Michelle took care of my 1 year old rescue Evie and she was amazing. She took Evie out with a group…read moreand they went hiking and exploring for many hours. Evie always came home so happy and exhausted. I recently moved out of Berkeley and was so sad to lose her services, so if you are looking for a dog walker in the Berkeley area Michelle is your best bet!!

I used Animal Karma this summer to board/pet sit my dog. My dog has a lot of fears (bad history…read morebefore I adopted her) and does not like to be separated from me for long periods of time. Usually when I return from a trip my dog frantically paws and claws at me. However, after staying with Michelle, my dog was very happy to see me. She seemed content and not frantic when I returned. Also, Michelle kept me updated on her progress while I was away. I couldn't ask for more!

Care from Doggy Mama Pet Care Services is about the nicest thing you can do for an…read moreotherwise-housebound furry family member. Ours has been spoiled by an unbroken string of excellent dog walkers (see my other reviews) and so our standards were high when we approached Deb about her services. Of course, the dog knew right away... and over time we came to appreciate & depend on the same indispensable qualities that other reviewers have noted: trustworthy, reliable, committed, attentive, flexible, and kind. Had we not moved out of the area, we'd still be using Doggy Mama Pet Care Services today. But don't take all the glowing reviews for it: give Deb a call and arrange an introduction -- then let your dog make the decision.

We LOVE Deborah! She's been walking our girl for at least 5-6 years (I've lost count!), and she…read moretakes such good care of her. I feel like we hit the jackpot when we found Deborah because she's caring, trustworthy and reliable. Our girl gets so excited to see her and always happily tired after her walks. And the group excursions have really helped to socialize our dog. Deb has been a life saver as our family has grown and our human babies have taken some attention away from our our furry ones. Plus, she always so good at keeping an eye out for foxtails. We highly recommend her!

Kathy is a phenomenal at training people and their dogs. She's helped us with in-home training,…read moreoff-leash practice, and everything that's come up in between. She also hosts monthly classes that are free for clients who work with her regularly and has put in lots of additional time inviting dogs (and their people) to tag along on pack walks. It's clear that she does this work because it's her passion and she cares about dogs being happy and well cared for. "Balanced" dog training includes tons of treats, lots of play, and the safety needed to make sure no one gets hurt. We weren't sure what to expect from training with Kathy, but it's been a wonderful balance of true fun, silliness, joy, and clear and firm boundaries. We're so grateful to have her in our lives.

I cannot recommend Kathy at Cause and Effect Dog Training enough! When we first reached out, our…read moreSpringer Spaniel, Checkers, was fearful, anxious, and often growled at my spouse and sometimes even at our kids. We had already tried multiple trainers, different techniques, and even followed our vet's suggestion to try antidepressants--but nothing was helping (in fact, the medication only made things worse). The moment I spoke to Kathy on the phone, I felt confident she truly understood the problem and could guide us in the right direction. And she absolutely has. Over the past year, Checkers has made tremendous progress thanks to Kathy's knowledge, patience, and the clear guidance she gave us. We followed her suggestions carefully--even switching vets based on her recommendation--and the results have been life-changing. Earlier this year, we had to travel out of the country and trusted Kathy to board Checkers. During that time, he developed a beautiful bond with her partner Dan. This was nothing short of amazing, as Checkers has always been fearful of men. Watching their relationship grow has been such a gift. With Kathy's help (and the influence of her own two balanced dogs), Checkers has learned how to be a dog--something I once thought might never happen. He now participates in pack walks and can even run off-leash in the fields, something I couldn't have imagined a year ago. If you're struggling with your dog's behavior and feel like nothing is working, do yourself and your dog a favor and call Kathy. She and Dan have changed our lives, and I am endlessly grateful for the care and dedication they've shown to Checkers and to us.

We had adopted our Kody boy 8 months ago from a shelter. It was a very hard five months trying to…read moreget him settled with a routine. We all had different ways of how to train him and it was causing a rift in the family. I was turned down by some trainers until I came across Jonathan Wong's page. He was local, he was fast to get back to me and he was willing to give us a chance after everything I told him. Kody still has a long way to go and I will continue with Jonathan as his trainer, but it is night and day after three months of training with Jonathan. He was dog and people aggressive, to the point we had to avoid them entirely. We can now go for walks, albeit we move opposite of any dog and can keep walking without any barking or pulling. He was always actively pulling on the leash and bad at recall. He is loose leashed now and responds with recall with our daughter. In the end I had to get use to the idea that Kody was a crate or muzzle dog when it came to large crowds or people in our home. I felt awful but Jonathan was so supportive and positive as I came to terms with it. I hope as we continue to train with Jonathan and Kody builds his confidence that soon things might change for him. Jonathan has such a kind soul and so encouraging when it comes to both us and Kody. I cannot thank Jonathan enough for what he has done for us. He left solid foundations for us to grow on. Kody is such a sweet and smart boy, and we always want the best for him. Jonathan truly is the best.

Yep, Jonathan knows his stuff. Highly recommend. Truth be told, my puppy (7 month Labrador) isn't…read moretoo difficult, but Jonathan got through to her quickly and made me feel like the pup wasn't such a menace.

We were so glad that we got connected with Tom! We needed dog boarding for our four year old dog,…read morePiper, while we are on vacation and we felt that our Piper got his own vacation. Tom sent us updates about how Piper is doing, and we can see how happy he was based on the photos. Piper got to hang out and play with other dogs and went on multiple hikes/walks throughout the week. We cannot recommend this place more!

I did not board my dog. But I got wonderful information from Tom on a variety of things canine. I…read morewrote him because he worked with a partner in the Berkeley Hills who boarded my first German Shepherd. I have a 2 week trip planned in April 2024 and Tom will be my first choice for boarding if I can't find someone to house and dog sit for that length of time. He is just a really nice, informed, knowledgeable guy.

We've been with El Perrito for 8 years and couldn't have asked for a more loving and healing…read moreenvironment for our sweet rescue pup. In Kat's care, she has blossomed into a much more playful girl in the pup community. Kat is reliable and great to work with! Couldn't recommend El Perrito more!

Life got hectic…read more.. We love our dogs and try to get out with them as much as we can. Regulars in the neighborhood and frequent Point Isabelle along with some weekend adventures a couple times a month. We started to fall a little behind for reasons I think we could all relate. El Perrito Dog Walks provided a great solution. We've tried other walkers that offered far less for the similar price. We had an introduction meeting and Melissa, who took the time to discuss practices with our pups and her approach. Our hound and puppy ridgie have plenty of idiosyncrasies and Melissa was very understanding. They use an app (can do it old school of you prefer) that makes it really easy. Put your info in and pick your times. Super straight forward. After an introductory walk we joined the pack! Today we came home after our second walk and not too long after the usual excitable greeting, barky bark and the spunky bunch were toast. Thanks Melissa! WE are most appreciative. Definitely recommend.

We first found out about Stacie from someone on Nextdoor.com after having multiple bad experiences…read morewith other pet sitters, and ever since then, she has been our go-to pet sitter. The first time we used her services, she pet sit for our dog and two cats. She came over multiple times (At no additional cost) before the trip to help our dog get more comfortable with her and really went the extra mile to make our first experience great. Since then, we have had her cat sit multiple times. For most trips we plan ahead of time and she has always been available to stop by daily. But for one of them, we texted her the night before, and she was available to cat sit for a week starting the next day. No questions asked. Talk about great customer service! If you're ever looking for a cat sitter in the area, we would recommend Stacie 200%. She really seems to care about the pets and really seems to go the extra mile to make them comfortable while being away. The best part is, Stacie is the one you will get when you call. Not some random employee that is just working a job to make money as a pet sitter.

We recently moved back to the Bay Area and were really concerned about finding a responsible, safe…read morespace for our good boy to stay when we go out of town. We came across Cutie Paws online. Their reviews were good and they are close to us, so we booked a four night stay for the July 4th holiday weekend. Drop-off went great ...but I was still a bit worried since it was his first time there. My concerns were all swiftly put to rest. Wendy and Mantin took amazing care of our pup, sent photos and videos (their place is very cute and charming with a lovely backyard). We just picked him up and he is very happy and well cared for. I am so glad I found them and would recommend without hesitation.

I can't say enough good things about this boarding experience. My dog, Lola, can be a little…read moresensitive with new environments, but they treated her like she was part of their own family. From the moment I dropped her off, I felt completely at ease. They were attentive, communicative, and genuinely invested in her comfort and well-being. I received regular updates, photos, and notes about how she was settling in, which meant the world to me. It's clear they understand dogs on an individual level -- their personalities, quirks, and routines. When I picked Lola up, she was relaxed, happy, and clearly well cared for. No stress, no overwhelm -- just a tired pup who had a great time. The facility was clean, safe, and thoughtfully run, and I appreciated how organized and responsive the staff were. I absolutely recommend this place to anyone who wants their dog cared for with kindness, consistency, and real attention to detail. Lola will definitely be coming back!