I had an AMAZING experience with The Balanced K9! I was nervous to get a dog walker, and try out boarding for the first time with my dog, but Sharnae was so understanding and wonderful. She listened to my concerns, and made me feel comfortable about my dog going out with his new friends. Before my dog Hank went out with the pack Sharnae organized a Meet and Greet at my home. Hank and I were able to meet all the walkers, and I had the chance to talk about any quirks that Hank has. All the walkers were so kind, knowledgable and professional. Hank went on walks twice and week, and every time I came home from work after his walks he was so happy and tired. Sharnae sent me the best photos of Hank and his friends on the walks. All the dogs looked so happy! Hank has a very sensitive stomach, and they would also let me know if anything seemed off with him that day. I ran into one of the walkers on their pack walk at The Berkeley Marina once, and Hank was so happy to see them! I was so impressed by how much control the walker had over all the dogs. They were all well taken care of, and happy! I moved out of state, and I truly miss The Balanced K9. They are amazing!! read more

So, this review is under the new ownership, Roxane Moaveni. I came to Roxane through a friend who is a veterinarian. What I like about my experience has been how grounded and practical Roxane and her team are. We had recently adopted my Scooby from a rescue and were only just learning that he had some additional emotional needs. It became clear that he needed more than basic training. Roxane recommended a trainer who was exceptional and worked to incorporate what we were doing with that trainer. She is reliable, honest, and has treated my dog well. read more

My Lula has been so blessed to be walked exercised and socialized with Mahogany. I have seen the difference in Lula and that makes it so much better when we are on walks so thank you. We love that she has made friends with other dogs of same temperament and energy level. read more

The Balanced K9 - That's my Lula on the left - Dog Walkers Near Me

Like a lot of dog training businesses during covid, this one doesn't answer phone or email messages or information requests from their website. I hesitate to leave a bad review when I don't have experience with their dog training skills, but ultimately I feel left in the lurch by a business that is so completely unresponsive. So I am posting. read more

I gotta agree with what everyone else has said. 5++ stars. Mahogany is actually the BEST. We were a hot hot mess before she started working with us to train our dogs, and let's be honest, we're still a hot mess but the dogs are NOT! Our dogs have improved in ways we never dreamed possible. They recently graduated from Mahogany's training and into Pack Walks. We're already hooked on Pack walks and cannot wait to schedule more of them. There aren't many people I would trust with my pets implicitly, but I have absolute faith in her and do not worry about my dogs when they're in her care. I recommend her highly! read more

My dogs are my life and Mahogany is one of the only people I would entrust them with. When I travel, my dogs go with Mahogany, if an emergency comes up, she's the first one I'm going to call. My dogs are not easy, they each have their challenges (health related and behaviorally), but I know she will keep them safe AND still give them the exercise and socialization they need each and every day. Mahogany has helped me bring out the best in all of my dogs by providing uniquely insightful training feedback and advice. Her skills in observation, teaching and bringing out the best in dogs are amazing. She has a gift in knowing how and when to deliver information in a way that relaxes me and gives me confidence. There is no B.S in her training, she is always honest about what your dog needs and what she sees as their weaknesses and their strengths. The amount of training, skill and expertise that she has put into her dog walking and training business is remarkable. She never stops learning herself, and that is one of the reasons she succeeds in everything she does - she cares deeply and she does not settle for mediocrity. She devotes herself %100. Mahogany helps me train my youngest dog twice a week and she remembers ever detail of his training journey, often more than I do! I have seen how much time, thought and consideration goes into every aspect of her business and she's been a continuous inspiration to me since the day we met. read more

Mahogany is the absolute best. We are using her services for both dog walking and boarding. A little background: we have a 4 year old, 12 pound, mini Dachshund named Charley with a lot of anxiety and leash reactivity. We have been working on training him through an affiliated program to help him get socialized and release some of that pent up anxiety! I contacted Mahogany because she is associated with the program and provided walks in our area. Needless to say, these pack walks have been tremendously helpful in Charley's training. Mahogany was very patient with him, even offering to take him on shorter solo walks so she could build his confidence up strong before the pack walks began. She now has him on pack walks and he is a different dog because of it! She goes above and beyond to make sure she is building his confidence, from taking him on additional walks to working with him on conquering his fears. She also is VERY flexible and extremely easy to communicate with. My favorite part is the pictures she sends from walks via text! The first time I saw Charley in a stay down surrounded by a couple dogs, my jaw almost hit the floor. Two to three months ago, there is no doubt in my mind that this could have happened, but with Mahogany's help, it did! Basically, Mahogany is great. From urban abilities, to pack walks, to boarding (which we are doing for the first time this weekend), she has really been an essential part to creating a comfortable, socialized, and obedient dog. We couldn't have done it without her! Most of all, my little man loves her! She comes with my HIGHEST recommendations! read more

Ah! Let me address each point: My dog has been gaining 1-3 lbs per week up until the board and train. She had not had diarrhea, or any diagnosis of EPI, or anything other than a potential poultry allergy and a past problem with a tapeworm. The diarrhea started upon my dog's return from the board and train with Mahogany. The night she came back, in fact. I even asked Mahogany to be vigilant for any signs of tapeworm and I checked in with Mahogany over the 3 weeks my dog was in the board and train (much to her annoyance- Mahogany refused to let me see my dog- said it was bad for training, though I later learned from other dog trainers that was ridiculous), and she repeatedly stated my dog showed no health issues. She brought my dog back and within minutes of her being in the house, right in front of Mahogany, my dog started scooting on the floor. Mahogany said "oh, she never did that when she was with me!" That night, my dog had explosive diarrhea IN her crate! Never, ever had my dog had an accident like that in the house. She had been potty trained from 10 weeks old with only one accident. No joke. From the day Mahogany brought my dog back, she had terrible diarrhea. That was the beginning of many, many trips to the vet. As for my dog's health records - Mahogany has records I gave her when she took my dog for her "rescue" nearly 6 months later. From those records it is clear that the issues noted did not begin until AFTER the board and train. And I mentioned many, many times to Mahogany of my concern over my dog losing 5 pounds while with her. Regarding her training- she never suggested we train in my home. To the contrary, she wanted to work on the sidewalk in front of my house, or would ask me to meet her at a local park, or downtown Berkeley. She did take a 20 second video of my walking my dog on a busy street- and she immediately posted it on her IG and FB to show what a great trainer she was. What she didn't show is the weeks I spent walking my dog, by myself, working with her on her issues. Nor did she show the part where she told me to yank to the prong collar any time my dog looked anywhere but ahead or at me. I'm not saying I'm opposed to prong collars, but I am opposed to a portrayal of my dog acting wonderful in Mahogany's presence and as a result of Mahogany's training, as that is simply not the case. And I was initially impressed with my dog's engagement with Mahogany, but that was because at the time I had no other experience with which to compare. Now I do, and I'm much the wiser for it. She's just not a great trainer. And it's not surprising as she hasn't really been training dogs for very long. But when a dog trainer says your dog is "weird" or repeatedly claims that your dog "never did that with [her]," you have to wonder. And don't ever send your dog to a board and train with someone that won't allow you to visit the dog when you are sending the dog to get help with behaviors the dog has with YOU. Because if your dog resource guards YOU, you need a trainer who can help work with YOU and your dog at the same time, not tell you that your dog doesn't resource guard them! Doh! As for "harassment": I asked Mahogany to remove the photos and bio of my dog from her facebook "rescue" page after I took my dog back. But Mahogany refused! She said she wanted people to see the types of dogs she had available (?) Never mind that my dog was not available. I asked her several times, and finally posted on the facebook page that my dog was not available, at which point Mahogany, not liking anything public that might make her look less than the amazing trainer/"rescuer" that she wants to portray, blocked me from her rescue page. No kidding. And I have the emails, texts, etc. to prove my side of the story. Mahogany is great at PR, that's what she does. As a dog trainer and dog care giver, not so much. And you don't have to take my word for it- google her name- you'll see other who had similar or worse experiences. But people don't want to post because they know Mahogany will do whatever is in her power to try and discredit those with legitimate, bad experiences with her. In the long run I believe it will all come out in the wash. PR can only go so far. She can't control the reality of bad business and sick dogs, no matter how much she tries to manage her image. And note that I posted the same review on Mahogany's business page on facebook and within minutes of my review, she had shut down the page. I kid you not. I know because someone told me they went to read the review and the page was unavailable. I checked it and it was true. So if you wonder why she keeps changing the name of her business, etc., that might give you a clue. read more

Mahogany is amazing! My dog Katie has always been a bit confused about the fact that she is a dog, which is to say she is much better with humans than other pups. That is until Mahogany came into our lives. Katie is now fully comfortable with other pups - in all settings (on leash and off) - and is joyful when she is picked up for a play day. Mahogany is flexible and responsive and has helped us out with last minute dog care more times than I can count. I feel totally comfortable leaving Katie with her for the day or during our vacations. When we are out of town, Mahogany sends regular emails and photos, which I deeply appreciate. I couldn't recommend her more highly to anyone who loves their dog! read more

Few people in the Bay Area can match Mahogany for her dedication to dogs, nor her skill as a handler and trainer. Consider yourself (and your best friend) lucky to have her as a sitter. Mahogany understands dog behavior and communication; she "reads" my dog Hiro better than I can, and often offers advice and tips when she sees room for improvement (usually on my side!). Apprenticed with a top-tier trainer, plus blessed with a keen curiosity to always learn more, Mahogany has much greater experience than the average sitter/walker. As a 70 lb. bull-mastiff/lab, Hiro needs a strong leader and I've struggled and failed with many walkers. But he adores Mahogany and her dog Kayo, and I know he is safe, happy, healthy and well-behaved whenever he is with her. Plus, she knows how to feed raw, a big help in keeping Hiro's diet consistent when I'm away. Thanks, Mahogany! read more

Mahogany is amazing! Our puppy loves her and so do we. We had serious biting issues with our puppy and 10 days with Mahogany - as we had to go on holidays - and our puppy has come back with no more biting and wonderful socializing skills. Highly recommend her! read more