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Michael R.

Allston-Brighton, Boston, MA

5.0 out of 5 stars
624 reviews
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Services

These prices are for 1 dog.

Prices include all fees.

Michael can host

0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
41 to 100 lbs
over 101 lbs
No females in heat

Availability

I am a full time sitter and my partner watches the pups whenever Im on the road, so there's always eyes nearby like we would like with our pets!

Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
Boarding Cancellation Policy:

About Michael R.

Communication

249 repeat pet parents
92% response rate
Usually responds within a few hours
90% bookings with photo updates

Dog skills

19 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Injected medication administration
First aid/CPR
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

We have a fully fenced yard, lots of space inside, can accommodate crates or beds of any size, and all of our indoor spaces are customized to suit the crews needs!

Home

Lives in a house
Has a fenced yard
Non-smoking household
Has 2 dogs
No children present
Dogs allowed on bed
Dogs allowed on furniture
Potty breaks every 0-2 hours

Information Michael R. would like to know about your pet

All we need is information on allergies or anything health or medicine related, and any particular fears or quirks they may have. For instance, one of our favorites, Joey, is not fond of mugs with a handle!

A typical day

Any activities your pup likes can be accommodated! Do they like to swim? We've got 50 foot leashes and a large shallow pond! Hiking? We have a spur of the Airline Trail on our property leading to miles of hiking trails! Wrestling with their buddies? Inside and outside, they have plenty of safe space to romp and play to their hearts content!

Location

Boston, MA

Michael R.'s Neighborhood

Pets

The Canine Guru

Pet care experience

Welcome to the Premier Dog boarding service in New England! Address listed is not my house, for privacy! Will send my address upon request! ** Dearest friends, due to the recent drastic changes in costs associated, I am making some adjustments to the payment rates for future bookings. I am lowering the nightly price and adding a surcharge for gas. The charge is based on (less than) what it costs me now for a drive, and if I can lower that charge I shall, including if we I can combine drives. Hopefully the balances out and allows me to keep doing what I love, and saves you all a bit of money in the current economy. If you have a stay already booked, I will give you whichever of the two prices comes out as lower. If I need to adjust this further I will, but as always, everything will be communicated in full. Thank you!!** ☆☆☆☆☆We don't take new clients for holidays! We are primarily useful for individuals who travel frequently, be it for work or play. We do not offer day care! Boarding must be longer than one night to cover the cost of transportation. Please do not apply if your pup is aggressive, we have a great group of friends here and fighting is not allowed. Being shy is ok! We have a very outgoing but polite crew here who can help nervous pups adjust at their own pace! We look forward to adding a few new pups to the pack!☆☆☆☆☆ Looking for something special for your pup? Want them to have a vacation while you're away? No longer do you have to worry about students or part time sitters "watching" your pet, wondering if they've been left alone for long, or if they're having a good time. Our VIP service includes pickup, dropoff, full time supervision from the best in the business, and more! We have 7 acres of property, including a fenced yard area, a large shallow pond, hiking trails, and more, all in a secluded pup paradise out in the woods! No dangerous streets, cars, or gang-leash intersection crossings! We are experienced in dealing with groups of dogs, the company they love most. At my house, play time is all the time (except for nap time, which is well cherished). Let your dog to have a blast while you do; let them board with the Canine Guru! I've got years of experience in dog training. Your lovely pet will have the time of their life. We are absolutely reliable and able to handle crises with the ease that only comes with repeatedly dealing with crisis. Through the entirety of my childhood, dog sitting was a mainstay in my life. I have also owned and raised my own dogs, including an 80 lb lab and my current 10 lb chihuahua/schnauzer mix. I know dogs; how they think, when they're upset, what makes them happy, when they're being bothered or when they want to be a bother. Being able to correct problems before they happen leads to a safe environment for all. Give your pup the opportunity to vacation with us, and, big or small, I am sure they will be tired and happy when you pick them up! We tend to board a few dogs at a time. We are very familiar with socializing, and they enjoy playing with each other more than anything. They are monitored very closely the entire duration of the stay to ensure everyone is safe and having a good time. My house is set up so that my 10 lb chihuahua/schnauzer mix has plenty of areas of her own, so don't fear for smaller pups (besides, the bigger guys are usually scared of them)! Rules and boundaries for each other are established with support from me, and are respected for the duration of the stay. Dogs are very capable of getting along in groups and tend to suffer less of an impact from owners absence, including separation anxiety, loss of appetite, and other similar issues, so they actually have a good time while you're gone instead of just missing you for days! Lastly, I am autistic, and tend to leave my phone on silent to avoid burnout on the human people front, which may mean I respond slowly. This allows me to focus my energy on the dogs, which is what really matters, whilst taking care of my mental health as well! I moved out to the woods and away from people to do what I do best! Please don’t be offended if I take a bit to get back to you, I’m just doing my job! * We enjoy long stays! If you need someone to watch your pup for weeks or months, let them live with us; I'm used to having pups for long periods of time, and happy to have them! We had several clients dogs through times of housing issues, medical problems, family emergencies, and more. The pups have a great time and you'll never be left hanging, as we are available through every holiday year round! Let them become part of the family!* **We particularly appreciate flexibility in scheduling, and we will ask for minor modifications to optimize driving schedules and minimize gas usage. Generally, if we ask for modifications, any added time would be free of charge. If modifications are requested by the client, however, those will be charged at normal rates.** *** For Boston Clients, FREE pick up and drop off will generally occur between 6-9pm in the greater Boston area. Therefore, if you are leaving for your trip before 6pm, we may require you book for the night before. For CT clients, I have not yet established an ideal driving time based on traffic so we will be playing things by ear for a bit, and therefore will have more flexibility on pickup and dropoff times for the near future. *** ****I generally don’t schedule meet and greets! I’ve found a short test stay works a lot better both for learning about pups and about clients, so usually we’ll schedule a short stay to make sure everything works well, especially before a longer stay for a new pup! **** If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! I may take a little while to get back to you, but don’t be discouraged! There are no bad questions!

Reviews

Boarding • May 29, 2026

Michael R. cancelled a booking 2 days before it was scheduled to begin.

Andrew M.
Boarding • Apr 24, 2026
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As always, Mike was fantastic! Our dog is aging a can’t walk well; Mike had no issues with the medicines and extra care needed. Pick up and drop off was a breeze. I can’t recommend Mike highly enough.

Julie M.
Boarding • Mar 25, 2026
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My dog loves going with Michael! I trust him with her life and highly recommend him to mind your dog.

Laura K.
Boarding • Feb 23, 2026
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always the best!! so communicative and reliable.

About Michael R.

Communication

249 repeat pet parents
92% response rate
Usually responds within a few hours
90% bookings with photo updates

Dog skills

19 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Injected medication administration
First aid/CPR
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

We have a fully fenced yard, lots of space inside, can accommodate crates or beds of any size, and all of our indoor spaces are customized to suit the crews needs!

Home

Lives in a house
Has a fenced yard
Non-smoking household
Has 2 dogs
No children present
Dogs allowed on bed
Dogs allowed on furniture
Potty breaks every 0-2 hours

Information Michael R. would like to know about your pet

All we need is information on allergies or anything health or medicine related, and any particular fears or quirks they may have. For instance, one of our favorites, Joey, is not fond of mugs with a handle!

A typical day

Any activities your pup likes can be accommodated! Do they like to swim? We've got 50 foot leashes and a large shallow pond! Hiking? We have a spur of the Airline Trail on our property leading to miles of hiking trails! Wrestling with their buddies? Inside and outside, they have plenty of safe space to romp and play to their hearts content!

Each sitter joining Rover needs to pass a background check. And by booking on Rover, you can get photo & message updates, 24/7 support, and reimbursement for eligible vet care.
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Michael R.

Allston-Brighton, Boston, MA

5.0 out of 5 stars
624 reviews