I am completely disappointed and distraught. \r
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The dog I adopted from the shelter 7 weeks ago had separation anxiety, I found out after she broke out of her crate within 2 minutes of me leaving to test out how she'd do by herself. I've had 4 dogs in my life, and I didn't even know separation anxiety existed. It's worse than you can imagine. She was in a state of panic. This isn't like, barking to say ""get me out"". It's much much worse. I emailed a few board and train places in distress (when really, I should have called the Humane Society where I adopted her from and talked to one of their behavior consultants), and then Nancy from K9 called me right after another stressful moment, promising the world. She said that Auburn would turn this shelter dog into a confident dog and that confidence would break her from her separation anxiety. I verbalized that my fear was that this transition would make things worse for the poor shelter dog, and that after a couple of weeks, I would get back a really well trained dog that still had separation anxiety when I left. Auburn said his 20 years of training would fix her right up. I was wishful thinking.\r
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He doesn't answer his phone and his voicemail box is full every time you call. He called me back, though, so I just got used to that. After 2 weeks, he decided to keep her for another week because she was a tough case and her abuse was worse than he had thought. Then she would be dropped off the following week. But I never got a phone call that week. And then the week later, I called and Nancy said the following week. In total, I got her back 5 weeks later. She was almost as skinny as she was when I got her from the shelter. She no longer sat on command. She didn't ""down"" when he told her too. She was skittish and nervous and didn't enter the kennel when he told her to. It was obvious he loved her, though. He is a dog lover...but certainly not a trainer. The lack of ethics in taking a dog that is so fearful of never being fed again and being abandoned, and using force to try to get past separation anxiety is simply beyond my comprehension. My fear was that I would get back a really well trained dog that still had separation anxiety didn't come true...she wasn't even well trained. She was housetrained, which I am thankful to him for. She still counter surfed, she didnt come when called (I'm not sure she even knew the name I gave her when I adopted her, which he would have used for the 5 weeks), she didn't go down when I told her, she tugged like crazy on her lease (the harness I used on her after I took off her choke collar he used on her worked so much better), and worst of all...she still suffered from separation anxiety. Because it's nothing you can train out of a dog. And he should know that. I have since learned that the only way to cure a dog of separation anxiety is months of desensitization and counter conditioning. 1 minute at a time.\r
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I paid $1450 to get back a dog that was housetrained. She didn't even whine when he left... And really, I'm not upset that he couldn't fix her. She wasn't fixable without months of counter conditioning. I'm upset that he took $1450 from me, and I didn't even get a dog that was well trained. She was leash aggressive and even growled at a toddler.\r
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5 days after she came home, I called him upset that she was still in panic mode re: me leaving. Spinning in circles, trying to get out my front door, panting, ears back, barking, howling. PANIC. I wasn't able to leave her. He said, don't take her back to the shelter, I'll call you back tonight. He never called me. He still hasn't. Nancy won't return my calls. And of course, I don't have a copy of my contract. They kept my only signed copy.\r
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This not a reputable company.
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