Canine College

On 1/21/18, I dropped off my nine month old dog for a two week resident obedience training session at Canine College, ***, Ma., complete with our own dog food for the two weeks he would spend there. They asked what specific issues the dog needed training in. I explained what behaviors I wanted taken care of (chewing items, jumping, come, stay,release items on command) of which they claimed would be taken care of. In addition they gave me a list of "Basic Obedience Commands",18 in all which would be addressed. On 1/27/18 we returned for our first private instructional training session with the dog. I noticed that he lost a couple of pounds but attributed that to being away from home. The owner (***) stated that our dog was an easy dog to train and all our concerns would be taken care of plus what they offered. On 1/30/18, I received a call that my dog had diarrhea with blood, and they wanted permission to take him to a Vet. They took my dog to the *** Animal Hospital with a fecal sample. They (Canine College) called me and said my dog was given *** and had acne on his chin. On 2/3/18 we returned for a second private instructional training session with my dog and to take the dog home as his two week overnight stay had ended. Prior to bringing my dog out of the kennel area the trainer stated "Don't freak out, he lost some weight". When they brought my dog out I was shocked. His ribs, spine and hip bones were all clearly visible. My dog appeared to have been starved. When I dropped my dog off on 1/21/18 he had weighed 68 lbs (proven by a check up at our own Vet days before). When we picked him up on 2/3/18 he weighed 57 lbs, this is an 11 lb weight loss in basically one week as he seemed to have only lost two or three pounds the prior week. The staff could not tell me what the diagnosis from the *** Animal Hospital was and blamed his weight loss on training activity and activity with other dogs. I informed the staff that he runs around our yard with our other dog all the time and never lost weight. We then had a " group training session" instead of our second private training session which we had paid for. The staff attempted to schedule us for our third and last private instructional training session but we said we would call for a future date. Upon seeing our dog in such a terrible neglected physical state we did not want to subject him to further suffering. In addition the staff asked us to wait a few minutes as they had just washed the dog blanket we had left for our dog. When they arrived with our blanket again we were shocked as it smelled like a public urinal. I had to place this supposedly just washed blanket in a trash bag to transport it back home, it was disgusting and I don't understand why they would tell me they just washed it when obviously they didn't. My dog still had projectile diarrhea but after 2 days at home he gained back 5 lbs on his normal feeding amount. I took my dog to my own Vet at the *** Hospital. The Doctor and staff were appalled at the unhealthy physical condition and weight loss of my dog. My other dog caught whatever illness my dog contracted at Canine College and both were placed on ***. In addition to my dog almost dying at the hands of these alleged dog people, my dog could only do very basic training commands, not half of what they advertised and certainly not the specific training I had requested. I called and spoke to the owner (***) and explained my dissatisfaction with the neglectful physical state and almost death of my dog, the unsatisfactory help from his staff and the poor training my dog received. *** only seemed to take offence in the training portion of my complaint. After several minutes speaking with ***, he offered to refund half of my training fee which would be $497.50 as the total was $995. I waited three weeks for the refund but none arrived. I called and left a message with *** but they did not return my call and completely ignored me and his offer of a refund. I believe that the staff did not feed my dog and may have used denial of food as a training incentive. I honestly feel my dog almost died at the hands of Canine College and to be ignored after *** offered a refund is appalling and unprofessional. I also E-Mailed *** in regards to the refund with no response.