About Us
We are long time Bernal residents, best friends and co-parents, Stephanie Miller and Alan Belgard. Between the two of us, we have over 25 years of experience in the service of helping people live in harmony with their animals through training, behavior consultations and nutrition advice. Steph co-founded SF Puppy Prep back in 2005, and Alan ran dog walking groups for 20+ years. Since 2020, we have been honored to carry on Bernal Beast's legacy, focusing on ensuring pets are healthy and happy while building lasting relationships with their people.
Bernal Beast is a community hub for pet care (cats, dogs and chickens), behavior and nutrition education. We run fun weekly events such as puppy socials, training classes, adoption events, workshops and more. We look forward to being part of your pets' lives and helping you keep them safe, loved and enriched!
We look forward to welcoming you into our little shop on the hill!
Voted “Best of the Bay” Pet Store, 2020!
Meet our trainers
Steph Miller
Steph has spent 25 years helping dogs and their humans thrive. She earned her Certificate of Dog Training & Counseling from the SF SPCA Academy in 2001, learned from industry greats like Jean Donaldson and Veronica Boutelle, and co-founded SF’s first puppy-only daycare, SF Puppy Prep, in 2005.
Certified by Family Paws in 2014, she’s skilled in guiding families through safe dog–child introductions. From puppy socials to advanced behavior work, Steph has taught at the SF SPCA, Jeffreys, and SF Puppy Prep, and consulted with hundreds of clients. Now, she brings her experience and enthusiasm to Bernal Heights with Beast Mode Dog Training.
Erika Slovikoski, CPDT-KA
Erika is a certified dog trainer (CPDT-KA) with additional credentials from the Canine Behavior Academy and SF SPCA’s Dog Training Internship.
She teaches agility, tricks, and specialty classes at Golden Gate Dog Sports, and is an AKC CGC & Trick Title evaluator. Her background includes shelter management, behavior evaluations, and enrichment work through SF Animal Care & Control’s Give a Dog a Bone program. Erika emphasizes positive reinforcement, focusing on fun, compassion, and teamwork through play, food, and social interaction. Her interests include reactivity prevention, foundation sports, tricks, and nose work.
