FirstBark
I sent my dog to Richard for a three‑week training program that cost $3000, with the clear expectation that she would learn basic obedience and everyday commands and that I would receive regular, professional progress updates. Instead of training videos or clear evidence of struc…Read full reviewClose full review
I sent my dog to Richard for a three‑week training program that cost $3000, with the clear expectation that she would learn basic obedience and everyday commands and that I would receive regular, professional progress updates. Instead of training videos or clear evidence of structured work, I was repeatedly sent selfies of the trainer with my dog, including “cute” moments of my dog licking his face, which felt completely inappropriate and unprofessional given what I was paying for and what we had agreed on. When I came to pick up my dog and again asked why I had never received proper training videos, he tried to blame a supposed “language barrier”, suggesting that I might not have understood his explanations, even though I am fluent in English. This came across as extremely rude and dismissive. On top of that, I received a strange, out‑of‑place personal compliment about me “as a woman” that had nothing to do with the service I was paying for and made me feel uncomfortable. There were simply too many personal comments and not enough professional behavior. Instead of showing real progress, he spent most of the time talking about how stubborn, active, and small my dog is, as if her personality were the main reason for the lack of results. I had clearly asked for specific things: that my dog learn to calmly accept being dressed so I can put clothes on her without a struggle, and that she reliably use the pee pad. A week after I brought her home, nothing has changed in this area: she reacts to getting dressed exactly the same way as before, and it feels as if no work was done on this at all. She is still choosing between the bathroom and the rug instead of consistently using the pee pad, and I now have to re‑train these basic behaviors on my own, which shows that the core goals of the training program were simply not achieved. I am not asking for a refund, but I think it is important to be absolutely honest. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this trainer to anyone who expects serious, results‑oriented dog training, professional boundaries, appropriate communication, and real respect for the client’s time, money, and trust.