Top Notch Kennels

Top Notch is an amazing facility run and owned by an amazing trainer named Lisa Moore! Unlike other day care or boarding facilities, Lisa is a highly educated positive reinforcement dog trainer with an impressive amount of experience training, handling, competing with, and showing dogs. She has taken the time to build and run her facility for the well being of the dogs. This can be seen in the cleanliness of the suites, the way the play yard is divided for dogs with different play styles, the careful screening process to keep all dogs safe, and the longevity of staff that have worked there for multiple years and know each dog extremely well. Any dog that gets to stay at Top Notch is a really lucky dog!

I find great humor in all the people who post a one star review, when their only experience with this place is that it is booked up.
My family has been boarding here for years first with a geriatric Dalmatian and currently with a big doofey mutt. Absolutely nothing but praise for the attention and care given to all the family members who have enjoyed their time here.
Great place and staff. The only possible complaint would be the aforementioned difficulty getting our four legged family members a place at «camp.» Just need to book several weeks in advance. Though I do wonder if they keep some spots open for people with emergencies.
Keep up the good work. You are nearly always full so you must be doing something right.

I am in the area for work for several months and brought my 2 year old goldendoodle Cooper with me. I use their daycare services usually once a week and have now boarded there twice — once for a long weekend and once for almost two weeks over the holidays. Cooper loves to play at daycare and gets very excited when we turn down the road. He comes home dirty (he likes to play in the water) but very tired and happy.
He does have a history of swallowing toys and they have made sure to keep an eye on this. We did have an issue with him eating the plastic on their fence, but as soon as I brought it to their attention that he had obviously eaten something he wasn’t supposed to they quickly figured out what it was. They have made a note to watch for this, and it has not been a problem since. Everyone on staff seems to communicate well with one another regarding each dogs needs. I also enjoy that I get an update when I pick him up from daycare (sometimes even a picture or video) about who he played with and anything cute or funny he might have done. I feel that this shows they pay attention to and get to know each of the dogs.

Dropped my dog here for just the day and he seemed to have had a great time! The place is very nice and clean. The staff was very friendly. I loved the fact they have a pool since my dog loves playing in the water. I would definitely come back here again.

I can’t say enough about the staff at Top Notch. We have used their daycare, boarding, grooming, pet taxi services, and taken their obedience class.
My frenchie absolutely loves the indoor daycare staff, Lacy, Carly, Ellie, and Taylor. They take such great care of him and I find comfort in knowing he is safe and having fun while I am at work.
Lisa and Rebecca also did an amazing job in the first level obedience class we took. They were very knowledgeable and attentive. If we weren’t relocating to Southern California, we definitely would have take the 2^nd and 3^rd levels of training class.

This review is for the grooming services:
They sure do take care of your dog! They pay attention to detail and my dog, Stitch, is always excited to come here for his grooming. I HIGHLY recommend this place.
They really cared for my dog and after they found a cotton tail stuck on his arm, they called me back to follow up with him. I feel they truly have a love for the dogs here.
Advice: Please don’t forget to tip these people, they’re very professional and always provide great service!

Boarded my dog at TNK’s last weekend. Spent $ 80 for him to come home with kennel cough. He had his bordetella booster the day before. He won’t be going back.

The people who work there seem to really speak dog! They have doggie daycare, boarding, and grooming services. I had my dog there last christmas for 4 days, and again in the summer. The dogs get to play with other dogs their size– depending on if they pass the test «behavior assessment» they do first in order to make sure the dogs will get along. My dog seemed pretty happy. They are professional and friendly & make sure all dogs are up to date on shots. If you are going out of town– make sure you get the necessarily shots first, I would plan a month ahead and reserve a spot for your dog! stanislaus animal shelter offers most shots for like $ 6 each!
Your dog must have proper up to date shots in order to get groomed there as well! they do an excellent job grooming and very affordable– and tthey were patient with my dog who doesn’t like water, or hair dryers. I had a bad experience before with a different dog groomer who injured my baby! so I’m glad I found top knotch kennels– that they do grooming as well as boarding.
As for the reviews that claim you can’t pick up your dog past 6pm. This is true, however you are NOT charged an extra day when you come the next morning before noon to get your dog. I’ve never had a problem with the timing.

I have no complaints about the care my dog received. She seemed fine when we picked her up and the facility seems well-​kept. However, my husband and I felt cheated when we left. We dropped our dog off at 3:00 on Sat. and picked her up at 2 the next day, so she was there less than 24 hours. The facility is only open from 2 – 6 on Sundays so you have no option to pick them up earlier even if you wanted to.
Apparently, they penalize their customers for their reduced hours, because we were charged for 2 days. No one told me this was the case when I made the reservation or when we checked our dog in. I suggested they have earlier hours that day so as not to penalize the customer — this is a total scam that they have probably been getting away with for years, and my husband and I were very upset about it. So customer beware for that and other charge-​ups that appear on your bill. We will not be going back.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Top Notch Kennels. Been taking my husky there for awhile now to daycare and it was best decision we ever made. She’s much calmer and I love how it’s helped her socialize with other dogs. She makes her presence known in the morning and passes out during the car ride home. Staff is super friendly and everyone takes great care of the animals. I know she is in good hands.

Say all your praise about Top Notch just wait until your dog is no longer allowed to attend and they won’t give you a reason why.

I used to take my dogs to Petsmart for grooming but my dogs HATED it (fought me every time I went to drop them off) and after my dog Jasper came home with a neck injury (which resulted in a vet visit) and NO one there could explain how he was hurt, I decided to switch. That is when I stumbled on Top Notch.
Both of my dogs who are mixed rescues LOVE Top Notch. No more fighting to get them in the door. One of my dogs Brady is very timid from his life on the streets but they always take a little extra time with him to make sure he feels comfortable and when I go to pick them up, you can tell they had a great time.
I also highly recommend having your dog evaluated to enter a play group. Ultimately, it opens up a whole new world for you and your dog. It is nice to be able to drop the dogs off in the morning and pick them up in the evening (after work or errands) knowing they had an awesome time. In the past, I have dropped them off at other groomers for several hours (because of my work schedule) and my dogs are left in a cage the whole time not even let out for bathroom breaks. If they are part of the play group, they get to play with other dogs when they are not being groomed. My dogs are small so they enjoy the Pee Wee Cottage tremendously. Drop them off and Top Notch takes care of the rest.
Even when adding on daycare, my bill is at least $ 30.00 less then Petsmart and that was for just the grooming. Sometimes it may be hard to get in, but I think that just proves how much they are in demand.

I’m writing this review in part because I can’t believe some of the negative reviews and sour grapes Top Notch has gotten here on Unilocal.If a business as well-​run as Top Notch gets slammed on Unilocal,then there is something very seriously wrong with Unilocal.Not Top Notch.
I’ve used their boarding and their grooming services several times: their strict adherence to vaccine protocols is indicative of their high standards generally. They do not risk the health of the pets in their care, ever, and that’s something we should all be grateful for.
My dog is one of those who need grooming several times a month (yikes!) and frankly I do a horrible job of keeping him groomed; the groomers have been nothing but patient and encouraging with me as I try to do a better job for my sweet little Petey. They call me before working on him just to make sure they do exactly what I/​Petey want, and are unfailingly polite and considerate. I’ve never had a even a hint of rudeness from anyone there, even when I picked Petey up from boarding and was frankly a little rude myself (after driving for 7 hours straight). I paid for a behavioral evaluation so Petey could play with other little dogs at the Pee Wee Cottage — and I’m so glad I did. He has the time of his life! I don’t feel guilty any more when I leave him at the boarders; I know he’s having as much fun as I am when I go on vacation. I’ve taken him to boarders before where I literally cannot get him into the door without carrying him — at Top Notch, he races to get past the door.
The staff they have behind the scenes working with the dogs and supervising them, the kennel attendants, the groomers themselves, are just the most phenomenally kind, caring, considerate people you could ever meet. To in any way slam via Unilocal anyone associated with Top Notch is in my humble opinion, reprehensible. They offer a valued service with the highest possible attention to quality and caring. This is so rare! I am so so grateful I found them!

Top notch provides the BEST customer service and their facilities are always immaculate. They do a great job with all services that they provide. Ask for Tami if you’re interested in getting your dog trained :)

Let me just say that you have to allow for the fact that they don’t have nearly as much room as they need if they wanted to serve everyone who wants to use their boarding services. You do need to plan way way ahead and make reservations. That said, I am always happy with everyone who works here. They are very nice to my goofy Golden girl who is a rascal, and the desk staff are excellent. We use the day care sometimes, though it’s a long way from our home now. On balance, I think my earlier review was a bit crabby. They deserve better.

This review is soley based on a phone conversation.
I called Top Notch Kennels to inquire about their beginning puppy classes. Bonnie was very enthusiastic/​chipper to discuss and give me the details regarding the class, and continued to tell me how their puppy classes are popular/​the best in the area/​blah blah blah. I told her that this sounded great, and I was really excited to have my puppy enrolled however, there would be a set back secondary to my puppy contracting parvo. As soon as I said the word PARVO, her chipper attitude went out the window, and I thought she had hung up on me.
My puppy had fully recovered from parvo, and being a responsible pet owner I wanted to disclose this information, and see what their protocol/​additional options. Having a pretty good backround on Parvo, I knew our pup would probabaly not be able to attend any classes for a long time, but wanted to inquire about private training and possibly having a trainer come out to our house to work one on one.
She continued to tell me that the trainers would not want to go anywhere near our property because our pup had parvo. OK yes I get this as well, Parvo can survive for years, and I would be cautious of bringing any unvaccinated dog near our property.
BUT SERIOUSLY? Do these trainers not go out into the real world where they could possibly track in parvo some place else? Do these people not go to dog parks where parvo potentially lurks? Do these trainers go out into the world in biohazards suits to protect themselves at all times?
They recommended that I meet with a trainer at a park, and they would bring a dog and show me techniques with another dog at the rate of $ 75 bucks for 1hr. (OVERPRICED) Basically the trainers wouldn’t want to go anywhere near our poor pup.
Yes, I get they have a business to protect, yes they don’t want to be known as having an outbreak of parvo. Got that. They DO NOT have the right to make potential clients feel like they should be walking around with a Scarlet P.
Oh, and if you get your pup from a shelter, they make you wait two weeks to sign up for their puppy classes after the parvo incubation.
So when can I bring around my poor pup either for training/​boarding/​doggie day care? oh, in about a year!
So what I took away from this all this:
«If you have a perfect pup, that is a pure bred, not from a shelter-​WELCOME TO TOP NOTCH!!!»

Best day care around! I took my boy, Jake to day care when we lived in Texas and really wanted to find one here. The staff is so wonderful with him. They always greet him and I can tell he really loves being there. He is always happy and tired when I pick him up, which is great!

I’d love to be writing a review about the services offered at Top Notch, unfortunately, we have yet to experience them.
Two emails, a website form, and two phone calls over three weeks. You’d think we’d have received a response by now. But still nothing.
We will be going on vacation for two weeks and wanted to do a board+train package for both our service dog and our new puppy. I was also inquiring about private lessons for the pup. I’m sure our business would have been worth a lot to Top Notch.
The building looks nice as you drive by, and their website looks great.

I had to have surgery on the 13^th and my two babies, Shea and Minnie had to be placed for a 16 day stay with Top Notch.

I was very pleased with the very clean/​peaceful and friendly staff. I never had to worry about my babies. The staff took excellent care of them while I was recovering after my surgery. It was wonderful peace of mind knowing they were fine and receiving loving care that they would get from me but it came from Top Notch.

I recommend Top Notches services to one and all, you will be able to enjoy your vacation knowing your babies are receiving the love and care from truly wonderful/​friendly and professional care.

I am having another surgery in January and vacationing for a month in May. My Shea and Minnie will be boarding with Top Notch again.
What a wonderful breath of worry free peace of mind.
Ms. D

If I could give more than 5 stars, I would.
Absolute ADORE Top Notch! I started coming here when I got my first Pomeranian– Marshmellow for doggy day care, boarding when I was on vacation and training.
Their training program has REALLY helped me with Marshmellow who has completed 2 levels.
Once I got my second Pom, Cocoa Puff– I immediately introduced him to the Top Notch staff! He has completed 1 level of training and I am looking forward to taking him through a second level soon.
I know my dogs are safe and having fun when in their care, which is a huge relief for a dog owner.
Thank you Top Notch!!!