The Golden Paw

If you need a groomer ask for Becky. She really took the time to listen to my grooming requests. I just picked him up and he looks like a different dog. She did such an amazing job. Even my dog who is not great with all people loved her!

This is the best place to go for grooming! I brought my 9 yr old golden retriever in there last week, and he had the groom of his life! He was so soft, and happy afterward! The staff here is extremely friendly, and the prices are very reasonable. I took him in yesterday, after a day at the beach, and the groomer made his coat so silky and smooth. And even gave me a good recommendation for new dog food, since his skin had been flaky from before. I highly recommend this place. Super friendly staff, and a very happy dog= very happy customer! Thanks guys!!!

This place blew us away! We left our pup in their care for the weekend, and she came back happier than ever! The staff is extremely nice, genuinely friendly, and they cared so much for the dogs there. Also, watching our dog play via webcam really showed how much she loved it. Golden Paw «screens» dogs with a mandatory 30 minutes in the play area with other dogs her/​his size. This made us feel a lot better that we didn’t have to worry about her being with maybe no-​so-​friendly other canines.
When we picked our puppy up, we realized how much we didn’t like the other place we’ve taken to her in the past. However, we’ve come to realize that the old place is the standard, and The Golden Paw is far above the norm! We’ll be returning for sure :)

Our fur baby boy’s first haircut! This place was amazing with him. His haircut was everything I expected it to be. Thank you so much! Gizmo will definitely visit again

Great grooming service and very clean facility. My dog’s hair cut looks so cute and she’s fluffy and soft. Thanks!

This is my first time at dog groomer’s but I hope every place is as good as this one! I came in for a nail trim for my puppy… and they immediately saw me and trimmed his nails. Of course, like any puppy… mine was as anxious as it gets. I was getting clawed like crazy! But they were able to file down his nails and he didn’t cry. Service was great. The receptionist was super friendly. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking to either groom their dog or need a little break. The dogs all looked so happy! I’ll be back!

The Golden Paw is the best doggy day daycare and dog boarding that we have ever taken our little pup to. The facility is impressively clean and well-​maintained and the staff is extremely friendly and so accommodating.
I love being able to check up on my dog on the doggy cam and have seen that the staff is very interactive with the dogs — making sure they are all well behaved, respectful, and having fun! I have even seen them blowing bubbles in the play area which the dogs all love!
I cannot express how wonderful it is to have found a dog daycare that I can trust and where I know my dog is happy. I recently got married and we were devastated that our dog couldn’t be a part of the day and had to go to daycare for a full weekend. But we immediately felt better after seeing him run off to play with the other dogs and seeing him so happy when we dropped him off at the Golden Paw (though I was a little sad that he was having so much fun and probably didn’t even miss us at all lol). On top of giving our dog such a fun-​filled weekend, they gave him a bath and groomed him so when we picked him up, we had a happy, tired pup who was clean and well-​groomed. It has been so helpful to have a one-​stop shop for grooming and daycare! I also want to give them praise for staying late on days when I have been held up at work or in traffic and couldn’t make it on time. That is HUGE for us working dog-​moms who get stuck at work.
Overall, I would highly recommend the Golden Paw. My dog LOVES coming here and always comes home happy and tired which makes for a quiet night for us humans — everyone wins!

I didn’t even make it past the first phone call to this place. The girl on the phone was perfectly nice and welcoming until she heard that my sweet dog is a pitt bull mix. (lab, mastiff, & pitt.)
My sweet Kacey is a 4 year old bundle of joy whose biggest fault is that she gives too many kisses and tries to sit all of her 55lbs right on your lap. She gets along great with other dogs, and has always had dog siblings that she plays well with (both a 90lb lab and two high energy 15lb jack russells). She loves the dog park and the dog beach, and I’ve only seen her get aggressive once in the 3.5 years we have had her. We were hiking, and out of nowhere a snarling, aggressively barking husky ran up behind us without its owner, and Kacey puffed out her chest and stepped in front of me to guard me from the husky. Kacey let out one huge bark and the husky got the idea and turned around to find his owner. That was the first time I’d ever heard her bark at all! Normally she just woofs with her mouth closed and the sound comes through her floppy mastiff cheeks.
But of course, the girl on the phone didn’t care about how well trained, and well behaved Kacey is. She never asked if Kacey plays well with others. Just immediately informed me that Kacey would go to their Bay Park location and be eligible for one of their private play time packages with a staff member, which come in 15 minute increments. Even if I purchased the platinum package, the highest they offer (which is 3 separate 15 minute increments of human interaction), Kacey would be stuck alone in her private room for almost 23 hours a day.
No thanks, I’d rather not leave my sweet girl with people who believe her to be a dangerous animal unworthy of interaction. You’d think a professional local business would be a bit more open minded. What a shame.

The golden paw is great! We recently began taking our beagle here to socialize him with other dogs and the experience has been especially good for him, and helpful for us considering our full-​time work schedules.
In addition to a convenient location and clean facility, we have also found the staff to be especially helpful, even staying behind one weekend night to wait for us when we were running late.
Thank you for the great service Golden Paw, we will definitely be back!

I can’t tell you how much I love this place. Tiffany and Kelly and their staff at the Paw are amazing. We recently got a puppy and have been bringing her there for the last few months. Our little dog comes home exhausted from all her fun with the other dogs. She is treated very well by the staff and groomers there. We will be using their boarding for the first time at the end of August and I am sure it will be awesome. When we arrive, our puppy can’t get out if the car fast enough. That should tell you how awesome this place is. Bring your dogs here!!!

My dog’s name is Moon Pie,
He’s a 3 and half year old pittie mix, and has been my dog for 2 and half of those years. He’s social, well trained, up to date on shots, and one of the sweetest, goofiest dogs in the world. He has been a star «camper» at Camp Run a Mutt in Point Loma for over 2 years, always playing well with others, even tolerating pushy puppies, and dogs who take his toys. He’s been known to take new «campers» under his wing on their first day, and show them the play yard. He has never had to be separated from other dogs (big or small). He has received a glowing report card for every single overnight stay he has had (well, there was that one night that he wanted to play when the staff wanted to sleep-​but I think they have forgiven him).
Well, thankfully Moon Pie did not come with me when I tried to check out this facility, he would have been very sad to learn that he was not welcome there. I’ve come to expect ill-​researched breed discriminatory policies from people who don’t work with dogs, or big corporations, but to have a smaller locally owned business make a blanket policy was really surprising. I found it equally surprising (and I’m just trying to use nice words here-​because I am pissed.) that Moon Pie is good enough to go to the other location. And yes, the staff did tell me that this was an insurance issue, but why would you be able to find coverage at one location and not another? Why would you not (as I have done) find a carrier that does not discriminate solely based on a specific look or breed? Anyone who cares about and knows dogs should know better.
So, shame on this policy, shame on Golden Paw’s willingness to perpetuate disproven stereotypes, and shame on Golden Paw for treating my dog like he is not just a regular dog (an amazing, cute, smart, happy regular dog, but a regular dog nonetheless).

Took my scraggly 9 month old yorkie poo here for a premium bath and she came out fluffier and happier than ever! :)
She was a little anxious going in but I felt comfortable leaving her in the groomer’s hands because I saw how careful he was with another pup through the glass window. I’ve never seen her happier than when she came out freshly pampered.
Not to mention I was a walk-​in on a Sunday, but they still fit me in and finished in an hour.

We had a very disappointing experience with Golden Paw from a business acumen perspective. Zero stars.
(We usually take our dogs with us and do not board them, however, we were both preparing to take the CA Bar Exam for three days and did not want to leave them all day for three straight days.)
First visit: We walked our dogs over to find out more information about boarding our two mixed breed dogs in July. We were told to come back over the weekend to have the dogs assessed.
Second visit: We took the dogs over that weekend as instructed. We were then told that we needed an appointment to have an assessment. Keep in mind that this is the second time they’ve been able to see the dogs. We were also told they needed a booster for bordetella before the assessment. So we took them both into the vet and paid for a bordetella booster that was only necessary in order to board them. We then scheduled an assessment.
Third visit (with an assessment appointment): We walk in with the dogs for a THIRD TIME in person. They can’t do the assessment because our puppy has a resemblance to a pitbull and their insurance does not cover such a breed.
I’m not sure if they thought she was going to change in appearance along the way, but I’m astounded that we managed to walk in there three times before being told that the dog we were clearly interested in boarding could not be boarded at their location.
We were able to obtain a letter from our vet saying she is a non-​pitbull mix in order to board her there, but I can’t imagine giving them our business after our experience.

Took my cavapoo for a quick trim. They did an excellent job. My puppy Chester was so fluffy and clean.

My fiancé and I have been taking our now 1 year 3 month-​old German Shepard to this location on and off since July 2014 and have had two issues. Both of these issues arose when manager, Tiffany, was present.
In the first incident, which happened a few months ago, we found out our dog was placed in a cage for the entire time he was there because he was «too energetic» that day. We were not notified of this at all. We only found out about it because we were watching the webcam and did not see him so we called to see where he was. This is when Tiffany said he was «too energetic» for them and was placed in a cage alone. The only reason we take him to daycare is for him to exercise and remain social, so we did not like knowing we were paying for him to be locked up. We were apologized to and were given credit for the day due to the lack of communication on their end.
We thought about stopping our business with this location at that time but thought that maybe it was just a bad day for all and gave them the benefit of the doubt. We had gone back approximately 8 times since then with no issues until today.
In today’s incident, I received a call from Tiffany saying that my dog «attacked» three dogs and was asked to come pick him up. I went immediately as the term «attack» is something that should be taken seriously and immediately addressed. Upon arriving I spoke with Tiffany and asked her for details on what happened and she once again used the term «attack» and also mentioned «snapping» and «being aggressive.» I asked her if she was the one that witnessed these «attacks» and she said no. I asked to speak to the person who reported it so I could get more details and she said I couldn’t talk to her staff. She stated «I’m the manager so all communication can be done through me.»
I asked her what breed of dogs my dog «attacked» and she claimed that there were four different dogs of four different breeds. I told her earlier she had said three and she again stated that «no, it was four.» I asked for the four breeds and she only knew of two: an airedale and another type of terrier. I asked her what happened and she said she was on her smoke break and didn’t see it. So I once again asked if there was any way I could just hear from the person who did see it and she finally relented.
When the staff member came in she said that it was only two (not four) small farm-​type dogs (not sure why small dogs were mixed in the large dog area) that he «ran up to.» The staff member (I didn’t catch her name) said that two dogs were tense and when my dog went up to them to play and they snarled causing him to snarl back and started to bark. I said it slightly seemed like bullying to blame the bigger dog and take him out of the cage when it was another dog that snarled first and Tiffany interjected saying that the other two were also taken inside for a «time out.» I asked if this snarling and barking is what they reference as «the attack,» and she said yes. I mentioned attacking is typically referenced to biting or actual physical touching to which Tiffany said that Axel was hovering over the small dogs. I was again confused on this as small dogs are supposed to be in their own area and of course my German Shepherd will tower over smaller dogs, he is a big guy. I was also confused on how suddenly Tiffany had details on the situation as earlier she said she didn’t see any of it.
Tiffany stated that the Golden Paw is no longer a good fit for our dog and that she is notating in his file that he is no longer welcome to the facility. It is a shame because all other instances besides these two with Tiffany were pleasant. We would always ask for follow up on the days activities from the staff and were only greeted with great comments. I mentioned to her that it seemed like there was only a problem when dealing with her to which she stated that she was here last week with him and he was fine. That was weird to hear because the last time we took him there was on 3/​22, not last week.
I rated two stars instead of one because it is a good place for smaller dogs or inactive dogs. It appears that the facility is not suited for or the staff does not want to deal with bigger, more active dogs. When checking the webcam you can see this by seeing dogs who are just laying around and not socializing or playing. So if you just want a place where your dog will sit with some monitoring, this is perfect.
If you have a bigger dog, I recommend checking out Camp Bow Wow or Petsmart Daycare (we use these facilities when staying at my fiances house in El Cajon). Camp Bow Wow and Petsmart Daycare actually give report cards on progress and activities for all of their «campers» any time you take them in. We have never had any issue. or negative feedback. We always hear back from them that our German Shepherd loves to «romp and roll» which apparently is not allowed at the Golden Paw.

I am probably considered their nightmare customer when I call on Saturday to get my filthy Saint Bernard washed but they got him in and he’s all fuzzy and fresh now. Much appreciated!

I highly recommend Christy as a dog trainer. Golden Paws 5-​Week dog training session is ESSENTIAL for having a grounded, confident, safe, dog who will pay attention to you.
Definitely give her a shot.

Ben V. Contacted me after my initial review, unfortunately there was a bit of a miscommunication between myself and Ben. V, so things initially go off to a rocky start.
However, Ben showed an enormous amount of integrity and humility as he tracked me down and as promised phoned me at 6:00pm on the dot. (How many business owners would take the time to do this for a customer who had zero intentions of returning?)
Ben listened to me, asked questions and ultimately decided that not only would he refund me the 1^st nights boarding as their advertising had promised, he refunded me for my entire stay.
In this day and age it is too often that people do not step up to the plate when a mistake is made… It is not what happens to us, but how we react to things that make us the people or business owners we decide to be. Ben definitely showed me he aims to make his business a 5 star facility.
Yes, this problem could have been expedited if I had the ability to calmly speak with management so long ago when I picked up my dog. Unfortunately, I did not. Honestly I am glad I waited as I was able to articulate myself and provide Ben with useful feedback rather than ranting and raving like a lunatic.
In the end it really isn’t the refund, but Ben’s commitment to integrity and his appreciation of my initial feedback that have really turned my opinion of this place around. Golden Paw, you’ve definitely earned a second chance.

Daemon, my Husky has been at the Hillcrest location for day camp and boarding. The staff is beyond friendly, the facility is clean and organized, very very convenient location off the 163. Daemon comes home very happy and tired. Out of 4 boarding places I’ve used with him, Golden Paw is leaps and bounds better. It feels like dropping him off at a family members house.
I will continue to use Golden Paw and recommend them to all my dog park friends.

For 3 months prior to my vacation, I searched and went to different Doggie festivals to find the right boarding for my little guy, Zeus.
I came across The Golden Paw at a festival held at Liberty Station. I spoke to Dana and right away she made me feel comfortable. She provided me with the details and asked me to email her once I got more information on my vacation. I knew I had to do this right away, bc I was going to be gone during Labor day weekend.
I emailed her and heard back from her within a couple of days. Her email had very detailed information from boarding prices to different packages you can add on. She advised me that I needed to take Zeus for a 15 min. evaluation to observe if he is a good fit. My bf and I decided to pick the Hilcrest location. Unfortunately, on the day we were going to bring him, the facility was shut down. I called Dana and she assured me that everything will be okay by the time I leave for my vaca.
That day, we ended up going to the Bay Park location for his evaluation. He passed within minutes. We left him there for the rest of the day. Upon my pick up, I end up talking to Ben. (Had no idea he was the CEO of the company). He took me on a little tour of the Bay Park location. He assured me that they are taking all repercussions in the Hilcrest to make sure everything is okay before dogs are admitted into that location.
During my vaca, I had not access to phone, text, nor internet. I thought about my little guy the whole time on the trip.
When I got home, I saw a nice note on my fridge from The Golden Paw. It was all kind words that made me smile.
I know that in the future, Zeus will be home, when he is away from home. Thank you Golden Paw!