Best Retrievers

Summary: Based on my experiences (5mos in 2020, 5wks 2021), Best Retrievers takes on too many dogs and does not communicate important information (ranging from pickup / drop-off to medical items) to clients. Unfortunate because they have great trainers who genuinely care about the dogs and have extensive knowledge and experience. Based on my experience, I find it challenging to recommend this facility to others as things currently stand. 2020 Summary: Multiple lack of communication issues including: the arrival process, the fact that they were extremely short staffed (which resulted in my dog receiving no training for 6 weeks), and that a visitation cessation policy was implemented without any communication to me. At the end of the day, the owners worked to rectify the situation and my dog received good training from a trainer who genuinely cared about the dogs and had significant knowledge and experience. COVID also added some unique challenges for them which is understandable. 2021 Summary: Generally a poor experience. Communication was non-existent: (1) taking multiple calls to even get someone to answer so that I could notify someone that I wanted to board my dog, (2) almost no updates from my trainer, and (3) no response from the main number after dropping my dog off until it was time to bill me. There were issues with them keeping track of her medical records and ambiguity as to what vaccine(s) she was given while there. No communication / update that trainers were overloaded. My dog was there to be tuned up but no obedience reinforcement was provided and there was no discussion on what she did well with / needed to focus on, primarily due to trainer overload. 2021 Detail: I boarded her for 5 weeks under the Fun in the Field Tune Up. It took multiple days of calls / texts to the main number when trying to board my dog but they eventually called me back and just asked me to bring her updated vaccine records. They also offered to provide the rattlesnake vaccine when she arrived. When I dropped off my lab the trainer mentioned that he was going to try and work on some new things with my dog and to coordinate pickup so that I could work with him on the new material. I noted that she might need some obedience refreshing (some jumping and the heel command). I also asked him about the rattlesnake vaccine and he said just to make sure the office was aware. I called and texted the main number the next week with no response. 2 great updates from my trainer the first days of the first week. Nothing the next two weeks then a note from my trainer that he was taking on dogs for other trainers who were out so he was very busy. I also got an email noting that they didn’t have my dog’s updated vaccine records a few weeks in (??). A week later I got a quick update from my trainer noting the main person in the office was out but that the line was being monitored by others. I had not been able to get anyone on the main line for weeks. No updates on my dog came from my trainer the rest of training (another 2 weeks). I tried called the main line multiple times before picking her up to ask about payment, the rattlesnake vaccine (whether it happened or not), etc. - no response. I picked my dog up, talked to the trainer (who I still think very highly of) and got that he was just overloaded with dogs from other trainers so wasn’t able to give regular updates, work on anything new, or address the noted obedience items with my dog. The Monday / Tuesday after, I got my first message from the office asking for my payment info. First they noted one price, then another price, then they revised to a third price. They noted that they gave my dog the bordatella vaccine (no notice or prior authorization from me). I asked why they gave her one considering her records were up to date? They revised the answer saying that they might have actually given her the 1st of 2 rattlesnake vaccines a few weeks into training (no conversation or update despite multiple calls??) and that I would need to come back to get the other dose.