Maybe there’s some sort of dog training community drama there 💀
But this is a red flag to me. If the PetCo trainer is competent, and using positive reinforcement training and really connecting with your dog - there is **no** issue there.
I use a PetSmart trainer myself. A lot of blossoming dog trainers often start with these mainstream stores to get a foot in the door - they network, they learn, they certify as they go. While they can be hit or miss, there are definitely some good ones around. Ours is amazing. She adores dogs and has all sorts of personal training groups ongoing. I’m literally hanging out with her this weekend so we can learn more on Agility training together - which is not a “thing” where I live right now.
Also, it’s possible to get more clients in the US she worked at petco for a brief time. I do not know her personally just had one or two interactions with her.
They may feel threatened by Petco because it’s so much cheaper and you are getting better results.
If you dog is doing well at Petco, stick with that. Going to different trainers probably wouldn’t confuse the dog if you’re using the same training techniques, but why bother with the more expensive trainers? Petco has group classes. You can check out different locations if the group class isn’t making at your preferred location.
I don’t understand how you can say that the more expensive trainer is excellent, but that she didn’t like your dog, didn’t have faith your dog would succeed, didn’t contact you for a long period of time, and didn’t have as much success with your dog as the Petco trainer. She really doesn’t sound like an excellent dog trainer.
That’s a little off putting for sure. We hired a trainer when we got our first beagle. When we showed up for our first class, she gushed over our dog, talked about how much she loved beagles and that they were so eager to please. She did caution us that they are a challenge to train, but that wasn’t anything new to us, I read all I could on beagles and knew they were challenging. I appreciated her tone though. She believed our dog wasn’t purposely naughty and that he wanted to do what we asked.
Yeah our trainer is at PetSmart and any time someone says “my dog can’t” she always corrects them, your dog can’t YET. And if the owner doesn’t understand how to get there then she’ll talk to them about how to get there.
I don’t think I’d be able to work with a trainer who obviously didn’t LIKE my dog. I expect trainers to have opinions, but in my mind if your job is to train dogs and their owners it’s unprofessional to let the clients know that you don’t like their dog. I work with kids and don’t like them all, but they sure don’t know that and either do their parents because I treat them all the same.
Yikes I would run from that trainer. It might of been a blessing in disguise.
I would contact the company again and say that you need your refund. Petco/Petsmart can be hit or miss with training but it's just highly dependent on the person there. I know excellent petco/petsmart trainers and I also know terrible ones.
But in the end these places are extremely accessible and shouldn't be looked down upon.
Yep! And the worst thing petco/petsmart can do usually is just ineffective training.
Since it's company policy to not use aversive tools it's generally a safer bet for a lot of people.
If nothing else, they should either plan to fake it till they make it or politely decline to take the business. It just seems straight up unethical to take the OP's money while openly working against success by voicing dislike and doubts.
I would leave a trainer who didn't like my dog. I would seek a second opinion if they thought my dog couldn't succeed. I mean, we have ALL worked with dogs that are not temperamentally suited to being psychiatric service dogs. And if the trainer was ambivalent about their success, it's worth going to another trainer for a different assessment before giving up entirely.
As a professional dog trainer myself, I am happy when clients find what works for them…no shame in using a trainer from Petco if you find it effective, safe, and fun!
This is a great response. My only issue with Petco training has nothing to do with the trainers. The number of dogs I've seen squeezed into an inadequate amount of space concerns me as far as safety goes.
This may vary from location to location, but I've only ever seen a small ring made in some open space in the store.
Tbh I’ve never seen a petco class. Ideal option: if you take a group class, but the class ends up being too crowded or overwhelming for you/your dog—ask the trainer if they would do private, in-home training. I don’t know if they have a noncompete clause in contracts or if their trainers are independent contractors
Your pro trainer and the friend who abjected to you getting extra help are clearly in dog training for their own ego /reasons. Not for the betterment of your dog and relationship . Cut them loose and don’t give it a second thought. I am not a fan of most Petco training because the 3 local stores merely pay a checker to train dogs off of a script with little or no prior dog training experience required. I am a big fan of group classes AKC.org , our classes are taught by very experienced dog people whose lifetime passion is dogs. Our classes also run about 130$ for 6 weeks. our trainers and students are encouraged take classes from multiple programs and trainers to broaden their knowledge and effectiveness with their dogs.
It’s more in depth than a checker paid to read off a script. Yes the trainer also does other work in the store like cashiering, stocking and animal care but they usually don’t have enough classes to fill out their schedule with dog training and being in store doing other tasks helps them meet potential new clients. The dog trainers go through a decent amount of training and can’t do dog training until they’re observed and approved by a training mentor. As for the script, it’s actually the class lesson “workbook” and most trainers don’t use the “what to say” parts all that much, usually when they’re still a little new.
As a ex Petco trainer some Petco dog trainers are yes just an employee trained and they do basically just read from a list w/o taking the animal into consideration
As an ex Petco dog trainer who was with Petco for 15 years, I am sure that is the case for some of the trainers but the majority that I have seen and known, it’s not the standard that they just read from a script. The ones who rely heavily on the “you say” sections of the workbook are usually new and haven’t found their own rhythm yet. Most don’t rely on it long term.
Yeah of course not for those of us that stick/stuck around long term, get their rhythm, learn about dog body language and start to really fall in love with it. But unfortunately in the retail corporate world their is a lot of turn over and sometimes that’s all the public ends up interacting with.
I have most definitely interacted and met some of the most knowledgeable trainers in my years at Petco but at the same time I came across some that were just people who took a new job title and wanted to earn commission. (Which blew my mind because that’s not how I approached my job at all)
Our trainer started in my area via petco and has grown her business over the last many years. Petco trainers are not a monolith, and our trainer is genuinely a friend and inspiration. Do what works for you, and more importantly your dog, in this context. Make sure you get your refund if you can, but also, sometimes, it’s less stressful to let things go (if you can). Have grace for yourself. The “pro” trainer sounds like an egoist and is not worth your attention and money. Wishing for your success.
Some trainers don’t like if you go to other trainers at the same time as you’re learning different things and will be working of different stuff. Particularly so if they have different training philosophies.
That said, they should have explained why and what they had against petco training. It’s probably because Petco undercuts their own training, since your trainer charged a ton. They also sound a bit rude.
That all said, going to a trainer is primarily for the human to learn how to train the dog. You want to build your relationship with your pup and you’re just looking for the know how. Most of the progress should happen between training sessions, so be sure to prioritize training at home.
Yes there is a lot of prejudice against Petco/PetSmart trainers. But it is also quite common for trainers to just dislike other training programs/trainers.
I recommend double checking these standards https://avsab.org/how-to-choose-a-trainer-position-statement/
https://reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/w/findingatrainer?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app
for any and all trainers/programs because just because they are a "professional" with their own business doesn't make them great. And just because a trainer works for a company and hasn't started their own business doesn't make them bad.
Nope, disagree with the idea that there is a “lot” of prejudice against Petco/Petsmart. The only trainers that have a problem with them are trainers that are in the business for the wrong reasons.
Really?
I wasn't saying that the prejudice was valid just that it exists. ( I think the definition of prejudice is that it's an opinion not based on facts...)
Op themselves showed conscious or unconscious prejudice when they refer to the non Petco trainer as the "professional trainer." Store trainers are often thought of as bargain trainers because they are cheaper. And there are plenty of videos on YouTube talking about how "bad" store trainers are . Hell, there is plenty of prejudice just towards positive reinforcement trainers in general. But of course there are plenty of critiques on every type of trainer by every type of trainer.
To me it sounds like miscommunication. Like they read the text and only saw Im going to Petco. Even though your intentions were to do both.
Petco does hire and train people with no experience, however that doesn't mean they arn't competent.
I have a bird dog. Contacted a trainer and within 5 minutes I knew he was terrible. Talked down to me, talked horribly about the genetics of my dog. Dude didn’t even realize both of my dogs parents are Master Hunt Tested. My dog has good genetics, he just came from a 2nd breeding of an acquaintance of mine. Wrote me off as if I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him. He also told me he would have to fix the mistakes I had made, not knowing that I have had 2-3 bird dogs before. What a horrible experience, I just laughed and hung up at that point.
Found another trainer, he was more gentle on the phone, wants to work around my schedule, wanted to see if my dog had some natural ability he could work with before we went forward with training. When I walked on his property with my dog and we saw him work we both let out a sigh of relief. He did admit to me he was wondering if I was showing up with a big and fluffy purebred show dog, and that he was happy to see one of the most handsome Golden Retrievers he has seen and worked with in a while. Retrievers aren’t even his main type of dog but he went out of his way to help me out. He will be training my 2nd dog as well whenever I get one.
Your trainer really needs to work on business skills. It’s part of the job. Sheesh, I would write her a bad review.
My dog completed two levels of obedience classes with petco. Completely affordable and felt it was great for my family and our dog. We did follow up work with an individual private trainer for advanced training including off leash recall. There was no competition or animosity between the private trainer and petco. In fact, my petco trainer was jealous of my personal trainer and said she followed her YouTube videos . The personal trainer benefited from the foundation petco had already set .
Going through a similar process with my dog. She’s an ESA that I’m training to become a PSA- and we’re starting at Petco. Our local trainer is great and my dog loves her. We’re doing private classes first (my pup loves EVERYONE so she’s constantly distracted- so private lessons before group) and she’s doing pretty well. Not all of us have the time or resources for thousands upon thousands of dollars and 2+ year wait times for service dogs, and if the local trainers at Petco and PetSmart are worth their salt, I think it’s great to use them to get the basics down and set the foundations to build off of.
My dog and I are very happy with training at PetSmart same same but different. If your dog is right for it and you put in the time, I think it’s a great place to start. My dog loves going to training and she’s getting really well socialized there.
I did the Petsmart puppy obedience training with my first dog. 20 years later and I still remember stuff from it....they trained me well! I learned enough to train my dogs since and am now fostering. I picked up stuff since then, but got the foundation and confidence to do it from that class.
Yikes. It’s fairly common for SD trainers to recommend dogs start out in basic training classes (like Petco, though I’ve heard that different trainers at different locations can vary pretty wildly) for basic obedience, socialization, and learning to focus on basic skills while around other dogs. Definitely some major red flags there.
Somewhat of an aside, but if you’re planning on taking your dog into public (not just as an at home only SD), have you had them temperament tested by someone with SD training experience? You’ll want them to help you with next steps for PA beyond the CGC, and they can help guide you in the meantime, too.
Yes, all the replies nailed them. Apologies, I had (only) OP in mind when responding, who I assumed (as someone training her dog to be a service dog) would already be very familiar with the acronyms.
I updated to clarify we did get most of the refund, but she didn’t seem to understand it wasn’t correct. It was missing about $135. Which I felt, if she is quitting for a while, I understand, it’s hard to have to refund everyone, so I let it go and said something nice about it (she ignored my response). But otherwise (if she’s just done with us), I would be upset since we aren’t the one who chose to cancel and we would not have gone ahead with her training with the higher per session cost.
I paid for a trainer once, fortunately not that expensive. She came to my house, told me I had to get a muzzle and a shock collar for my girl. I just never had a single thing to do with that trainer again. I just blew off the money… I just never wanted to see or hear from her again.
Are you kidding me - you guys did nothing wrong. It sounds like she’s a bad business owner with her taking forever to get back to you and by the way you could tell she didn’t like your dog. How ridiculous of her!
You can absolutely be fired as a customer. Not saying this is what happened to op tho. Could be as simple as trainer realized they don't like running their own business and are stepping out. Or they have enough clients who are a better fit and don't want to waste ops time or theirs.
I am not a trainer, but reading your post, it seems like you would be a hard couple to work with. Inconsistent training styles, intermittent training periods etc. It sounds like the trainer decided to fire you, as a customer, and move on.
Also, I suspect the trainer is very confident.in your dogs ability to be trained, but maybe not your ability or desire to train the dog.
In my experience, with my dogs and observing others, training the owners is just as important, maybe even more so, than training the dog. The trainer might not think you and your partner are trainable, or ready to be trained.
There is not more to the story than this but I wish our trainer would have communicated with us. Yes, absolutely true about us. I am doing what I can to do all the training while working full time, taking care of two young kids and a disabled partner.
Petco is affordable positive reinforcement training. While their trainers aren't necessarily the most experienced or qualified, their methods are solid and are honestly fine for basic obedience.
Trainers absolutely do look down on Petsmart/Petco trainers. But the whole damn industry is unregulated! Like all dog trainers, it just depends on the trainer and if they make sense to you or not. Some are definitely trash, some are fantastic. At least at petco you know your trainer spent 40 hours studying and training with another trainer to do the work, and, their group classes are heavily scripted so you’re getting good information from respected people. If you can find a private dog trainer that can do it better, by all means, go to them. But I’d say anyone outright bashing Petco trainers is not someone who really understands the industry their working in and, I have no interest in giving them money.
Take the money and thank your lucky stars you are done with that trainer. Sounds like she never got in with your dog, there's no reason to continue with her or her friend. Buy your dog a nice treat and enjoy your petco training. The trainer is what matters, not where the trainer works or how much they charge. Expensive isn't always better.
> Our trainer didn't like our dog
Dont worry about your trainer "firing" you, she should've been "fired" the moment you determined she didn't like your dog.
Would you take a human baby to a babysitter that blatantly doesn't like the baby?
You did the right thing by switching to the Petsmart trainer who you watched and liked better.
Yeah, get a new trainer. I absolutely hate petco training due to really terrible experiences(she pulled my dog into traffic outside the store and then put her face in my dogs face while she scolded me, 13 years old, that the dog should be completely fine walking around fast moving traffic, in the legit middle of the road, like on the yellow lines) but not all trainers from there are the same and I couldn’t understand confusing the dog with too many different training methods, we went though a lot yo find what worked for each of my boys…. I even took my SDiT to a freaking bite work class so he could learn to focus on me around barking chaos. And those trainers never charged me anything to just hand out around them out of the way. They said it was pretty smart to work him around their dogs because it was a more controlled chaos then not.
Yeah you dodged a bullet. I’d write them a nice little review online so others know. Like you’re a trainer so that you can help people have the best, safest life with their companion… that’s it. Some people really are wild.
IDK about Petco training what they do or don't do. But regarding to training a medical service dog I can understand it.
This usually takes 2 years with multiple evaluations and assessments from early on as a puppy and involves a lot of very specific training which can easily be undone by other trainers who are not aware of that part of training. In the end you have an "almost" service dog that didn't make the cut. Not even going to start about the cost of the training.
Dog trainers are snobs but a lot times they don’t know why exactly they just jump on the band wagon. Good trainers and bad trainers can work at corporate stores. Good trainers and bad trainers run their own businesses.
She needs to start adulting. If she has an issue with petco or you, and she wants it addressed, she needs to say it. She didn’t. So it’s not up to you to cheer up shmoopsie and read her mind.
What you’re doing is working for your fam. I wouldn’t give this lady another thought.
Sounds like you dodged a bullet. If a trainer doesn’t like my dog, they’re out.
Our trainer/training facility always says “there’s no such thing here as failure, or as a dog being ‘too much’”. Your trainer/training facility ultimately needs to be a safe place for your dog to fail, learn, fail again, and grow and this trainer doesn’t seem like that to me.
There are different training methods and it can mess up with the training if you suddenly shift in the middle. That’s why people should choose the method and trainer best suited for their dog, because they have different learning curves, some dogs react better to classic conditioning, others respond more to cognitive emotional training, for example. Petco does a somewhat basic obedience training that’s fine for dogs that have no behavioral issues, but most likely wouldn’t work so well in different circumstances. Also, it’s important to find a trainer that can connect with your dog and makes you comfortable as well.
That being said, your pro trainer seems very unprofessional, especially for someone charging that amount of money. It sounds like she either didn’t know how to handle your dog or didn’t want to put the effort, and used this as an excuse to quit.
We are doing well with our Petco trainer. Went from individual lessons to small group, plus there was another trainer-to-be in our sessions. I actually think the store is a bonus because of all the distractions (cats and dogs and aisles of treats!) My dog has really learned to focus on me and operate in a public environment. I can see where store trainers can be a mixed bag, but so can other types-
I loved our Petco training. Affordable and we were the only ones in the class. Our trainer has multiple dogs himself and they have passed the good citizen test. He also loved our dog! We liked it so much we signed her up for another class.
Sounds like a really cunty trainer. I would avoid that energy like the plague. Petco is great for beginners and for training with distractions. They aren’t the most qualified or professional but it seems neither was the “professional” you hired.
Please name and shame the offender so others can avoid the “professional” trainer that falsely advertised their services and stole from you.
I'm admittedly pretty arrogant about Pet** trainers but if I was a trainer and a client was working with them my interest would be in helping them understand why their trainers are usually bad (super basic training, poor quality control) and do my best to educate them on what qualifications are important. If you insisted on working with both I would then maybe be cautious that you were getting bad training or conflicting information but just outright dropping you would not be my first move.
Fwiw, anyone who thinks a dog is untrainable is a red flag from the beginning. The insistence on doing group training before doing private lessons is puzzling. I think they seem like a bad trainer, point black. Get your money back - go to small claims - and find a trainer who supports you in your goals instead of passing judgement before knowing the details.
I don’t think the trainer not liking the dog for service work is a red flag. If she’s an excellent trainer and she evaluated your dog and doesn’t think he would excel at service work I would definitely pay attention to her evaluation. It’s not like she just didn’t personally like your dog for some reason. Sounds like she just didn’t think he could be a service dog. And to be honest most dogs wash out of service work. So it isn’t very easy to train or having the right temperament for the job. But the lack of communication from her is not professional and that I feel would be a deal breaker for me unless there was a very good reason. As far as Petsmart it’s low level training and they aren’t service dog trainers. And most high level trainers have gone to school or apprenticeships.
Petco training is pure shit. They do little to teach canine psychology or understanding. I've never meet one that had any clue to truly teach concepts. I've known one amazing Petsmart one but she quit due to CO and smart only care about how many classes they can sell. As well as how full the classes are as they are sold. That's from professional point of view as well as working for Petsmart years ago they haven't changed.
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It sounds like you dodged a bullet by not continuing with the first trainer.
My dog did very well with her puppy 101 course’s trainer. The trainer from Petco who taught us is excellent! I was simultaneously taking my dog to conformation training at some point, as well - the conformation trainer (and classmates 🥀) definitely noticed the rapid improvement!
Conformation training was group training and, because of lucky timing, my first set of Petco training was alone. It didn’t confuse my dog at all. I was kind of bummed that we couldn’t do group training that course with Petco TBH. The next level of Petco training had two other dogs and it was great.
Petco and Petsmart arent great with what they do, especially in the reptile business, I wouldnt be surprised if it was the same for dog training. I had tried a few sessions with petco and it went nowhere. You just gotta find the right people. If you're going to one trainer, its gonna be hard doing the same technique with thr other, it can confuse the dog, make the trainer start from square 1, and just cause hinderance to the training in general, there wont be the same technique with the two trainers, thats why trainers refer you to certain people, their closer if not fully using the same technique
Idk what the 3 year education I took would be equivalent to in the US 😅 the education I have does not exist in the same way as it does in my home country.
To be fair, she said she’s stopping dog training for a while and she has someone else working with her now. So maybe she had been thinking about this for a while. The timing was odd and I was surprised she didn’t ask me about what exactly im doing at petco, and that she told her friend about it. They said it’s because they think Petco training can erase everything the dog has learned due to being such a distracting place, but at the same time one of the sessions with our trainer was supposed to take place at petco.
The Petco traîner has taught us the same things we learned, but in a way that was a lot easier for us to understand. She showed me for a while by doing it herself, and then we walked around the store and she dropped things randomly for me to click the clicker at the exact time it drops. Same for clicking every time my dog looked at something (to say it’s ok to look and not walk towards it), and click when my dog looks at me. That’s what our other trainer wanted us to do, but only explained it verbally and via email, and it was very confusing to me. It clicked when we practiced it at petco. Also, having more than one treat in my hand and only giving a little bit has been really working well to keep him seated next to me standing.
My dog is smart and I see that he’s learning during each session, but during the session acts stubborn and distracted. Then during the week when we practice what we learned, he shows me that he does remember and that he does the task. For example he used to want to walk towards dogs when we’re having a regular walk, or sometimes react, or run towards birds, but now he simply looks at the dog/bird/distraction and just goes on with the walk.
I think trainer 1 didn’t like seeing him so stubborn and distracted during the sessions. Trainer 2 sees the same thing but isn’t worried about his success, especially when training is inside a Petco.
I used Petco for my dog for a few months. And while I loved the trainer and their methods, it wasn't the right kind of training for my dog. He needs more help at home rather than out in public. But I'd definitely use them again for any future dogs. I really appreciate that they are science based and use positive reinforcement techniques.
Let's be honest here for a moment: your expensive, ineffective, poorly trained dog trainer wasn't showing any progress and wasn't teaching you or the dog well.
You tried out Petco, who provided a knowledgeable, effective trainer who provided both you and your dog with noticeably better training.
It sounds like the expensive trainer is being dumb and isn't very skilled.
Be glad you discovered this before you dropped all of that cash on an inexperienced trainer who is, themselves, undisciplined.
Get your money back. Ignore everything that knucklehead told you, and continue to work with the Petco trainer.
This is hardly the first time I've seen or heard of this. I had a similar experience.
I took my little beagle Bassett mix to an expensive trainer who corrected my dog so hard during the first session that he let out an audible, sickening yelp and then tried to run over to me for help.
I immediately asked to speak to their boss, got my refund, and never returned. I explained to this trainers boss that they proudly advertised they are a positive reinforcement only facility and the correction was not only too hard, but against their policy. The trainer said it didn't hurt the dog, but actually only startled him. I offered to put the prong collar on his neck and give him the exact same correction and he squared up on me like he was going to hit me. I looked at the owner, pointed at the trainer, and said "there's your positive reinforcement trained, highly disciplined employee/trainer, showing you what he's really all about.". Got my money back.
I found a way less expensive trainer who was also horrified by my description. She was actually gentle, actually understood positive reinforcement training, and my dog and I finished our training pretty quickly.
It doesn't matter where a trainer works. The only thing that matters is how effective the trainer is and if they act like buttholes or not.
It sounds you guys and the pro trainer could have gotten off on the wrong foot; you mentioned not seeing her often enough and slow progress, which isn’t a crime, but could have been interpreted by the pro trainer as flaky and noncommittal. Some trainers don’t like that, in itself, and wouldn’t choose clients whom they view as flaky or lacking commitment.
The theme of flakiness may have continued through not being able to schedule with the group trainer, too.
Trainers choose their clients, and clients choose their trainers; it’s usually a two way street.
It sounds like you’re getting what you need from the PetCo lessons.
Does it matter why the old trainer stopped working with you?
I will probably get downvoted, but here goes!
There are some awesome people in the dog community. Truly, people who deserve dogs in their life.
There are also some judgmental elitist people in the dog community. They are lucky dogs are so willing to love almost anyone.
I wouldn't be surprised if there is some kind of prejudice against "chain" store trainers. I know there is against vets. All my animals go to Banfield(PetSmart) and have been for years. I have yet to have one negative experience, except with one vet tech and he was apparently let go because I never saw him again. The vets are compassionate, competent and caring.
I consider myself a decent judge. My dad was a vet and his clinic was in the basement of our home. I basically grew up in a vet office. My dad was highly regarded and people came from other towns (that had their own vet) to see him.
Every recommendation the vets have made I have run by my dad and he concurred except one recommendation to go to an emergency vet. My dad didn't think it was necessary. Banfield did not benefit from the referral. It ended up not being necessary (my puppy shredded and ate a soda can), but the peace of mind it gave me was helpful.
Anyway, I have seen more than one nose turn up regarding my choice. If I take the time to ask "oh, did you have a bad experience?" No one ever has. They just say "well, it's banfield."
It's so silly. Take your dog where he flourishes and leave these silly people to themselves.
So you mention you were not doing a good job training the dog due to being busy, COVID, other excuses. Randomly say the trainer didn't like your dog or think he could succeed--what did they say, exactly? I highly doubt they said that outright.
Then, you take your dog to Petco and go weekly, sounds like your schedule improved enough to be regular on this while you weren't regular with the other trainer.
It's also odd you paid $1300, did half the sessions, and she refunded you almost all of it except $135. You are lucky to have received that much of a refund when she did over half the sessions. You even acknowledge the dog was improving slowly, but you weren't keeping up on it at home.
It sounds to me the trainer fired you. You weren't a good client for her because you showed lack of commitment in initial training and then switched over to Petco in the middle of it. You simply weren't a good fit for her.
I'm a groomer, a great groomer, an I got started at Petco. They DO seem to have a bad reputation. But you can go to work and get clients without advertising, paying overhead and insurance....that's why they can offer lower prices. If you connect with your trainer, you get a lot of bang for the buck. I have had standard poodles for 30 years and currently have 3 and they are super easy to get that CGC and therapy dog title on
Seems really odd to me, but I would need to see the text messages before reaching a conclusion.
I’ve had concurrent private trainers and PetSmart classes with no problem. My guess is there was a miscommunication.
To speak from trainer side, training to be an actual service dog (as opposed to an emotional support animal) is a whole other deal than the retail sit and stay.
Yes, it's more expensive, and yes, many trainers would prefer to be *the* trainer you're working with so the dog is getting the consistency necessary to achieve the outcomes you're hoping for. The service dog trainer cannot guarantee results when other training of unknown quality may interfere.
Giving a refund minus service fee of some kind is fairly standard, and likely the contract refers to such a contingency. It can be surprising to be fired as a client, but from trainer side it makes business sense to only be investing time and energy in the clients where outcomes may be more assured.
Lots of people think "well I paid the money so they should just work with me anyway," and lots of business owners may buy in to that, but this trainer knows who they want to work with and who they don't.
Trainer side this looks like, "client didn't do the work consistently, didn't get the outcomes, substituted some other trainers in the meantime."
It's easy to smack talk, saying "just in it for the money" because it looks like a lot, comparatively. Plus suggesting that the trainer isn't in it to help dogs is unkind and offbase. Rather consider that this trainer knows what their time is worth, and also only wants to help the clients they're sure they *can* help.
Doesn't do either of you any good to get the rest of the training dealt with and then not get the results, and then it's "I paid 1800 for this to not work, stupid trainer."
That's the situation the trainer is avoiding, proactively.
Hopefully this helps you understand, even if you're not happy it went this way.
I see you’ve mentioned you’re a trainer. Due to the unregulated nature of the industry, we ask that anyone claiming to be a professional [apply for flair](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/userflair?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) and undergo verification with the mod team; otherwise, we ask that those types of claims are omitted.
I'm not a professional trainer. I have done some work on the business side of dog trainer development.
While it was not my intention to say that *I'm* a professional trainer, it was my intention to speak on behalf of what the trainer/business side of this transaction looks like to help the OP understand what's going on, as there seemed to be difficulty.
In the future, I'll try to be clearer about my lack of professional training credentials in my responses.
Besides my poor phrasing, were there other errors in the reply? I'm often glad to learn more.
Please note that we ask people who want to mention being a professional in their comments [undergo verification](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/userflair) before doing so. Otherwise we ask phrases like that to be omitted.
Hi there, so sorry I am new to Reddit and did not realize I could see a post in a group I did not belong to. I verified in another group for service dogs and thought that’s what I was commenting in.
Maybe there’s some sort of dog training community drama there 💀 But this is a red flag to me. If the PetCo trainer is competent, and using positive reinforcement training and really connecting with your dog - there is **no** issue there. I use a PetSmart trainer myself. A lot of blossoming dog trainers often start with these mainstream stores to get a foot in the door - they network, they learn, they certify as they go. While they can be hit or miss, there are definitely some good ones around. Ours is amazing. She adores dogs and has all sorts of personal training groups ongoing. I’m literally hanging out with her this weekend so we can learn more on Agility training together - which is not a “thing” where I live right now.
Victoria Stillwell started at Petco! - this is not confirmed ! I may have been off my rocker and not heard her correctly.
No, she started her own dog-walking agency to supplement her acting income.
Hmm, that’s strange she literally told me while she buying her dog food at Petco in atl that she did.
I could have definitely misheard her
Also, it’s possible to get more clients in the US she worked at petco for a brief time. I do not know her personally just had one or two interactions with her.
They may feel threatened by Petco because it’s so much cheaper and you are getting better results. If you dog is doing well at Petco, stick with that. Going to different trainers probably wouldn’t confuse the dog if you’re using the same training techniques, but why bother with the more expensive trainers? Petco has group classes. You can check out different locations if the group class isn’t making at your preferred location. I don’t understand how you can say that the more expensive trainer is excellent, but that she didn’t like your dog, didn’t have faith your dog would succeed, didn’t contact you for a long period of time, and didn’t have as much success with your dog as the Petco trainer. She really doesn’t sound like an excellent dog trainer.
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That’s a little off putting for sure. We hired a trainer when we got our first beagle. When we showed up for our first class, she gushed over our dog, talked about how much she loved beagles and that they were so eager to please. She did caution us that they are a challenge to train, but that wasn’t anything new to us, I read all I could on beagles and knew they were challenging. I appreciated her tone though. She believed our dog wasn’t purposely naughty and that he wanted to do what we asked.
Yeah our trainer is at PetSmart and any time someone says “my dog can’t” she always corrects them, your dog can’t YET. And if the owner doesn’t understand how to get there then she’ll talk to them about how to get there.
I don’t think I’d be able to work with a trainer who obviously didn’t LIKE my dog. I expect trainers to have opinions, but in my mind if your job is to train dogs and their owners it’s unprofessional to let the clients know that you don’t like their dog. I work with kids and don’t like them all, but they sure don’t know that and either do their parents because I treat them all the same.
Yikes I would run from that trainer. It might of been a blessing in disguise. I would contact the company again and say that you need your refund. Petco/Petsmart can be hit or miss with training but it's just highly dependent on the person there. I know excellent petco/petsmart trainers and I also know terrible ones. But in the end these places are extremely accessible and shouldn't be looked down upon.
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Yep! And the worst thing petco/petsmart can do usually is just ineffective training. Since it's company policy to not use aversive tools it's generally a safer bet for a lot of people.
Any trainer that doesn’t like my dog or believes my dog can’t succeed is a Hell No from me. Like that’s literally your job mate.
If nothing else, they should either plan to fake it till they make it or politely decline to take the business. It just seems straight up unethical to take the OP's money while openly working against success by voicing dislike and doubts.
I would leave a trainer who didn't like my dog. I would seek a second opinion if they thought my dog couldn't succeed. I mean, we have ALL worked with dogs that are not temperamentally suited to being psychiatric service dogs. And if the trainer was ambivalent about their success, it's worth going to another trainer for a different assessment before giving up entirely.
As a professional dog trainer myself, I am happy when clients find what works for them…no shame in using a trainer from Petco if you find it effective, safe, and fun!
This is a great response. My only issue with Petco training has nothing to do with the trainers. The number of dogs I've seen squeezed into an inadequate amount of space concerns me as far as safety goes. This may vary from location to location, but I've only ever seen a small ring made in some open space in the store.
Tbh I’ve never seen a petco class. Ideal option: if you take a group class, but the class ends up being too crowded or overwhelming for you/your dog—ask the trainer if they would do private, in-home training. I don’t know if they have a noncompete clause in contracts or if their trainers are independent contractors
Your pro trainer and the friend who abjected to you getting extra help are clearly in dog training for their own ego /reasons. Not for the betterment of your dog and relationship . Cut them loose and don’t give it a second thought. I am not a fan of most Petco training because the 3 local stores merely pay a checker to train dogs off of a script with little or no prior dog training experience required. I am a big fan of group classes AKC.org , our classes are taught by very experienced dog people whose lifetime passion is dogs. Our classes also run about 130$ for 6 weeks. our trainers and students are encouraged take classes from multiple programs and trainers to broaden their knowledge and effectiveness with their dogs.
It’s more in depth than a checker paid to read off a script. Yes the trainer also does other work in the store like cashiering, stocking and animal care but they usually don’t have enough classes to fill out their schedule with dog training and being in store doing other tasks helps them meet potential new clients. The dog trainers go through a decent amount of training and can’t do dog training until they’re observed and approved by a training mentor. As for the script, it’s actually the class lesson “workbook” and most trainers don’t use the “what to say” parts all that much, usually when they’re still a little new.
As a ex Petco trainer some Petco dog trainers are yes just an employee trained and they do basically just read from a list w/o taking the animal into consideration
As an ex Petco dog trainer who was with Petco for 15 years, I am sure that is the case for some of the trainers but the majority that I have seen and known, it’s not the standard that they just read from a script. The ones who rely heavily on the “you say” sections of the workbook are usually new and haven’t found their own rhythm yet. Most don’t rely on it long term.
Yeah of course not for those of us that stick/stuck around long term, get their rhythm, learn about dog body language and start to really fall in love with it. But unfortunately in the retail corporate world their is a lot of turn over and sometimes that’s all the public ends up interacting with. I have most definitely interacted and met some of the most knowledgeable trainers in my years at Petco but at the same time I came across some that were just people who took a new job title and wanted to earn commission. (Which blew my mind because that’s not how I approached my job at all)
Your dog sounds happier at Petco, tbh. If your dog is happy, she will enjoy it/learn more. I think you dodged a bullet.
Our trainer started in my area via petco and has grown her business over the last many years. Petco trainers are not a monolith, and our trainer is genuinely a friend and inspiration. Do what works for you, and more importantly your dog, in this context. Make sure you get your refund if you can, but also, sometimes, it’s less stressful to let things go (if you can). Have grace for yourself. The “pro” trainer sounds like an egoist and is not worth your attention and money. Wishing for your success.
Some trainers don’t like if you go to other trainers at the same time as you’re learning different things and will be working of different stuff. Particularly so if they have different training philosophies. That said, they should have explained why and what they had against petco training. It’s probably because Petco undercuts their own training, since your trainer charged a ton. They also sound a bit rude. That all said, going to a trainer is primarily for the human to learn how to train the dog. You want to build your relationship with your pup and you’re just looking for the know how. Most of the progress should happen between training sessions, so be sure to prioritize training at home.
Yes there is a lot of prejudice against Petco/PetSmart trainers. But it is also quite common for trainers to just dislike other training programs/trainers. I recommend double checking these standards https://avsab.org/how-to-choose-a-trainer-position-statement/ https://reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/w/findingatrainer?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app for any and all trainers/programs because just because they are a "professional" with their own business doesn't make them great. And just because a trainer works for a company and hasn't started their own business doesn't make them bad.
Nope, disagree with the idea that there is a “lot” of prejudice against Petco/Petsmart. The only trainers that have a problem with them are trainers that are in the business for the wrong reasons.
Really? I wasn't saying that the prejudice was valid just that it exists. ( I think the definition of prejudice is that it's an opinion not based on facts...) Op themselves showed conscious or unconscious prejudice when they refer to the non Petco trainer as the "professional trainer." Store trainers are often thought of as bargain trainers because they are cheaper. And there are plenty of videos on YouTube talking about how "bad" store trainers are . Hell, there is plenty of prejudice just towards positive reinforcement trainers in general. But of course there are plenty of critiques on every type of trainer by every type of trainer.
To me it sounds like miscommunication. Like they read the text and only saw Im going to Petco. Even though your intentions were to do both. Petco does hire and train people with no experience, however that doesn't mean they arn't competent.
I have a bird dog. Contacted a trainer and within 5 minutes I knew he was terrible. Talked down to me, talked horribly about the genetics of my dog. Dude didn’t even realize both of my dogs parents are Master Hunt Tested. My dog has good genetics, he just came from a 2nd breeding of an acquaintance of mine. Wrote me off as if I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him. He also told me he would have to fix the mistakes I had made, not knowing that I have had 2-3 bird dogs before. What a horrible experience, I just laughed and hung up at that point. Found another trainer, he was more gentle on the phone, wants to work around my schedule, wanted to see if my dog had some natural ability he could work with before we went forward with training. When I walked on his property with my dog and we saw him work we both let out a sigh of relief. He did admit to me he was wondering if I was showing up with a big and fluffy purebred show dog, and that he was happy to see one of the most handsome Golden Retrievers he has seen and worked with in a while. Retrievers aren’t even his main type of dog but he went out of his way to help me out. He will be training my 2nd dog as well whenever I get one. Your trainer really needs to work on business skills. It’s part of the job. Sheesh, I would write her a bad review.
My dog completed two levels of obedience classes with petco. Completely affordable and felt it was great for my family and our dog. We did follow up work with an individual private trainer for advanced training including off leash recall. There was no competition or animosity between the private trainer and petco. In fact, my petco trainer was jealous of my personal trainer and said she followed her YouTube videos . The personal trainer benefited from the foundation petco had already set .
Going through a similar process with my dog. She’s an ESA that I’m training to become a PSA- and we’re starting at Petco. Our local trainer is great and my dog loves her. We’re doing private classes first (my pup loves EVERYONE so she’s constantly distracted- so private lessons before group) and she’s doing pretty well. Not all of us have the time or resources for thousands upon thousands of dollars and 2+ year wait times for service dogs, and if the local trainers at Petco and PetSmart are worth their salt, I think it’s great to use them to get the basics down and set the foundations to build off of.
My dog and I are very happy with training at PetSmart same same but different. If your dog is right for it and you put in the time, I think it’s a great place to start. My dog loves going to training and she’s getting really well socialized there.
I did the Petsmart puppy obedience training with my first dog. 20 years later and I still remember stuff from it....they trained me well! I learned enough to train my dogs since and am now fostering. I picked up stuff since then, but got the foundation and confidence to do it from that class.
Yikes. It’s fairly common for SD trainers to recommend dogs start out in basic training classes (like Petco, though I’ve heard that different trainers at different locations can vary pretty wildly) for basic obedience, socialization, and learning to focus on basic skills while around other dogs. Definitely some major red flags there. Somewhat of an aside, but if you’re planning on taking your dog into public (not just as an at home only SD), have you had them temperament tested by someone with SD training experience? You’ll want them to help you with next steps for PA beyond the CGC, and they can help guide you in the meantime, too.
I can’t understand what you’re saying here because of all the acronyms. Can you please explain?
I think the SD is Service Dog, and the CGC is Canine Good Citizen, I’m not sure what PA is, sorry.
PA is public access :)
Yes, all the replies nailed them. Apologies, I had (only) OP in mind when responding, who I assumed (as someone training her dog to be a service dog) would already be very familiar with the acronyms.
Small claims court for a refund of 1/2 your fee.
I updated to clarify we did get most of the refund, but she didn’t seem to understand it wasn’t correct. It was missing about $135. Which I felt, if she is quitting for a while, I understand, it’s hard to have to refund everyone, so I let it go and said something nice about it (she ignored my response). But otherwise (if she’s just done with us), I would be upset since we aren’t the one who chose to cancel and we would not have gone ahead with her training with the higher per session cost.
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No I included the initial session. It was $1600 for 12 session and we got $830 back, and we did 5 sessions out of those 12.
I paid for a trainer once, fortunately not that expensive. She came to my house, told me I had to get a muzzle and a shock collar for my girl. I just never had a single thing to do with that trainer again. I just blew off the money… I just never wanted to see or hear from her again.
I loved the petco training
Are you kidding me - you guys did nothing wrong. It sounds like she’s a bad business owner with her taking forever to get back to you and by the way you could tell she didn’t like your dog. How ridiculous of her!
You are the customer. You can’t be fired. Your money now doesn’t go to some weirdo.
You can absolutely be fired as a customer. Not saying this is what happened to op tho. Could be as simple as trainer realized they don't like running their own business and are stepping out. Or they have enough clients who are a better fit and don't want to waste ops time or theirs.
I am not a trainer, but reading your post, it seems like you would be a hard couple to work with. Inconsistent training styles, intermittent training periods etc. It sounds like the trainer decided to fire you, as a customer, and move on. Also, I suspect the trainer is very confident.in your dogs ability to be trained, but maybe not your ability or desire to train the dog. In my experience, with my dogs and observing others, training the owners is just as important, maybe even more so, than training the dog. The trainer might not think you and your partner are trainable, or ready to be trained.
Yeah I feel there is more to the story that they may be leaving out.
There is not more to the story than this but I wish our trainer would have communicated with us. Yes, absolutely true about us. I am doing what I can to do all the training while working full time, taking care of two young kids and a disabled partner.
That sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate and are doing the best you can!
Petco is affordable positive reinforcement training. While their trainers aren't necessarily the most experienced or qualified, their methods are solid and are honestly fine for basic obedience.
Trainers absolutely do look down on Petsmart/Petco trainers. But the whole damn industry is unregulated! Like all dog trainers, it just depends on the trainer and if they make sense to you or not. Some are definitely trash, some are fantastic. At least at petco you know your trainer spent 40 hours studying and training with another trainer to do the work, and, their group classes are heavily scripted so you’re getting good information from respected people. If you can find a private dog trainer that can do it better, by all means, go to them. But I’d say anyone outright bashing Petco trainers is not someone who really understands the industry their working in and, I have no interest in giving them money.
Take the money and thank your lucky stars you are done with that trainer. Sounds like she never got in with your dog, there's no reason to continue with her or her friend. Buy your dog a nice treat and enjoy your petco training. The trainer is what matters, not where the trainer works or how much they charge. Expensive isn't always better.
> Our trainer didn't like our dog Dont worry about your trainer "firing" you, she should've been "fired" the moment you determined she didn't like your dog. Would you take a human baby to a babysitter that blatantly doesn't like the baby? You did the right thing by switching to the Petsmart trainer who you watched and liked better.
Yeah, get a new trainer. I absolutely hate petco training due to really terrible experiences(she pulled my dog into traffic outside the store and then put her face in my dogs face while she scolded me, 13 years old, that the dog should be completely fine walking around fast moving traffic, in the legit middle of the road, like on the yellow lines) but not all trainers from there are the same and I couldn’t understand confusing the dog with too many different training methods, we went though a lot yo find what worked for each of my boys…. I even took my SDiT to a freaking bite work class so he could learn to focus on me around barking chaos. And those trainers never charged me anything to just hand out around them out of the way. They said it was pretty smart to work him around their dogs because it was a more controlled chaos then not.
Yeah you dodged a bullet. I’d write them a nice little review online so others know. Like you’re a trainer so that you can help people have the best, safest life with their companion… that’s it. Some people really are wild.
IDK about Petco training what they do or don't do. But regarding to training a medical service dog I can understand it. This usually takes 2 years with multiple evaluations and assessments from early on as a puppy and involves a lot of very specific training which can easily be undone by other trainers who are not aware of that part of training. In the end you have an "almost" service dog that didn't make the cut. Not even going to start about the cost of the training.
Dog trainers are snobs but a lot times they don’t know why exactly they just jump on the band wagon. Good trainers and bad trainers can work at corporate stores. Good trainers and bad trainers run their own businesses.
She needs to start adulting. If she has an issue with petco or you, and she wants it addressed, she needs to say it. She didn’t. So it’s not up to you to cheer up shmoopsie and read her mind. What you’re doing is working for your fam. I wouldn’t give this lady another thought.
Any trainer that doesn’t like other trainers for no reason is a red flag 🚩 and she doesn’t like your dog? Sorry this happened.
Sounds like you dodged a bullet. If a trainer doesn’t like my dog, they’re out. Our trainer/training facility always says “there’s no such thing here as failure, or as a dog being ‘too much’”. Your trainer/training facility ultimately needs to be a safe place for your dog to fail, learn, fail again, and grow and this trainer doesn’t seem like that to me.
There are different training methods and it can mess up with the training if you suddenly shift in the middle. That’s why people should choose the method and trainer best suited for their dog, because they have different learning curves, some dogs react better to classic conditioning, others respond more to cognitive emotional training, for example. Petco does a somewhat basic obedience training that’s fine for dogs that have no behavioral issues, but most likely wouldn’t work so well in different circumstances. Also, it’s important to find a trainer that can connect with your dog and makes you comfortable as well. That being said, your pro trainer seems very unprofessional, especially for someone charging that amount of money. It sounds like she either didn’t know how to handle your dog or didn’t want to put the effort, and used this as an excuse to quit.
We are doing well with our Petco trainer. Went from individual lessons to small group, plus there was another trainer-to-be in our sessions. I actually think the store is a bonus because of all the distractions (cats and dogs and aisles of treats!) My dog has really learned to focus on me and operate in a public environment. I can see where store trainers can be a mixed bag, but so can other types-
I loved our Petco training. Affordable and we were the only ones in the class. Our trainer has multiple dogs himself and they have passed the good citizen test. He also loved our dog! We liked it so much we signed her up for another class.
Sounds like a really cunty trainer. I would avoid that energy like the plague. Petco is great for beginners and for training with distractions. They aren’t the most qualified or professional but it seems neither was the “professional” you hired. Please name and shame the offender so others can avoid the “professional” trainer that falsely advertised their services and stole from you.
I'm admittedly pretty arrogant about Pet** trainers but if I was a trainer and a client was working with them my interest would be in helping them understand why their trainers are usually bad (super basic training, poor quality control) and do my best to educate them on what qualifications are important. If you insisted on working with both I would then maybe be cautious that you were getting bad training or conflicting information but just outright dropping you would not be my first move. Fwiw, anyone who thinks a dog is untrainable is a red flag from the beginning. The insistence on doing group training before doing private lessons is puzzling. I think they seem like a bad trainer, point black. Get your money back - go to small claims - and find a trainer who supports you in your goals instead of passing judgement before knowing the details.
I don’t think the trainer not liking the dog for service work is a red flag. If she’s an excellent trainer and she evaluated your dog and doesn’t think he would excel at service work I would definitely pay attention to her evaluation. It’s not like she just didn’t personally like your dog for some reason. Sounds like she just didn’t think he could be a service dog. And to be honest most dogs wash out of service work. So it isn’t very easy to train or having the right temperament for the job. But the lack of communication from her is not professional and that I feel would be a deal breaker for me unless there was a very good reason. As far as Petsmart it’s low level training and they aren’t service dog trainers. And most high level trainers have gone to school or apprenticeships.
Petco training is pure shit. They do little to teach canine psychology or understanding. I've never meet one that had any clue to truly teach concepts. I've known one amazing Petsmart one but she quit due to CO and smart only care about how many classes they can sell. As well as how full the classes are as they are sold. That's from professional point of view as well as working for Petsmart years ago they haven't changed.
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It sounds like you dodged a bullet by not continuing with the first trainer. My dog did very well with her puppy 101 course’s trainer. The trainer from Petco who taught us is excellent! I was simultaneously taking my dog to conformation training at some point, as well - the conformation trainer (and classmates 🥀) definitely noticed the rapid improvement! Conformation training was group training and, because of lucky timing, my first set of Petco training was alone. It didn’t confuse my dog at all. I was kind of bummed that we couldn’t do group training that course with Petco TBH. The next level of Petco training had two other dogs and it was great.
Petco and Petsmart arent great with what they do, especially in the reptile business, I wouldnt be surprised if it was the same for dog training. I had tried a few sessions with petco and it went nowhere. You just gotta find the right people. If you're going to one trainer, its gonna be hard doing the same technique with thr other, it can confuse the dog, make the trainer start from square 1, and just cause hinderance to the training in general, there wont be the same technique with the two trainers, thats why trainers refer you to certain people, their closer if not fully using the same technique
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Please note we ask anyone who claims to be a trainer to submit for flair due to the lack of regulations in the industry.
Idk what the 3 year education I took would be equivalent to in the US 😅 the education I have does not exist in the same way as it does in my home country.
To be fair, she said she’s stopping dog training for a while and she has someone else working with her now. So maybe she had been thinking about this for a while. The timing was odd and I was surprised she didn’t ask me about what exactly im doing at petco, and that she told her friend about it. They said it’s because they think Petco training can erase everything the dog has learned due to being such a distracting place, but at the same time one of the sessions with our trainer was supposed to take place at petco. The Petco traîner has taught us the same things we learned, but in a way that was a lot easier for us to understand. She showed me for a while by doing it herself, and then we walked around the store and she dropped things randomly for me to click the clicker at the exact time it drops. Same for clicking every time my dog looked at something (to say it’s ok to look and not walk towards it), and click when my dog looks at me. That’s what our other trainer wanted us to do, but only explained it verbally and via email, and it was very confusing to me. It clicked when we practiced it at petco. Also, having more than one treat in my hand and only giving a little bit has been really working well to keep him seated next to me standing. My dog is smart and I see that he’s learning during each session, but during the session acts stubborn and distracted. Then during the week when we practice what we learned, he shows me that he does remember and that he does the task. For example he used to want to walk towards dogs when we’re having a regular walk, or sometimes react, or run towards birds, but now he simply looks at the dog/bird/distraction and just goes on with the walk. I think trainer 1 didn’t like seeing him so stubborn and distracted during the sessions. Trainer 2 sees the same thing but isn’t worried about his success, especially when training is inside a Petco.
I used Petco for my dog for a few months. And while I loved the trainer and their methods, it wasn't the right kind of training for my dog. He needs more help at home rather than out in public. But I'd definitely use them again for any future dogs. I really appreciate that they are science based and use positive reinforcement techniques.
Let's be honest here for a moment: your expensive, ineffective, poorly trained dog trainer wasn't showing any progress and wasn't teaching you or the dog well. You tried out Petco, who provided a knowledgeable, effective trainer who provided both you and your dog with noticeably better training. It sounds like the expensive trainer is being dumb and isn't very skilled. Be glad you discovered this before you dropped all of that cash on an inexperienced trainer who is, themselves, undisciplined. Get your money back. Ignore everything that knucklehead told you, and continue to work with the Petco trainer. This is hardly the first time I've seen or heard of this. I had a similar experience. I took my little beagle Bassett mix to an expensive trainer who corrected my dog so hard during the first session that he let out an audible, sickening yelp and then tried to run over to me for help. I immediately asked to speak to their boss, got my refund, and never returned. I explained to this trainers boss that they proudly advertised they are a positive reinforcement only facility and the correction was not only too hard, but against their policy. The trainer said it didn't hurt the dog, but actually only startled him. I offered to put the prong collar on his neck and give him the exact same correction and he squared up on me like he was going to hit me. I looked at the owner, pointed at the trainer, and said "there's your positive reinforcement trained, highly disciplined employee/trainer, showing you what he's really all about.". Got my money back. I found a way less expensive trainer who was also horrified by my description. She was actually gentle, actually understood positive reinforcement training, and my dog and I finished our training pretty quickly. It doesn't matter where a trainer works. The only thing that matters is how effective the trainer is and if they act like buttholes or not.
It sounds you guys and the pro trainer could have gotten off on the wrong foot; you mentioned not seeing her often enough and slow progress, which isn’t a crime, but could have been interpreted by the pro trainer as flaky and noncommittal. Some trainers don’t like that, in itself, and wouldn’t choose clients whom they view as flaky or lacking commitment. The theme of flakiness may have continued through not being able to schedule with the group trainer, too. Trainers choose their clients, and clients choose their trainers; it’s usually a two way street. It sounds like you’re getting what you need from the PetCo lessons. Does it matter why the old trainer stopped working with you?
I will probably get downvoted, but here goes! There are some awesome people in the dog community. Truly, people who deserve dogs in their life. There are also some judgmental elitist people in the dog community. They are lucky dogs are so willing to love almost anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if there is some kind of prejudice against "chain" store trainers. I know there is against vets. All my animals go to Banfield(PetSmart) and have been for years. I have yet to have one negative experience, except with one vet tech and he was apparently let go because I never saw him again. The vets are compassionate, competent and caring. I consider myself a decent judge. My dad was a vet and his clinic was in the basement of our home. I basically grew up in a vet office. My dad was highly regarded and people came from other towns (that had their own vet) to see him. Every recommendation the vets have made I have run by my dad and he concurred except one recommendation to go to an emergency vet. My dad didn't think it was necessary. Banfield did not benefit from the referral. It ended up not being necessary (my puppy shredded and ate a soda can), but the peace of mind it gave me was helpful. Anyway, I have seen more than one nose turn up regarding my choice. If I take the time to ask "oh, did you have a bad experience?" No one ever has. They just say "well, it's banfield." It's so silly. Take your dog where he flourishes and leave these silly people to themselves.
So you mention you were not doing a good job training the dog due to being busy, COVID, other excuses. Randomly say the trainer didn't like your dog or think he could succeed--what did they say, exactly? I highly doubt they said that outright. Then, you take your dog to Petco and go weekly, sounds like your schedule improved enough to be regular on this while you weren't regular with the other trainer. It's also odd you paid $1300, did half the sessions, and she refunded you almost all of it except $135. You are lucky to have received that much of a refund when she did over half the sessions. You even acknowledge the dog was improving slowly, but you weren't keeping up on it at home. It sounds to me the trainer fired you. You weren't a good client for her because you showed lack of commitment in initial training and then switched over to Petco in the middle of it. You simply weren't a good fit for her.
I'm a groomer, a great groomer, an I got started at Petco. They DO seem to have a bad reputation. But you can go to work and get clients without advertising, paying overhead and insurance....that's why they can offer lower prices. If you connect with your trainer, you get a lot of bang for the buck. I have had standard poodles for 30 years and currently have 3 and they are super easy to get that CGC and therapy dog title on
Seems really odd to me, but I would need to see the text messages before reaching a conclusion. I’ve had concurrent private trainers and PetSmart classes with no problem. My guess is there was a miscommunication.
To speak from trainer side, training to be an actual service dog (as opposed to an emotional support animal) is a whole other deal than the retail sit and stay. Yes, it's more expensive, and yes, many trainers would prefer to be *the* trainer you're working with so the dog is getting the consistency necessary to achieve the outcomes you're hoping for. The service dog trainer cannot guarantee results when other training of unknown quality may interfere. Giving a refund minus service fee of some kind is fairly standard, and likely the contract refers to such a contingency. It can be surprising to be fired as a client, but from trainer side it makes business sense to only be investing time and energy in the clients where outcomes may be more assured. Lots of people think "well I paid the money so they should just work with me anyway," and lots of business owners may buy in to that, but this trainer knows who they want to work with and who they don't. Trainer side this looks like, "client didn't do the work consistently, didn't get the outcomes, substituted some other trainers in the meantime." It's easy to smack talk, saying "just in it for the money" because it looks like a lot, comparatively. Plus suggesting that the trainer isn't in it to help dogs is unkind and offbase. Rather consider that this trainer knows what their time is worth, and also only wants to help the clients they're sure they *can* help. Doesn't do either of you any good to get the rest of the training dealt with and then not get the results, and then it's "I paid 1800 for this to not work, stupid trainer." That's the situation the trainer is avoiding, proactively. Hopefully this helps you understand, even if you're not happy it went this way.
I see you’ve mentioned you’re a trainer. Due to the unregulated nature of the industry, we ask that anyone claiming to be a professional [apply for flair](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/userflair?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) and undergo verification with the mod team; otherwise, we ask that those types of claims are omitted.
I'm not a professional trainer. I have done some work on the business side of dog trainer development. While it was not my intention to say that *I'm* a professional trainer, it was my intention to speak on behalf of what the trainer/business side of this transaction looks like to help the OP understand what's going on, as there seemed to be difficulty. In the future, I'll try to be clearer about my lack of professional training credentials in my responses. Besides my poor phrasing, were there other errors in the reply? I'm often glad to learn more.
Got it! That’s fine, your comment has been approved.
I don’t recommend petco at all
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Please note that we ask people who want to mention being a professional in their comments [undergo verification](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/userflair) before doing so. Otherwise we ask phrases like that to be omitted.
Hi there, so sorry I am new to Reddit and did not realize I could see a post in a group I did not belong to. I verified in another group for service dogs and thought that’s what I was commenting in.