart is how much he genuinely cares -- not just about training the dogs, but about helping them succeed and making the process enjoyable for both the dogs and the owners. You can tell immediately that he has a real passion for what he does. He was patient, caring, knowledgeable, and somehow made training fun instead of stressful. The most mind-blowing part was my one dog who was already four years old and still not potty trained. Within just 4 days, he had her fully trained to go outside. I honestly still can't believe it. We had struggled for years, and he accomplished what we thought was impossible in less than a week. I also never felt comfortable to leave my dog in anyone else's home, but David made me feel so comfortable and secure to drop my fur baby at his home for the board and train and I honestly was open to having her there longer since we trusted him so much, but we didn't even need to since he got the results done so fast. I was able to get all my 4 dogs on a plane as Service Dogs with his guidance and training and I am now living in Costa Rica with all my 4 furbabies which would have never been possible without his training. If you are considering dog training, stop searching and book with him. He is hands down the absolute best, and I truly could not recommend him more! Our dogs -- and our home -- are completely changed because of him. We all truly miss him! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts David!

We had a wonderful experience with David and Proper Pups! He made incredible progress with our dog,…read moreCali, turning around her leash manners and reactivity during the two week board and train program. Right from our meet and greet, David worked to understand what our struggles were so he could make a training plan just for Cali. We felt comfortable and confident dropping her off. His calm energy, deep knowledge, and clear methods were obvious right away. When we picked up Cali, David spent time going over everything he worked on with her. He joined us for a walk, giving us helpful tips in real-time on how we could adjust what we were doing to keep her progress going. He even gave us a detailed file of notes, which have allowed for us to seamlessly continue her training at home. David's patience and positive approach paid off, we've seen such a change. Cali is calmer and more focused when there's stuff going on around her. We can't recommend him enough to anyone dealing with leash issues or a reactive dog.

I have taken both my dogs through Take The Lead Canine Training…read more Cathy has the greatest advice and her style of training is very positive. I recommend her to everyone I know.

I met Cathy November 2011 while volunteering as a Canine Coach for adoptable dogs at the Rancho…read moreCoastal Humane Society down the street. Cathy sponsors an adoptable every class free of charge to improve their chances in finding a forever home and as a Canine Coach I would transport and train said animal. As if that weren't enough to fall in love with Take the Lead. I coached three dog through her 6 week course and she asked me to stay on as an intern trainer. I've been volunteering there ever since. Her methods are painless and positive. She teaches people to read their dogs body language so that we don't ask something of our dog that hurts, makes them uncomfortable or would create undue stress. Her motto is "It takes two to pull" so be prepared to be trained as well. Classes are an hour. They are fun and functional, you learn how to handle real-life situations, how to train your pet to be a good patient at the Vet, the Groomer and Dog-sitter. There are special guest speakers, games and play. Your dog is begging for you to call Cathy at Take the Lead!

Bert is very professional and skilled trainer with a Big Heart!…read moreWithin short 5 days working with my puppy he managed to train and accomplished thousands time more than I was able to do by myself. I highly recommend hiring Bert with your new family member

So far I've had 1 out of 6 sessions with my baby Marley 8 weeks old. Bert taught me things I…read moredidn't know existed. Like feeding your pup with your hands while training them during each meal... 2 hours later she was coming when I called her name and sitting perfectly then I fed her a small amount so we could continue training throughout her meal. I'd post a video but I guess you can't on Yelp. Bret is super calm andMarley loves him

We had an incredible experience working with Britta's Animal Training. We reached out for help with…read moreour three cats--our newer 2-year-old and our two 6-year-old brother and sister--and Britta immediately impressed us with her warmth, professionalism, and deep understanding of feline behavior. She guided us through every step of the process with patience and compassion. She helped us understand why certain behaviors were happening, what each cat needed to feel safe and confident, and what a realistic picture of multi-cat harmony looks like. Even though all of our cats were wonderful individually, it became clear that the dynamic just wasn't working for the group. We ultimately made the difficult decision to re-home our younger cat. It was emotional, but Britta's insight and encouragement helped us feel confident we were doing what was best for all of them. And she was right--he's now thriving in his new home with a new family, and after just a month he's already doing great. Our older cats are happier too, and the stress in our home has finally lifted. We are so grateful for Britta's expertise and kindness during such a tough situation. She not only helped our cats--she helped us understand them better. If you're struggling with cat behavior, transitions, or multi-cat dynamics, I cannot recommend Britta enough. She truly made all the difference.

Working with Britta has completely transformed my relationship with my horse, Higgins. When we…read morestarted, he was mouthy, would bite, and could be aggressive toward me on the ground. I felt lost. But through Britta's patience, kindness, and incredible understanding of horses, we've built a bond rooted in trust, respect, and joy. Britta truly cares about the well-being of every horse she works with. Each session is thoughtful, personal, and adapted to exactly what your horse needs that day. She has taught me how to really listen to my horse, to read his behavior, understand his emotions, and create a more fulfilling life for him beyond just riding. Higgins is a smart, sensitive young OTTB with a busy mind, and Britta's techniques have helped him find such peace. I use what she has taught me before every ride to help him focus and settle, and it has changed everything for us. Britta is kind, dedicated, and genuinely invested in helping both horses and humans grow together. I am endlessly grateful for her guidance. She has helped me become a better partner for my horse, and I know Higgins feels it too.

Erin is amazing!!! She took such good care of our little zoo i.e. our cats, dogs, birds, and fish,…read moreand kept us updated daily with pictures and videos. After being away for a week, we came home to happy, well cared for pets. It's reassuring to know that in the future, when we go out of town, we have someone we can trust to care for our animals and keep them safe and happy. I highly recommend her for your pet care needs.

Erin is amazing. As a dog mom, my babies are my babies. I trust NO one else with them but her when…read moreI have to go out of town or I'm stuck at work. She takes the time to get to know them, introduce herself to them, and make them comfortable with her. She's so considerate and sends photos which is so comforting. She's been my pup caregiver for years now. The babies get excited when they see her and aren't as stressed out because mommies are leaving. If you are looking for a great animal care giver who actually cares she's your girl! I recommend her 100%