Doggy Lama Pet Care

My sweet, often wild, dog and I LOVE the Doggy Lama family! I am so grateful that the wonderful dog caregivers of DL take her on daily walks along the trails and up the hills of Berkeley and Oakland. She has the most amazing time and I completely trust that the walkers are always keeping her safe along the very active outings. I would highly recommend Doggy Lama!

I really cannot say enough good things about DLPC but I will try! My dog Micah LOVES her daily walks with Brian, Dave, Molly, Jen, and crew. I get frequent texts with adorable photos and a report card on Micah’s behavior/​experience during the day. Most importantly, I trust DLPC completely with the care of my most treasured pet – I feel like they love and care about her just as much as I do, and the feeling is mutual (once, when we were out for a walk, we ran into Dave and Micah went CRAZY with joy seeing him). Additionally, they offer fantastic overnight boarding, which I actually call «summer camp» for my pup because I’m convinced she has a better time when I’m away. DLPC really is the best.

If only there was a Doggy Lama in Houston…
When I visit Oakland, which I do often… Doggy lama is THE only place I will trust with my sweet Dodger. The staff is incredibly friendly and you know they love your pets. They all remember my dog and always thrilled to see him. My dog is a bit of a spazz, but each member of the Doggy Lama team knows my furry baby well.
My favorite thing about letting my little one hike with Doggy Lama is that he gets to venture off and socialize with other dogs. I know he won’t be stuck in a kennel all day, with a few mins to roam. He stays with a pack that is his size that gets plenty of interaction and playtime. The price is great and worth every penny!
I highly recommend Doggy Lama and their amazing staff.

If you are looking for a dog walker and/​or pet sitter, Doggy Lama is absolutely the place to go. The company is large enough to ensure backups when the primary dog walker is out of town, sick or unavailable, but has an absolute personal and white glove service as well. Not only that, when you first become a client you and your pets get to meet the primary and backup walker. They take our 2 big ridgeback mix dogs up into the hills off leash where we know they have a great time (and we often get photo updates sent with their adventures), and they leave useful informative notes after every walk.
We’ve been using Doggy Lama for several years, and now have started asking our primary dog walker to dog sit when we are away, too. Lucia has been walking and taking care of our dogs from their most active stages to their mellower, older, now somewhat arthritic limitations now, and has helped them age gracefully. She has even lined up a row of dogs with reindeer antlers over the holidays and managed to have them all sit and pose long enough for a few photos!
Most importantly, we had an experience this week that illustrates their dedication and personal service to their clients — dog and humans… our dog had a swollen elbow and a sore that Dave, the backup/“sub” walker noticed, and he appropriately called the owner Molly who also called me and my husband, sent us photos, and brought him to the vet immediately. Our usual vet was closed for lunch for 2 hours, so he then brought him to the ²⁴⁄₇ emergency vet to ensure he was evaluated quickly in case there was anything urgent like a rattlesnake bite that would need immediate treatment. Molly went so above and beyond her call of duty — she not only followed up persistently to ensure she reached us, she dropped everything (and she had to skip eating lunch!) to come relieve Dave at the vet’s so he could go walk the other dogs on his assignment that day and ensure our dog was appropriately taken care of — while allowing me to not have to drop everything at work right that minute… Molly, Dave, and Lucia have been following up conscientiously and frequently ever since to see how he is doing, and have offered all kinds of flexibility to help us out while he is healing with various special needs. I cannot recommend them more highly, and my husband and I are pediatricians with 2 young children, so it’s so helpful and reassuring to have an extended «family» to help take care of our furry «kids» while we juggle the rest…

Well turns out Molly dog whispers just as well with the little and timid as she does with the large and sassy (read previous posts for how she helped our aloof dog-​selective pup become a dog park rockstar). After moving out of Molly’s dog walking radius a few years ago we acquired a scrappy semi-​feral street chihuahua. Now, our Delaware has made leaps and bounds since she’s joined our pack (she hid for the first few months we had her) but she is still a wary little skitterbug.
Recently we found ourselves with the opportunity to take our first vacation in two year and were faced with having to board our pups– the only possibility was Doggy Lama. For Francis (our elder dog) a week a Doggy Lama is like an all inclusive vacation to off– leash-​fun-​land. For Delaware, it was going to be her first time EVER being away from us. We were anxious but knew Molly was the woman for the job and she didn’t disappoint. Within 15 minutes of arriving at Doggy Lama headquarters Delaware had jumped up onto the couch behind Molly and was accepting gentle pets– for reference, she doesn’t even do this for my husband! Molly modified the group activities to meet Delaware’s hesitant tendencies and gave us regular photo updates. Post vacation? Delaware is now more confident at the dog park and ventures off on her own to sniff and greet dogs rather than hiding on her big sister’s coat-​tails. Thank you again Doggy Lama!!!

A great company!!! I’ve used Doggy Lama to care for my cats for many years. I’ve had between 4 – 6 cats who all had completely different personalities and needs. One of the cats was a neighborhood tom who ruled the yard. Nicki is thoughtful, attentive, smart, loving and fun when it comes to cat care. She understands each cat and their needs/​quirks. She has been available to cat sit 100% present of the time, even when I gave her very short notice. She grooms the cats, plays with them, and leaves detailed reports of their activities. I have also trusted her to make health decisions regarding one of my cats when I had to be out of contact. She did not let me down. Her professionalism, as well as Molly (the owner), make it that they are the only cat sitting company I will use. I highly recommend them.

Love Doggy Lama! They take great care of my dog and have been amazingly flexible with a stream of foster dogs. I am a paranoid dog owner and Doggy Lama follows my instructions to the letter, and accommodating last minute changes– allowing me to go out of town and to have a flexible work schedule! I refer all my friends.

I am a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-​KA) in the East Bay and recommend Doggy Lama as my top choice for any of my clients who are in need of a dog walker! It is important for people to realize that it is not enough for a dog walker to just «love dogs,» even if they have a lot of experience living with or walking dogs. They also need to be reliable and educated from a reputable school about dog behavior. Molly and her staff prioritize going through the Dog Walking Academy– the most well respected dog walking training program in the nation that requires a certification process (
). Thus, I can trust that they are using scientifically sound positive reinforcement methods with each dog.
I have worked collaboratively with Doggy Lama to help dogs who have fear-​based behavior issues that required specific positive reinforcement behavior plans. Molly and her staff were supportive, consistent, and reliable with walking and managing these dogs using positive management methods in order for them to progress in their training plans. Below are pictures of Bijou the papillon mix and Georgia the frenchie– two of my dog clients that benefitted so much from their Doggy Lama walks!
If you live in the East Bay, I highly recommend you contact Doggy Lama as your first choice for dog walking. I trust that they can keep your dog physically safe, mentally happy, and also treat you, the human on the other end of the leash, with respect and kindness.

I don’t think my dog has ever been that happy before he met Molly and her crew and so am I. The whole team is super professional and dedicated to make lives easier for me and fun for my dog Kasper. Believe it or not — he would not even leave the house with my husband while I am there but now doesn’t even turn around when Matt comes to pick him up. That is how happy safe and entertained he is. I am not sure who spoils him more: Molly and team or I;-)) Great I found you!

I echo the raves. Doggy Lama is a top-​notch, reliable and extremely friendly organization.
When you first sign up for service, the owner, Molly, will make a trip out to your home to meet you and your dog, and bring one of her pack leaders, as well as someone who will cover the walks if your regular walker is ever off.
Marianne, who handles scheduling in the office is great. She keeps straight the requests for dog and cat sitting, overnight boarding and daily walks. She’s extremely responsive so you never have to wonder if you’re all set for long.
Our husky lab mix is one of those crazy-​hyper types (where bouncing off walls is no exaggeration) and our daily walker, Lucia, balances indulging Dani’s craziness and keeping her safe. Lucia is friendly, trustworthy and clearly a fellow ‘dog person.’ She puts my mind at ease with photos of Dani with her friends. She’s become the rock of our pet care and we’re so lucky to have her. I now know how my mom felt when I was little and I’d run back in to hug my daycare provider when she’d pick me up from work at the end of the day. Dani really loves her time with Lucia.
Jennifer takes care of our cat, and judging by the pictures, I think he wants us to go away more often because Jennifer lavishes the petting and the play.
Pricing is very competitive — especially considering you’re buying piece of mind.

No doubt about it; Doggy Lama is the best there is. My eight year old husky mutt is just as happy and active as can be since he started his hikes. Our walker Karim treats him as if he were his own pooch and is super accommodating with our schedule. Sometimes, I think the dog is more excited to see him than he is me!
DLPC (and the owner Molly) are the best. No reason to look anywhere else.

Doggy Lama Pet Care (DLPC) has been a godsend for our two dogs, Gilman and Sherpa, and add significant richness to their lives.
Right from the beginning DLPC has provided professional and caring service. Before starting to walk our dogs we sat down with Molly, Brian and Dave to get acquainted. Our two dogs are very different, an older Airedale named Sherpa, and an energetic terrier mix named Gilman. During this initial meeting we were able to work out schedules and specific walk guidelines for both dogs. It is really a great benefit for us that DLPC can be so flexible as to accommodate shorter walks with massage for Sherpa and longer group hikes for Gilman.
The people at DLPC are a big reason we are so happy. We place a lot of trust with DLPC and the walkers and have never felt that this trust has been misplaced.
Molly takes a personal interest in all her clients. Even if she isn’t the primary walker she get’s to know each dog, their needs and their owner’s needs as well. Molly is very seriously committed to her clients and to providing excellent value and service. Molly is also very accessible, whenever we have needed to discuss something she has contacted us right away and usually has a great solution to propose. Molly’s commitment has allowed us to form a working relationship that works really well.
Brian is great with Gilman. Gilman is a special guy with a seriously deep soul. Brian understands this fact about Gilman and is careful to make sure that Gilman has fun on hikes in addition to tiring him out. We love the Brian can get the best out of Gilman and allow him to be his spirited, fun self. Many times Brian has arrived at the house while I’ve been home and Gilman literally jumps out the door to hop in his truck!
I cannot say enough about Jennifer also. Our old dog Sherpa has had a rough go of it lately with a torn ACL and Jennifer has been so patient and caring with her. For many of her visits Jennifer would just let Sherpa out to the front yard to relieve herself and then sit with her to keep her company. Sherpa loves the companionship and as she is gaining strength she likes to show Jennifer her fun side. Knowing that I was having a hard time finding someone to groom Sherpa, Jennifer offered her skills and gave her the best cut she’s ever had — super cute! A couple of times Jennifer and Molly have brought along some gentle dogs to give Sherpa some variety, it’s this type of thoughtful consideration that separates DLPC from the rest of the pack.
Everyone that DLPC has enlisted to walk our dogs has been excellent. Sometimes Dave will fill in and even though he only walks the dogs very occasionally, he knows exactly what they need. He loves Gilman’s character and could tell right at the first meeting just how deep he really is and knows what he needs to be happy. Stephanie walked Sherpa for several months in the summertime and, again, was perfect for us! I am simply amazed by DLPC’s ability to consistently hire great people!
One of the reasons my wife and I appreciate DLPC so much is their excellent communication. Each walk ends with a walk report that describes the walk and let’s us know how each dog did that day. This simple act makes a huge difference, instead of wondering how the day went for our dogs; we now know exactly what they did and how they were feeling. Another thing we love are the photos. Sometimes at work I’ll get a text with a cute photo of Sherpa or Gilman and it really makes my day!
My wife and I are very busy and often need to make adjustments to our walk schedule. Marianne is so incredibly organized and communicative, she makes this part of our relationship so easy for us. We never worry if the walker is going to show up when we expect, they always are there for us!
My wife and I recommend Doggy Lama Pet Care with highest regard!

My girlfriend and I have been using Doggy Lama for several months now and couldn’t be happier with them. They take great care of our two dogs, a 1 y/​o border collie and a 4 y/​o collie/​shepherd mix who both need lots of exercise. When we first started with them they took the time to come over and meet our dogs and really get to know them before we started their walks. They leave a report card every day and often email us pictures from their walks. They are always responsive to our changing schedules and each of the dog walkers we’ve had have been superb. I actually created a Unilocal account just so I could write this review!
Doggy Lama is fantastic and we’ll continue to be loyal clients as long as we live in the Easy Bay.

Doggy Lama was so friendly and accommodating for us! We were coming into Oakland from L.A. for a funeral and had our dog with us (couldn’t find a sitter at home). We knew we’d need someone to watch him while we went to the service. It was very last minute – we called on a Friday and needed a sitter for the next day. They were so willing to help out. They called around to their available walkers/​sitters and Dave was available. He came out to meet our dog and then picked him up the next morning. We were worried because our dog has some anxiety issues, but he did great. I think the people who work for Doggy Lama just have a calming influence. Dave sent us a picture of our dog on his walk. We felt so assured and relaxed about the whole thing. We’d definitely use them again!

As the coordinator of a youth empowerment non-​profit in Oakland, I have had the pleasure of partnering with Molly and Doggy Lama Pet Care. Molly’s commitment to the community, and especially to youth, is beyond anything I’ve ever encountered in my work. Despite the demands of a growing business, Molly always makes time for our students, invites them into her workplace, coaches them on the ins and outs of her business. She’s a wonderful mentor, and wants to see young people succeed so they can grow to be future leaders for Oakland.
What I love about Molly and Doggy Lama is that her business is both IN and OF the community, and she does an amazing job of investing in those around her to grow the community for the better.

I’ve been using Doggy Lama for 7 or 8 years. This isn’t my first review of them and I know it will not be my last. Molly and her crew should get 10 stars for their great service and more importantly, their love and care of my dog.
Molly finds the kindest most qualified walkers and I trust them as I trust my friends. They are my friends and my dogs friends!
One last special shout out to Dave L! We are so lucky to have him in our lives!

Doggy Lama has been like family to us and our dog. Possie is a 65 pound Saluki mix and loves to run off leash in Redwood Regional Park. Doggy Lama takes her on amazing mountain adventures over hills, through creeks, and across fields.
We always get a little doggy report card, an update about how she’s doing, and every couple weeks, pictures of her going bananas through the trees.
Our dog is also pretty moody, but Doggy Lama has been able to form an amazing relationship with her and help her learn to pay well with others.

Doggy Lama is the Cadillac of dog walking services. They have a number of walkers, but we primarily worked with Alex. She is really, really great. We have an older, sweet lab mix and a younger, extremely high energy pug mix. Alex handles them both beautifully. They know the sound of her arriving and get super excited. I’ve worked from home a few times on walk days and you can tell that the just love her. She has a real connection with them and pushes them just right so that the puppy is tired and the senior dog still has some energy left, not an easy task.
If you’re looking for regular or occasional walks, I simply can not recommend Doggy Lama highly enough.

It took me a long time to finally decide on Doggy Lama for my dog Muffin’s boarding, and it’s mostly because I am an overly protective dog parent (I know, I need to work on that). After some back and forth changes with the boarder and a long survey later, they matched Muffin with Kristen. Muffin is very shy towards strangers, so we could tell she was not happy when she realized we were going to leave her there. But after Kristen sent me all those pictures of her on the walk, chilling on the sofa, and cuddling with her and the other dogs, I knew I have found the right place. Kristen has two dogs of her own and I can tell from talking to her that she is very loving and caring. We’ll definitely board Muffin with Doggy Lama again if we are ever out of town.
Muff says: two paws up!

Doggy Lama offers better care for your pet than most people probably get for themselves on vacation! Molly and her team took my mom’s little dog for almost two weeks this month when I couldn’t take her myself. At first I was worried about how she would adjust, because she’s very attached to my mom and a sensitive (ie., slightly high-​maintenance) little munchkin. As it turns out, she had waaaaaay more fun with Molly than she would have had at my house! This is what I love about Doggy Lama:
(1) Very professional care from dog-​savvy people who love what they do
(2) Lots of snuggling for our dog :) (she’s a snuggler and needs lots of TLC to feel comfortable)
(3) In-​home boarding in a clean, safe, welcoming place
(4) Individualized attention
(5) Tons of outdoor exercise (supervised hiking adventures in East Bay Regional Parks)
(6) Social time — she was never left alone
This is the best of the best for doggy daycare/​boarding. We will use them in the future and I can’t recommend them highly enough!