We have been taking several training classes here and it has been a great experience!read more

We loved training with Rachelle here. She's a great teacher and so good with the dogs AND the…read morepeople. The small classes are nice and help keep the dogs focused. Our pup was totally different after his first round of classes here, and we will be back soon for another round!

I cannot say enough about Dan and his skills as a dog (and dog parent) trainer! I adopted my dog,…read moreDoug, from a golden retriever rescue in March 2026, believing he was a golden retriever mix. From the very beginning, Dan gently pointed out that Doug might have more cattle dog in him, based on his markings and behavior. When the DNA test confirmed Dan was right, it gave me a whole new understanding of my sweet boy. Doug turned out to be a beautiful mix of cattle dog and other herding breeds, and that insight has made such a difference in helping me understand him better. Dan has been incredibly patient--not only with Doug, but with me too--as I've learned to recognize Doug's triggers, better understand his behavior, and figure out how to help him thrive. Dan's experience with stray and rescue dogs is extremely valuable. Doug is such a sweet dog, about 2 years old, with plenty of puppy energy still in him. He's affectionate, eager for attention, and wonderfully responsive to training. Dan has helped me learn how to channel Doug's energy in positive ways and appreciate just how smart and spirited he really is. Doug keeps me on my toes, and Dan has reminded me that patience and consistency are some of the greatest gifts I can give him. After just three in-home sessions with Dan, I've already seen such encouraging progress. Doug is doing beautifully--he's a star at the dog park, walks nicely on leash, and has learned to respect the boundaries I've set around attention and behavior. Things like digging up the backyard and jumping into my face have stopped, which has been such a relief. Dan's guidance has made a meaningful difference, and staying consistent with the lessons has been key to Doug's success. Dan's availability by phone or text is a game-changer as I don't have to wait until our next scheduled visit to get guidance if new, unexpected and undesirable behavior arises between visits. Next week marks Doug's and my three-month anniversary together, which feels both exciting and emotional. We still have more to learn, but I'm so proud of how far we've come already. I'm grateful for Dan's support and look forward to continuing this journey--helping Doug grow into the very best boy I know he can be.

Dan is great with dogs and even better with people! He does a fantastic job teaching us how to…read moreapproach training with our dog in a way that actually makes sense and feels manageable at home. He's warm, approachable, and never judgmental when we inevitably get something wrong. He's also always punctual, professional, and genuinely a joy to work with. We've learned so much from him and would absolutely recommend him to anyone looking for a great trainer.

We highly recommend Jayne, she is a very experienced dog trainer. Very flexible with scheduling…read more Also very responsive over text.

Jayne is amazing! I actually called Jayne bc I was worried abt my young pom bc he jumped on another…read moredog on one of our walks. I was so worried and embarrassed! I called my vet as soon as i got home! My vet suggested I call this particular behavioral trainer she knew and so I did. (It wasn't Jayne). This behavioral trainer told me I should return my dog to breeder. I should never fall asleep with this breed on my bed (Pomeranians) as they could bite my face off. She continued to tell me all these horrible stories abt poms. I was so confused and upset when I hung up. My husband insisted I get another opinion. I found Jayne's info online the next day and called her. She came over same day because she knew how upset I was and she wanted to meet my fur baby. Needless to say, she is amazing! I am so happy I made that call! My pom is now 5 yo and he is fabulous! Sweet, entertaining, and so well-behaved because of Jayne's training!

About a month ago, I went to Joybound People & Pets to adopt a kitten, and I had such a wonderful…read moreexperience. Everyone was so kind, welcoming, and helpful throughout the whole process. I was looking for a baby kitten, and thankfully I found exactly the little cat I was hoping for. The adoption process was easy and smooth, and you can really tell how much the staff cares about the animals. The cats are very well treated, and the conditions they are kept in are excellent. Everything was clean, organized, and the animals looked healthy, happy, and loved. Thank you to everyone at Joybound People & Pets for all the care and dedication you give to these animals. I truly recommend this adoption center!

We are so impressed with Joybound and their staff. Their facility is clean and just beautiful All…read morethe animals are healthy and kept on pristine mini suites. The adoption process is stress free and thorough. So happy to welcome Pixie to our family.

We took in a 5+ month old puppy from a challenging situation and needed help as the pup was…read morereactive, not socialized, and terrified of everything. Gary was just the right amount of direct but supportive. He taught us lessons that built upon themselves and after the full course, we now have the tools to help our pup live his best life. Totally worth it. Very flexible with schedule and good communication. Already our new family member has made huge strides. Thanks, Gary!!

I reached out to Gary for help with my dog Peaches and her leash reactivity, and he was extremely…read moreprompt in responding. The initial consultation went very well, and I learned so much about dog communication and how to better support Peaches. I also learned that she is a highly anxious dog, which explained many of the challenges I had been concerned about. We enrolled in Gary's six-week program and finished with the tools and knowledge needed to keep Peaches on the right track toward recovery. Just like humans, dogs rehabilitate at their own pace, and over those six weeks Peaches made significant progress. We're looking forward to enrolling in advanced training once she's ready so she can enjoy more freedom off-leash. Gary is not like other trainers we've worked with. He doesn't rely on obedience-based shortcuts or gimmicks. Instead, he teaches you how to work through real situations and explains the theory behind his approach so you truly understand what's happening and how to handle stressful moments. Most importantly, Gary teaches you how to become the focal point for your dog, which has made a lasting difference for us.

Alright peeps let's see who is on the chopping block today!!!…read more Come on down petsmart!! Alright so outside like always so much space for parking and disabled parking. So cuddos to you guys for this! When you get inside the establishment it's very clean and you can see where stuff is at really quick. Love the choices they have for pet treats. One thing for sure is that they do need more customer service we are here to see about a pet adoption but it seems like they don't want these pets to go to homes. We have been waiting to hopefully hold one to see if I get a reaction from it but still nobody is helping us. Well we have been decline to adopt suki it's okay no worries it was probably not meant to be. How ever we did adopt 2 tabby cats from joybound rescue it was buy one get one we took the brother and sister so we are happy and blessed to welcome 2 new family members I did go back to this store to get my kitty supplies and I'm happy to say that I'm happy with everything I bought. Now I won't drag this I will say it I will continue to go back for all my pet supplies and needs but will not go back for pet adoptions it just seems like they are not thinking of the kittens/ cats for people that want to give them homes. I can just say petsmart do better have someone that can rehome these kittens/cats or animals that are wanting to get out of that cage they are in.

This place is awesome. They always have the coolest spiders. I came here on a rainy day and saw…read morethis cute little guy. I had already bought another spider and was had extra housing for this spider so I went and heading rescued it because they really didn't know how to take care of it, but that's OK. Everyone makes mistake sometimes.

Such a great company- always giving back to the community and the shelter animals…read more They have a great energy and compassion towards the dogs they work with. I first met them at an adoption event where they partnered with the Martinez animal shelter. They gave complimentary baths to all the shelter pups at the event. Even my foster pup- Susannah. They even put an adorable adopt me scarf on her and promoted her on their page I have been sharing their contact info with friends and neighbors

I had a bad experience with my small senior (17.5yrs old) dog at Diablo Dog in Martinez this past…read moreFriday. I'm not here to bash a small business. I'm here to share what happened to me and possibly help someone else out there, not have it happen to them. After looking at their website and social media posts, I was impressed with what seemed to be a top notch establishment. I only groom my senior chihuahua mix occasionally and I wanted to make sure they would treat him with gentleness and care. It was easy to see when I got him back from his appointment, that didn't seem to happen. He went in for a trim. I chose a #7 blade, which I now know was far too short. It woukd have been appreciated if the groomer would have made a blade suggestion or mentioned that choice was very short, because I wasn't familiar with all that, but that's on me and not my complaint. My complaint is that the groomer hurt my dog. I didn't notice it at first when I picked him up because honestly it was so chaotic in that small space with two big dogs coming in for service, a bunch of big dogs in the back barking and guys yelling at the dogs to shut up, I just needed to get my very nervous and stressed little guy outta there. It wasn't until I got home that I noticed the cut around and under his neck. I was literally stunned. I've never seen anything like that before and my dog was still shaking. I scooped him up and headed to the emergency vet. He is now on antibiotics and doing better, but it was a rough weekend. Between me crying and feeling like a bad dog mom for handing him over to them and him throwing up all day Saturday, I was not in a good place. I needed to wait a few days before I could even do this review. I love small businesses and want to support them more than anything, but I have to say I would not recommend this business for grooming small or senior dogs. I have no experience with them in any other area and larger dogs might do well here, I don't know. But this is what happened to me and if it happened to me....you know the rest. It was a really hard day that day. Pictures speak louder than words. The last photo is Jazz a couple of weeks ago how he looked when I took him in, all the others are from Friday at home and in the lobby of the emergency vet after his groom. Please think twice before you go here with your small or senior dog.

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.

We had such a great experience working with Anthony! We have a Cane Corso puppy Jax and from the…read morevery beginning Anthony was knowledgeable and made training easy to understand. He took the time to explain not only what to do but why it works, which helped us feel much more confident continuing the training at home. We've already seen a huge improvement in Jax's behavior after Anthony's 3 week board and training program. He now heels and walks right next to us instead of constantly tugging on the leash, which has made walks so much more enjoyable. He's also much calmer, listens so much better, and is overall becoming a well behaved puppy. It's clear Anthony genuinely cares about the dogs he works with and wants both the puppy and the owner to succeed. We truly appreciate Anthony's help!

Updating my review to say how incredibly happy I am with Powerhouse K9! My puppy is now 8 months…read moreold and has spent a total of 5 weeks here (3 weeks for board-and-train and 2 weeks for regular boarding). As a first-time puppy owner, I wasn't sure what to expect or if puppies just naturally outgrow certain behavioral issues. Either way, this is the only formal training she has ever had, and the results speak for themselves. She came back so incredibly well-behaved. And has reminded well behaved. When we go out in public, people always come up to see her because she's cute, but what they *constantly* comment on is how exceptionally well-behaved she is for an 8-month-old puppy. It is so validating to hear that from strangers! I love and fully agree with Anthony's methods and what he does here. If you want a well-behaved dog, Powerhouse K9 is the only place to go. Highly recommend! Full disclosure: I have a pure poodle and they are known to be smart. I brought her to PowerHouseK9 initially at 4.5 months, only weeks after adopting her so my reviews are specific to this. I cannot speak to any other situation or dog breed.

Happy Go Lucky Pet Care deserves more than five stars! I could go on fur-ever about how exceptional…read morethey are. My dog has been with Happy Go Lucky for four years, and in that time Paula has shown nothing but genuine love and care for every dog in her pack and you can tell they adore her right back. Since joining Paula's walks, my dog has gained confidence on the trail, improved training skills, and become a happier, healthier pup overall. She gets great exercise, socialization, and plenty of positive stimulation. Seeing Paula and her pack of furry friends is truly one of the highlights of my dog's day. Not only is Paula wonderful with the dogs, she's also incredibly professional, organized, and communicative. A clear, hard-working person you can always depend on. She truly does it all and does it so well. I wholeheartedly recommend Happy Go Lucky Pet Care for your pet care needs. There's no one else I trust more with my pup!

Lisa walks my cavalier twice a week. She's cheerful and wonderful with the dogs. At the end of each…read moreday of walking, we get a lovely photograph of the group of dogs that she walked that day. They are wonderful and I recommend them highly.