ComplaintsforABC Dog Training

• Initial Complaint

  26/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have an 11 week old lab puppy who is currently just beginning her training to be a service dog. I was recommended to do a puppy class with her to work on socializing and distractions. I attended night #1 of puppy class with **** my puppy. My first issue is this “accredited” “trainer” apparently doesn’t know anything about dogs seeing as she told me my puppy was terrified because when off leash she was sitting with me instead of playing with other dogs. My second issue was when another dog who was larger then the rest of the puppies very aggressively took off after a small breed puppy and tried to grab it. Caroline the “trainer” did nothing to stop this until the big dog had the little dog pinned to the ground and was very aggressively trying to hurt it. I do not want to risk the training my puppy has already had and will continue to have by continuing to go to her classes with this “trainer”. I expressed my concerns which was met very rudely with questions regarding my expectations and trying to get me to just move to another class and making me feel guilty. To which I responded and she has now blocked me and refuses to respond to any emails. I paid $138. I’m not looking for a full refund. Just the remaining classes is fine. Now I’ve paid $138 for nothing and my puppy has taken steps back in her training because of this. Never again will I recommend this person.

  Business response

  27/04/2022

  before the person started in my class i sent her via email a copy of my liability waiver in which it states in CAPITAL LETTERS on the top line that once the classes have begun then no refund will be issued . The reason for this is because i have a certain number of students in my class and once it starts i can not get anyone else to fill the spot. In this case no one would have filled the spot as they would have missed the first two classes

  The person came into class , told me she had read and understood the liability (which has been checked over by a solicitor when i first went into business) , she then signed it. i have attached a copy of the waiver for you to view.

  Like any business i have overheads, morgages, property tax, heating, lighting , to name but a view so if l did not put this safety waiver in place it would not be worth running a business as people would demand refunds for any reasons , a typical one last year is because they had to miss class because they had Covid, or because their car broke down and they could not get to class!

  Occasionally i will give refunds or credits to be used in another classs, but this is my own choice and one thing for sure is that i will not give a refund to someone who personally threatens or tries to intimidate me

  Yes i did block her from ******** as she clearly is out for revenge and has sent me a email confirming that if she does not get her money back she will make sure there consequences, sience that threatening email l have not received any others from her. 

  I also DID NOT know she was bringing a service dog into class, Not even on her registration form does it tell me she is attending with a service dog. there is a section on there that gives people chance to tell me more about there dog. I do not train service dogs so l am not personally aware if they have special training needs but my thoughts would be why bring a puppy to social playtime which is part of the course work if you only want them to sit by your side and ignore other dogs, That clearly would not make any sense to me so i would have suggested that a puppy class is not the place for this dog to be. I never spoke or met her before class.

  
  

  For the class content with pups aged 3-5 months old we do social playtime and a introduction to basic skills that pups need. i have a video that i took on the night of class so people can get a idea of what a typical class looks like. This is the actual class the girl was in so this is the pups she was with. The first class is always experimental for each pup as they go around a meet each other, then over the classes they usually find themselves a special friend that they tend to play with the most, usually its pups of the same size and energy that they tend to play with. 

  The reason i only do this age group is because as they get older their play style changes and gets rougher, but around 3-5 months no dog has any aggression issues, (like they would when they reach the hormonal stage at around 9 months) yes the play may look a little rough at times , but its how they would have played with their siblings while before they were adopted and its how they learnt that through their actions if they would get a playful response or if the siblings would have nothing to do with them . If they got the later response they would move onto another sibling to try and get them to respond in some way. So puppy classes are set up in the same way. If l do consider that there is a problem l split the room up and the dogs can have to separate play areas. I have been training dogs for 16 years now , with time comes experience so l know when there is a problem in the class. 
  For the receipt part that she is trying to make out that i am giving out false receipts. My business started 16 years ago as just a board and train kennels, this is the business name that i have when i send in all my accounts to the Inland revenue each year, My classes are held under a different logo name as i do not want people to get mixed up between my boarding kennels and my classes as they are in to different locations, but at the end of the year they go to CRA under one name and are accessed under the same business name and i pay my business taxes accordingly.

   I expect the abuse and threats from this girl will continue, so i am really glad l have been able to have this chance to respond to the public, thank you for the opportunity to put my side forward and hope people take the time to view the video

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Customer response

  27/04/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Several issues and lies in what has been written.

  Yes I did sign that form however I was under the impression this lady was a good trainer as she has been around training for years. I didn't expect there to be any issues.

  I did not threaten or intimidate her. I simply said if my refund wasn't issued I would be involving someone else - which I have by contacting the BBB.

  She was FULLY aware that **** is training to be a Service Dog. Please seen screenshots of our messages! Not my issue if she forgot, but it was stated in messages. prior to ever paying for the class. I know she has no experience with Service dogs but I was looking for a SAFE environment for **** to practice her basic obedience skills with other dogs around and that's what I thought I was getting. 

  The video that you claim you took during class.... myself and **** are not even there. Also the dog that AGRESSIVELY tried to attack the small dog is not even in the video as well! Also if you want to really get into whether or not a young puppy can be aggressive - they DEFINATELY can be!! I have had the EXPERIENCE of working with SEVERAL aggressive puppies in my years of working as a Vet Assistant!

  As for the receipts I NEVER said you were giving false receipts I just stated that the receipts are under your other business name then what the complaint is under. Again another lie.

  Do not accuse me of abuse and threats when you and I bother know that is not what has happened at all and your response is a bunch of lies.

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