Conveniently located on Highway 101 in Greenbrae near Trader Joe’s, The Grateful Dog operates in a cageless, kennel-free environment where your dog spends time in supervised play both indoors and outdoors. The facility serves the entire Marin area, including Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur, San Rafael, Novato, and surrounding communities, so whether you’re a local or traveling through the region, last-minute drop-offs are welcome without weight restrictions.

The approach here centers on positive-reinforcement training rather than punishment-based methods. That means if your dog has some behavioral quirks to work through, the staff is experienced with gentle correction and building confidence. When you first arrive, they’ll conduct a temperament evaluation where you can discuss your dog’s history and introduce them to the other dogs currently staying or playing there. This gives everyone a chance to see if it’s actually a good fit before you commit to boarding.

Before your dog can stay, they’ll need current vaccinations for rabies, DHPP, and Bordetella. Puppies need at least the second round of DHPP plus Bordetella. All dogs must be on effective flea and tick prevention, have proper ID tags on a suitable collar or harness, be licensed in their home jurisdiction, and be spayed or neutered if over six months old. Dogs that are overly aggressive, extremely dominant, or excessive barkers won’t be accepted, since the whole setup depends on compatible personalities in a group setting.

The facility doesn’t separate dogs into kennels during the day or night, which means they’re interacting continuously in shared spaces. This works well for social dogs who enjoy company but might not suit dogs with severe anxiety or aggression issues. It’s worth having that first temperament evaluation conversation to be honest about your dog’s temperament so they can let you know if it’s the right environment.