Our dog attended a 13-day board and train with Diamond Canine. When she returned home, she was limping, which was extremely concerning to us. Yes, I recognize this could have been due to play with other dogs, or something else, but I received no word about an injury during her st…Read full reviewClose full review
Our dog attended a 13-day board and train with Diamond Canine. When she returned home, she was limping, which was extremely concerning to us. Yes, I recognize this could have been due to play with other dogs, or something else, but I received no word about an injury during her stay and Joe did not mention it at drop off, she laid down on her bed when Joe brought her home and didn’t move until after he left, I immediately texted once she got up and we noticed her limp. During the follow-up training sessions, we also noticed that she consistently appeared stressed and nervous. Whenever Joe would take her leash, she would immediately cower down and completely shut down. From our perspective, the training style did not seem to be the right fit for our dog. The approach appeared to rely heavily on corrections using slip chains, prong collars, and e-collars, with very little engagement or positive reinforcement. Our dog did not seem comfortable or motivated during the training sessions, she remained very fearful anytime Joe had her leash, which ultimately led us to decide to pursue training elsewhere. Since working with other trainers, we have found methods that are far more engaging and tailored to our dog’s temperament and learning style. She has made significant progress and is doing much better. She is excited to train and participate in obedience, rather than listening out of a fear of getting a harsh correction. Looking back, I can acknowledge that at the time I didn’t know any better. However, when you learn better and understand there are more modern, effective training methods available, you do better. Seeing oversized prong collars used on every dog and e-collars regularly turned up to high levels is not something I will ever allow for my dog again. There were also moments we personally witnessed that contributed to our decision to move on. Watching Victor pin a dog down while yanking on the leash attached to a prong collar until the dog yelped in a public setting was extremely uncomfortable to observe. We also saw Joe repeatedly correcting a dog that was clearly trying to please him but kept returning to a position she knew, seemingly confused about what he wanted. When he said the dog was “targeting,” it was difficult for us to reconcile that explanation with what we were witnessing. From our perspective, it looked less like communication, and “psychology” and more like corrections escalating until the dog submitted out of fear rather than understanding or engagement. As clients learn more about modern, humane training approaches, they may choose methods that focus on communication, engagement, and long-term success rather than fear-based compliance. Leaving a negative review is never something I enjoy doing. However, honest reviews exist so that others can make informed decisions about what is best for their dogs. It is also important for people to be aware that after my fiancé shared his own experience in a separate group, we received a message from Erin regarding his comment in an effort to have him remove it. Consumers should know that businesses cannot attempt to suppress or penalize honest reviews. The Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA) of 2016 specifically prohibits businesses from using contracts or other means to restrict or threaten consumers for sharing truthful experiences about products or services. These types of “gag clauses” are void and unenforceable, and the law protects consumers’ rights to share their honest opinions online. We are sharing this only as our personal experience so that others can consider different training approaches and decide what is best for their own dogs.
