Don't even hesitate- just hire Jacob if you are lucky enough that he is available!!…read more Can't say enough about what a great experience it was to have Jacob cat sit for us for a few weeks while we were out of the country. He took such amazing care of our cats, provided daily updates along with the best pictures and was available for a chat or update when we needed anything. We were able to truly enjoy our vacation and get to relax while on vacation because of him! I think our cats are sad that we are back home since they miss his undivided attention and trained him well!! He also left our home in a spotless condition and it was so nice to come back home!

Jacob is simply the best at what he does! Our dog loves Jacob, and some might say we are now her…read morespare humans.

Sarah and Patrick are amazing. I've been boarding my labradoodle with Sarah for 5 years. My dog…read moreis a Covid pup - she had severe separation anxiety (as did I). Sarah was extremely patient and took incredible care of my dog - and at the same time took care of me by sending me updates and photos while on vacation - putting me at ease. Somehow she and Patrick are able to manage multiple dogs and cater to each dog's personality and unique needs. I don't worry about my dog when I leave her in Sarah's care - whether it's a short 2 day trip or over a week. My dog is also a finicky eater - has never had an issue at Sarah's. I've dropped her off and receive a text from Sarah that dinner is completed - before I even reach home. She knows what she's doing. She loves my dog - which is priceless.

Auntie's Dawg House is the place to go when you want peace of mind that your pup is in the best…read morehands possible. Sarah and Patrick work together to take care of the pups and ensure that they have the best time. We love our pup, Biscuit, and felt nervous about having someone watch her that we weren't familiar with. Sarah came as a recommendation from a friend and we couldn't have been more grateful for the connection. It's been a few years already, but Biscuit had her first meet and greet with Sarah before we started daycare and boarding. Sarah spoke with us and answered any questions we had and also gave Biscuit time to warm up to her home. We then started doing daycare days to acclimate Biscuit before doing overnight boarding. Sarah and Patrick never leave the dogs unsupervised which means that an adult is always watching them so you never have to worry about your pup being alone (especially the pups that have separation anxiety). Biscuit has an amazing time romping around with the other pups, which is a huge plus for us since it gives her time to play and socialize since she doesn't have any dog siblings herself. She also is a professional snuggle bug and Sarah and Patrick lean into all those cuddles granting her all the love. It's safe to say Biscuit is one spoiled pup when she's over there. Sarah is also great at sending updates and photos when you do overnight boarding, and she's always very communicative if you have any questions or concerns. She treats all dogs as if they're her own and she will follow through on any instructions you give her. Specific feeding time? No problem. Medication? She's got you. No sleeping in the bed so it's consistent with your house rules? She will respect and follow through. Sarah and Patrick want to make sure you as the pawrents feel safe and worry free so they are so kind and thoughtful in their care. Patrick is also a dog groomer and he's fantastic. You can have them watch your dog and get a groom while they are there! Patrick is great about hearing what you're wanting from the groom and does an amazing job. Biscuit came out squeaky clean and so fresh with her light trim. We trust Sarah and Patrick so much and always feel at peace when Biscuit is there. We couldn't send Biscuit anywhere else!

We left our pup with Matthew for doggy day care, and he took great care of her. He was very…read moreflexible, able to accommodate us with little notice, friendly, reasonably priced, and good with dogs. We will definitely use his services again in the future!

Matt is awesome! My very active Labrador Soho went to all day doggie daycare for 2 days. Soho loved…read moreplaying with Matt's sweet dog Bismark and the other dogs Matt was watching that day. Soho came home happy and tired both days - just what we wanted. Matt is an excellent communicator - responds quickly to texts and sends photos and videos throughout the day which was very reassuring as this was Soho's first time with Matt. It's clear that Matt has a passion for dogs and Bizzy's Buddies. I would not hesitate to recommend and look forward to using again in the near future. Thanks Matt for your excellent service!

Rissa had a wonderful time and she was well taken care of. We will be back for sure…read more It is wonderful to have Ed be so professional and caring.

I have trusted my senior cat with Ed for about 2 years now, and as long as she'll stay with us,…read morewe'll stay with Ed. He is super reliable and Walnut always does well under his care. He gives her medicine every morning, which is very important for our 19 year old kitty. It's also reassuring that he's at our house once a day while we're traveling, and he takes the bins out for trash day. It puts our minds at ease. He also has a really great backup cat sitter in case he's ever traveling, and he's also very good and reliable. They've come through in a pinch when we had to make last minute travel plans, and we were so relieved to know we didn't have to worry about our girl!

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.

I would like everyone to know that Emily is the best thing that ever happened to Lafayette…read moreCalifornia.. Emily's new location adds to her success as trainer.. The location is perfect and her staff is outstanding. Confidence in her boarding and training my two Springers Spaniels are in the best of hands. I recommend boarding and training with her business. Thumbs up 100% to The Tail Haven. Kristen Hunter a very blessed client.

A sensational organization!! Emily and her team truly deliver!! I have a 10 month old Coton that…read morewas not trained. By the second training session, my dog was coming to me when I called her and going to her bed when told her to!! I was amazed. Her techniques are based on proven science and are extremely effective. I also have her taking Coco out 3 days a week to socialize with other dogs and see beautiful places. I am enjoying my dog so much more now that I am in control. Thank you, Emily!!

I cannot say enough about Brad Wilhelm and the incredible work he did with my Cavalier puppy,…read moreOlivia. At just 6 months old, Olivia was exhibiting serious resource guarding and aggressive behavior -- to the point where I was afraid to get close to her and she actually bit me once. I've had seven dogs in my lifetime and had never experienced anything like this before. Cavaliers are known for being loving, gentle dogs, so having an 11-pound puppy that I felt nervous around was heartbreaking. I truly wasn't sure Olivia and I would ever have a good relationship again. I was scheduled to travel to Mexico over Christmas but couldn't take her due to her behavior. Brad went above and beyond -- he kindly arranged to pick her up the very night I left on a red-eye flight and enrolled her in a 4-week board-and-train bootcamp. Yes, the program is an investment, but it is absolutely worth every penny. Brad and Camille worked their magic. Olivia came back a completely different puppy -- loving, responsive, and happy. It honestly feels like night and day. I know I still need to do my homework and stay consistent, but just one week after her return, the transformation has been incredible. One thing I really appreciate is the ongoing support. Brad offers unlimited texts and calls for questions and guidance, which has been invaluable as we continue reinforcing her training at home. This also wasn't my first experience with Brad. He was recommended to us years ago when we got our older dog, a yellow Labrador named Bourbon. While Bourbon has always been mellow, Brad helped us with practical training -- including teaching him to jump into my sedan in less than 10 minutes! That stuck with me and is why I trusted him when we needed serious help with Olivia. Brad once told me that good training makes dogs happier, and now I truly understand what he meant. Olivia is more confident, more relaxed, and clearly happier -- and so am I. I wholeheartedly recommend Brad to anyone dealing with behavioral issues or simply looking for solid obedience training. His knowledge, patience, and genuine care make all the difference. I am incredibly grateful for the impact he and Camille have had on both Olivia and me.

My review might be more unconventional, but given the service I received, I felt it was important…read moreto share my experience. Every now and again Brad's facility will take in rescue dogs who will undergo the full board and train program. I was lucky enough to be able to adopt Tarkin, a a cattle dog mix. I believe he had been under the care of Brad and his team for almost (maybe more?) a year but did not have much like in finding a potential adopter until I saw a post on Instagram and reached out. Right off the bat, Tarkin was very well behaved, knew the basic commands (sit, down-stay, leave it, wait, place, etc). Brad even provided a collar to continue with his training, was responsive via text MONTHS after adoption, and would always offer to come by for a follow-up training session. Fortunately, we have not needed an in-person session, but to be able to continue having him as resource by phone has been amazing and I am so grateful. Brad and Camille (Tarkin's other main trainer) have created such a wonderful foundation of training that I've been able to build off of, even as a new dog owner. Given my experience with Tarkin, I would highly recommend reaching out to Brad and his team about potential rescues available for adoption, or to see what training packages they have to offer. I couldn't have asked for a better first dog!

When it comes to our pets, we only want the best for them. I found that when searching for a new…read moredog-sitter. Robin has watched my senior Lab a few times now, and I can truly say she is amazing. She takes the ultimate care in making sure she has all the details down when it comes to medications, feeding and walk schedules. When Rocky is boarding, Robin is so great in communicating with me, letting me know that Rocky is OK along with a picture of him. Every time I go to pick up Rocky, he doesn't want to leave! :) He loves his "vacations" with Robin! It goes to show how truly caring and trusting Robin is with pets. I highly recommend her for all your pets boarding needs. As Rocky would say - she's the best!

Robin took my Dobie for a full week. She spent the first night sleeping on the couch with my fur…read morebaby to comfort her and often sent pics and videos to reassure me that all was well. She pays tons of detail to how best to take care of each dog and when I can to fetch her, I got the feeling she wanted to stay lol. i absolutely recommend Robin! Awesome dog carer!