I can't recommend this trainer enough! I was so nervous about doing a 5-week board and train…read morebecause my dog is truly my whole world, but it ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made for both of us. Before training, we struggled with potty training, jumping, being extremely hyper, not being able to focus, and staying calm around other people and dogs. After just five weeks, the difference has been incredible. My dog is so much more focused, relaxed, well-mannered, and confident. She can now be around people and other dogs without being overwhelmed, and our daily life has become so much easier and more enjoyable. What really sets this trainer apart is that the support doesn't end when your dog comes home. She still checks in with me every week, answers all of my questions, and continues to help me build on everything my dog learned during training. Knowing I have that ongoing guidance has made such a huge difference. As someone who has a lot of anxiety about my dog, she was also incredibly understanding and reassuring throughout the entire process. Leaving my dog for five weeks was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but she took amazing care of her, and I knew she was in the best hands. I'm so grateful for everything she's done for us. She didn't just train my dog, she helped improve both of our lives. If you're considering training for your dog, I truly can't recommend her enough!

Gabby is THE dog whisperer. She boarded and trained our 1-year-old Rottweiler, Zero, to learn…read morebetter impulse control and command response. In just one conversation with Gabby, you recognize that her level of understanding behind dog behavior, down to the science, is unmatched. Gabby's genuine love and care, and firsthand expertise is truly exceptional. From dropoff day, it was clear that Zero was in the hands of someone who genuinely understands dogs - not just someone following a generic training program. What we appreciated most was the honesty. Gabby made sure we understood what the training program would entail, that he'd be worked pretty extensively which was all part of his training. The training included the appropriate level of discipline and structure necessary for Zero to succeed. We've seen firsthand that thoughtful, consistent boundaries are sometimes exactly what a dog needs, and the results speak for themselves. Gabby's communication was also outstanding. We were kept apprised of our dog's progress throughout the entire training program, and it was obvious that our dog's well-being and success were Gabby's top priorities. Zero came home as a new dog. She tackled the behaviors we were concerned about, and then some. She's also very kind in giving guidance even beyond the training program. Zero also loves spending time with Gabby when we go on vacation, and is so joyful every time he sees her. We are EXTREMELY thankful for Gabby and her amazing contributions to the dog community!

Lindsey really knows how to communicate with dogs and knows how to train humans. :)…read more Within just a few minutes of meeting our dog Fibi, Lindsey was able to read her mood and to give us valuable insight on what our next steps should be to help our dog feel safe and secure (and be a bit more friendly). Lindsey's commitment to her clients is obvious. Her thoughtful analysis of our situation and the detailed report she sent us made it really clear to us how to further Fibi's training.

Lindsey is amazing. We hired her to work with us and our smart but reactive border collie mix, and…read moreher training plan was perfectly tailored to our dogs needs. She provided us with a detailed written assessment and plan. She is very professional, knowledgable and articulate, she listens to our concerns and has well-informed responses to our questions and is also a very nice person who truly cares that your dog makes progress. Greta has come a long way thanks to her help! I'd also recommend her "dogs and storks" seminar if a baby will be coming into your dog's life- we are expecting our first child and attended the class last night. She has many great ideas about how make the transition as smooth as possible. Also, her rates are extremely reasonable. Do yourself a favor and go with paws and praise to make your dog the best dog he or she can be. thanks, Lindsey! You rock!

This is such a great service. We have truly appreciated Gabby and her team. They've had so much…read morepatience working with my little 12 lb poodle mix who is very anxious and afraid of her own shadow except when she's in our apartment then becomes very territorial (think reactive barking like she's freaking out). Background: We've tried dog daycares for Evie from when she was only a few months old (Just Pet Me in Oakland, Metro Dog in Richmond and Camp Bow Wow in Concord). Unfortunately, socializing her this way did not help. We stopped taking her altogether when she was about a year old because when we were able to monitor her via a cam, we saw that she was a little wall flower, refusing to socialize with the other dogs. They'd often crate her as well because of this. We were nervous that this was making her more reactive or anxious. Working with Gabby: To get connected with Gabby was easy. My partner reached out and she was really fast with responding and setting up a meet and greet. We were very nervous and thought Evie might do terribly for the meet and greet because she's very territorial with our apartment. And of course, that's exactly what happened. When Gabby came over, Evie was very unfriendly, barking and freaking out whenever Gabby made any movements. Gabby was very patient with her and decided to do a test run and walk her around our complex. Evie was fine when she was on the actual walk. While Evie is still scared of her own shadow and learning to socialize, we've seen her make some progress specifically outside. Typically, she gets scared and barks when people say hi to her. I've noticed there's a little less of that now. In addition, Gabby is really thoughtful in how she creates packs. She matches based on temperament and tries to meet your dog's needs as best as she can. Evie, for instance, is a little wary around highly energetic pups but does well with lower energy dogs or older dogs. Gabby factored all of this in when creating a pack that would work. Since the service is set up to pick up Evie, it's very convenient. In addition, Gabby's team members have all been very patient with Evie and her quirks and are able to successfully pick her up. Evie has slowly been adjusting to them which has been great as we try to widen her social circle. This is a great service for anyone looking to socialize their dog in a healthy, thoughtful way.

Gabby and her team are wonderful! Our dogs have been going on pack walks with them for a few years…read morenow and we have always had a great experience. If anything comes up, Gabby is always extremely responsive and addresses issues immediately (though issues have been really rare). Overall, we highly recommend Fit Dog Theory. They are reliable, consistent, professional, super friendly and really take the time to get to know, care for and train your doggies!

The long version: We…read moreadopted a very timid, quiet pup at the beginning of October who, once he'd settled in, turned into a smart, energetic, stubborn and barking pup. That wasn't an option as we live in an apartment with WFH neighbors and going potty means walks around town with lots of other dogs. Overwhelmed, I started googling and found so many 5* reviews for Meryl from Bay Area Balanced Dog training. After a very thorough phone consultation where she took the time to talk about her process/our options and answer our many questions/concerns (we were nervous/uninformed about ecollars), we opted to do a 4 week board and train with a few private lessons beforehand. It was more than I had budgeted, but I was upfront about that, and she worked with us on a payment plan leading up to his stay. The private lessons were so helpful, and I highly recommend doing that before your dog's stay. So much about his good behavior relied on me being a good handler. This practice was also like a bandaid before his training, seriously reducing my stress on our daily outings, and made the transition after his stay easy as I already knew the basics of how to ask him for what I expected in a way he understood/had learned with the trainer. The board and train itself was easy, though be aware there's some additional cost to supply all the tools pup will need during his training. That was rough for me at Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, she was happy to keep and train him during the holidays when we would be traveling anyway. Very convenient and saved me additional boarding bills. She provided lots of daily video and picture updates on Instagram which was nice/really lessened my guilt about leaving him with someone for four weeks. He came home the same happy, sweet dog we'd sent away, except now he can walk nicely on a leash without barking his head off at every animal he sees. She also worked on recall training which is such a relief for a high energy dog I just know would chase a bear on a hike as off leash skills are really important to me in a dog. We work daily on everything he's learned and he loves it so much. It's a lot of money for what was an average dog with average bad behaviors, but we really believe that starting your dog off on the right path with the best guidance is the way to ensure a healthy, happy, safe dog. We went on our first hike just a few days ago, and after all that practice, he got to experiment with being fully off leash. He listened to every command, every time, even when there were tempting birds. I want to have a dog that is as fully involved in my family's life as possible, and now that we both have these skills, I know with consistency and practice, that's what I'll get. Tldr: The board and train is expensive, but you get what you pay for. Highly recommend. It truly saved my sanity.

I cannot recommend Bay Area Balanced Dog Training and Meryl enough!…read more In November of 2023 my husband and I adopted our adorable 3-year-old Pitbull-mix, Midnight, from our local shelter. Unfortunately, pretty much everything the shelter told us in regards to his behaviors/needs was incorrect. For example: he was over-aroused all day every day, had lots of destructive behaviors with our furniture/household items, did not respond to verbal commands/corrections, jumped on us and on top of tables/counters frequently, had zoomies where he would body slam us and progressively get more aggressive, tried to run full force after any dog/cat/squirrel/bird we saw on walks, tried to redirect bite me on walks and landed one of them (which broke my skin), frequently ate inedible things (like leaves and cat poop - yuck!) no matter how hard we tried to prevent him from doing so, and landed a bite that broke the skin on my husband's hand too when he was resource guarding a treat-stuffed toy. My husband and I have owned and trained pet dogs in the past, but Midnight's behaviors/needs were at a level that was way over our heads. After six weeks of trying to work with Midnight on our own, we were beside ourselves from trying to figure out how to safely meet his needs and began to fear that we may have to try to rehome him or bring him back to the shelter, which we desperately didn't want to do. So, I did some research and found Bay Area Balanced Dog Training's website. I reached out to Meryl and from our first phone conversation she put me at ease and began educating my husband and I about Midnight's behavior and needs. Midnight did a 4-week board and train program with Meryl, during which time she continued to educate my husband and I on how we could be the best owners possible for our energetic, willful pup. When Midnight came back home with us, he and we were finally speaking the same language and understood each other so much better, all because of Meryl's training. My household is peaceful again, Midnight is so much happier/content, and we have been able to bond with him in a much deeper way than we were able to before. Walks are a dream (he even ignores cats now!), my husband and I are doing a much better job of properly taking care of Midnight's activity/energy needs, and we feel certain since Meryl's training that we are a good fit for him and he is a good fit for us. Our little family is going to be just fine, due to the gift of Meryl's expertise and skill. Although things are going so well with Midnight, I still worried about who would take care of him if we have to go out of town and can't take him with us, due to his unique behavioral needs. Meryl boarded him for a week for us recently and Midnight had the best time! The little videos Meryl sent us of how he was doing erased any worries I still had in the back of my mind about him, and I felt so much relief knowing that Midnight was being cared for so well with so much love. Another time we needed to board Midnight was last-minute, and unfortunately Meryl was all booked up and didn't have space at that time. Meryl went above and beyond in suggesting another skilled trainer that she knows well that had space during the time we would be away - that boarding experience was great too, and Meryl was spot-on in regards to the other trainer being a great boarding fit for Midnight. Meryl has been an absolute blessing for Midnight, my husband and me. We look forward to taking more lessons from her in the future and feel lucky to have her support and expertise in our corner. Please, if you find yourselves in a situation even somewhat like ours, don't hesitate to reach out to Bay Area Balanced Dog Training - it'll be the best call you can make for you and your dog.

Glenn Martyn is an amazing dog trainer! I could not…read morerecommend him more highly. He worked with my daughter to train our schnauzer as an emotional support animal and he was clear, patient, and amazingly effective. He has a wonderful understanding of animal behavior and tons of experience. Both our daughter and her dog benefitted immensely. You cannot go wrong!

Thank goodness for Glenn!!!!…read more About two years ago, I rescued a dog. Nola had been a stray found on the highway. The next owner that adopted her abused her significantly. I knew that Nola was smart and sweet, but it was nearly impossible to train her due to her trust issues and fear. When I left Nola with Glenn and his wife a year ago, she was destructive, aggressive, and as he described "a sled dog" that would pull you down the street if you tried to walk her. After three weeks of training, Nola's behavior was completely changed. She is still the sweet and amazing dog that we always had. However, Glenn taught Nola how to actually ENJOY learning and obeying. Her intelligence and love completely blossomed after his gentle and amazing training. I now have a dog that enjoys going on walks, learning new tricks, and of course cuddling. I HIGHLY recommend Glenn for any dog, ranging from simple needs to large ones such as Nola. He truly changed both my life and Nola's.

I wish this could be 6 stars! Elvis has grown to love spending time at Wag On Inn. The care and…read morecomfort that Cindy provides goes so far above and beyond what I imagined when Elvy first started staying over. He has found a second home and receives genuine love and support every time he stays over. I give this business the highest recommendation as a place for your dog to stay!

Cindy is such a tremendous boarder! Ryder absolutely loves Wag on Inn, and has been boarding here…read morefor over 2 years. His whole behind actually wags when we drop him off, which is how we know how much he loves coming here. We receive regular photos showing how much he's enjoying his day, and they also do an exceptional job helping with his special needs medications. We love it here!

Meryl saved our rescue dog Kona. That's not an exaggeration. After we adopted Kona, we realized she…read morehad major fear and aggression to other people (other than our family). The vet told us she was an untrustworthy Dog, and we should reconsider. Thank GOD we didn't listen to the vet. Instead we hired Meryl, who really worked hard to earn Kona's trust. Since Kona likes other dogs, she went home and brought back Marco - and voila it was magic - Kona instantly bonded with Meryl. 4 More sessions, and Kona learned to meet new people, stop her aggressive attacks, and most importantly "wait". We were back at the vet recently, and the tech remarked "wow, Kona is a new Dog". It's true, we now know how to manage Kona and she s a happy confident dog

Amazing!!! If you need help, please go with Meryl. This gal is truly gifted and highly recommended…read moreby myself and our rescue organization. Having worked in the Animal fields for many many years with many trainers, I have to stress that Meryl is far more experienced and superior than your average dog trainer! She has helped us with many dogs with moderate to incredibly severe behavioral issues, as well as an array of dogs who required extra help to learn to pay attention to their people/listen and Meryl is also great at helping people understand how to manage many situations. Meryl is one the very few trainers around who truly understands canine behavior in and out.. she is not a basic cookie cutter trainer who will just teach the basics of how to get your dog to sit, down, etc, although she is great at that as well. I always appreciate how honest and upfront she is about everything and what the options are for each dog. I would highly recommend her to anyone needing basic training, a behavior assessment, or serious guidance and behavior modification help with their dogs. If you follow what she tells you to do, and put in the work, you will be amazed at the results and the improvement in your relationship with your canine.

Josh has been such a help to our family! His stance on how to train was the perfect fit for us. We…read morebrought one of our dogs to Josh when we believed our dog was showing aggression signs. He quickly was able to identify that our dog wasn't aggressive, there was dynamics playing out in house between all dogs that created a level of tension. He provided us with tools to diffuse the house when we noticed signs that he identified that would lead to a scuffle. We saw no further aggressive behaviors from any of our dogs. One of dogs has never listened to any commands. One hour with Josh and she was trained on how to sit, lay down, and "place" with hand motions only! He has opened our eyes to the unending ways we can work with her. I can't thank him enough. Both dogs are now friendly with each other and we have had no further issues in our home. I highly recommend K9 Optima for anyone experiencing aggression issues. He is kind, compassionate, and truly does this to enrich the lives of the dogs he works with.

Josh is a genuinely kind person with a heart of gold, but based on our experience, I would not…read morerecommend him as a dog trainer. We paid over $6,000 for a one-month board-and-train program for our German Shepherd. One of the first things that concerned us was that he told us he had "his dogs" teaching our dog how to be a dog. We expected that, for the price, our dog would receive consistent, hands-on training from the trainer himself. Because the training took place over the Christmas holidays, it felt like our dog did not receive the level of attention and daily training we had anticipated. We also expected that, at the end of the program, we as the owners would receive several training sessions to learn how to maintain and reinforce the work at home. That never happened. When our dog came home, she was still reactive, continued chewing things as she had before, and overall showed little to no improvement. Josh gave us a spray collar (citronella or a similar scent) and instructed us to use it whenever she barked. I wasn't comfortable using it because it felt like it addressed the symptoms rather than the underlying behavior, so I chose not to use it. He also suggested that she was simply too active and that we should consider rehoming her if we couldn't handle her. That advice turned out to be completely wrong for our dog. Afterward, we worked with a local trainer for three months who focused on daily, balanced, hands-on training for both our dog and us--without spray collars or gimmicks. The transformation was remarkable. Her reactivity is gone, she learned how to behave appropriately, and we realized she wasn't "too active" at all. She was simply a family dog who needed consistent guidance and proper training. Looking back, I feel that the board-and-train program was not worth the money we paid. While Josh was always pleasant and well-intentioned, our experience was that the program did not deliver the training or results we were promised. Don't waste your money. Josh may be a great guy to rescue dogs, but in our experience he does not know how to do reactivity training or work alongside owners to change challenging behaviors.