I went to the front desk upstairs and told the person at the front desk what just happened and demanded a refund. She saw how upset I was so she gave me the refund.
Also do some research. There are some popular American dog trainers who emphasize control and domination too much. If you are a good owner, you already know dogs have emotions and intelligence and sprit. You should not crush them. There are many effective, gentler ways to train dogs.
I had a meeting with one of the owners to discuss things. I was hoping we would smooth things over. I got there a few minutes early just in time to hear the supervisor saying critical things about me. I don't trust any of the staff to be professional and take my concerns seriously. They are very unprofessional and have made things much worse.
Great training classes. Fun to watch your dog through webcams.
The trainers at Anna Bell's Pet Station use violent techniques to train the dogs. I registered for a class for CGC certificate for my dog and went to the first class on an evening a few years ago.
After the a round a torture which felt like eternity to me, she returned the dog to the owner and turned to my dog (a small breed) and put a leash on her harness and started pulling my dog toward the middle of the room. Even then I was going to watch what the trainer would do, because at least my dog was wearing a harness, not a neck collar. I saw my dog was afraid and digging, so I told my dog "it is okay," then the trainer instantly yelled at me "Don't talk to her!" (WHY NOT? I guess it undermines her authority to the dog.) She kept pulling until the entire harness came off of my dog. My dog was trembling with fear. I could not stand it any more. I got up and left, carrying my dog in my arms.
I regret that I did not report this place to an authority or organization at the time. What they call "training" should not even be legal. If you are a dog owner and are training your dog there, please watch out carefully.
I've been taking my dog to this place for over two years. My dog and I have loved this place and previously I gave them 5 stars. I've had to change that rating after a recent experience. I took my dog there after not going for a couple of months. We were excited to go back. The problem occurred when I saw an employee that morning on the webcam repeatedly squirting my dog with a water bottle chasing her around the room to get her. My dog's offense--sniffing the other dogs. News flash-dogs sniff other dogs. Plus this was her first visit in some time and they were all new dogs. This was still early in the morning while the dogs still hadn't been around each other long. Sniffing should be expected, and I don't think any dog should be punished for normal non-threatening dog behavior. It was the attendant with a problem. Then it got worse. The attendant obviously got frustrated left the room, came back in with a collar, put it on my dog, and yanked her out of the room by the collar. I was upset by this treatment of my dog. If she was humping another dog, I could understand the squirting with water more, but not typical dog sniffing with new dogs. Humping is impacting another dog. Funny in the past I did see a bigger dog constantly humping my dog making it where she had trouble moving, and they didn't do anything until I contacted them.* Now sniffing is a capital offense. And the attendants must always be patient. Scaring a dog and dragging her by her collar is not acceptable. My dog is a good girl. I don't have to correct her at home because she listens and treats work wonders. Now her new baby brother is another story....I would also recommend talking to clients about what you do if there is a problem with a dog. Consider the use of positive reinforcement instead of use of fear and power and making sure you are not over reacting. I haven't decided if I'll go back to Annabelle's. I want to because I have a two year history there and we have loved it in the past, but they have broken my trust and I'm having a hard time getting over that despite the supervisor saying she would look into it.
It was a coincidence I saw the incident on the camera, but it made me wonder what they did off camera. Now I feel that way even more as even the supervisor is unprofessional. The owner seemed trustworthy, but her staff need training. And if complaining about something I saw on a webcam makes me a helicopter owner as they called me so be it. You obviously need watching.
Update:
Rating obedience training with Carol. No experience with daycare. The classes are well run and informative. 12-15 dogs at a time can be chaotic, but the training staff handles it well. I've seen no abusive handling, and the instructor always makes sure people are comfortable with any of the handling techniques taught.
The poor dog was jerked around by the neck with a force by this woman a hundred times. I saw the dog terrified and I was fearful that the trainer may break the dog's neck or make the dog throw up. I did not say anything then (which I still regret), because I was not the owner of that dog, and his owner did not do anything.
A bunch of dog owners their dogs sat around in a half circle in the basement. One of their trainers picked a medium sized puppy and started what they called "leash training," which was indeed a torture.
*Today I saw on the webcam a small black and white dog humping a couple of other small dogs with no reaction. It was a different attendant in that room. Maybe a more relaxed attendant?
It is also worth noting that many of the 5 star reviews came by prompting from Annabelles' staff. They had a competition that if you left a positive review (the sign in the office said positive) you got entered into a drawing for a prize.
Sam was an amazing groomer according to my wife who brought her service dog to get washed, brushed, nails trimmed, and ears cleaned. According to my wife, Sam was very attentive to Mileigh the service dog, was very positive towards her, and listened to my wife’s request to have her not tied down in the process. According to my wife, she was “all smiles” the whole time! Thank you to Sam for an amazing job and for taking care of our gem who takes care of my gems (my wife and unborn daughter).
Annabelle S Pet Station is a US Store based in Lansing, Michigan. Annabelle S Pet Station is located at 600 S Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933, USA.
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