FirstBark
• On 8/23/24, we purchased the 6-week “Puppy Management Program” from K9W Dog Training. It included 4 in-home sessions, virtual training, and a direct phone number for the trainer so we could reach out for support between sessions as needed. Remote support was a significant feat…Read full reviewClose full review
• On 8/23/24, we purchased the 6-week “Puppy Management Program” from K9W Dog Training. It included 4 in-home sessions, virtual training, and a direct phone number for the trainer so we could reach out for support between sessions as needed. Remote support was a significant feature of the agreement because puppy development is rapid, and any issues should be addressed quickly. As K9W Dog Training put it, “the first 4 to six weeks are crucial for setting the right groundwork.” • We explained to the trainer, Andrea, who came to our home for the first session, that our #1 training priority was to stop playful nipping. • Following Andrea’s instructions to address playful nipping produced the opposite of the desired effect. Our puppy began to bite aggressively. • The very next morning, on 8/24/24, we contacted Andrea for support, and she replied that we should apply her technique more forcefully. This made the puppy bite more aggressively. • I texted Andrea for additional support for the worsening situation, and she never replied. • Our puppy was becoming uncontrollable. As Andrea had stopped responding, we had to find an alternative trainer who helped us stop the biting. • On 8/30/24, after nearly 6 full days without receiving any kind of response to our support request, we asked K9W Dog Training for a refund. Under the circumstances, this is a reasonable request. • Andrea responded on 8/30/24, not to address our support request―she never responded to that―but only to state that she had been out of town at a training event and therefore unavailable to provide us with any support. In other words, she had planned to be unavailable to provide support, and yet had accepted a training engagement for which support would be needed during this time. This was highly unprofessional. Had we known she would not be available, we would not have engaged her services. • Although she breached the service agreement by failing to provide support during the first week of training, she now wants to enforce a “no refunds” clause of the agreement. Apparently, for Andrea, this is about the money, not the dogs. If she cared about the puppy, she would have let us know she wasn't going to be available during the first week we needed a trainer. If she cared about the puppy, she would be happy that we were able to get the support we needed, even if she wasn't the one to provide it. Instead, she took our money, and didn't provide us with anything of value at all. I do not recommend Andrea or K9W Dog Training.