I can't say enough good things about Ruff Paws and Michael! He's been walking my dogs for a while now, and he's absolutely fantastic -- reliable, consistent, and always on time. I never have to worry because he always picks up and drops off right on schedule. My dogs adore him and gets so excited every time Michael shows up. You can tell he genuinely loves dogs and treats them like his own. He's friendly, easy to communicate with, and very dependable -- which gives me total peace of mind. If you're looking for someone trustworthy who truly cares about your pet, I highly recommend Michael and Ruff Paws. They've been amazing from day one! read more

Ruff Paws - Pups riding in the front - Dog Walkers Near Me - San Francisco, California

5 stars is not enough for Ruff Paws. I truly don't know where to start or what we would have done moving to this city with out Mike! When we met Mike we were entirely new to dog walkers, pack walks and the city. Mike made the transition so smooth, put us at ease with his kind presence and indulged every question we had from the get go. Our pup Rei has the most sensitive stomach and had recently healed from a torn CCL that would act up from time to time. He was always so gentle and loving with her and would be so flexible and accommodate her needs. Rei also had intense separation anxiety that not even anxiety meds would fix and since she started pack walks with Mike that has eased tremendously, she's gained so much confidence because of it. As a pup parent it's hard to leave them with someone new but you can feel the love Mike has for his packs and we felt like she was with family. He has become one of her favorite people, she absolutely adores him! He is friendly, kind, reliable, consistent, and fully the best! Rei is a happier pup since meeting Mike! Thank you forever. read more

See all

Our sweet girl Laila has been walking with Mike since she was 8months old and is now 9+ years old! When Laila was 6months old, we found she had dysplasia in her elbows and needed to undergo surgery. Post-surgery, we needed someone to give her pee and poop breaks with time in the sun and that is how we found Mike. Mike has been our constant ever since and helped with extremely reliable and regular walks, dog sitting and private walks whenever required. Thank you Mike, so grateful to have your support!! read more

We've used Michael for ~4 years (both dog walking and boarding) and have been very happy with him. Prior to Michael, we used several other dog walkers who were either unreliable, or ended up spending a lot of time driving to far-off "ranches" (sounds great in theory, but a lot of time in the car). Our golden retriever, Gansett, would end up hiding from the walkers when they came in -- a clear sign it was time to move on! We don't have that problem with Michael. Gansett is always excited to see Michael for his walks (even moreso when we run into Michael + his bulldog Reba out in the Haight). Michael is very communicative + responsive. That's been especially helpful when we've used him for dog boarding - it feels great to know that Gansett is in good hands while we're gone. We've recommended Michael to our friends (who have now joined his pack), and would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a walker in the neighborhood! read more

Ruff Paws - Gansett and his "coworkers" at Buena Vista - Dog Walkers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lillie has been walking with Michael for over 6 months now! He has also boarded her for overnights. He is reliable, communicative, responsible, and was flexible and accommodating when Lillie has had to take a break due to health issues. We are so appreciate of all of the above!!!! read more

Ruff Paws - Dog Walkers Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been using Ruff Paws for almost 3 years for both walks and pet sitting and would highly recommend! My dog absolutely loves Michael and I know he's in very good hands! read more

Our dog is always telling us how much he loves his pack walks with Ruff Paws. How he loves going up all the hills. How much fun he has hanging out with Michael. How cool the van rides are. How great the nap is right after he gets back home. It never stops. Michael clearly knows what he's doing, because our doggo has been gushing about the awesome walks for over eight awesome years! read more

We recently started private walks and boarding with Michael. Our dog Taro has a lot of anxiety and is typically not great with other dogs or other humans, but he seems to like Michael & Reba (Michael's super cute bulldog) right away. Which is a huge relief for us! We totally trust Michael with Taro, and highly recommend him to others. read more

Ruff Paws - Our dog Taro! - Dog Walkers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Our dog, Indie, loves her daily walk with Mike and the Ruffpaws gang. She perks up when Mike stops by, and then swaggers over to the door. You can tell she's excited to meet her pals and then tell them about what she's been up to. For us, it gives us a mid-day break, and we know Indie will get some exercise, and some time to socialize. We've been with Ruff Paws for over two years now, and have had zero issues. Mike is very accommodating, so when we go on trips or last minute things come up, we send him a quick txt and he works around our schedule. read more

Ruff Paws - Dog Walkers Near Me - San Francisco, California

I cannot say words sufficiently glowing about Michael and the care he offers -- both to canines and to humans. We were lucky enough to become neighbors to him (and his sweet Reba) last year in Cole Valley. It has been very difficult to find care for our lab, Elsa, who is highly energetic, anxious, and not great at "playing with others." Finding someone to watch her who is knowledgable about dog behavior *and* will make it possible for her to stay in her home if we have to leave, seemed like a dream come true. Michael took her out, checked on her, made sure she had her meds, and sent us reassuring updates. I have never felt safer with a dog-sitter, point blank. If he can handle my girl, I think there's no one too-much for him. On top of his care, knowledge, and dependability, his also a wonderful human -- so kind, so responsive, tremendously good-humored. He is not just the kind of person you would want, more than anyone, to help with your best canine friend, but someone with whom you want to be friends. Michael is doing amazing work with and for the people and dogs he cares for. read more

Ruff Paws is a life saver! For the last year, my dog Bucky has been part of the Ruff Paws pack and he's never been happier or healthier! Bucky loves his daily walks with his buddies and passes out as soon as he gets home every day. He's a very active dog, so this is a blessing for my busy schedule. I've also had issues in the past with other walkers in the City, but Michael goes above and beyond with his clients. Daily instagram videos, weekly photo shoots, and constant communication are the only a couple of the reasons I love working with Ruff Paws. Anytime we need a private walk walk or a quick weekend boarding, Michael makes himself available and bends over backwards to be accommodating. I could recommend Ruff Paws enough. read more

Our dog, Lucy, is the newest member of the Ruff Paws pack and we couldn't be happier. It's only been two weeks, but Lucy is almost a completely different dog! As a rescue, she's typically shy around other dogs, but Michael has been helping her adjust to the new pack and now she's sniffing and socializing with every new dog she meets. Michael has made the process of getting a new dog enjoyable and stress-free. if you're looking for someone to take care of your best friend, then I couldn't recommend Michael and Ruff Paws more. And Lucy says thanks too! read more

Ruff Paws is the best. Our Frenchie joined Mike's walks and absolutely loves them. Also, she's become less reactive to other dogs since joining the walks. Mike genuinely cares about the dogs. When it's hot outside he takes things a little easier and makes sure to cool the dogs off. We have also boarded our dog with Mike. It was our wedding night and our dog was our ring bearer. Mike picked her up from the ceremony and took care of her for the evening. Mike made everything so easy on us. read more

Michael has been walking my dog Sophie for the past year and I can't express how happy I am with his dog walks. Sophie loves her pack walks and gets so excited when he comes to the door to pick her up. Sophie has some hip issues so I've been worried about her care in the past and can easily say that Michael is responsible and most importantly caring to her. I also love getting an Instagram short video he takes in the middle of the day to see how the pack walk is going. Also, while I was out of town one weekend, Michael watched Sophie and gave me regular updates, stellar job! Overall, I can't recommend Michael/Ruff Paws enough! read more

Ruff Paws - Dog Walkers Near Me - San Francisco, California

We love Ruff Paws! Michael is reliable and communicative and we feel lucky to have found him. Our dog, Kancho, always comes home from his walks with Michael with a smile on his face and we love knowing that our pup gets exercise and socialization time with other dogs every day. Could not recommend Ruff Paws enough! read more

Mike has been walking our Boston terrier for several years! He's super responsive, flexible, and reliable! Would recommend him to anyone looking for a dog walker! read more

We used Mike to start walking with our crazy rescue right before the Pandemic hit. There was a bit of a break and we restarted again when we got the green light. Our dog liked going on walks with Mike and the crew. When we got our 2nd dog, a puppy, last summer, he worked with us on a modified schedule (3 days a week for 2 dogs) for the same price as 5 days a week. Both the pup and our adult rescue loved walking with him. Mike was very patient with our rescue who is a bit of a challenge. I'd recommend his services to anyone. read more

Michael is, hands down, the best dog walker I've ever had. My dog gets so excited when Michael comes to pick him up and totally loses it when we see Michael in the neighborhood. I really like that Michael doesn't take his packs to a dog park, but instead takes them for on-leash walks, which is much safer. My dog comes home absolutely pooped every day. In addition, Michael is super professional - he's communicative and well-organized. But most importantly, Michael is a wonderful person - when I was going through a medical issue, Michael couldn't have been more helpful and was super available when I needed extra help. When I moved apartments, one of my criteria was making sure I stayed in Michael's dog walking area - yeah, he's that good! read more

You won't find a better person to entrust your puppers to than Mike! Our dog loves him! We are grateful for his professionalism and kindness. read more

We recently started having Mike dog-sit for us and he is the absolute best! He is super responsive and reliable, pays attention to all the particulars around our dog's routine, and it's clear that our dog LOVES him and his pup Reba. Morty has separation anxiety and it's been hard to find a good situation for sitting for him while we're away, but it's clear that he really enjoys his time with Mike and honestly probably doesn't miss us at all since he's having so much fun :-) We'd definitely recommend Mike to anyone looking for a responsible, kind, and experienced dog-sitter! Thanks, Mike! read more

Mike is my dogs best friends, she might even like him more than us. Seriously, we live in the same neighborhood as Ruff Paws/Mike and Nala freaks out when we pass him on the street. Mike has been walking Nala for over two years now. He's done in-home boarding when we go away and he's taken her for a last minute walk if we unexpectedly have a long day. Mike has watched Nala over night plenty of times and although leaving your dog to go on vaca is never fun, knowing that's she's with him is as good as it gets. His flexibility and dog whispering skills is all that we could ask for! read more

See all

Michael has been my dog walker for my anxious pup for a little over a year now. My dog loves him and I appreciate that he is always very quick to respond via text about any last minute changes/is always flexible. It also helps me to know he is trained in pet CPR and first aid. read more

Michael at Ruff Paws is the best! We had a hard time finding a good dog walker in the city for our pup, Calvin, and were so glad to find Ruff Paws. We used Ruff Paws for years until we recently moved out of the city. Michael is great with dogs, and we always felt Calvin was safe and looked after. Ruff Paws is trustworthy, consistent, and reliable. Calvin always looked forward to his daily on leash walks. We also used boarding services with Ruff Paws whenever we went out of town. It was great to have Calvin well taken care of in our home where he feels comfortable. Michael was also able to accommodate last minute requests as they came up. I would recommend Ruff Paws to anyone looking for an amazing, caring, flexible, and experienced dog walker in the Lower/Upper Haight, Duboce Triangle, Cole Valley area! read more

I'm so happy that my dog, Bogey, has joined Mike's pack! As other reviewers have mentioned, Mike is super responsive and reliable, and my pup absolutely adores him. Bogey doesn't always play nice with others, and Mike reassured me that he had a good routine in place to handle my dog's quirks. It's worked beautifully, and Bogey plays hard and well with all of his new buddies. I also use Mike for boarding, which is a fantastic service. He sends lots of pics and updates. I couldn't be happier to have found Ruff Paws! read more

Bulldog expert!!! And all you Bulldog owners know how hard that is. Mike is the only DOG walker and now CAT sitter that I will ever trust. Unfortunately I lost my 12 year old bully and somehow attained a cat! Who else to call when I was traveling for a week, Mike and Ruff Paws. I started using Mikes services a couple of years ago with my then 10 year old English Bulldog. No other dog walker or boarder understood the extra care bulldogs require. Water on walks, cleaning their wrinkles, and cleaning their tail crease!! Not to mention their farting, drooling, random vomiting, allergies and personalities. Mike was the only Dogwalker and several time boarder, that when I returned, my dog had the same face and personality. When I used other walkers and boarders in the past, I would return to serious yeast infections on my dogs face and a sad uncomfortable pup. Mike and Ruff Paws now just watched my 12 year old cat for the past week. I came home to an oddly happier cat then when we are here all the time. Mike fed the cat both wet and dry food at all visits, and kept water plentiful. Overall, I will never use any other service then Ruff Paws. It's the smart, easy, reliable, and if you love your pet, the only choice. I get reassurance through text messages while traveling, and booking could not be easier or better for last minute people such as myself. Thank you Mike!! We love you. Chad, Roscoe and Puglsy read more

Michael is an excellent dog walker. We trusted him with our dog for almost two years until we moved out of the city. I would highly recommend him to anyone. He is trustworthy, responsible, and responsive. read more

Michael is absolutely the best. The most reliable dog walker ever. I trust him with my pup's life daily and the pup and the home when I travel. My pup is super anxious and does not leave the house with anyone, but he trusts and loves Michael because Michael is magic. I get comments from my neighbors when they see them; they tell me how great the walk looks and how comfortable Hugo is with Michael. His command of a pack is phenomenal, his professionalism is above average, and his rates very competitive. A million stars for Ruffpaws read more

Michael is hands down the best dog walker I've ever had (and I've been lucky to have some great ones!). Some specific reasons why: 1. He's AMAZING with dogs. I have two, one of whom has historically had an issue with men. She LOVES Michael, gets super pumped if we bump into him during non-walk times, and stares at the door waiting for him on weekdays. Seriously I don't think she's ever been this in love with a walker. 2. He's super reliable. If Michael commits to something he is on it and it will be done 100%. This includes daily walks, one-off walks, house sitting, keeping an eye on someone who might not be feeling good- literally anything. 3. Super communicative. If something seems off, he'll let you know. If something changes or comes up, he'll let you know. If he has vacation planned he will let you know waaaayyy in advance. Best of all, when we were new clients, he kept me updated on everything going on with the pups so I didn't have to worry! 4. Amazing customer service! He really truly wants the best for his clients and their dogs and is willing to work with you to figure out what works best. He's transparent about how things work and will do everything he can to make sure things work out for everyone. 5. Did I mention the dogs love him possibly more than they love me? read more

We have been a client of Mike's for 4 years, and during this time he has been helping us with Leo (Cattle mix) and Weller (Dachshund mix). When we first met Mike, it was when our original help wasn't able to care for Leo and Weller during a last minute cross-country trip we had take. We needed to go out of town and leave the boys for almost a week so it was a stressful time to find a new dog walker. Mike was a recommendation and we introduced him to the boys and of course they loved him! Mike has helped us with boarding, pack walks, and for the last few years he has been helping us with morning walks due to our hectic schedules. I sometimes need to travel 1-day in advance, and my girlfriend sometimes works the early shift, so Mike has always been able to jump in and help us out -- he's been a lifesaver! We cannot say enough good things about Mike. He has been the most professional and reliable person to ever care for our two dogs. He is a true dog lover which is evident in the way he runs his business and cares for our pups. He has great energy with the boys, he is an excellent communicator and is very accommodating to our needs and schedule. We recommend Mike / Ruff Paws to anyone in need of a professional and trustworthy dog walker! read more

We've had various dog walkers for over 13 years. A little over 2 years ago our dog walker at the time developed a health condition and abruptly had to stop walking our dog, Riley. We interviewed several dog walkers but something about Mike's positive energy and professional demeanor seemed to resonate with us, so Ruff Paws it was. Fast forward to today: our dog is always happy to see Mike, and they go for long leashed walks around town (which is preferable to dog parks where we've found dogs are more prone to random dog bites). In the course of the last two years, we have realized that with Mike we have the most trustworthy, reliable, professional and considerate dog walker (and funny...we love the daily photos!). The fact that he gives us several months' notice before taking a planned day off, so we can make arrangements, is an extra show of consideration he gives to clients. We feel very spoiled and enormously grateful to Mike/Ruff Paws. read more

Michael is great and I highly recommend using him! He is very good with all the dogs and ours is still excited to see him every day, even after ~3 years of walks every weekday. Outside of his skills with all the dogs he is very trustworthy, communicative and always follows through. We have used him for regular walks, boarding, and impromptu walks when life gets in the way and knowing our dog is good hands is a huge relief. His pricing is also very reasonable. read more

Our dog, Milo, loves his daily walks with Michael! He goes sprinting to the door as soon as he hears him coming to get him and jumps up and down on him in pure excitement! Even when Michael is out of town (which is very rare) Milo will wait and cry by the door waiting for Michael to come. Michael is dependable, trustworthy, and communicates great. I highly recommend him for anyone looking for a great dog walker! read more

Highly recommend. Michael is super reliable, flexible and a great communicator. He walked my dog a few days a week over the past year. I had to change my schedule a lot because of COVID and he never missed a beat. He re-confirmed when our schedule was different and also communicated if he ever was running late. Michael has a confidence that immediately put my dog at ease. She is not good with new people coming into our apartment and the introduction went 100x more smoothly than I expected it to! read more

Mike from Ruff Paws is the best with our rambunctious lab. He has been walking him for almost 2 years and every time our lab comes back tired and happy. His walks are longer than past walkers we have had in the past at a great price! I also don't know how he manages to to take great photos of our lab when I certainly can't! I was always impressed with the care he places on our fur babies. He has looked after our dog and cat on last minute trips out of town and is very responsive and transparent. I can't say enough good things about Mike and Ruff Paws! Highly recommend for great quality care for your pets. read more

Mike from Ruff Paws is truly outstanding!! When I first introduced him to our mini goldendoodle, Goose, they immediately bonded. Goose loves him! It's obvious how much Mike loves all of his dogs and that he truly cares about their well-being. He also has a great Instagram account where he gets great pictures of his Ruff Paws crew. I love when I catch a glimpse of my pup on there looking like he's having so much fun with his dog friends. Mike is so responsible and very transparent. He also is great about updating us! One time he picked up Goose and saw that Goose had knocked down a bunch of things in our living room. He let me know and even tidied up, which was definitely not in his job description. If you are looking for a caring, responsible, all-around great guy to take care of your dog you can't go wrong with Mike! read more

BEST DOG WALKER!!! Our pup Jackson loved Michael. Everyday when he walked through the door to pick him up, it was the best part of his day! He loved him so much that even when I stopped working and could fully walk him myself, we kept Michael because of how ouch Jackson loved it! Michael really cares for the dogs and we were never worried when he was with him! He's readily available for private walks and boarding when you need him! He also will tell you if he thinks something is wrong with your pup or will look out for things during the walks that you bring to his attention. We were so sad to stop our walks with him (moved out of SF), but if we ever come back we truly hope there will be space open for Jackson in the pack!! read more

Mike has been a life saver for our 5 year old ridgeback/lab mix Anya! He has been walking her for the past 6 months whenever we are out of town and is the best. He always sends us updates and lets us know how she's doing. He's so incredible with animals. You can tell Anya is super happy and trusting of Mike. Also, she's been sick from food allergies at times, and Mike is super understanding, makes sure to follow any medical/ dietary requirements, and makes sure Anya is well taken care of. We couldn't be happier with Mike's services! We are moving out of the neighborhood soon but are glad to know Mike can still take care of Anya :) read more

It's an honor to be the first one writing a review for Mike and his brand new venture, Ruff Paws (first registered business of 2015 in the City!) My dog has been walking with Mike for about 3 years now. Here's the 411: Once upon a time, in a land far far away (the Marina), there lived a dog waking company. I don't give two flying pigeon shits about the company except for Mike. When Mike was off, I can noticeably see the change in behavior of the dog. He has left that dump hole and started Ruff Paws. So glad he did, as I was tired of dealing with the douchemaster flex he was working for. What is most exciting about Ruff Paws is that Mike will be instilling his philosophies of dog-human communication, which is something that is learnt over time. He can teach you how to work with your dog! As an owner of a well disciplined dog, I am looking for a trust-worthy walker. I'm a huge stickler for reliability and security (I work for the police). Mike has demonstrated time after time that he is of all these qualities and some more. I trust Ruff Paws with walking and boarding my beloved 4 legged family member (which he has done on many occasions). To sum shit up, Mike is one hell of a guy with awesome dog philosophies, which he will continue within Ruff Paws. He is in my house and walking with my best friend, everyday. Bonus points for not judging my uncontrollable alcoholism! Wish I can give him 6 stars! read more

We love working with Michael! He takes care of our old dog (14 years) when we go out of town and we never have to worry. Michael is great at communicating, clearly loves dogs, and rises to the occasion when/if our old guy gets sick. Plus, his prices are very competitive. Highly recommend! read more

Ruff Paws is awesome. Mike is great to work with. He's reliable, his communication is top notch, and the pics (and quotes) he posts on Facebook and Instagram are great. Our dog Kylie is a rescue and needed special attention when Mike started with her. He worked with her on their walks and the difference between then and now is remarkable. I can't recommend Ruff Paws highly enough! read more