Chicago Canine Company

PLEASE READ!!! After almost one year of training with Prentice my dog turned on us. Prentice put a great deal of stress on the dog which pushed him to his boiling point, in which case he attacked my wife. Between not feeding regularly and caging the dog for multiple hours, only allowing the dog to drink from a squirt bottle “per Prentice’s so called expert training” the dog never enjoyed life with us nor did he trust us. At one point when the dog was starting to get aggressive Prentice suggested not feeding him for one whole week, and those were his exact words, stating that it is going to get ugly before it gets pretty. After having such a bad experience with Prentice I reached out to actual dog clubs to see what there approach to training is and I also discussed CCC’s training method and multiple people stated that is abuse!!! Not feeding the dog to the point where you could see all of its ribs is Abuse!! Also they are big on contracts here, worst mistake I ever did, first off $10,500 is way too much for an IPO1, to be honest people are laughing at me for spending that much, IT IS A RIP OFF!!!! Second, if something happens with the dog he will not refund you, for instance in my case the dog attacked my wife, now I am out $10,500. Prentice is a novice trainer that experimented with my dog and it failed. After this event, Prentice attempted to swap my dog with another customers dog that he was training, “Kilo”, stating that it would be easier for me to train kilo and he would take my dog. I could not believe what he offered me, a dog that was not even his. Instead of him offering me another customers dog he should have offered me a refund for the abusive training that I paid $10,500. Prentice will blame everyone else for my families accident, stating, “man that dog is crazy or stating that I don’t know what that lady is breeding.” It is not the pedigree, the dogs this lady produces are phenomenal family loving dogs. Prentice ruined our experience with our dog, all he cares about is when he is getting paid. With this place it is all about the money. Please think twice before signing a contract here, beyond over priced!!! IF I COULD GIVE THIS PLACE ZERO STARTS I WOULD!!!!! The only way this place trains a dog is if it is starving not to mention making the dog drink water through a squirt bottle!! At one point the dog was having horrible stomach problems and the vest asked his feeding schedule, we told him and why we were doing this and he asked if we were trying to KILL THE DOG? The vet stated all puppies need a balanced diet. ALSO HE STATES IN A VIDEO RECENTLY FIRST GERMAN SHEPHERD HE TITLED, that is a lie he tried and failed on my German Shepherd!! PEOPLE PLEASE TAKE THIS REVIEW INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN LOOKING FOR A TRAINER, PERHAPS GET A SECOND OPINION!!! I WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMEONE GO THROUGH WHAT MY FAMILY DID DUE TO THE ABUSIVE TRAINING THAT THIS PLACE PERFORMS!!!!

We became the owners of a German Shepard more by circumstances than intentionally. I went to get my car washed and there he was, on a leash strung to a table. He seemed very friendly and I asked if I can pet him. The owner said yes, but to be careful as he sometimes mouthed. I pet him while my car was getting washed. Then the owner was talking to me, saying he got Maschi from a client a few month back, however that he can’t handle him as he was mouthing/biting his brother and elder mom at home. I told him that before he gives him to a shelter to call us. A couple of days later he called. We really did not know what we were getting into. It was hell on earth, an out of control German Shepard, he snapped/mouthed my arm so many times, to the point that at the doctor’s office I was asked if I am save at home. By luck or more so divine intervention we found Chicago Canine Company and started going to train there. It was a hard road to reverse the behavior our dog displayed. Prentice instructed us not to feed him between the daily training sessions and during training he gets “big rewards, i.e. we feed him while training. There were training sessions so short that it was hard for me not to feed him at home. I called our vet to get her advice, which was to let her monitor his weight. For 2 month it was going back and forth, awesome sessions – horrible session, We were establishing the roles within our family and he lost 10 lbs along the way. The vets comment on one of the weighing was – she cannot believe how much calmer he has become. Now another 6 weeks later – I can play with him off leash around our house and yard. When people come, he checks them out and then goes in his crate with the doors open. The tears, the exhaustion of several daily training sessions – it was worth it. We have a gorgeous, obedient dog, not perfect (neither am I), however he complies with the commands. Without Chicago Canine and specifically Prentice – we would not have made it and our dog would have ended up in a shelter. Thank you Chicago Canine Company – thank you Prentice! P.S. I went to other training facilities – and they would not even take a chance on us after their evaluation! Forget to get him into doggy day care!

Jon and team know how to handle and train any type of dog, regardless of background or issues. I have a rescue whose anxiety and aggression need to be managed in a specific way. Jon not only knows how to handle her, but is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in a variety of training methods. His school and kennel are clean, well taken care of, and large enough for dogs of all sizes to be comfortable in. I would recommend them to anyone who owns a dog, rescue or not for both training and boarding. You wont find a team that loves dogs more than this one.