Mariko is one of the most caring and compassionate animal caregivers around. Whenever I travel, I…read morecan feel assured that she will treat our pets with the utmost care and love protect them like family. She is reliable, has excellent communication skills, and when she returns my babies from their regular walks, they always so happy! As a busy entrepreneur, it can be challenging to find someone who I can trust and I definitely have found my go-to person. Thanks Mariko!! Tip: She does book up so make sure to contact her to see if she can accommodate with plenty of notice.

Mariko is wonderful, very kind and compassionate. She has been walking our dog for the past two…read moreyears. Would recommend!

Kit's House is the best! After moving to Alameda, we struggled to find a spot for George, our…read moreFrench Bulldog. So happy we found Kit! George loves it over there, and Kit is super accommodating.

We've been taking our boy Magnus to Kit's House for a couple months now for overnights and day…read moresits. Mags has a great time, looks forward to it, and always comes back a little better behaved. Kit is a natural who has a special way with dogs. Highly recommend for dependable dog sitting in and around Alameda.

I recently adopted a little dog from Animal Refugee Response in San Pablo and me and the dog have…read morebecome inseparable from one another, well some thing came up and we were going to have to be apart for a few days. I didn't have a clue about what services were available, I didn't want to put her in a kennel because I thought it would be to stressful for her so I asked Blythe at Animal Refugee Response where I had adopted my dog from what she thought I should do and she Suzi's. She gave the the number to Suzi's Personal Pet Care and I gave her a call and explained my situation to her and she set up and appointment to meet me and my dog and see what she thought would be best for me and my dog. when I first met Suzi I could tell that Blythe had sent me to the right person, my dog was very at ease with Suzi as we discussed the various options as to the care she could provide and we decided it would be best for my dog to stay in her new home and to have Suzi come by twice a day to take her for a walk and feed her and look after her to be sure she was doing ok, Well I got back from my trip and my dog was in great spirits, my kitchen looked somehow in better shape than I remembered leaving it and my dog seems to have learned to not pull on it's leash as much. Thanks Suzi, the picture's you sent me of my dog were a wonderful surprise and let me see she was doing well.

After putting a lot of thought and waiting a few days so I can be more logical about the situations…read morethat Suzie and her business put us through, I will start from the beginning so all dog owners and animal lovers in general that are looking for a good dog sitting/boarding business can grasp just a bit of what we went through. Me and my husband found Suzie's pet care on Yelp, we lived very close to her and my husband was pleased with the rates she was offering, on the other hand I did notice a 1star review from a previous client (that Suzie has managed to remove through yelp) stating that her dog was bitten by another dog under Suzie's care and she was concerned about the amount of negligence that caused the poor dog to be bitten so horribly. That scared me but my husband wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and we really wanted to save money on our travels (big mistake) so I called and talked to Suzie regarding this review I noticed and how it concerned me, she responded by how she learned from that mistake and how she had responded to the review, which was great and all ..then she went on assuring me that my dog would be in good hands. We picked our dog up the first time after we had her boarded and everything seemed fine except my dog smelled like a cigarette head to toe. I was so upset and disappointed but I just let it go, how ever we needed to find a dog sitter for our next trip months later, so I contacted Suzie and addressed the smoke smell on our dog that wouldn't go away. The one thing I did like about her service was the fact that she would send pictures and updates, she told me it was "the fireplace " they use.. well if that's the case I'm more concerned about the amount of smoke vs. oxygen in her home and how come my dog smells more like a cigarette then your home when we walk in? My husband didn't think we had enough proof to think other wise so again my dog for the last time went under Suzie's care while we left for Thailand 11 days. Suzie contacts my Husband via what's app to let him know her father passed,and she had to leave town and she's leaving our dog with her daughter.Now at this point we are concerned but we want to be sensitive towards her situation because I know how it feels to lose a parent, but Suzie failed to communicate with her daughter and with us, we did not even get a courtesy call or perhaps to ask if we were ok with this change, she tells us she's leaving our dog with her 23 year old daughter, that we never had any contact or communication with up until we dropped off my dog and she was Asked by her mother(Suzie) to come say hello. A couple of days go by and we have tried to contact Suzie via phone, text the business anywhere we possibly could email to see how our dog is doing, No response what so ever. I was having a anxiety attack and tried to book a flight back home from my birthday trip just so I can go get my dog and make sure she is still alive and well. I couldn't enjoy my trip nor did I want to stay anymore at that point. Long story short my cousins go to pick our dog two days before we are supposed to come back, because we couldn't book a flight without paying a extra $$800. While we are on FaceTime and my cousins are picking up my dog , the daughter of Suzie didn't even know which crate belonged to my dog, how could you not know something so simple which is where she was sleeping? Come to find out not only did Suzie leave and not have her daughter communicate with us she also thought it was ok for her daughter to sleep in a bed with my dog. No Suzie it is not ok, it is not ok for you to leave clients that pay you in advance worried and just leave without asking us if we are comfortable with this situation, your business is separate from your personal issues and as much as we are sorry for your loss, our dog is our family too and we expect the proper care you promise to serve and provide. I have attached a few text messages regarding this situation so you can see what type of responses we were getting and please yelpers do your research! A few good reviews doesn't assure safety and security anymore I'm afraid.

At 3 1/2 weeks an adorable tiny mutt fell into our laps. Fast forward 7 months and our small pup…read morehad become an 65 pound ball of energy who needs lots of exercise and training. We saw Nick and his pack on the trails several times and we were always so impressed with how responsive his dogs were and how much obvious fun they were having. Nick has been taking our guy out for hikes now for about 4 months and we feel so, so lucky to have Nick in our lives. Louie, our now giant 80 lb 1 year old, always comes back exhausted and happy. Nick goes above and beyond getting his pack out, getting exercise and having fun. A fringe benefit is some great auxiliary training for Lou. Nick also makes sure Lou is dried off (if needed) and often brushed upon returning home. An added bonus are the great videos Nick posts on Barking Buddhas' Instagram account. So much fun to see your pup living his best life with the pack and Nick : ) I always tell Louie he's my best friend but I don't kid myself about who HIS best friend is--100% Nick. Best dog walker/human being out there!!!

Nick is high energy and caring guy and it shows when being around Sheba. He has been walking Sheba…read morefor over 4 months now and he gives her plenty of love and attention, plus he tires her out big time so that when she gets home all she wants to do is eat and sleep. He takes her plus the other dogs to various locations to really work her. From just playing fetch at a field to long hikes in the Redwoods. If your looking for a great dog walker but also a great person Nick and Barking Buddhas Dog Walking is the place to take your furry family member because they will continue to be treated like family with Nick.

France is the BEST. She is so sweet, and I feel so happy every time I leave our dog Bandit with her…read morebecause I know he will be cared for with a gentle and loving hand. Once, I was snowed in for 4 days and unable to get a flight back to California, and not only did France continue to care for Bandit, but she sent me near-daily emails telling me he was okay and not to worry about the delay in my return. I have never found someone like her to care for Bandit while I was gone. It's such a relief to know that my furry friend is in good hands while I'm gone. Some more detail: she doesn't take large dogs anymore (I think), and she was extremely detailed in asking questions about Bandit's habits and medicine and likes/dislikes. She even took Bandit for a day to get to know him a week prior to his stay with her, which I felt was a testament to her care and meticulousness. She did follow up with several emails making sure she knew how to handle his food and medicine, which I appreciated. She also is just a kind person in general. She appreciates the personal touch, as do I, so I feel I have gotten to know her a bit as well. Thanks, France!

France is a wonderful pet sitter who cares about her clients and their pet parents. We have been…read moretaking our 2 dogs to France for many years since our family members who we traded dog sitting with moved away. She is very attentive and truly loves dogs. Our minds are always at ease knowing our girls are in good hands!

Meghan is amazing in so many ways: flexible, proactive, anticipatory, thoughtful and service…read moreoriented. When I need to shift the time of the walk Meghan says "no problem", when I need an extra evening walk Meghan makes it happen, and when I ask for something she not only says yes with a smile, she remembers my request the next time without me even having to say anything. So I'm totally taken care of, not to mention my pup Jet LOVES her!

Our 2 1/2 year old Bernie doodle loves her weekly "dog pack" walks/hikes with Paul and pups. It has…read morebeen a game changer in releasing some of the boundless energy she has. Thanks to the Natural Dog and Paul and Nora!

When we were faced with the possibility of boarding our lab for over a week at one of the big…read morenearby facilities, I was determined to find a better alternative. I wanted somewhere she could feel cozy (not stuck in a kennel for most of the day!) and get plenty of loving attention and exercise. After a few lackluster interviews with sitters I found on our town's facebook group, I got a recommendation for the Natural dog. I was immediately drawn by their pictures of their pack on hikes in hills and appreciated the quick, thorough response I got to my inquiry. We scheduled a trial night to make sure our girl would be a good fit for an extended stay (we loved that they did this check) and I could tell right away from seeing Paul interact with her that she was going to be in good hands - he is definitely a bit of a dog whisperer. While we were away, we got daily photo updates of her living her best life, exploring the trails and snuggling on the couch. It gave us so much peace of mind knowing she was happy and well cared for. We've already booked two return visits :)

Patience knows her stuff, and saved my bacon! As a dog trainer myself, I'm VERY picky about who I…read morehire to help with dogs I'm boarding board when I have to leave for a day. Patience shot past all of my requirements for a pet sitter blasted away my expectations. She was so good that I quickly hired her as a dog trainer to work with the dogs when I wasn't around. She's reliable, excellent with the dogs, patient with puppies, and vibrant to work with. Her own dog training clients adore her, and her results are excellent. If I can't take someone on, I refer them to her with no qualms whatsoever. I hope you are lucky enough to work with her!