Fon Jon Pet Care Center

BEWARE!!!
I left my dog for two weeks and when I picked her up I felt she had lost a tremendous amount of weight. After weighing her, I realized she had lost about 20% of her body weight. I was not happy, but I attributed it to stress. However, I also noticed her dew claws injured and inflamed. I called them to ask what could have possibly caused it and Laurie gave me a very strange and untrustworthy response. She told me that they noticed her injured dew claws about a week into her stay when they clipped her nails. Why clip my dog’s nails in the first place? I never gave them permission. Also, if you noticed the injury, then why wasn’t she treated? Why wasn’t I told when I picked her up? I know why. They were hoping I wouldn’t notice it. This was nothing short of cruel, as my poor dog was in pain and she could have gotten infection.
I will be taking my dog to a reputable place henceforth. The distance was convenient, but not worth risking my dog’s health and also dealing with disgraceful dishonesty. Shame on you!
Also, checked their Better Business Bureau ratings and they get a B–
I wish I checked that before I took my dog.

I brought my year and a half old Great Dane here for some behavior modification. We moved to San Diego from Texas where we had a yard, and never ran into anyone, or other dogs while he was on a leash. He has always been amazingly friendly with both dogs and people off leash. As soon as we moved here he (while leashed) began jumping and lunging at any dog we passed (even across the street), and he would growl at anyone who came near us. Having an «aggressive» dog who weighs more than the average person and can haul you across the street is extremely stressful. Thanks to the training and professionalism of Stephen and Fon Jon, I have a much better behaved dog. It took a lot of work and consistency on my end, but I couldn’t have done it with out Stephen. Prices were extremely reasonable, and I am more than satisfied with our experiences. Now that training is over, Maverick even goes to doggy day care at Fon Jon to play once a week or so. He comes home happy and exhausted. The rest of the staff is polite and professional as well, and I totally trust that my pup is well taken care of there. I absolutely recommend them!

After seeing few bad reviews about the cat boarding here, i felt I needed to give them a review. I have been using to board my cat for many years and have never had a bad experience. Compared to other places I researched, each cat space is much bigger than what you will get at other places for the same price. The kennels each have a little pirch and access to the sunroom. My cat is very social so I always get him the cat play pack. Which gives him a chance to run around in their cat room with one of the staff.
Even though I only bring him when I travel the staff always knows who he is. This makes me feel like he is definitley getting the necessary attention while I am gone.
Today I just dropped off my new puppy for daycare. The staff was friendly and welcoming and I know my little lab is in good hands! Can’t wait to pick up a pooped out pup today.

I like their easy going drop off time, their good prices, and most importantly, that our dog actually trots right into the shop for her ‘spa day’ every month. Thank you so much!!!

My two lively /​out of control dogs and I just finished two 6 week individual dog training lessons with Stephen at Fon Jon Pet Care Center. After having no success at several other training programs our veterinarian recommended Fon Jon’s. My dogs and I turned out to be very trainable.
My 2 year old lab/​cattle dog/​pit bull mix and my 1 year old weimeraner were making my life miserable and I was very concerned about our future together. During the free initial session with Stephen he identified key areas I would need to work on to gain control. There was no pressure to purchase there services but I was so comfortable with Stephen that I opted for individual lessons and a home visit. The «home visit» really solidified what I was learning at Fon Jon to our home environment.
Stephen empowered me (arthritic old lady) to become the «pack leader» which completely changed the emotional dynamic in my home. My dogs are now obedient and happily engaged with me. Stephen has given me all the tools I need to continue enjoying my dogs. I am confident and my dogs are relaxed and happy… life is good.
The best part of all this is looking forward to all the adventures my dogs and I will safely have together.
Thank you, Stephen, from the bottom of my heart. Janell and Greg (Dewey and Tonygwynn)

If I could give 0 stars I would. I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but I had held off until they finally contacted me back.
Long Story:
Upon calling for over an hour, I finally found a place where they had spots for the week of Thanksgiving. Which should have been a huge red flag. I was not happy about boarding my cat, but I had no other options. So I didn’t have a chance to check out the facility beforehand, but upon reading the reviews on here I felt like it would be fine. It wouldn’t be the best but it would work.
I dropped him off and the place was worn down. I had gotten the «deluxe» suite for my cat, and it was pretty small. The suites were clean and each have little openings to the outside. When I dropped my cat off he was in one suite, but he was in a different one when I picked him up. For cats their environment is very important, and I wasn’t happy that they felt it was okay to switch around which suite the cats are in. I dropped him off with his blanky, and when I got their he had some sort of «accident» on the blanket and they were washing it. So that was suspicious he never has had any problems with using a litter box, even when he lived in a vet clinic’s cage. My guess is he threw up on the blanket, and they did not feel the need to notify me of this. He throws up when he stressed, which I know, but I did not notify the staff of this.
Finally, I brought my cat home. I was so happy to have him home. But that is when I saw wounds on his face. He is missing some whiskers where the wounds are. He is now on antibiotics for the next 10 days. No one told me he was injured. The wounds on his face would have bled quite a bit when he got them, so there was very little chance of them not noticing.
After many back and forth calls, I finally got a hold of them. They told me they had tried contacting me and emailing me. They had two phone numbers where I could have been reached at any moment, I never left my cell phone and neither of the two phones received any calls. I did not receive one email. They claimed that he rubbed so hard he hurt himself against the bars. This is on both sides of his face plus missing whiskers. He lived for almost two months in a vet clinic cage, and during that time he never injured himself. Apparently they felt qualified to treat my cat, without notifying me and without even bothering to tell me when I picked him up. They claimed they put some neosporin on him.
Short Story:
The place is pretty run down. The staff is friendly. At best there is either a lack of supervision and basic attention, or at worst there is dishonesty and abuse of the animals. Regardless, I would never take my cat back here. Maybe this place is fine for dogs, based on other reviews, but honestly I beg people to not take their cats here.

I drive from Carmel Valley to board my dog here, out of my way, because I like the facilities and the service from the friendly staff. First of all, they never gave me any grief for boarding a so called «dangerous» dog breed. Any pet facility that is naïve enough to stereotype dog breeds in such a way in my opinion shouldn’t be trusted! The staff is very nice and accommodating. I know that my dog will be safe every time I leave him there. I did call to check on my dog this last time, and they promptly gave me a status update and reassured me that my dog was doing well. I recommend Fon Jon to everyone I know. Shout out to the amazing staff!

If only I could give zero stars…
I decided to board my cat here for a week when I was in-​between moving apartments. When I dropped her off at the boarding facility, I felt a little uncomfortable because of previous Unilocal reviews that I had read prior. The cat kennels were dimly lit, with an open cat door to a «private sun room». There seems to be no temperature-​control in the room so I was nervous that with the open cat door to the sunroom in each kennel, her kennel would get very cold at night. Also, the sunroom is a metal caged wire, so your cats will come in contact with the cats in the adjacent kennels.
The staff was very friendly and they seemed to care about my concerns regarding my cat coming in contact with other cats, so they promised me that they would make sure that my cat wouldn’t be placed in a kennel adjacent to other cats.
After my cat spent 4 nights there, I was in town for the day and decided to check on her before I had to leave town again. When I saw her, I nearly started crying. I have never seen my cat so scared before. She was shaking and hissing, which she NEVER does, and she was losing large clumps of hair from stress. Also, even though the staff promised me that she wouldn’t be put in a kennel that could come in contact with other cats, she was. This scared her even more, as she is not very good around other cats. Her bed that I brought with me when I originally dropped her off was very dirty. There was cat litter and clumps of hair all over it, and there was dried vomit on the sides. She was very skittish and horribly stressed.
After seeing the condition that she was in, and the awful condition of the kennel, I decided to cancel my travel plans and pull her out of the boarding facility a week early.
My heart ached for my poor kitty; she was stressed to the point of being sick.
And note: she has been to many boarding facilities and has NEVER had this reaction.
It surprises me how this place is still in business. Although the staff is very friendly, it only distracts you from the HORRIBLE ways they neglect your poor animal.
DO NOT BOARD YOUR CAT HERE.

Fon Jon is a life-​saver! We use Fon Jon for three things:
1. Doggie Daycare
We work odd hours and can drop our pup off whenever we need to with no hesitations. We totally trust that he is in good hands. We don’t make a reservation or need to call in advance and that’s such a relief. The staff is so friendly and know exactly whose dog is whose. Our dog, Hank, is super active and needs lots of exercise. Whenever he goes to Fon Jon, he comes home tired and happy. You can’t ask for more.
2. Training
One of the best decisions we’ve ever made. We spent 12 weeks with Stephen training Hank (and ourselves!). We showed up for a group lesson and no one else showed. We had one on one training for 12 weeks for the group rate ($ 175). Stephen is awesome! He demonstrates what you should do, uses analogies to human behavior, and is so patient. If you get a chance to work with Stephen, do it! He helped us get a handle on our very active pup. We can actually go on a walk without pulling now!
3. Over-​night boarding
We are going on vacation and are about to leave Hank overnight with Fon Jon. We have no doubt that our dog Hank will be in good hands.
Thank you, Fon Jon!

Friendly staff and fair prices. A little off the beaten path but definitely worth the look. You can’t beat the pricing on private puppy lessons! The boarding rates are reasonable and there is plenty of play space for your furry friend. Give them a look!

Let’s face it, if you’re anything like me, leaving your loved fur face is difficult! I recently got a 3 month old puppy, husky/​lab mix so she’s very needy and energetic. I was very nervous and emotional leaving my pup with strangers.
Upon my arrival, I was greeted by Vince and he was very attentative to my pup. I left with a little more peace of mind, but still worried not knowing what to expect.
After picking up my love pup, I was SO happy I chose Fon Jon. They had nothing but positive feedback and they even provided me with a doggy report card on how my pup behaved. AND, they took pictures of her and sent them to me through email. Talk about peace of mind!
My fur baby and I are very closely attached to one another and she even whined when leaving, like she was sad to leave her new best friends she made while at daycare. The best part, my hyper energetic pup slept the minute we got home and slept all through the night.
No doubt she had a good time. I will be taking her here again on my longer days of work. Thank you Fon Jon!

I met the owner of Fon-​Jon (Manuel Villanueva) in 1996 when I took my Golden Retriever puppy to him for one-​on-​one basic obedience training. Their training program was excellent; within a few sessions and with lots of practice on our own, we were able to join the older dogs for intermediate/​advance group obedience training. I was taught easy to follow, common sense methods for training my pup.
Fast forward almost 20 years later and I work as a police K9 handler. My German Shepherd partner is a dual purpose dog trained in patrol/​protection as well as tracking and explosives detection. Manuel recently evaluated my dog and gave me several tips for improving the performance of my current partner and future K9s I’ll work with.
During my last visit, I toured Fon-​Jon and was impressed by how clean and well maintained the facility is. I no longer live in San Diego, but do visit on occasion and would gladly utilize Fon-​Jon as I completely trust them with my dog and my police department’s dog as the K9 is their property until she retires when I’ll adopt her. Since thousands of dollars and time are invested in my police K9 partner, I have to be extra careful about who I leave her with for care when I have to board her. Fon-​Jon and Oceanside Pet Hotel both have provided great service and excellent, profession training for decades.

Hands down, Fon Jon is thee
best! Of all the doggy day cares I’ve taken my dog, Shadow to, Fon Jon is the one that he and I love most! Once we turn onto the street, he can’t contain himself in the car. He is overly excited to play at such a fun and loving environment. The Staff is amazing! They love on Shadow like he’s their own. If this place wasn’t amazing and fun, he wouldn’t be excited each and every time we are the way there. At times, he doesn’t even want to leave. We all know, if our dog doesn’t like a place, their actions would reflect that.

I got a new Dobermann 3 weeks ago from a Rescue organization and he is sweet but lived his life on the streets so needed some socialization and training.
I take him to Fon Jons 3 days per week for the daycare. I pay the normal rate and they are working with him in the yard in order to train him how to interact with other dogs. I suspect other daycares would just turn him away either for his breed or because he was causing fights in the yard at first or try to charge extra in order to train him.
I also have started a 6 weeks individual training for him and after the first 1 hour session he is no longer pulling o the leash and after the second his sit and stay and heal are going great.
The staff are always nice. They called me immediately after the first fight in the yard and explained that the owner would come in and see if they could train him using prong collar and E collar and see if we could fix his behavior so he can be in the yard with other dogs. 2 weeks later and he is almost ready to go in the yard with no collar.
I think the prices are good and the hours are great for me 7am-​7pm. We use a prong collar for training and the trainer is always emphasizing that we should use 70% positive reinforcement and only 30% corrections. I know in an ideal world you would only use positive training methods but lets be real. Large Dogs, Dangerous dogs sometimes need corrections to get them under control for their own safety and those around them. I would rather trainer use a bit of corrections than have dogs returned to shelters where they could be put down.

Awesome training facility no matter what you are training for! Stephen is fantastic with all three of my dogs. He is one of the only people whom I trust with Rommel, my adult male shepherd who has aggression issues and will actually go for the face if not handled properly. Stephen has no problem walking him, training him, and handling him because he spent the time building up a bond with Rommel! When I got my newest puppy back in April, I immediately signed up to do lessons with Stephen. He’s watched my crazy 24lb puppy turn into a well mannered 81lb bear! My puppy, now 10 months, goes absolutely nuts every time he sees Stephen. He absolutely loves and respects Stephen, and he will do anything for him! People often remark on how well behaved all of my dogs are when I’m out walking them or getting coffee, especially since they’re large dogs and one is still a puppy! If you’ve never been to Fon Jon, I recommend that you check out their facilities. And I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Stephen as a trainer, you will not be disappointed!!! In fact, the entire staff of Fon Jon is wonderful! They truly care for all of their clients’ fur kids and are always there to greet you with a smile on their faces and a cookie for your pet :-)
A++++++++++++++++++ for service!

I have been taking my dogs to Fon Jon for one and a half years for training. They are Catahoula Leopard dogs and not a lot of people know what they are here in California since they are not common but the staff at Fon Jon knew what they were and how to handle them. I recently completed 12 one-​on-​one lessons with our dog Django with Stephen. Django responded to the training wonderfully and he has grown as a dog and has become more confident. He has a fear of people so it was an obvious concern to help him cope with this fear and become a better canine citizen. Stephen was really great at reading his body language during the lessons and helped us work with him through his rough patches and made training fun for him by making it a game. Everyone who knew Django before can see a huge difference in his behavior and how he acts around strangers. When we asked Stephen about what we can do about Django’s issues he said that really establishing our basic obedience would be exactly what we needed to help boost his confidence. And he was right! He is much more comfortable and confident around strangers now, in addition to behaving better than any dog around both on and off the leash. I give everyone I talk to the highest recommendation of Stephen’s dog training abilities and of Fon Jon’s staff and service! As training progressed, Stephen helped us with any other issues that arose from unique situations and even helped do some very specific and specialized training for him (he developed some issues with skateboards). Stephen has even trained Sierra, my other dog, for search and rescue since she is a Catahoula, which is a working dog. She is a great dog and very smart so was a quick learner. Now she loves to play games like hide and seek or we can rub a rock on ourselves and throw it and have her search for it. And now she has a job she loves to do. We will follow up with some obedience with Fon Jon for her and maybe get her canine good citizen test.
We also have done daycare with them and would not trust anyone else with our dogs, Django being shy and having fear issues has a great relationship with all the staff. Their staff is always open and willing to talk about anything dog related, whether it is behavior issues or specialized training. They are also some of the most knowledgeable staff I have come across for dog training. I couldn’t recommend them any higher to anyone looking for a top-​notch facility.
Thank you Fon Jon, without you I don’t what I would have done.

I love Fon Jon! let me tell you it was NOT easy dropping our little louie off there for the first time! The manager Laurie was very patient with me when i called and emailed 50x checking up on him. before i sent him there i checked out multiple other boarding places and Fon Jon was the nicest and had the best accommodations by far. The sleeping area has its own private walk and the play area is huge for the small dogs! friends have volunteered to watch Louie BUT i have brought him to Fon Jon instead b/​c i know he is getting round the clock care and has many many friends to keep him company all day long!

Did 4 lessons with Stephen to help with leash walking my large dog over a month and it’s so enjoyable to walk him now. Stephen really understands how dogs think and helped me understand my dog better. You can teach old dogs new tricks. Thank you guys!

I have been taking my dog to daycare and boarding him at Fon-​Jon for almost two years now. Most recently me and my boyfriend completed four one-​on-​one lessons with FJ’s dog trainer, Stephen. STEPHEN IS AMAZING! Our dog responded to the training techniques used immediately and by the final lesson we were only fine-​tuning minor behavioral aspects. Stephen was really great at reading our dog’s behavior during the lessons, like when he was «shutting down» and gave us so many ways to make training fun us and our dog (whom we call our son). I take my son to Fiesta Island before work each morning, and everyone that walks there at the same time says he is like a totally different dog. Before he listened when he wanted to (maybe ⁵⁰⁄₅₀), and now he listens wonderfully!!! When we described our issues to Stephen (mostly listening when he felt like it, but also timid with strangers entering our home and behavior around dogs that aren’t neutered while on the leash) and he told us that really establishing our basic obedience would be exactly what we needed. And he was so right! Our dog is much more comfortable around strangers now, in addition to behaving much better both on and off the leash. I give everyone I talk to the highest recommendation of Stephen’s dog training abilities! As training progressed, Stephen and the other FJ staff would set up scenarios where our training would be tested, like coming across other dogs while on the leash. It was great to have that actual situation setup so we could get advice from the trainer as our dog was misbehaving. That aspect especially is invaluable! Also since we have gone to daycare there Stephen was already familiar with our dog, which helped with catering training to his personality and response mechanisms.
When we rescued our pup two years ago and he had some serious separation anxiety issues, which is why we took him to daycare. I think the best review is by my dog, who LOVES it there! He whines in the car as soon as we get there, and when we walk into the office he jumps on the door to the back. Not only does he enjoy playing with other dogs, he really loves the staff! Like I said earlier he is a rescue and timid around strange people, so this is huge for us. When we walk in to drop off for daycare the front desk staff know him (even though we only go to daycare at best a couple times a month now) and there are a few specific people that play in the yard that he really connects with. Once while waiting up front for our lesson to start, Kyle brought a dog up from the back and saw Ringo. Kyle said «Oh Ringo is here!!» and he sat on the floor and my dog was jumping all over him while Kyle pet him and scratched his ears. For a dog timid with strangers and generally uninterested in people that aren’t «his», this was truly amazing! It is a great testament to how much the staff there love dogs and how much they enjoy time spent with them in the yard. The staff have also been very communicative if my dog ever received any scrapes or scratches during his stay. Dogs are dogs and mine does like to play rough sometimes and accidents happen. I appreciate them keeping me abreast of anything that happens, and I have never had a serious issue in all the times we have taken him there in the past (almost) 2 years. Also for anyone worried, they even have cameras in the dog play areas now so you can spy on your pooch while you are at work or on vacation. Again it feels great that they are so open, allowing you to watch your dog even while you pay FJ to watch them!
Finally is the pricing. When we board him at FJ’s we pay for the VIP package or All Day Play, which with taxes is ~$ 50/​night. Very reasonable. Also they have the best daycare deals in SD! (I tried out A LOT of places in the beginning when we were struggling with the separation anxiety). Over Christmas he has to stay for about 12 days, but still Ringo loves going back to Fon Jon’s time and time again. What better recommendation can I give than that?!

PSA: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IF YOU LOVE YOUR PET DO NOT BRING HERE!!!
On 11÷6÷2013 my 12 week old lab Ellie was picked up from Fon Jon after spending 7 days straight for puppy boot camp/​training. During the week several calls were made to the facility to check on her progress, behavior, etc. By all reports everything was «great.»
Until we picked her up.
I have included pictures of the absolutely devastating state she was brought home in. I personally was unable to pick her up so my bf’s mom went and stayed for the training session with STEPHEN HER «TRAINER.» Ellie came home with BILATERAL BULGING EYES, SUBCONJUNCTIVAL HEMORRHAGES, WEEPING DISCHARGE AND CLOUDY CORNEAS. i literally could not believe what i was seeing in my beautiful puppy and i was LIVID. HOW on EARTH a DOG CARE FACILITY could have the GALL to pretend and act in such a GROSSLY NEGLIGENT manner in their care is beyond my comprehension, and i fully intend to pursue legal action. NEVER, NOT ONCE in the several phone calls regarding Ellie’s stay or when being released was a PEEP mentioned about her eyes. NOT ONCE. did they honestly think no one would notice??? you have got to be f@#$ing kidding me. and although i am a healthcare professional it does NOT take any medical education to see that Ellie was in a state of ocular emergency. a few hours after she was picked her up her left eye started closing up, and on the way to the ER, it completely shut and she would not open it. the vet very gently informed us that it was very likely due to trauma.
it is both disgusting and demonic for a pet care facility to feign their care and training expertise when the evidence is so damn clear they abuse your pets. so this Goddamn fon jons thinks that their trainer STEPHEN, who apparently spends all f@#$ing day and night with dogs can’t tell the difference between a white sclera and a BLEEDING SCLERA? fon jon’s reviews are fake, clearly any Unilocaler worth their shit knows an account with NO FRIENDS/​CONNECTIONS and 1 or 2 FAKE ASS reviews is a fake account. the only true reviews on here are from other disgruntled pet owners, please please please do NOT BRING YOUR PET HERE!!! i have spoken to a family member who is in law enforcement and i will be filing a report. it is a criminal act just to leave your pet in the car when running to the store for a few min, this case with fon jon will have far-​reaching and definite legal ramifications, if not a felony.
oh the icing on the cake? ELLIE didn’t learn shit from her piece of shit trainer, once again… STEPHEN.