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Marin Pet Care Pros LLC is a dog training business in Novato, California offering Board and Train, with published programs from $350.
Novato • CA • Home-based trainer • 5.0 ★ (36 Google reviews)
Last verified: Aug 24, 2026
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What they say about themselves
Marin Pet Care Pros is owned by Basia Tolscik, M.A., a Certified Basic Obedience Trainer who says she has trained dogs for more than 20 years. Basia opened her pet-care business after a career in education administration and human resources and holds master's degrees in Teaching and Organization and Leadership. Her professional background also includes membership in APDT and IACP, Pet First Aid and CPR certification, and prior volunteer work with the San Francisco SPCA.
Training centers on residential Board and Train in Basia's private Novato home. Puppy Preschool accepts puppies as young as eight weeks for crate or potty training, bite inhibition, and socialization. Good Manners is available from four months and focuses on obedience cues such as sit, down, stay, recall, heel, off, drop it, leave it, and wait. Back to School, Cutie! is designed as a refresher for dogs that already have some prior training. Every program begins with a 90-minute Consultation and ends with a complimentary Training Debrief.
Basia describes her approach as positive reinforcement and redirection, using praise for desired behavior and humane correction or redirection for unwanted behavior. The website states that choke, prong, and shock collars are not used. Board and Train takes place in a smoke-free private home where dogs sleep indoors, receive supervised socialization between sessions, and are crated only when training requires it or the dog is accustomed to crating at home. The business is licensed, bonded, and insured.
Consultations and evaluations before you commit to a program.
This is a required 90-minute intake consultation, conducted via Zoom or in person, that precedes any board and train program. Half of the fee is credited toward the first week of a Board & Train program if booked.
Best for: Owners preparing to enroll their dog in one of the Board & Train programs.
Duration: 1.5 sessions
Focus: Basic obedience
Board and Train includes Puppy Preschool for young puppies, Good Manners for dogs four months and older, and Back to School, Cutie! for dogs needing command review. Each requires at least one week, with two weeks recommended. A mandatory Consultation precedes training, and each stay concludes with a complimentary Training Debrief. Aggression and several serious behavior cases are excluded.
The required 90-minute Consultation costs $300. Board and Train costs $350 per day during the first week, with $150 of the Consultation fee credited toward that week. A second week is discounted 20% to $280 per day. All three published Board and Train programs use the same daily pricing structure.
This board and train program covers crate or potty training, bite inhibition, and puppy socialization while the puppy stays at the trainer's home. A minimum one-week stay is required, with two weeks recommended, and the second week is discounted 20%.
The puppy boards at the trainer's home in Novato and receives daily training and socialization, starting with a paid consultation and ending with a complimentary debrief.
Best for: New puppies as young as 8 weeks old whose owners want a foundational training start.
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization
Duration: 1 weeks
Includes: Owner handoff sessions
This program teaches chosen commands such as sit, down, stay, recall, loose leash walking, off, drop it, leave it, and wait while the dog boards at the trainer's home. Owners select which commands to focus on from a provided list.
The dog boards at the trainer's home for one or more weeks, training daily, and the program ends with a complimentary debrief session.
Best for: Dogs or puppies age 4 months and older ready for foundational obedience commands.
Focus: Basic obedience, Leash training, Recall & off-leash
Duration: 1 weeks
Includes: Owner handoff sessions
This is a refresher board and train program for dogs or puppies with previous training, letting owners choose which commands to fine-tune. The curriculum is customized and the dog boards at the trainer's home for the duration.
The dog boards at the trainer's home for one or more weeks with a customized retraining curriculum, ending in a complimentary debrief.
Best for: Dogs and older puppies that already have some training and need review or fine-tuning.
Focus: Basic obedience, Leash training, Recall & off-leash
Duration: 1 weeks
Includes: Owner handoff sessions
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy Preschool | $350 per program | 1 weeks |
| Good Manners | $350 per program | 1 weeks |
| Back to School, Cutie! | $350 per program | 1 weeks |
Basia describes using positive reinforcement and redirection, including praise for desired behavior and humane correction or redirection when needed. The website explicitly states that choke, prong, and shock collars are not used, and says the approach is adapted to each individual puppy or dog.
Method: Reward-based
Uses rewards and positive reinforcement only, without corrections or aversive tools.
Certifications: APDT, IACP
Verification still pending or not yet requested. See our methodology for what verification does and does not mean.
Marin Pet Care Pros states that it is licensed, bonded, and insured, with Pet First Aid and CPR certification renewed every two years. Board and Train occurs in Basia's private home, with dogs sleeping indoors and receiving supervised socialization throughout the day. The site also clearly states that training results are not guaranteed.
Facility: Home-based trainer
Owner visits: not specified on their website.
Video updates: not specified on their website.
Overnight staffing: not specified on their website.
Insurance: Yes
Guarantee: No guarantee offered
Waitlist: not specified on their website.
Dogs per trainer: not specified on their website.
Booking: Contact form
Price: Their board & train pricing is in line with the Novato midpoint based on published prices.
Reviews: Marin Pet Care Pros LLC shows 5.0★ from 36 Google reviews among 1 published Novato programs.
Transparency: This listing scores 100 out of 100 (price 100%, program clarity 100%). 1 of 1 Novato listings show certifications; this business lists APDT, IACP.
Marin Pet Care Pros operates from a private home at 2036 Carolyn Way, Novato, CA 94945. Board and Train dogs stay in the trainer's dog-centered home with indoor and outdoor space.
2036 Carolyn Way, Novato, CA
Friday: 7AM-6:30PM
Monday: 7AM-6:30PM
Sunday: 9AM-6:30PM
Tuesday: 7AM-6:30PM
Saturday: 9AM-6:30PM
Thursday: 7AM-6:30PM
Wednesday: 7AM-6:30PM
Reach out directly or send a quote request through Marin Pet Care Pros LLC.
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