Houston Obedience Training (HOT) Dog Club

Three years ago, I had a great experience at Hot Dog Training with my dog McLovin. So when my wife got a new puppy, I said, “Let’s go back to Hot Dog.” I deeply regret that decision. We arrived early with our 16-week-old puppy, hoping to get some help for her nipping and early signs of aggression toward people and dogs. Instead of support or guidance, one of the trainers — after just 5 to 10 minutes of observing her — looked me in the eye and told me I should return the dog to the breeder. This wasn’t just hurtful — it was horrifying. I got this dog from Bark, a rescue, not a breeder. And returning her to Bark would almost certainly mean she would be put down. A professional dog trainer told me, in essence, to kill my dog. Instead of saying, “She’s not ready for basic training, she needs behavioral work first,” I was told to leave and never come back. In full transparency, our puppy did nip one of the workers. There was no blood, no serious injury — just a scared, overstimulated puppy in a new environment. The next day, my wife called the facility, hoping to talk calmly about next steps and possible help. The same trainer was so rude and cold that my wife ended up in tears. When I took the phone, I wasn’t even allowed to speak before being berated again and told to take our puppy back to Bark. Who tells a family that their 16-week-old “fur baby” can’t be helped and should be euthanized? We went in looking for compassion and expertise. We left shocked, hurt, and angry. Hot Dog Training broke our trust, and I would never recommend this place to anyone. Not every dog is easy, but that’s why places like this are supposed to exist — to help. Instead, we were met with judgment and cruelty.