Tappen Hill sits on sixty acres of open property in Sebastopol, about forty-five minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge (traffic permitting), and it’s the kind of place where dogs actually get to run around instead of spending the day in a kennel. The space has everything—fresh grass, shade trees, and plenty of room for dogs to move. Owners Christopher and Annie Desmond met while training search and rescue dogs for F.E.M.A., and that background shows in how they run things. Between them they have over thirty-five years of dog training experience, which matters when you’re leaving your dog with someone for the day or longer.

The facility handles day care, boarding, and training. During day care, dogs spend time together under staff supervision, which means actual socialization rather than sitting alone. For boarding stays, the setup is calm and low-stress. There’s also a swimming pool on the property, which is genuinely useful—some dogs love it, and on warm days it’s a good way for them to cool off while playing.

What makes Tappen Hill different is the shuttle service they run to and from San Francisco and Marin County. If you live in the city or across the bay, you don’t have to spend ninety minutes driving to drop off and pick up your dog. The shuttle handles it, which eliminates a real pain point for a lot of owners.

The sixty acres means your dog isn’t sharing a small yard with twenty other dogs. There’s actual space to move, which changes how a dog experiences boarding or day care. The Desmonds clearly care about the work—this isn’t a high-turnover operation where someone’s just watching dogs in a building.

If you’re considering boarding or day care, call ahead to ask about their current availability and what they need to know about your dog’s temperament or any specific needs.