The Whole Pet
Categories: Pets Pet Services Pet Training Pets Pet Services Pet Boarding/Pet Sitting Pets Pet Services Dog Walkers Pet Training, Pet Boarding/Pet Sitting, Dog Walkers [Edit]
San Francisco, CA 94116(415) 517-6063
Julie F. said: "I wish I could give 10 stars to Brendan! Brendan has been walking Buddy, our 5 year old golden retriever, for approximately 3 years. Buddy started with Happy Tails when Gabrielle was running the business, so we've known Brendan since…" read more »
15 reviews for The Whole Pet
15 reviews in English
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Review from Biscuit C.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
The whole pet is amazing.
Since starting getting training with them my dog, Wilson, has calmed down so much. Wilson and I have an awesome relationship, he's more confident, and he's growing up to be a little gentleman. If I hadn't come to Courtney and Alex, I would not be in this spot.
Before I came to them, Wilson was super anxious, didn't come when called, was having some basic behavioral issues, and normal puppy class wasn't working. Yes, their training packages can be pricey, but when you think about what you get out of it- it's actually cheaper then going through 14 different levels of puppy class just to get your dog to 'go to place'. At the end of signing contracts, Courtney let me know, that no matter when, I could call her for advice, or concerns of my dog, and she'd help me figure it out. You can't get that w/ an SPCA class once a week for a month.
I've only gone to one of the group classes because of my schedule, but watching my pup run through an agility course was pretty much the coolest thing ever.
Courtney and Alex are lovely to just call if you have a problem, or email, they genuinely care about Wilson and the other dogs that we live with (offering advice to deal w/ aging, etc) even though they don't train them, and I really just trust both of them w/ my dog.
I honestly cannot speak more highly of Courtney and her team. When I started bringing Wilson to a dog park he normally couldn't handle 2 weeks after beginning training, I knew it was the right decision.
I also get my walks through Courtney and yeah, amazing. Basically the whole pet is awesome and I'm so so so glad I found them. -
Review from Ashlie E.
Redwood City, CA
12/27/2011
My husband and I are not impressed with Courtney and her team. We found Courtney to be over bearing, loud speaking, a bit disrespectful to us (she talks to humans like they are dogs), and made lots of empty promises to us and to our pet. I think Courtney had high hopes for our dog, but she never followed through, never checked in, never really seemed to care much about us or our dog after she took our very hefty check. Courtney is a good sales woman; she defiantly sold us on her program and experience but left us and our pet feeling like we were taken advantage of. Do not use this company; you will be out a lot of money with no results or improvement to show for it.
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Review from Ms. C.
San Francisco, CA
12/6/2011
We love Courtney and the Whole Pet team. Not only are they helping us train our unruly teenager (dog, that is), but our old gal is getting lots of loving from very compassionate caregivers/walkers. Courtney was a little hard to nail down at first, but once we got onto her radar, she has been very reliable. I encourage those who had problems getting in touch with her to give her another shot. She hired an administrative assistant to free up her time to manage and caregive.
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Review from Joey B.
San Francisco, CA
10/31/2011
Amazing that The Whole Pet has rave reviews. Good for them. However, I've tried to contact Courtney over e-mail and phone, and not once has she contacted me back even though she said she would. The only time I was able to talk to her was when I called her to follow-up on my initial request for service.
There are so many other places out there that want your business. I am not going to chase after this one...Comment from Courtney G. of The Whole Pet 12/17/2011
I am so sorry that Joey B did not get the prompt service… More » -
Review from Ashley H.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
Our dog wasn't really responding to our previous dog trainer's methods, so he referred us to Courtney. We are SO happy he did, because since meeting Courtney his behavior has dramatically improved! We signed up for several private lessons, where Courtney listens about your dog's history, etc, and tries to understand the root of the problems. Then we went over basic training once again, but with a training shock collar. We were very skeptical about this collar, as probably most people are before trying it, and we tried it on ourselves before agreeing to use it on our dog. He responds very well to it though and actually gets excited when he sees it. The private lessons were great though, and now we are attending a weekly class where he is learning how to be around other dogs. Courtney's been great, I'm so happy we contacted her about training our dog, and I look forward to keep attending group class! Oh yeah - everyone tells me how well trained my dog is - both on the street and when guests come to the house!
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Review from Jaimi W.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2011
My husband and I went out of town and I contacted Courtney about pet sitting for me. It took her a few days to contact me but she was super busy and in the middle of hiring an assistant to help her catch up to her increased client load. She had one of her employees Simone take care of our 2 dogs. She was absolutely wonderful. She left us daily notes and sent us daily emails with photos of our dogs having fun. She really got to know our dogs. I will definitely use The Whole Pet and hopefully have Simone take care of our dogs next time we go out of town!
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Review from Christie K.
SPRINGFLD TWP, MI
9/23/2009
When I moved to San Francisco, I started asking around for a recommendation for a dog walker. She or he had to be completely trustworthy, strong and competent enough to walk two giant breed dogs, and have a firm but gentle training philosophy. In short, I wanted perfection.
Fortunately, a friend knew just the right person, and referred me to Courtney Gunter of The Whole Pet. Courtney and Justin have been walking my dogs now for a couple of years, and they have become two of my dogs' favorite people. When I had an illness in my family, when my mom died, when my beloved dog Rebel died, they were there for me in a hundred ways -- and not just for me, but for my dog(s), too. When my mom was in the hospital they didn't just feed and walk my dog, they CARED FOR HER, and made her feel safe and not abandoned.
These guys are the best. I'd given them ten stars if I could. -
Review from Elizabeth B.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2009
Courtney's the Best!
Ok here's the deal, I have a Shiba Inu named Miso. She's awfully cute, she will melt your heart with just one bashful look, and if you see her at the beach she will surely get your attention with her non-stop chasing, teasing, and playfulness. But she is also skiddish, freaked out by almost anything she doesn't recognize, barks at strangers in hats, and will embarrass the hell out of you if she doesn't want to walk next to you because you're carrying something scary, like a grocery bag.
We did all the right things when we got Miso as a puppy. She was socialized starting the first week, in training after 3 months old, she was potty trained, and taught to sit, speak and lie down the first two weeks we had her. As she got a little older we realized she needed much more training if she was ever going to come out of her shell and just be happy.
Enter Courtney. She was so patient, supportive and understanding of our frustrations with Miso and encouraged us to keep trying and not give in. Miso still has her issues but she has made huge strides in her behavior and social skills. It's amazing! Courtney really helped us focus on one thing at a time and helped us get past the walls we'd hit with her in training.
I haven't used Courtney as a pet sitter but knowing her she's just as attentive and warm to all the pets she cares for as she is for her own.
If you need some help handling your pooch, don't wait, Courtney is your gal! -
Review from Zoe s.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2009
I bet the reason Courtney and the Whole Pet only have three reviews on yelp (now four) is because none of us (or our pups) want to share her with the rest of the world! However, all furry friends deserve to have Courtney and her group in their lives!
High Tops first met Courtney through Muttley Crew (also fantastic). I first met Courtney, Stan, and Justin when High Tops freaked out upon seeing them at Golden Gate Park last year. Let me tell you, nothing makes a dog mom's heart as happy as seeing her girl with an uncontrollable wagging tail upon seeing her care givers. So naturally I was thrilled when Courtney began to offer her group walks.
High Tops has grown so much in the last few months walking with Courtney. She has always been a really good girl with the exception of barking at the old, sick, and crazy. Or as Courtney likes to say "strangers." Courtney mentioned this in our "dog log" after her first walk. I have to admit I was a little embarrassed, but Courtney reassured me the group walks would help and they have! HT no longer barks at "strangers" and that is all thanks to Courtney, Stan and Boy (her four legged helpers). I swear I think Courtney could cure almost anything.
Check out the Whole Pet. Your best friends will thank you for it!
Oh PS...we have also used C as a pet sitter. The best as the dogs stay with her in her home. That makes a mama's heart happy too! -
Review from Lisa D.
San Francisco, CA
7/9/2009
I am hesitant to write a review about Courtney and the Whole Pet as I am afraid of people discovering how truly amazing she is. Our dog Owen has been staying with Courtney when we have been out of town since he was a little puppy. It was important to me that he stay in a home environment with loving people who allow him to be himself.
Every time we drop Owen off it is always the same... he runs off with his tail wagging to say hello to his friends at his home away from home without even giving us a kiss goodbye. : ( Last year, when we were at a wedding, I got a call from Courtney that Owen was favoring one of his paws. I called our vet at the SPCA and he said that he could squeeze Owen in and a half hour later, Courtney was at the pet hospital getting Owen checked out. It turned out that a week earlier he had gotten a foxtail in his paw and we were able to get him taken care of. Every time I leave Owen with Courtney I am confident that he will get the personalized attention that he deserves.
If you are considering Courtney and The Whole Pet for a pet sitter, look no further... just be sure not to take our little Owen's spot! -
Review from M H.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2011
I am so impressed with Courtney and The Whole Pet's service. I love her holistic point of view and her extensive background. Those aspects helped me feel totally at ease while away from my kitties for eight days. Before I left, I explained a few issues one of my cats is having and she gave me such good advice. If you struggle to completely relax and forget about your furry face friends like me, I found Courtney's reassurance, her knowledge and her natural connection to animals the answer to those struggles. I was able to have a great time and know my kitties were in good hands!
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Review from Jay K.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2009
I am a big fan of The Whole Pet's pet sitting service after having them sit for us this past weekend. We were in a bind - our list of friends who normally pet sit for us came up with nobody available. So, we had to find a pet sitter in a hurry and Courtney and her team came through. Within 48 hours we were meeting with our sitter, Vita, who was delightful and so in love with our pets instantly.
Over the weekend, Vita took the dog to the beach and on many other walks. The dog LOVED all the attention she got. The house was kept tidy and they even watered the plants :).
I'd highly recommend calling Courtney if you need a sitter! -
Review from Kasie M.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2009
Courtney is an amazing pet sitter! She has her hands full with my higher than much average requirements for cleanliness and standards for animal care, plus I've got a pretty diverse and large menagerie. She's always done a wonderful job and I never worry when she's taking care of my animals. My animals are my family and they mean the world to me. I'm not one to leave town often, but when I do, Courtney is part of the team that cares for those I care for most in the world. She's caring, professional, reliable, competent and responsible.
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Review from Teri T.
Honolulu, HI
1/26/2011
You know how it is when you come home from a fantastic trip only to find that your pissed-off pet has either (a) clawed up the carpet or (b) peed on your pillow - or both? Well, thankfully, now that we've found Courtney and The Whole Pet, that won't happen again (we hope). We usually have a friend house & cat sit for us on those extremely rare occasions that we take a vacation, but that didn't work out this time so we knew we'd have to hire someone. We were skeptical about having complete strangers in our house, until we met Courtney. She was very professional but sweet with our two affection-junkie cats. We loved that she (and Vita - gotta give Vita props too!) left us with a daily log, so we knew who'd been there, when, and how our girls had behaved. We suspect the cats may actually prefer Courtney and Vita to us, since they clearly gave the girls more attention than we have. But hey, we have 2 year olds twin humans who hog our attention. Thankfully, we now have The Whole Pet to turn to the next time we escape the city!
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Review from Jules B.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2010
I inherited my friend's cat that I had always loved a few months ago. When I left for Christmas break, my friend told me to just leave some water food and have someone come every 4 or 5 days. Since I was gone for three weeks, I needed someone to come in the interim to take care of my lovely Daisy Cat during that time. Courtney of the Whole Pet came highly recommended, so I felt comfortable handing over the keys to her. I had no idea that my precious kitty was so lonely and despondent, and my friend didn't seem to ever know or care about that. Courtney called me to alert me to her condition, and went above and beyond the call of duty spending extra time with her, adding visits, recording her condition every day - she even watered my plants! When I returned I noticed that my cat truly was lonely - I can't even imagine what she would have been like if Courtney hadn't taken the extra time with her and alerted me of the issue. She is a true professional and has a heart of gold. I am forever indebted to her, and give her the highest recommendation to anyone that needs ANY kind of pet assistance. She is the cat whisperer for me and my Daisy As for my "friend" that said the cat would be fine on her own - it's just one of the many things that made me realize what a mean person she is, so I"m out one friend and up one cat whisperer! I wouldn't have it any other way!
