ComplaintsforAnchored Canine

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Friday, May 24th I made a purchase of a fully trained dog from Anchored Canine. The owner, *************************************** had stated prior and during the adoption that the dog, ****, was a well-mannered, balanced, and livable dog who was professionally trained. Upon adoption **** was very aggressive and had strong predatory aggression towards my small dog. ********* stated **** was well trained and does not attack other dogs. On Saturday, May 25th I provide numerous outreaches and continued to do so many times after citing the dog was aggressive towards dogs, children, and nipping humans. ********* continued to dismiss this fact. On Monday, May 27th I had a phone call with ********* explaining that **** has shown significant dog aggression around the neighborhood and to small dogs/people. I also expressed concern that **** is not a good fit and never should have been considered for adoption into a home with a small dog, after talking with another expert dog trainer. As a professional ********* should have known this but did not disclose the information prior to adoption. On May 29th I asked ********* to take back the dog as he attacked and bit my small dog. *********'s response was whether I gave enough time for the dog to transition rather than acknowledge that she sold an aggressive dog with behavioral problems. I agreed to work with another trainer to see what they recommend on how to deal with the situation and would follow-up again in one week. On June 5th I contacted ********* letting her know that the other trainer agreed that a high prey drive and predatory aggressive dog like **** should not be around small animals. Also, **** continues to be reactive and aggressive to humans and other animals making him a high bite liability. Again, ********* knew this as a professional trainer, yet fails to issue a refund as she falsely marketed the dog.

  Business response

  06/24/2024

  I understand the customer is frustrated with the received animal, ****, however the representation she gave regarding our interactions is incomplete and misleading.

  I advertised to her, clearly, that **** is a police and protection K9, not just a pet.  The customer told me that is what she was looking for as a student at dog training school. She was concerned for her personal safety and wanted to use **** at school. 

  She and I had several lengthy phone consultations to make sure there was clarity before purchase. I also sent multiple videos and pictures of **** performing his trained skills of advanced obedience, narcotic detection, trailing, and apprehension, which is protection/bite training. Robys home environment was communicated, where under my supervision he was free to roam a property which consisted of lots of dogs (both mine and boarded, big and small, puppy and mature), chickens, ducks, geese, horses, children, and visitors. **** also performed for me as a demonstration dog at a variety of event types, including police K9 demonstrations, church demonstrations, nursing homes, dog training workshops, and kids reading programs. A particularly noteworthy encounter was with a chief of police who remarked on ***** ability to interact peaceably with non-handlers. While under my ownership, **** showed the ability to switch quickly between working with his skills to being free, playful, and obedient.

  **** was vet checked and declared healthy by a licensed veterinarian one day prior to purchase, and the staff there stated that he was calm, controllable, and easy to work with.

  At the public location of the transfer of ownership, my associate and I demonstrated the skills the customer desired in her protection K9, again being advanced obedience, narcotic detection, trailing, and apprehension. **** performed well despite the uncomfortable heat and humidity, as well as having just been in a car for a 6-hour drive with just one stop, and the customer was satisfied with this demonstration. Before the customer departed with ****************** met one of her other young dogs, *****, and was well mannered, as usual. Their meeting was uneventful in the best of ways.

  After the demonstration and before the customer left with ****, I gave her private time to read the entire contract, ask questions, or suggest amendments. She declined to make any changes or ask any questions, and proceeded to sign the contract. The contract states that a refund is neither required nor expected should said client choose to forfeit ownership to the seller. Despite this clear language in the contract not requiring me to do so, I offered a partial refund, and she refused.

  The reason the contract is worded as such regarding refunds is because as the seller, it is a significant risk to me should the dog experience abuse, neglect, misuse, or various other harmful interactions with the new handler that could hinder his ability to reliably perform the tasks I have trained him to do. In my experience, dogs can perform very differently for different handlers. This is why I always demonstrate the skills for the buyer; so they have a baseline of the dogs trained skills to compare to as the new handler increases their own abilities.

  My interactions with the buyer lead me to believe that **** is not broken, he is simply not being led with the confidence hes been subject to for the three years he was under my care. Thus, my offer of a partial refund is still open should the buyer decide to take it.

  Everything claimed in this response can be corroborated by photos, videos, and/or the referenced individual(s).

  Customer response

  07/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21814784
  
  This response is rejected because the seller was made fully aware of my home setting and lifestyle yet stated **** is a balanced, livable dog, and it is also stated on her website. Her website also mentions that her dogs are good around children, and **** has repeatedly lunged at young kids. The seller was made aware that I reside in a suburban neighborhood with several young children and elderly around. The seller stated this was an appropriate home setting for the dog, thus understood the dog would be considered in a pet setting. 

  **** expresses territorial, predatory, and food aggression. He has been this way since Day 1 when the seller was made aware. The seller continued to ask that **** be given enough time to settle in, which which after about a week, the Seller was notified that **** still is not a balanced dog. By the Seller refused to offer a reasonable refund or find a best fit home for the dog. 

  The seller mislead and possibly lied to the buyer in which to make a sale of a violent, aggressive dog. A dog which bites another human or animal unprovoked is an aggressive dangerous dog. **** has done this numerous times and attempted to bite other dogs in the neighborhood. **** is not allowed to board or attend daycare at any of the local dog facilities due to his significant behavioral issues. He is also required to be muzzled at the veterinarian office. When on walks **** initiates dog fights due to his territorial aggression, and again is required to be muzzled. **** is being treated for aggression, but must be muzzled as he lunges and nips. A balanced, livable, and trained dog should not behave this way and the seller, being a professional dog trainer, should know this. **** does not interact with other dogs or humans and has stopped interacting with my dogs as he has either bitten or nipped and drew ***** from my dogs. 

  The seller claimed to have decided to sell **** as her pet dog business was picking up and claimed that she did not want the dog performing protection work or police work everyday. However, ****** behavior has not changed since Day 1 of purchasing him. I believe that this dog may have bit or injured another human or animal in which there were no other potential purchasers, so by the time I inquired about purchasing *** the seller opted not to disclose facts. Likewise, the Seller stated she might have a prospect purchaser for the dog, but still to date has not provided his/her contact information. The seller again is providing misleading statements. 

  **** is well known around my neighborhood for his aggression towards, kids, people, and other dogs. These can also be supported by statements and videos. 

  Business response

  07/10/2024

  The buyer claims my intent was to end ************************** skills and sell him as a pet dog, however this is entirely incorrect. **** was sold to the buyer explicitly as a trained protection/detection/trailing K9. In buyers first contact with me before buying ****, she stated, as quoted, Specifically, I am looking for an alpha, confident GSD, preferably 1+ years in age, with a strong potential for personal protection. I responded with his trained skills, primarily as a trained protection K9, including video links to him performing each additional skill a police K9 typically possesses. I was assured of the buyer's desire for a dog to not only lead her own pack as a confident alpha dog but be a protection K9 for her, as she stated her neighborhood is often frequented by questionable individuals. She was delivered a dog that matched her specific request.

  
  A trainer cannot guarantee what happens when an animal is out of the trainers/sellers control and care. Factors like poor nutrition, lack of exercise, poor leadership, and/or poor training all drastically affect a dogs performance and behavior. This is clearly outlined in the contract, which was read, acknowledged, and signed by the buyer prior to transfer. The buyer assured me that she would be committed to learning to handle ****, and that her experience and ongoing "Master ************ ********* had already given her a strong head start of acquiring the necessary skills. This led me to believe that she would be capable of owning and handling this skilled K9.

  
  As stated in my last response, Robys skills were not only discussed, but were demonstrated prior to the transfer of ownership to the buyer. The skills demonstrated were narcotics detection, trailing, and protection, which includes defensive bite work. The buyer was very pleased with the demonstrated skills under my handling. After this demonstration, **** calmly met the buyers other dog, ****** Prior to this meeting the buyer stated she was hoping to increase her current dogs skill set in personal protection and trailing, thus purchasing **** to be a confident role model for ***** to emulate. Her dog, *****, was failing in these skills. 

  
  For any dog to maintain trained behaviors, whether that is general obedience or in this case protection, detection, and trailing, it requires a competent handler willing to develop their skills with the specific dog. The more complex the skills, the more the handler needs to be able and willing to be advanced in their own handling skills. Since the buyer is studying to become a master dog trainer, a program that includes the specific skills of narcotics detection, trailing, obedience, and protection, I was hopeful that this buyer would be capable and persistent in learning to handle **** in the manner that I demonstrated prior to the signing of the contract.

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