Legacy Retrievers

My experience with Legacy Retrievers and Dennis White began in February 2025 when I purchased a 4-month-old Lab/German Shorthaired Pointer mix. After contacting several trainers, Dennis was the only one who responded. Although he was 3.5 hours away from me in Temple, Texas, he seemed reputable based on Google, so I moved forward. I dropped my puppy off on March 1, 2025, and paid $650 cash for the first month as required. I provided vaccination records, and Dennis said she needed an additional shot before being kenneled. He agreed to take her to a vet, who would call me for payment. That call never came. Communication quickly became an issue. Early on, Dennis responded, but as weeks passed, updates became scarce. Throughout March and April, I received only one set of photos and no training videos despite repeated requests. Being hours away, I relied entirely on updates, yet Dennis often went days—or even a full week—without responding. His explanations were always “busy” or “scheduling conflicts.” On June 20 at 9:30 p.m., Dennis called saying my dog was shaking, feverish, vomiting, and passing bloody stool. He said he was taking her to an emergency vet and immediately asked, “What are you willing to spend to keep her alive?” The next day, he said she was returning to his kennel on antibiotics and that the overnight bill was $1,567.15. This seemed excessive. Later, I discovered only about $360 had actually been paid to the clinic. When I tried to retrieve my dog, I was repeatedly told she wasn’t ready. This happened throughout the summer and into fall. Each time I attempted pickup, there was a new excuse. I never received training videos—only occasional photos after persistent requests. Meanwhile, friends with dogs in other programs were receiving daily training footage. At one point, I contacted the local sheriff for guidance. After the sheriff contacted Dennis, he suddenly told me I wouldn’t owe him for the vet bill or further training. Still, from September through January, my attempts to retrieve my dog were continually deflected. I stopped payments in late May 2025. Dennis never attempted to collect further fees. In total, I lost $2,200 and nearly a year of my dog’s critical development time. When I finally got Quil back, she had a severe case of hookworms, which Dennis claimed was common at his kennel. A vet even asked whether she had been bred—something I couldn’t answer. The dog I was promised would retrieve ducks shows zero retrieval skills. She has minimal leash training and no interest in a bumper. It is clear she received no meaningful training. In summary, my experience was filled with poor communication, broken promises, questionable billing practices, and a complete failure to deliver services. I strongly urge anyone considering Legacy Retrievers and Dennis White to proceed with extreme caution.