Maria is the most vivacious and passionate dog/cat/people (she works with the whole family) trainer you will find. She is professional, reliable, Reiki certified, licensed and bonded, all that good stuff. She ALSO has a college degree in animals and has 15 years of experience. Currently she has a Pandemic Puppy Package. Woof! read more

Maria Perez is an excellent trainer. I was new at being a pet parent, and my adopted adult dog was very reactive to other dogs. The knowledge she shared, and the skills and games she taught me, really helped build a very strong foundation of commands/obedience for my dog and me. It increased safety and enjoyment for us, and brought me relief from some stressful behaviors he had had. She really zeroes in on what is most needed for your dog, and addresses what is most important to you as a pet parent. She's a delight, and my dog adored working with her. People often compliment my dog saying how well-behaved he is, and this is definitely attributed to the fact that I used what I learned from Maria to teach him. I recommend her. read more

We had a fantastic experience with Maria! We hired her for four hours of training in our home for our 4.5 month old American Staffordshire Terrier puppy. Our pup made SUCH progress in a very short time period (2.5 weeks!) between our sessions. She was nipping less, having fewer accidents, 'leaving it' and sitting. We loved that Maria worked with our whole family and gave us ALL tips. I would highly recommend her, especially if you're trying to train a new puppy. Thank you, Maria!! read more

Maria came recommended to me from an acquaintance. We hired her for the 4 hour total training session. She is incredibly personable and knowledgeable. Our dog was able to learn quickly from her techniques. I also appreciated how she taught me to better handle situations with my dog- her expertise and guidance really showed! Highly recommend! read more

Maria was professional, caring, and knowledgeable. She explained everything clearly and included our two kids in the process of learning how to train our dog. The session was hands-on, and super valuable for us and our dog. If you are looking for a real dog whisperer, we recommend Maria's services wholeheartedly. Worth every penny. read more

Maria completely changed my puppy experience! I was totally overwhelmed after 6 days with my 8 week old puppy. He was a big biter and I had no skills to train him. I called Maria in tears and not only did she help me over the phone, but she was able to come to our house the very next day for our first session. Maria is such a great trainer!! She entertained my whole family with her warm and animated personality. And she totally knows what she's doing! Her positive training style works so well. My puppy learned quickly and I had the confidence I needed to train him (and let my arms heal!). Maria is always available via phone for pieces of advice which I really appreciate. It's nice to know I can call her when weird things happen. She even accompanied me to the dog park for the first time to show me how I can incorporate training there. I highly recommend Maria for any of your dog training needs. She's a pleasure to work with and so good at what she does. I don't know where I'd be without her! : ) read more

When reviewing a restaurant I can comfortably Yelp after the first visit. When reviewing a random business, probably after the 2nd visit. But when reviewing the professional that takes care of my precious little girl (also know as the most amazing dog in the world) - well, that kind of review takes about a year to complete - and that's how long Maria has been walking my dog. The wife and I have had good dog walkers before (as transplants from SF to Marin), but none that are as loved by our dog as Maria. A couple of notable points: 1. Maria takes care of your home like a security guard. A few months back construction workers were completing upgrades to our home when Maria came by to pick up our dog - but rather than just assuming the construction workers were supposed to be there, she called me to verify that everything was kosher. She sends a text or calls if something seems out of the ordinary - incredibly comforting when we're not home. Maria also brings in packages left by the front door (we're Amazon addicts), which is just simply polite and appreciated. 2. Maria CLEANS our dog before she comes in the house. Muddy romp on the walk? Toweled off and dried. Hike through some thistle? Picked out of the hair. Sure we get the occasional paw print or find a sticker under the chin, but it's rare. We had dog walkers in the past that would return our little girl full of fox tails and sand - but that's not Maria's style. 3. Maria reinforces training! Our dog is brilliant and could probably get into Cal - but that also means she's stubborn and always testing boundaries. Maria reinforces basic commands on the walks which keeps our pup from misbehaving. 4. Maria is flexible. Our dog walking schedule is fairly consistent, but sometimes we need to make a significant schedule change and still get the daily walk in - Maria always makes it work. 5. Maria never takes a day off. ok, that's probably not 100% true, but in the 14 months she's been walking our dog I can't think of a weekday Smooch a Pooch was closed or had to cancel a daily walk. About the only downside to Maria and Smooch a Pooch is that our dog probably loves her more than she does us! In summary - if you're looking for a dog walker in San Rafael, look no further (note - we interviewed 7 potential dog walkers in San Rafael...and they were all just awful except for 1). Especially if you're moving to town from SF and are used to experienced professional dog walkers - Maria is exactly that professional. read more

After a recent move, my dog started some new (and rather annoying) behaviors. I contacted Maria and she observed the behaviors as she spoke to me about her methodology. She was clear with her explanations and what my role needed to be after she left. Then she showed me how to communicate better with my dog to stop these annoying behaviors. It was amazing at how quickly my dog responded to my new training. Although I think I was the one who got "dog trained" and not necessarily my dog!! Regardless though, the behaviors stopped and my dog and I are a happy team again. Maria clearly has extensive training and experience to back up Smooch A Pooch Services. I recommend her to everyone I know! And she has pet sitting and walking services too...she's a full service dog company! read more

Maria is absolutely amazing. Trustworthy and committed to her work!! I have a Labradoodle who has been going for walks with Maria since he was 4 months old. He used to jump with joy at the sound of her footsteps and 4 years later he still does the same. Not only is she a good walker but she is an effective trainer. Corrects him consistently and never gives up. He goes for walks with her and Keith ( who works with Maria) 4 to 5 times a week and comes back exhausted and happy. Gets his play time as well as exercise. Sometimes I think my four legged baby loves Maria more than me. read more

Smooch A Pooch Services - Dog Walkers Near Me

Here's an update to my previous post. I have been using Smooch a Pooch services for well over a year and a half now and could not be happier. Last year I got pregnant with my first baby (after my 2 dogs). Being a first time mom, I had a ton of questions regarding behavior and training for my dogs and what to do when it was time to bring the baby home. Maria was great. She taught me everything I needed to know and tips and tricks for after I got home. The transition was seamless and the dogs accepted and loved the baby from the first day on. Here's the icing on the cake. My due date was close to Thanksgiving, give or take a few weeks. So I called around to a million of boarding places and of course they were all full or needed a specific date. I called Maria to see if she knew anyone and she let me know that she had expanded her business to overnights and house sitting. She was also busy that week, but said that we would work something out and we would wait and see when the baby would come. Of course my water broke the Monday before Thanksgiving. I called Maria at 6:30pm. One of her staff members was at my house at 8pm to stay the night at my house with the dogs. AND on top of all that, my parents came to the hospital with me and left their 2 dogs as well!! So zero notice and 4 dogs overnight!!!! Maria is a total life saver. I was so at ease knowing that my dogs were getting the best care, in my own home. Although I am at home with the baby, I still have Maria take my boys out during the week. I call her their 2nd mommy and you should see how excited they are when she comes to get them. I cannot speak highly enough of Maria. She and her services are flexible and reliable, completely trustworthy and knowledgeable. read more

Amazing, professional, personable, knowledgeable. Maria speaks dog better than anyone I know. This translates to very effective training techniques with desirable behavioral results In real time. Maria is friendly, available and makes certain that she is effectively communicating with you so that you get the most from the session. I've been to classes (at the Humane Society) and private training and can say with full confidence that you get way more "bang for your buck" with the right private trainer and Maria is the right trainer. Of course you want to socialize your pup and classes are good for that, but as far as training goes, working with Maria will advance your "scholar" faster with fewer mistakes. If you have any doubt about her skills, go and watch Maria with her 10 doggies at the dog park and you will see "the magic" first hand! Maria is a natural with pups, but she is also a hghly qualified and credentialed behaviorist. Time with her will really make a positive difference. Debbie McKinney, MD read more

Based on the 5 star rating here on Yelp, I took the liberty of reaching out to smooch a pooch for my dog training needs. I left the owner a message, and she was kind enough to return my call nearly two months later. She said something had happened to her phone and she was unable to retrieve messages. We agreed on a time for a two hour session for her to train my dogs. She asked that all members of our household attend. So, my husband, my daughter, and I were all home to meet her. We waited....and waited....and waited. She never showed up. Now, this was frustrating considering I had cut a family trip short to be home to meet her. However, I understand scheduling conflicts happen. I waited for her to call, and after a week with no call, decided to leave her a message. It has now been over a week since that call and she has never called back. I am not one to negatively review businesses, as I have a lot of respect for small business owners. That said, the reason I called Smooch a Pooch, was in large part do to the positive reviews here. Unfortunately, the last review was over a year ago. read more

We loved Maria and her approach to training! She is very knowledgeable about dogs and their behaviors, and she adeptly answered my hundreds of questions. She turns training into games, making learning fun for everyone (especially the dog!). She brings a wonderful energy, experience, and knowledge into the room. read more

Maria is a wonderful to work with. We have a fearful puppy of 5 months. Maria trained us to train him. There was so much progress in just a few weeks! We are delighted to work with Maria. She is really dedicated and a great and patient teacher. Thanks Maria! read more

Maria is amazing! We recently adopted a four-month old puppy with very little training. She saved us! The evidence-based techniques she taught us changed our lives and our puppy's life for the better in a matter of weeks. Her enthusiastic, kind-hearted nature made it so easy and motivating to work with her. AND, her affordable rate, and willingness to set up a payment plan, made this process financially easy as well. We will not hesitate to contact her for any further training needs :) read more

Maria is a wonderful dog trainer and an absolute blessing to do business with. She was able to have my rowdy pit-mix wrapped around her finger in minutes. My son's and I were in awe. She is very knowledgeable and an excellent teacher too. We highly recommend her. read more

Maria is fantastic! We have a very energetic golden retriever who needs lots of exercise and loves to bark. Maria helps him get his wiggles out while we're at work. She has also done some training with us, and we are making progress with his barking and enthusiastic greetings. It's obvious to me that Maria cares a great deal about all the dogs she takes care of. What I love the most is that I don't have to worry about our dog when he's with Maria. read more

I ran into a woman from this company, she had multiple dogs with her at the Marin County Civic Center horse corral. I was walking a dog around the corral, letting the dog I was walking sniff the dogs in the corral a couple of times. The woman from this company said "these dogs are freindly, you dont have to worry about them if you want to come in" I went to the gate, and stood there for a minute, letting the dogs sniff each other through the fence - this way a person can usually determine if any of the dogs are going to be aggressive. I opened the gate to walk in, walked in a few feet when a dog under this companies supervision came at us at a full charge, not responding AT ALL to its name. the dog came right up to my dog, growling with teeth barred and went up to my dog and put is mouth on my dog head, I pulled my dog behind me, stood between my dog and the aggressive yellow lab. The woman with this company was standing over 20 feet away from my dog and I during this incident. I then turned to leave. This woman stated I should just take the leash off of my dog, that was the problem - I said "NO, I need the leash to control my dog". I told her she should not let dogs under her supervison be so aggressive. She denied the dog was aggressive, saying instead it was being dominant and wanted to hump my dog. I told her there is NO difference between aggression and dominance, and that uncontrolled domainance will usually lead to a fight. At no time did she apologize for the dogs bad behavior, nor did she recognize that the dog in her care, under her supervison was not behaving friendly. Humping and dominant behaviors ARE NOT FRIENDLY BEHAVIORS. This woman kept telling herself stories, and coming up with excuses instead of realizing she needs to work on teaching the dogs in her care not to be aggressive. I WILL be reporting this incident to the Marin Humane Society, she should be thankful the dog in her care did not do any damage to the dog in my care - who was under control at all times and was not even looking at her dogs. This woman needs to stop thinking of herself as "CERTIFIED IN DOG" and start some real training. read more

We are first time dog owners and although our puppy is smart and learning well, we knew we could use some training help and are very glad we found Maria. She came to our home to work with our family (3 kids) and it was well worth the time and money. She was able to confirm and reassure us of what we've been doing right and educate and advise us in the areas we are falling short. She has a great style and our 6 month old loved her. Her knowledge and approach are what I think every dog owner would appreciate. She was very good at explaining the various commands and we all feel much more confident after spending several hours with her. She did an awesome job working with our kids and we are all excited to continue with our training. Big thumbs up for Maria. Give her a call! read more

Maria helped us take our shy, under-socialized dog to a happy, much more confident one! When we first adopted our dog (he was 13 months), he had such a fear of riding in the car that he would shake and throw up. Maria gave me tips to help him get used to being in the car even before she was taking him out for regular walks. And then going in her car (or Keith's - who works for her), with fun destinations at the end of the ride, helped him over the rest of his fear. Additionally, being part of Maria's pack helped our dog with his socialization as well. I highly recommend her dog walking and training skills! read more

Maria and Keith have been walking our Jindo rescue for over 2 1/2 years and we couldn't be happier. If there is ever a scheduling issue, it is our fault not theirs. They are extremely flexible about changing days if we need to and they need very little notice. Our dog looks forward to their arrival and cries with excitement when he hears them arrive. He comes home happy and tired and we couldn't ask for more. They are amazing people and love our dog almost as much as we do. read more

Maria Perez, the owner of Smooch A Pooch Services, is very competent and has a great deal of knowledge about all breeds of dogs. She has been walking my two chihuahuas and they love the walks with her! She is always on time and is very friendly. I highly recommend doing business with Smooch a Pooch Services!! read more

Maria has always been the best dog lover and most educated trainer i've ever known!!!

Maria and Keith have taken such great care of our Portuguese Water Dog over the last 5 years. Come rain or shine they take her out 5 days/wk and it's the highlight of her day. They've been very trustworthy in our home and take the time to bring in boxes by the front door if there are any, clean off our pup if she needs it, and reinforce good behavior. We've been really happy with the service they provide and wholeheartedly recommend Maria and Smooch a Pooch to anyone looking for someone to walk their 4-legged kid(s). read more

Maria is AMAZING! I don't know what our family would have done without her. We initially hired her for training because our rescue dog had some serious fear of men (me included!) and would bark at EVERYTHING. After just one session we saw such a huge difference so we decided to have her walk our dog as well. We have been using her services for 4 years now and have never looked back. She's responsible, trustworthy, flexible and sincerely cares for our dog. She loves her so much we kind of get jealous, she literally does flips when she sees her pull in the driveway. Plus, she's a dog trainer so she's always teaching and training during her walks- priceless, Especially because my family has a hard time being consistent, we know when she is with Maria she's getting the right training. We highly recommend her if you are looking for a real dog walker, vs a teenager looking to make a buck or two. Oh, and she's also very professional, she's licensed, bonded and insured! She's the BEST! read more

I can not say enough about Maria! She is amazing. We are very particular about who spends time with our dog and we were blown away with Maria's responsiveness to her special needs. She tuned into her right away and offered the perfect tone and handling for our older dog. We were confident with Maria's professional standard from the minute we met her. She was punctual, provided information about her education and had prepared contracts for us to sign and get started with her service. We felt very good about the balance of professionalism mixed with her obvious love for and special ability with dogs. She is a natural! And we consider her a total gift. Her service of stopping in for an evening feeding and to spend a little time when we can't get there has been fantastic and reduced stress in our hectic schedules! (Thank you Maria!) We highly recommend her to anyone for excellent, fun & happy dog walking, training, or evening stop in's!! Her attitude is so uplifting! read more