Ruff Translating

As a new dog parent, it can be hard to find a knowledgeable, experienced, and ethical dog trainer in this unregulated industry. There is so much conflicting information and no easy way for someone new to dog parenthood to figure out who actually knows what they’re talking about. A trusted friend of mine recommended Ruff Translating to me and I worked with them for a few months – in one-on-one training, in group classes, and as part of their adventure club (group walks for dogs). Having said that, I can wholeheartedly say that I wish I had not. Writing this review has taken a lot of courage as the owner is not the kindest to those he disagrees with, but it’s important to me to write this as someone who paid this company for help with my dog, and was unsatisfied. In the shortest terms, I have worked with many dog trainers one-on-one over the last two years. I love to learn about dogs and learn from as many people as I can. The first one-on-one session we had with a trainer here (in our home) is the only time that the way a trainer was handling my dog made me hold back tears during the session. But we continued working with the company, because I assumed they knew better than I did. I watched them ignore my dog’s stress signals. I have photos and videos from my time working with them showing their trainers and dog walkers ignoring blatant and clear dog body language. So, here’s what I’ll say: The way someone tells you to train your dog should never make you feel icky. Trust your gut. Don’t be afraid to advocate for your dog. There are plenty of well-educated trainers in the area who will help you train your dog in a way that does not blatantly ignore their stress. Good dog training feels good. Just a brief update to say the business response is fluff: I still have the screenshots of the business owner trashing us on instagram after we decided to go a different route with our training. They’re quick to jump online to fan the flames when someone disagrees with them - incredibly unprofessional. They also have blatantly incorrect information on their website about VERY basic dog training concepts. This individual is not a good dog trainer or a kind person. I’m glad to see more accurate reviews popping up. Go elsewhere.

Not for service dogs! I feel duped...after leaving RT, I have discovered that techniques used here are harsh, which leads to a fearful and reactive dog. The lead trainer/owner Ejay is NOT certified or formally educated in service dog training. He does not "believe in" CGC or formal AKC evaluations. He relies heavily on ecollars and crating your dog, while certified SD trainers use these sparingly, or not at all. My fault for trusting reviews and not reading up and calling around first. My SD was fully PA and CGC trained for 15 months by an expert and I took him to RT for task training. In 2 weeks, he became reactive and agitated, after 3 months, he was losing his mind there. Since starting at a new school, he is SO much better. Turns out my dog just needed a clicker, patience, some tasty snacks, and REAL training, not just a crate and ecollar shocks. They will tell you that the $250- ecollar is a TENS machine, but I felt the shock and it's awful, not like any TENS machine I have used before. Ejay's solution to behavior issues is to lock the dog in a crate and increase the power of the shocks. At one point he wanted 16+ hours a day, and when my dog was still not listening, he said more crate time!! He said 18 hours a day is not too much. I worry that they shocked my dog and locked him up all day there. If you keep shocking a dog they will eventually shut down. Maybe that's why his behavior deteriorated at RT. It takes courage to write an honest review of this place because the owner does not take kindly to dissent. In fact, the owner Ejay was verbally abusive towards me and confrontational with my husband. He also does not allow anyone to receive continuing education outside of his program, which is suspect in my mind. He will also make you train longer than you need to here, because time =$. Keep in mind that the ADA requires 1 task for certification, Massachusetts requires 3 tasks. I only needed mobility help (counterbalance, momentum, bracing), but Ejay requires 6 tasks to graduate (their own policy). No other training school requires more than what is needed for your specific disability. In fact BY LAW, they need to match your tasks with your disability. He says it's to have the dogs reach their potential? Is it really?? or is it $$? People have spent thousands here and ended up with dogs that are reactive. The only way to avoid going through that pain is to avoid this place entirely... Best wishes to all those seeking to train a SD for your disability!

The entire team at Ruff Translating are beyond incredible. They really are “fluent in dog.” When I started my service dog training journey, I was completely overwhelmed and wondering what I’d gotten myself into. At no point will I pretend that training your own service dog is an easy undertaking. It takes consistency, persistence, and the ability to take constructive advice from people who know what they’re doing. In the year that I’ve worked with Ruff Translating, Apollo has completely transformed. I never imagined that we’d ever get to where we are now as a team. Ejay, Kim, and Michelle put so much time and effort into personalizing training plans for every individual team. The weekly report cards and homework are the perfect framework that I needed to get to where Apollo and I are now. I thoroughly appreciate the direct communication, and clearly outlined expectations for handlers and dogs alike, as it’s made navigating this process of owner training so much more manageable! These wonderful humans truly care about each and every one of the teams that walk through their doors. I’ll continue to recommend them to anyone and everyone who stops to compliment me on how incredible Apollo’s behavior is.

TL;DR: Ejay and Kim are kind people, who are honest with expectations and what is needed to train a service dog, even when it is difficult. I have had an incredibly positive experience, during which my questions, no matter how silly, have been answered and explained, and all of my concerns addressed. Ruff translating is not your average company, both in terms of their outstanding services that are provided, and in terms of the clients and community that has been fostered. My experience at Ruff Translating began with honesty. I had unrealistic expectations for a timeline, and was given a kind and blunt “reality check” if you will. This was just the beginning of my experience with the honesty and kindness that Ejay and Kim show. My expectations were unrealistic, and I needed the honesty that they kindly provided. I know that they could have entertained my fantasy about a training timeline, but I would have been incredibly disappointed. The service dog training program is a long and intensive process, but is not something that you enter into alone. Ejay, Kim, and Michelle have been available for support and advice throughout. Not to mention the community that has been fostered within the client base. I have found support within staff and clients alike, and have found that the loving, caring, and validating community Ejay has cultivated has helped me, as a young, disabled, and queer woman, accept my identity. Into the technical side of training: Ejay has been my primary private trainer, and Dewey (my Service Dog in Training) has attended Muttesory Academy biweekly for over a year and a half. Ejay located a puppy for once I was through the consultation process. I was given multiple options for ethical breeders, and ended up with a well bred standard poodle, who was five months old. My first weeks were incredibly hard, but Ejay was there via text, as well as on my pickup day, with a meticulous schedule to follow, and advice and motivation when the puppy blues and diharhea were overwhelming. As for training style, Ejay has the research and science to back up his training techniques, and will never implement a tool, such as a prong collar, or e-collar without the handler fully understanding the tool, reasoning, science, and usage. My lessons in which tools were implemented both went over booking time so that my questions could be answered, and I could be comfortable with how I was training my dog. It has ALWAYS been a choice. I have never felt uncomfortable with tool usage in or out of lessons. I have felt confident as a handler, and now am able to communicate non-verbally with my dog, which is invaluable, especially with my disabilities. This’d truly is dog led training. My dog is so amazing, and has given me my freedom back. Dewey is happy and gets excited too go to school. I know he is safe with these people, and he is my lifeline. By trusting them with my dog, I trust them with my freedom.