Camelot K9 Academy

I would love to give Angie and Camelot Shepherds 5 stars, because we bought Blaze, our Heart dog, from her in 2014, and he was the best dog we could have ever asked for. Unfortunately, her compassion is not what I thought is was. Blaze, who was trained as my daughter's service dog, was diagnosed with Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), June of 2023. We had placed a $500 deposit with Angie for another pup before we found out about Blaze's disease, because we trusted her and her program that much. We live in Texas, and the day before we were to leave to pick up the new pup from Angie at Camelot Shepherds we were told the devastating news that Blaze had DM. I called Angie completely distraught, knowing that she would understand, but she was anything but understanding, compassionate or even kind. I remember sitting in my son's room, talking on the phone with her, as Blaze had an accident on the floor from the Rimadyl that he had just received from the vet. She did not show any understanding as I just knew she would, instead, she said, "What am I going to do with this puppy?" I asked her if I could have my deposit back due to the fact that I could not take on the responsibility of a pup at the moment, due to the treatment time and expense that was coming our way. Over the last year, Blaze went to weekly underwater treadmill therapy, laser therapy, acupuncture bi-weekly, special food, meds, etc. Not only was Angie not compassionate, but she refused to refund my deposit. I told her that I did not think that I could have another puppy that was related to him due to not knowing what diseases they may have, as DM is 100% hereditary and preventable by responsible breeding. If she did not check for DM with Blaze's parents, and the test was available in 2014, what other diseases is she not checking for now. She told me that she had dogs in her program die of DM, too. It would have been very beneficial for her to tell her clients that DM was in her program so that we could have looked for signs of this awful disease sooner, and start therapy sooner, as there is no cure. I immediately lost trust in Angie and her program and could not purchase another puppy from her. I have been an RN for twenty-seven years plus, and I truly believe in empathy. I was totally devastated, and not only was Angie not sympathetic or empathetic, but she showed me that the compassion that she showed over the previous 10 years was not real and that raising German Shepherds is strictly a business for her. She also told me that she did not test for DM in 2014, because the test was not available. This is not true, because the test was available in 2009. I sent her an article with this information without a reply from her. The reason that we went to Camelot Shepherds was to buy a dog that could be trained as a service dog from a reputable breeder. We did not buy a German Shepherd from a backyard breeder, because we did not want to purchase a dog with health issues, which we assumed a reputable breeder could provide. Angie did not check for this disease. If you have a dog from Camelot, and they show signs of DM, go and see your vet. Blaze is not the only dog from this program affected by DM unfortunately. There is NOT a cure, but there is therapy that dogs can undergo that may help them live an extra 6 months to a year possibly. This disease is excruciating to watch, as it is similar to Lou Gehrig's disease in humans. Blaze's mind was just as sharp the day that we had to have him put to sleep as the day he was doing protection work on the field or attending a symphony. Watching my Heart dog and my daughter's service dog be put to sleep way too early due to not testing, and then not showing any compassion towards me or especially Blaze will not be forgotten. I can provide additional info about DM if anyone needs it, as I know more about this disease than I ever wanted to know. We also have results from the University of Mississippi confirming that both of Blaze's parents had the DM gene if anyone needs to see his lineage.

Both our pups are Camelot pups. Our Du Hoc has spent time there both for training and boarding. Malice, our new baby, and Du Hoc both stayed there for the holidays while we were visiting family. We love Camelot! We know our dogs are well taken care of, safe, and loved while there. These babies are part of our family and it’s important to have a place I trust take care of them when we are away. Both dogs love their time there as well! I wouldn’t want them to go anywhere else!

Long overdue review. I highly recommend Camelot K9 Academy. Loki attended the puppy bootcamp(21 days) at 4 months old and did amazing! He learned all his commands and we continue to work on them daily because training never stops. I dropped off this crazy little puppy and picked up a well mannered bigger puppy. You get to see training videos online to see how your puppy is progressing and you can reach out to them as well. Don’t let the 21 days worry you, your puppy will remember you when you pick them up. I know a lot of people think it’s too long to be away from them but it goes by quickly and what your puppy learns is worth it. If you are looking for a great trainer for your young puppy, check them out!