Point Fetch Match

This is a difficult review to write, but I hope it will be helpful to anyone with a fast, high energy breed, especially a hunting breed.
Our beautiful German Shorthaired Pointer girl was hit and killed by a car while in Micah’s care in December 2015. This happened on Skyline Drive outside of Fort Funston. She was 1.5 years old. Her recall was very good, but not perfect, and while she was in my care I always put an «ecollar» or «sport collar» on her when I let her off leash just in case she did something like running towards a road. We continued to train her recall, but I would have put it at 95%.
Micah, and many other dog walkers, refuse to use sport collars because they are not positive reinforcement. Despite my hesitations, I allowed her to go out with Micah without a sport collar because I believed that he would know how to handle her better than I. He was the professional, and if he said she was good off leash than it was true. I’m sure for most dogs they are unnecessary, but they are necessary for my dog and many young hunting breeds. I ignored my instincts and believed him, and I’ll never forgive myself.
I absolutely believe in positive reinforcement for training, but for us the sport collar was there as a backup for a prey-​driven dog in case the worst case scenario happens and she bolted towards a road. If you have a Pointer, Vizla, or similar breed, you’ll know how driven they are for prey, blocking out all other noise around them, including your voice.
Unfortunately the unlikely worst case scenario has happened and we lost our beautiful baby girl.
My advice based on lessons learned is this:
— If you have a high energy hunting breed, don’t let them off leash with strangers unless it is a completely confined area. They can still have a good hike on leash and the socialization with the other dogs in the pack will be great for them.
— Consider getting proper training to use a sport collar for recall backup for when they are with you off leash in rural areas. (they beep and vibrate too, they don’t have to shock)
— Ask how much experience your dog walker has with your specific type of dog, and don’t discount your own knowledge of your dog. i.e. Pick a walker who does things they way you would. You know your dog the best. Micah didn’t have any similar dogs in his pack, and that should have set off alarm bells for me.
— Some dog walkers specialize in high energy breeds and might even use sport collars if that is important to you. Keep looking until you the find one you are sure about.
— Choose a dog walker who has an emergency plan, who knows where the nearest vet hospital is, and who you believe will be good under pressure. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case with Micah, though luckily a bystander helped him find an emergency vet nearby. This probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome for our girl, but it’s important to ask.
Had I followed the advice above, I believe she would still be with us.
Good luck in your search for a dog walker. If you are reading these reviews, then you must adore your beautiful dog and want the best situation for them. Deciding whom to entrust them to is an important decision.

Phoenix has been getting hikes 4 times a week with Point Fetch Match. It has been an awesome experience. He comes home tired and worn out. There is constant communication so I don’t have to wonder if he got picked up. Will continue to use and he will continue to enjoy.

Love love love Micah from Point Fetch Match.
Micah is so great with my doggie, and I can tell that my dog loves his outings with the crew! The outings are a great way for my dog to keep his fitness and also socialize with other well behaved dogs. You start with a 2 week trial period and if the pup passes, then you’re in! We love getting the text messages with awesome photos from the day and updates on how the day went.
Micah is very respectful of our home and makes sure our doggie is cleaned up before he can run free in the house! Micah has the routine set, so our dog seems to know the drill! :) Micah has also been very supportive and helpful in corrective behavior training, and has immensely helped with our dog’s recall skills. I have previously been wary of having my dog off-​leash, but definitely trust my dog to be safe with Micah.
Other perks:
–Great communication!
–Option to board our pup if we ever need
–Very safe transportation set up in Micah’s vehicle
–Use of natural tick/​flea spray for outdoor hikes
–Complimentary bath each month with add-​on services available
–Doggie birthday parties :)
–Happy and healthy pup!

I wish I could give them SIX stars! If you are a dog owner and live in the Peninsula area, you owe it to yourself and your pup to use Point Fetch Match! They are much more than a typical «dog walking service». We leave our Flora in Micah’s care 2 times a week. During those trips, she gets to live the LIFE going on little mini adventures, usually at nearby trails and beaches. The text pics we receive of Flora and her pup friends at the end of each those days are priceless and she seems to be having an absolute blast! Since she has been in Micah’s care, we have also noticed a huge improvement in her obedience and name recall skills. In addition to these things, Point Fetch Match also provides a complimentary bath each month. As I mentioned before, they are way more than a dog walking service. I trust them like family and they will treat your beloved dogs like family as well!

Halo loves going on nature walk w Uncle Micah. He make her behave. When I walk in she always is smiling. I highly recommend him you will not be disappointed.

Point Fetch Match really puts their clients first. The dogs are well cared for, loved, socialized and get great exercise under the guise of «an adventure». Micha takes the time to get to know every client and cares about their well being and interaction with the others. Besides being a professional dog walker, he has successfully socializes dogs of all personalities. In addition, he’s a great human to interact with! (sometimes «dog» people aren’t «people» people). I love that he uses the Bay Area and all it’s beautiful settings as his «office». Most importantly, I trust him. At the end of the day, my girl is happy, clean, healthy and tired.