Loose Pooch Dog Club

Steven R. Andrade (Andrade Law Offices)

2018-05

When our dogs were puppies, they both went through training with Nathan. The training gave them both a solid foundation of understanding obedience commands which have proven to be invaluable at times. Our Shepherd requires extensive exercise during the day so as he got bigger we opted for a different day care environment for him. However, Marla still loves going to Loose Pooch to play with some of the friends she grew up with. She does have her dog buddies over there and she is comfortable with the staff. They keep the place very clean and take good care of the dogs. We have never had an issue. Nathan is always professional and great to deal with. Edgar is a gem!

Margaret Hawkes

2017-05

I am beyond grateful for the incredible staff at the Loose Pooch. Paired with the training by Nathan, I can honestly say our experience was phenomenal from beginning to end. I purchased the VIP package for my 6 month old puppy who was having some slight behavioral problems. By the end of the 8 weeks, my puppy had a new attitude. He was much more happy, attentive, and well behaved. Though the services were more expensive than others in town, they were truly worth every single penny. Nothing can compare to the experience, knowledge, and love Nathan and his staff showed my puppy. Thank you so much Nathan and Loose Pooch you guys are the absolute best!

Barbara Rosenblum

2018-05

We take our young boxer here and are so pleased. We used another very popular place in town, which I have nothing bad to say about, but the dogs there were allowed to be quite rough, and our dog often came home with lots of marks and broken skin. Loose Pooch taught our rambunctious boxer how to behave herself better around other dogs. I think the staff-to-dog ratio is better here. The facility is also air-conditioned, and in the summer that’s a big plus. The staff are wonderful. We ended up doing training with Nathan Woods, and that’s a whole other story - the best dog training we could ever have imagined.

Jim Howley

2016-05

I can't thank Nathan and Loose Pooch enough for the past year and a half of my dog Romeo and my relationship.One year ago December my housemate and I adopted a fostered pit/bully mix. He had had several homes and was extremely docile. He just slept. We brought in Nathan as his/our trainer because we had only had labs and shepherds before and Romeo was not responding as they had in the past. Within minutes we saw a different dog. In only a few practice tries Romeo was walking perfectly at a heel and now a year later Romeo is happily walking without a leash and does more tricks than I could have ever thought he could do. We are going to sign up for a more advanced class and keep the momentum.The other side of Loose Pooch is the fantastic day care Romeo gets. He goes to other places too where there is nonstop playing and all of that is good every so often but I found that his anticipation upon seeing other dogs was to rough and tumble every time he interacted. With Loose Pooch the environment is fun and safe but not unlimited and without boundaries. Romeo now understands that play time is play time but down time is important too.Thanks to Nathan and the whole team at Loose Pooch. They have made Romeo the best family member we could have hoped for in just a few short months.

Sean Saxena

2017-05

I cannot express strongly enough how awesome Nathan is! My girlfriend and I purchased his VIP training for our puppy Callie and the results were nothing short of astonishing. He is a true professional -both with dogs and dog owners :)The VIP package is reasonably priced for what you get and the end result is a happier dog who will be obedient for life (he has a lifetime training guarantee if you stay in SB). It truly is a lifetime investment in your pup. Not to mention he does the trainings during the week so you get daycare included. My girlfriend and I both work full time and we had been taking our dog to dioji every day and the price per day for the VIP program is almost the same (and he trains your dog)!!!His VIP program is around 3 months long and the final result was an incredibly well behaved dog who comes when called and is an even happier puppy (if that is even possible!). We take her to Hendry's beach and she can be running full sprint 100 ft away and when we call her she will literally turn on a dime.I would highly recommend the VIP training if you have a new puppy or any dog who you want trained.PS Our dog did not have any behavioral issues but Nathan specializes in training any and all dogs.

Elizabeth Cole

2018-05

Frustrating experience. I live in Nevada and was coming to Santa Barbara for a couple of days. I needed a place to leave my dog for a few hours. I had called the staff several times ahead of time explaining that I wanted to make sure everything that they needed was done BEFORE I got there because I live so far away. On the day that I arrived, they wouldn't let me see the facilities. They never mentioned that you have to make an appointment with the owner to tour the facilities! So I'm supposed to leave my beloved dog there without seeing anything? I had arrived a couple of hours before my appointment and the person I spoke with couldn't even tell me if the owner was available. I told him that I was hesitant to leave my dog without seeing the facilities and he said "Well, whatever". Seems very unprofessional to me. Thankfully it was a cool day so I could leave my dog in our car. Otherwise, I would have had to cancel my appointments and drive back to Nevada. That is a long trip!

Linda Krop

2016-05

We have been taking our dog to Loose Pooch for four years - we totally trust the staff there to take good care of our "kid." They personally engage with the dogs and give them lots of love and attention. And our dog loves going there! He tries to open the door himself!

Sheri Gardner

2015-05

I signed up to have my sch-noodle puppy trained and I have been so amazed what she has learned in only three weeks. We put Potty Bells by the slider to our back yard. Within 2 days our dog, Pepper, would walk over to the bells and ring them with her paw, if she needed to go out. When the trainer Nathan told me about these bells, I thought he was crazy. Now she rings them each time she needs to go out to potty. She sits, heals, stays and stands on command. We are only half way thru her training and I am so impressed. Nathan has been great!!!Pepper also goes to the day care (Loose Pooch) each day. The service has been excellent and they also have a real cute doggie shop when you walk in.I highly recommend Nathan and the Loose Pooch.

Kalcham Dalia

2014-05

I arrived unannounced (as you should) to interview for my dog to attend daycare. The attendant in the back look like a hung-over college student who was not enjoying the dogs, and had no skill to guide their play. The visual aid that shows into the dungeon-like daycare room, shows one large room for dogs of all sizes, with no natural light. The owner of the facility came in jerking a dog around at the neck. I recognized him as the trainer a friend of mine had a few years ago. He instructed her and her husband to make the dog skip three meals in a row (dinner the night before, and breakfast and dinner the day of) before his arrival in order to make the dog responsive to him. He jerked her non-aggressive, rescue-dog around. A completely submissive, emotionally scarred rescue. Not necessary! If you have to starve a dog or jerk them around to train them, then you are NOT a trainer. Starvation and neck jerking may be seen as productive at the moment, but causes more damage in the long run.Another friend took her small brachaesophalic dog for day care. They were kindly called to inform them that their dog had sustained a dog bite, but no one was able to explain how or when it happened. Oops.Before the owner returned, I was allowed no information from the attendant, who left the group of dogs alone, in the back to come out and see what I needed. He stated that only the owner is allowed to give daycare or training information. I asked a couple questions. All of which he said he wasn't allowed to answer. Odd customer service; especially since it was also shared that the owner is not there often. Huh?I have great hope (for the welfare of the dogs in your care) that you are able to see the err of your ways and refine your business practice. I am sure that their are other people with a positive response, so I am not insinuating that the business is 100% terrible. Just the portion that I saw. I am sure that there are wonderful people involved in some aspect of the business, which is why I feel badly being this honest in my review, but I truly hope that it helps.

Michelle michelledias

2020-05

Poor management. I couldn't even try this place. The manager was very rude and said that they just accept dogs that are more then 30 days with the owners. Nothing was mentioned over the phone to me. I explain that I just adopted her during the call and even explaining everything I had to rush to find another place because I had to come back to work. Nothing is mentioned about this rule on their website as well. My advise to the owner, change your Manager! I' m a reasonable person, and I understand you have rules.... make your rules clear to the customers and teach your staff how to communicate better.

Kathryn Cox

2018-05

Nathan Woods is truly a dog whisperer! The one-on-one intense training he provided for our dog has made a WORLD of difference. Highly recommend!

Russell Brown

2013-05

UPDATE 2/18/2013:The owner personally called to apologize for the quality of care given and to also offer a refund for the distress caused. Now I somewhat regret the full disclosure of my original review without consulting the owner of the daycare first. Albeit, I am hopeful that there will be positive changes to the benefit of all future clientele.

Penelope Bianchi

2023-10

Nathan is the best!!!

Jessica Baer

2020-05

There is no dog expert like Nathan Woods!

Mary Hershey

2017-05

Amazing staff treat the dogs as their own!

Mark Ellinwood

2018-05

Great place for doggie day care

Timothy Spiegel

2021-05

Dirty

Alex Vasquez

2020-05

Good place