SF Hound Lounge

What a great place with a small dog area! They take care of your pooch like they are one of their own furr-​kids. Tazz comes here on occasion and he gets the socialization he needs for a grumpy old chihuahua. He prefers to watch from a distance and he gets to do that here. He still sniffs and socializes but he can also go sit in a bed with a friend and snuggle the day away and watch the other pups play. They are very in tune to what Tazz needs and his preference in play. Prices are very comparable and I love that they offer professional training sessions during daycare if requested. They also do first day report cards to let me know how my pup did and if I have any health/​behavior concerns I can request an update for when I pick him up. They also do grooming! Parking is available right out front for easy drop off and pick up. Score!

I recently started working a couple of blocks away and was in need of a nearby Doggie Daycare for my little buddy Heisenberg. I saw all of the positive Unilocal reviews and decided to give them a shot. I was very happy with the process, the interview was pretty quick and straightforward.
On top of everything, my dog loves it when he goes. He plays very well with the dogs there, he’s always happy to go in the morning. Best of all, I know he gets tons of playtime, because as soon as we get home, he curls up in his spot and naps for the rest of the day.

I love this place and more importantly my dog loves it! The people that work there are super friendly and take great care of the dogs. They also offer great grooming services!

This is definitely a long overdue review — this is a great place if you need a flexible doggy day care for your pup! When I first got my puppy, I brought him here for day care services and Ashley and her team were very helpful, communicative, and friendly. I knew I was leaving my pup in good hands :) and it was even better to get him back all tuckered out at the end of the day. Hound Lounge is easy to get to, to drop off/​pick up your pup as well! Unfortunately my dog doesn’t go here anymore due to my own transportation issues, but I’d still recommend Hound Lounge for anyone in the neighborhood (Mission), or for someone who has reliable transportation to get your dog to/​from. I didn’t need to get any grooming services while my puppy went here, but it’s really nice and convenient that they have that as an option as well — overall, great one stop shop for your pup!

Word of warning for pittie owners: SF Hound Lounge will not be able to accept your pit mix if he looks too much «pittie» and not enough «mix,» because of insurance reasons. Unfortunately they do not disclose this anywhere on their website or during the interview process at all. (We were told during the interview that my pups were getting their pictures taken for the insurance company, but the pittie restriction wasn’t mentioned, even when there was a clear opportunity to do so.) And to be clear, the owner directly told me that they would have been happy to have my pups join them if it hadn’t been for the insurance, so it wasn’t a behavior issue on my dogs’ part. So if you have a pittie that looks like a pittie, don’t waste your time or money trying to get started here. There are many other daycare/​boarding places in SF and the Bay Area where you won’t have to deal with this type of lame discrimination.
Otherwise the facilities were clean and staff was knowledgeable and clearly able to handle themselves in the craziness of lots of dogs.

My dog has been at SF Hound Lounge for day care and boarding for 8+ years. I had a situation in which my daughter was very sick and had to get hospitalized right away. Then, I needed to figure out someone to take care of my dog. I emailed and called Ashley, the owner of Hound Lounge, around 4:30pm if I can bring her in on that night. She responded me immediately that I can bring her in. I didn’t even know how long her boarding could be, and her check-​in was after 7pm. Nevertheless, Ashley and the staff of Hound Lounge took her in without any question. I am so grateful to have a place and people like them in our life…
Also, Ashley, the groomer is fantastic. Now she takes care of my dog every 2 to 3 weeks. I don’t know how she does, but every time after her grooming, my dog comes back with mellow and peaceful state. Her grooming must have some healing effect. My dog always looks forward to seeing her.

This is our second time bringing our two pups to the Hound Lounge. Ashley, the groomer, is so great and patient with them. They can be a little difficult, as my labradoodle is very hyper and cries a lot when she first gets in. However, Ashley never seems the bit annoyed and is so sweet with her and my other lab. We are so happy we found Ashley and Hound Lounge!

I actually miss this place.
Genuinely invested and caring staff? Check.
Well behaved and friendly/​sociable dogs? Check.
Adequate space? Check.
Reasonable pricing? Check.
Flexible Hours? Check.
Cleanliness? On par.
They even host weekend classes, have an adorable Doggy boutique, AND go above and beyond by having someone sleep with the dogs during over-​night stays.
I’m definitely a fan of the Hound Lounge!
I love animals, especially dogs, and have one of my own (the sweetest goofball, Rowan), so I was incredibly happy to find a job that enabled me to invest my time where I was most passionate. Unfortunately, within a short time, my lifestyle changed so drastically that I required a more sustainable form of employment and was forced to move on.
I now manage an office in the city, but frequently find myself missing SFHL and all of the fantastic furry friends I was able to make while there!
I would recommend SFHL to any pet-​parent for the following reasons:
1. (most important) The staff is amazing. Each individual is sincere in their love for the dogs. If you have to take your dog anywhere, it should be to a place where the people will love him/​her and have a genuine interest in their well being.
2. The dogs have a secure, safe place to play, sleep, and socialize. Big dogs and small dogs have their own play areas, and are monitored at ALL times.
3. Walks. My dog refuses to ‘go’ indoors, so if I need to board for the night, I have to find someone who offers dog-​walks so that his training is not disrupted. I’m sure that for many pet-​parents, this is important.
Like any growing business, there are some issues that need fixing, but that’s part of growth. I strongly feel that SFHL is a budding business with plenty of potential, and every person involved, owners and staff alike, are learning and growing and working together to make it a better place.

I had the absolute worst experience trying to book dog boarding here. I can’t believe how unprofessional this business is. I called to set up an appointment to get my dog evaluated so I could schedule boarding. A half hour before my appointment, I got a call saying no one would be there do to the evaluation at that time, but they would call me back as soon as someone arrived. I never got a call back and I tried calling them only to get the answering machine the rest of the day. I left a message hoping they would return my call. I called them again the next morning and was scheduled another appointment for later that day. Again, I got a call right before my appointment. She told me I would have to come in the next day at 9:30 am instead. No explanation. No apology. She also said I had to pay for a full day of daycare on top of the evaluation before my dog can stay there. So on the third day of trying to get my dog evaluated, I show up at their business for my scheduled time and the man who greeted me said his boss wasn’t there. He gave her a call and told me she must have mixed the dates up and I should come back another day. «Tomorrow» is such a tricky date to remember! I had to shift a lot of stuff around to accommodate their availability for no reason. The staff at this place is completely incompetent. How hard is it to schedule a simple appointment? The facilities there also reeked of urine. No way would I ever let these people be responsible for watching my dog.

Called a day before to see if I can take my dog for a interview to be accepted for day care and was told no problem and to come in the next day at 1130am. I showed up with my dog and completed paper work at 11:00 was told that they had to «CANCEL» my interview. No notice, no «sorry».just have to CANCEL.
Unprofessional and disrespectful to your future clients. A call would have been nice if you had to cancel… but cancellation on the spot is pretty horrible.

We had our Newfoundland, Ada, fully groomed at the hound lounge and it was great. The groomer knew exactly how to work with her, including the ins-​and-​outs of grooming our slightly unusual breed. I’m pretty slow to trust other people with Ada but after today, when she needs another thorough grooming, I know exactly who I’ll be taking her too.

We just moved to San Francisco and, as my husband and I travel quite a bit, we were looking for a good place were to leave or 6-​year-​old beagle, Nana. We read such good reviews about the Hound Lounge that we decided to give it a try. At the beginning we were very happy with the place. We took Nana for her interview and left her for a full day of day care, and she seemed to do just fine. People were really friendly and gave us a review of her behavior and attitude on her first day. Based on that we decided to leave her there for a three day weekend, as we needed to travel.
The day I dropped her off, the guy that greeted seemed a kind of overwhelmed. He me made me fill out a form where I specified that not only she needed to eat twice a day, but that she also needed a bath on Friday and that I brought her own bed for her to sleep. We called on Saturday to see how she was doing and the lady on the phone couldn’t give me much detail, besides that she was taking a nap and that, supposedly, she was eating well. I asked about the bath on Friday and the lady couldn’t give a good enough reason on why they didn’t do it, and as their groomer doesn’t work on weekends, the best she could offer me was to take her on early Monday morning for her to get a bath.
On top of all this, today when we went to pick her up, we realized that she was only fed once a day, as she returned with three full packed meals, and also that she didn’t touch her bed during the three nights she stayed there, as her bed was completely hairless, and she sheds a lot. This made me realize that they never looked at the form they made me fill out the day I dropped her off, reason why she also didn’t get a bath.
Although they have very friendly staff, we will have to keep looking for a place were we will have for sure our dog will not be neglected or starved.

This review is long overdue.
Once upon a time, there was a girl who’d just gotten a brand new, 2-​month-​old puppy.
One day, when I’d, er. she’d. just finished school at a coding bootcamp, she was anxiously awaiting a callback from a potential employer for an interview.
What luck she had when she finally got that call! The potential employer said to her, «please, come in on Wednesday afternoon!» This was on Tuesday afternoon.
Her husband had a meeting on wednesday, and being a first time pet-​owner (guardian for you folk out in Berkeley), she wasn’t ready to leave her sweet, ball of energy, er puppy alone for a few hours. Yet, the one place she’d heard of before didn’t take 2-​month old puppies! In fact, there are only 2 in the entire city of San Francisco that do, and only one of them was anywhere near where she lived, and needed to go for her interview. With no car to speak of, and a puppy that can’t be allowed on the ground yet because of all the nastiness that lives on the SF sidewalks, that could be a serious problem.
Stress was piling on. To top it all off, this sweet little bundle of dog is a *cue ominous music* PIT BULL MIX! *cue shame I give upon all yee who judge pit bulls* who might get discriminated against.
She frantically called the SF Hound Lounge, the one that was in/​near the mission and explained the situation. Vanessa and Ashley were amazing to talk to, and they immediately calmed her nerves, and were wonderful about letting this puppy come in for a day of daycare.
Oh, and that job — she ended up getting it. and is now happily employed. The puppy is now 55 pounds, 7 months old, still a huge bundle of energy, and still goes to the Hound Lounge 5 days a week.
The End.
So, besides the story itself. Hiro (the puppy) absolutely loves it there, he comes home exhausted every day. As soon as he realizes we’re walking to daycare in the morning, not even an exuberant pigeon or an especially floaty leaf in the wind can distract him from getting there. The past couple of months have been rough for him, we’ve found he’s got a pretty sensitive stomach. Yet, they’ve been super supportive the entire time, with all the different weird food combinations we’ve had to try. Everyone we encounter is amazed at how much he loves people, and other dogs, and I attribute most of that to Hound Lounge.
They also help out with his manners, making him sit at doorways before walking through, working on his little jumping problem, and building an awesome pack mentality amongst the dogs there (I particularly appreciate that they don’t do treats, given the sensitive stomach).
So, while I may be biased because they were so awesome when I was looking for a job, They’ve continued to be amazing for me and Hiro since that faithful day.

I took my Pugs (Rambunctious and Lebron) to get groomed by Ashley today, and she did such a wonderful job! She even gave them adorable bows. They seemed to feel comfortable with her and that is always a great feeling! Kudos to her! Thank you Ashley!

SF Hound Lounge gets an excellent rating because three main things:
1. Consistency: my dog is treated well, she comes home happy.
2. Consistency of staff: the regular staff are why we keep coming there. If they should have a turn around and not have the same calibre, we wouldn’t go here. But year after year, it’s the reliability of seeing familiar human faces that make the difference.
3. Consistency in service: They have never said «no» outright to any of my dog’s needs. For example, SF HL gives in and out privileges and my dog walker can take my dog back to HL for a wash or brush out and feed her dinner if I can’t get back to the City in time.
Other reasons is that it’s super convenient, close and the prices are fair. They screen the dogs – so I don’t think the owner will allow your dog to board with the rest if he or she has aggression/​fear aggression/​behavioral issues or illness. But, if your dog is a good dog, then you won’t have any problems.
Esme is an energetic Aussie. She’s been coming here since she was a puppy (10 weeks old). She’s now 18 months old (over a year and a half) and she’s grown to be such a well behaved lady because we: 1. train her manners at home, 2. socialize her with other dogs outside HL and, 3. positively train her and keep her mind engaged so that she’s happy and healthy. I also think that the daily brushing, grooming and great food also make for a happy Esme. So, take care of your dog. Don’t be a careless owner who lets their dog jump on you or doesn’t know manners. Those bad behaviors rub off on good dogs which mess it up for the owners who provide 360 degree care for their dog. She’s not perfect, but I see that they love her because she’s a good girl and just wants to please everyone.
Staff will work with you if you specifically have to train them. For instance, my dog needs to sit and wait before she can be let inside. I am teaching her manners and respect; and, HL is consistent and does the same. This helps me out at home – she doesn’t charge at the door at home because she’s not charging at the door at HL or the vet or any place. Dogs are generalists.
Another reason why we go here is that we’ve boarded Esme here and she’s been treated so well. She has a lot of friends here and leaving her at home (away from her HL buddies) is unfair.
Update: They now offer grooming. And, I like the groomer’s work so far.
If my dog comes back muddy from a walk? I’ve gone in there a couple of times and have washed her. The schedule can be tight, so please call ahead.

Correction: I got the names wrong. It was actually Angela that was so helpful, not Ashley (though she has been reasonable and fine to work with, Angela really went above and beyond)
Update: After several weeks, my dog was asked to leave because he was too anxious. Not sure what happened (though I haven’t seen Angela around for a few weeks) — but had to let folks know the deal.
This place is wonderful! Every member of the staff is considerate, thoughtful, and go way, way beyond what is expected! We got a puppy from SPCA and immediately realized he wasn’t quite ready to be left at home alone. Given his anxiety and the fact that my husband and I both work, we were in a bit of a pickle. I spoke with Angela and she invited Nelson, our 10 month old husky/​collie mix, and me in for an interview. She made it really clear that not all dogs are conducive to doggie daycare, so I crossed my fingers when I rode off to work. Within 20 minutes, I got a friendly voicemail saying that Nelson was doing great and adjusting quite well. That evening, I got a thorough follow-​up on what happened (he jumped fences, but got along with everyone, didn’t Unilocal and cry until the end of the night, and did his business no problem). Later Angela passed along a referral for a trainer that specializes in separation anxiety — I mean, really! Way above and beyond the essentials!
I feel so grateful that SF Hound Lounge exists and that I have a place such as this stocked full of caring, loving, intelligent, and generous folks for the newest member of our household!

This is my dog Sam’s second home, and he absolutely loves it here. The moment we walk through the door and he spots a staff member his tail starts wagging faster than should be possible and he is in doggy heaven.
Sam’s an 11 month old lab so he is normally a big bundle of energy, but by the end of a day at the Lounge he is ready to curl up on the couch with me and be amazingly well behaved. I simply don’t think I could have a high energy lab like Sam if it weren’t for places like the Lounge.
The staff here are incredible. They’re always very friendly and give me updates and little stories about Sam. Any time I need them to pay extra care or attention to something they more than happily do so.
I sometimes joke that I need to setup a trust fund so that if anything ever happens to me Sam’s daycare costs will be paid for life. That’s how much he loves going here.

I have been taking my little Boston terrier to Hound Lounge for 6.5 years now (my dog is 7).
He loves this place. It has the nicest staff and they truly love the dogs.
My guy comes home exhausted and is waiting by the door the next morning to visit his buddies.

I just read the few negative comments and I was floored. The owners and staff at the Hound Lounge are outstanding, friendly, knowledgeable and professional. We have gone to the HL for over 6 years and the staff put up with our high strung and nippy puppy, patiently helped through her «issues» and and assisted in making her a great dog. We have boarded her many times and have come home to a contented, happy dog every time. We are very fond of everyone there.
Go to the Hound Lounge! You will not regret it.

My roommate loves this place and his pup has had no issues with them. However, my dog was turned away based on her breed. She’s had plenty of success at other day cares and her temperament is stellar. Suggest calling prior to doing the application as I did not see restricted breeds listed when attempting to sign up for daycare and boarding services.