The ongoing pandemic made contacting trainers/organizations and coordinating the initial meeting…read moretricky especially with the pet adoption boom. I admittedly got my hopes up when I saw Active Paws business given her numerous qualifications even in agility work and immediate availability to schedule a session immediately over the summer. Her rates started at $120/hour which seemed standard after also conferring with other personal dog trainer contacts. As you can tell by the low rating the stars did not align as a mutual fit. The website was easy to navigate and Cara the owner was very responsive. You can easily schedule an appointment on there for personalized training. Perhaps we didn't pick a neutral enough location now knowing what we know now (after finding on site in person group puppy classes) to set our pup up for success over the summer at 3.5 months old and 20 lbs. Unfortunately Cara came up to our back deck which may have been interpreted as an interloper encroaching on her territory so as a puppy with bad manners she barked incessantly. She threw some small pieces of mozzarella cheese that didn't interest the pup (we are realizing now she's not super food motivated). That "reactive" behavior was enough to confirm to Cara after a serious bite earlier in the week to "pass" on training our dog. We still got the folder with pamphlets, and branded pen and clicker as she quickly retreated. Maybe in retrospect we should have met up at a park instead of our property. Granted this was the reaction that our puppy has when uncertain in greeting most new people but once she sniffs them she calms down quickly once she sees that we are friendly with them. The damage was done. Cara immediately followed up through email with an apology and a couple links to other (more expensive) trainers, one of whose website wasn't even working. I flutily attempted to reach out but also received no response so those were dead ends too. As for the socialization aspect she recommended a place all the way down in Franklin, and the MSPCA Angell which was not operational or equipped to respond during the pandemic (over the summer). Of course this experience left me completely demoralized and slightly jaded. I sometimes see their branded vehicles parked at the Dog Ranch area and walkers taking dogs around there to go walking. Thankfully we were able to enroll her in puppy daycare and now start some group training classes I alluded to earlier at the beginning of this year for adolescent pups. Funny enough she's now one of the least reactive dogs in her classes.

I was going insane trying to figure out how to train my puppy. After a week of no sleep and…read moreconstant stress and some tears, the *MOST WONDERFUL* dog trainer came by and showed me some skills and helped me figure stuff out. I feel like I'm working with my puppy now instead of fighting against him. Absolutely the best thing I've done since getting my wonderful puppy is contacting Active Paws. Cara, you saved my sanity. He's ALREADY doing so much better it's WILD honestly. Puppy photo included just because LOOKIT HIM. To be more specific: Cara made the core concepts behind training my dog very easy to understand, provided me with references for when I get stressed and forget, and left me feeling empowered to have a fantastic relationship with my dog.

Above and Beyond are just that! We've had amazing service. The staff are friendly and…read moreprofessional and communication is top notch. We really appreciate the care they've given our boy over the years.

Above & Beyond surpassed our expectations. I recently had surgery and was unable to walk our two…read moreDogs. They were referred to me by Belmont Pet store. All the staff are warm and friendly. they came when they said they would, each walker was kind , warm and friendly. I had to add an extra day of walking on short notice and they accomadated me. In short they were great. Will use them exclusively going forward

Marc has been great with our dog! He's spent time with her to help her acclimate to his pack, even…read morethough she was shy and skeptical at first (Meep sometimes takes a minute to warm up to some people). Now, Meep is so excited every time Marc comes by to pick her up - it's so nice to see how they've bonded! Meep is a runner and K9 Hiking is just what she needs. She comes back from her hikes with Marc calm and refreshed. We're so glad we found Marc.

The team at Suburban Paws is incredible. Not only are they great "dog" people but they are flexible…read moreand try to meet any need I have had including overnights, last minute walks and more. My pup, Dusty, adores them and is often shy with new people, but not them. I trust them! Grateful for them.

I have known John Taves for over 20 years and when he decided on a career caring for pets is made…read moreperfect sense. We have had John house sit our Pointer mix Shamus on several occasions with complete confidence. He is a dedicated and competent professional. Best wishes for continued success.

Exceptional care for our high-maintenance big baby! We…read morerecently used Pawsitive Dawg Walking and Pet Sitting for a week to care for Saint, our needy 9-year-old Giant Schnauzer. We left him with my elderly parents, who loved the company but couldn't walk a dog of his size. As first-time users (of anyone walking our guy before), we were nervous, but Pawsitive stepped in perfectly. Several major green flags stood out: * The Meet-and-Greet: Angela, the owner, came to the house to meet Saint and learn his unique personality, which immediately eased my anxiety. * The Time to Pet App: It allowed our whole family to easily communicate scheduling and details like Saint's sensitive tummy. * Caring Communication: The detailed walk summaries showed they truly understood our emotional boy. Every one of those walk summaries made me smile & chuckle too! * Real Animal Lovers: It is clear the team does this job out of genuine love for animals. Thanks to Pawsitive, I could relax and enjoy my vacation knowing Saint was in the best possible hands. They are the real deal! We highly recommend Angela and her team for trustworthy, loving pet care in the Waltham area and beyond.

We are relatively new to Pawsitive Dawg and we've been really happy with their services. We have…read morefour cats. The cat-sitters from Pawsitive have been reliable, communicative, thorough, and funny. We like the daily texts and photos they send. Angela, the owner, is *very* thorough in understanding our needs and documenting the foibles of our animals. We found Pawsitive when our previous catsitter found a job at an animal shelter; she recommended them to us, which adds another layer to our confidence in Pawsitive. Don't hesitate! Hire Pawsitive!

Sam's been taking our dog on group walks for almost five years. She picks her up at our house three…read moretimes a week and is always flexible and lets us know changes to her schedule well ahead of time. Her prices are very reasonable; she's also done overnight stays and private walks for us and all of the above is true for these services too. It's impossible for me to describe how indispensable and valued Sam is. If our dog rolls in something terrible during her walk, Sam has taken her to her house first to bathe her. When our dog ran away last year, Sam called other dog walkers on her vacation from another country to get the word out. When our dog had surgery, Sam switched to private walks to do the day time rehab. She's our dogs favorite person in the world and if you came here hoping to find a reliable puppy caretaker you should immediately call her - you're calling one of the most reliable people I've ever met.

Sam is phenomenal! We have used her dog walking services and over night services and our dog Lucy…read moreLOVES her. Sam is always flexible as our schedule changes weekly and she has even helped us during an emergency. It's incredibly comforting knowing that our pup is cared for by Sam just like we care for her. Can't say enough about Sam and her business.

I found Jen through Yelp and was hopeful since she had very good reviews. I tried a couple larger…read morepet walking service but they were not flexible with the days of the week they could walk. I met Jennafer during an initial consultation to meet my goldendoodle. She is very flexible with dates and times and cancellations. Every visit she writes what she did in a journal and she will often send pictures via text or post them on Facebook of instagram. I would highly recommend JC to anyone in the Waltham area. Her prices are similar or less than the other walkers I researched.

I hired Jen to take my handful-of-a-dog for walks during my long work days. I work in the…read moreVeterinary field so am sensitive to how people interact with, and treat animals. Jen is one of the best I have seen, and I have total trust placing the welfare of my dog in her hands. She is flexible, accommodating, and charges an extremely reasonable rate. Do not look any further if you have the need for someone to treat your pet as they would their own.

Not sure what is going on with this place, but I'm not bringing our dog here again…read more Our Shit Tzu has been getting his haircut at Paws and Claws for years. The last 2 appointments have been a disaster. It used to take them a couple of hours to wash and cut his hair, yet the last 2 times he's been ready in under an hour. He still has a slight dog odor, which makes me think they are not throughly washing him. They are not property trimming his ears, chin or tail anymore. A few months back they had not trimmed his ears or chin hairs at all, and we had to do it at home. The last appointment, about a week ago, he came out with a tail that had been cut too short on the top and not trimmed on the side, ears that had barely been trimmed, and were also lopsided. We called them, let a voicemail, and received no response. $65 wasted for both appointments.

Just came back from my mini Aussie's bath and nail clip. Price very reasonable. She was patient…read morewith clipping nails. I will return for next bath. thanks so much

AthleticPaws walked my dog for about a year, four times a week. I was really impressed with their…read morewalking service and never had any issues. They were able to accommodate any scheduling requests that I had. I could tell that the walkers all have a love for dogs, and gave mine plenty of care during every walk. I liked that the walks were individual rather than group walks. They provided daily updates too. I was able to be stress-free at work knowing that my dog was in good hands being taken care of each day. I would continue to use AthleticPaws, but I am moving out of the area. I would recommend them to anyone.

From the owner: AthleticPaws is dedicated to helping your dog be the happiest and healthiest it can be through…read morestimulating dog walking services.