Golden Gate Dog Walking

Our dogs LOVE Laurel!!! She’s their third mom and they get so excited when Laurel comes by to pick them up. We first met Laurel in late 2012 when we needed a dog-​walker for our pug, Precious, and our German shepherd, Heidi, who were then puppies. They grew up with Laurel, and we couldn’t imagine them in the hands of anyone else. Not only does she care for our pups as if they were her own, Laurel is also highly trained and certified in her field, so we know they are in caring, responsible and competent hands whenever Laurel takes them out on their much anticipated walks. We would not hesitate to recommend Laurel’s services to anyone seeking a trustworthy, responsible dog walker /​pet sitter. She’s passionate about her work and devoted to the well-​being of her clients.

We utilized GGDW /​Laurel’s services for overnight care (in our Glen Park home) of our 2 very demanding beagles for 5 nights while we were off on vacation on Maui.
I’m always stressed out before vacation which makes me also very demanding of whatever dog caretakers we engage. Our beagle-​care template is over 5 pages long … yup, I’m a crazy dog person; though a couple pages deal with instructions for managing our home and daytime visiting walkers, suggestions to post updates on Facebook, use of our puppy-​cams (internet cameras), key security, etc.
Laurel came by twice for free consultations and took all of my questions and instructions in stride; exhibiting both confidence as a dog walker /​sitter, and as a professional service provider.
I installed a couple of (non-​hidden) web cams so that we could view our dogs while they were in their «alone space». Laurel also sent cute detailed reports and occasional emailed snapshots of Buddy & Deuce and her own visiting dog, Shadow who we agreed could stay here if he was compatible with our pets. These updates kept us completely assured that our beloved pets (and home) were in loving and responsible hands, and that we could relay and concerns or ask questions during our vacation. I believe our Beagles very much enjoyed Shadow’s company, as well as all of Laurel’s affection, walks, and treats.
I am a perfectionist, so I don’t offer 5-​Stars on Unilocal if I see any areas for improvement. For this first engagement of GGDW, there were a couple of moments when updates didn’t come in as quickly or consistently as I expected, and we seemed to have to juggle email and text message addresses and final payment arrangements (no PayPal or Square in 2013?)… so some streamlining is possible. Quite honestly, though, I’m nitpicking here and with all my instructions and web-​cam and all that, I’m not an easy customer to satisfy. To earn that last star from me, the service provider probably has to read my mind or be able and willing to spend extra time to ferret out my hidden expectations. «Perfection» in Customer Service is ongoing process.
In short: GGDW came through where it counts… Excellent care of our dogs or our home. Laurel *far exceeded* –most– of my high expectations. As such, I do not hesitate to offer my highest recommendations; and I will gladly consider her services in the future, along with offering to clarify any of my minor, personal obsessive concerns.

Laurel has been coming to check on our new puppy daily for the past two months while we are at work. She has been great about giving him the extra time, energy and attention that puppies need. She has also introduced us to a ton of great toys and games that he loves. She is good about updating us with information regarding her visits and has sent us a lot of puppy advice and manuals. Her role has been changing as we are starting to crate train him and take him outside on walks, and she has made the transition with us smoothly. It can be a hard decision to give someone the keys to your home and access to your pet, but Laurel is very trustworthy, and I would recommend Laurel to any dog owner.

Laurel has been taking care of my mini-​schnauzer, Oliver every time I travel for the past 3 years. I go away for 2 – 4 weeks at a time, and knowing Oliver is with her I can totally relax knowing he is in great hands. She takes him for daily walks; he gets to sleep in her room and gets along with her very sweet black lab. Laurel is very caring, responsible and genuinely loves dogs and her work. I highly recommend her.

In preparation for an extended work trip, I found a Groupon for Golden Gate Dog Walking and decided to give it a try even though there are only a few (but excellent) reviews on here. My interaction with Laurel was extremely positive and she was both very professional and compassionate when dealing with my 6-​year old lab, Sadie. She was quick to respond to my questions and confirmed she would travel to my neighborhood and came for a meet-​and-​greet within a few days.
It’s always a bit scary entrusting a stranger with your «baby» and keys to your house, but Laurel was very trustworthy and reliable, sending me email updates and keeping a dog walking diary while I was overseas. My dog is a little arthritic, so she made sure to take her for walks with other dogs the same age/​condition and they visited a few different parks in the area to keep the dogs entertained. Needless to say, Sadie was «smiling» in every picture she sent of her!
Without hesitiation, I would use Laurel and Golden Gate Dog Walking again for any times I’m traveling out of town.

As an owner of a pet care company myself, I understand the importance of dependability, professionalism, communication and love for all of our clients pets. We recognize the responsibility that comes along when caring for someone’s loved one. Laurel has shown all of these qualities and more! When I came across a schedule conflict, I found Laurel through the dogTEC graduate forum and I can not say enough great things about her! My client was over the moon about Laurel and so was her beloved Casey (a very picky Shih Tzu). I even got a text message from my client telling me how happy Casey was to see her! That’s a pretty big deal! Seriously, he’s picky! She is amazing and I highly recommend her!!!