Complaint Review: Custom Dog Training Thee Boarding Ranch

I felt the need, after reading this complaint , to share my experience with "Thee Boarding ranch" as well. I was at the ranch approx. 4 times while in the process of adopting a dog. Every time i was there, there was a dog fight in the yard. Two of them were pretty bad and i remember one poor dog being drug around by it's neck by another dog, he was screaming. IT WAS ABSOLUTLEY HORRIBLE!!!  So when i read this complaint, it seemed extremely possible to me that this could absolutley happen. The owner, in my opinion, uses heavy intimidation towards the dogs, and that is why they respond to him, they are afraid!!! It was very apparent in the mannerisms of the dog i adopted, he was a different dog when the owner wasnt around. He was RELAXED!! Even after my dogs neck was red and irritated from his collar ( a choke chain) they decided to put a prong collar on him to control him better. I know some use a prong, but when a dogs neck is already sore and red ( with small scabs) REALLY??? You are not allowed to just show up there either and look around at the facilities , you must have an appointment.HMMM. every other training/boarding facility i have used, and there have been several, have no problem showing you around ever!! They will give you lots of great excuses as to why this is, but to me, it seems a little shady. Also when i got my dog, he looked completely EMACIATED!! you could see every bone. Even is two pointy hip bones were sticking out. They told me he was accidentally fed diet dog food. WHAT? and you didnt notice this extreme weight loss. and see that something was definilty wrong, after 3 weeks???? I dont buy it. When the dog came home, he ate his regular food and put back on his 15lbs. How could any "reputable" place let this happen? And im supposed to believe he lost that much weight that fast from just diet dog food? Nope.We got the run around from the owner as well, kept pushing it further and further back till the dog "will be ready". There is something wrong with this place. I would never ever refer a person there. There are plenty of training/boarding facilities out there, with nothing to hide, please dont use them. Like i said, iwas only there 4 times, but seeing those dogs fight ( and theres like 20 dogs in they yard) was horrible , along with everything else. Why take the chance.

This was a sad situation but I have had a completely different relationship with CDT. I have known Carlos, Shirley, Alan, and their team for over 10 yrs. They have trained two dogs for me in that time and I have boarded both dogs with them over the years, as recently as July 2010. I have also referred people who asked why my dogs were so well-trained.

The first was a rescued Staff Terrier mix who I tried to train myself for about 4 yrs and had limited success. He had been abandoned and abused before being rescued. After he attacked a dog walking by our home, we found CDT and sent him for their training. He came back a much better dog who I felt safe controlling on-leash and had a much better life.

Our current dog was also trained there. She is a model dog at the dog park with absolutely no dog aggression, at home or away. Some of her character is breed-specific, but much of it is due to the training by CDT.

We have not had any injury issue in the past decade. The CDT team has always been pleasant and concerned with our pets' safety. Both our dogs loved and love going to the Ranch to be with their alternate pack and love the staff when they come to pick them up.

We have been using Custom Dog Training for the past 4 years for our aggressive Boxer, Louie. He has made great progress working with these trainers. They are really experts in their field. This story is tragic and I expect all dog training "boot camps" have similar stories. This is an environment with a lot of dogs most with aggression issues. To me, it is amazing that these dogs don't kill eachother everyday. In this kind of environment there will be an occasional brawl and there will be biting and scratches. Nobody wants their dog to suffer and I have seen custom dog training staff break up dog fights quickly and with 1-2 trainers and 10-20 dogs!! I would not hold Carlos and Shirley responsible for this horrible accident because it was just that, an accident. Custom dog training is a professional organization with experienced trainers.

Dear "Sue"

I welcome any investigation. We have nothing to hide. Nothing to worry about.
In this type of business, we can't make EVERYONE love us. But i'm glad to say, that 99% of my clients do!

Thanks,
srodas.

SUE!

SUE for the full amount of the bills you had to spend on the vet putting your dog back together

SUE for the fees you paid this person

THIS BORDERS ON WHAT I WOULD CALL CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE!

BUT TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE IN YOUR STATE, YOU WILL HAVE TO CONSULT AN ATTORNEY WHO IS LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN YOUR STATE.

Find an attorney who specializes in pet law or at least an attorney who loves dogs and
SUE!

And file animal cruelty charges on them...

And tell PETA, ASPCA and have these people investigated by the local animal control ANIMAL CRUELTY INVESTIGATOR.

Sue them Civilly and file charges against them CRIMINALLY!

If you were going to do obedience classes, you should have checked out your animal shelter and taken those classes and NEVER LEFT YOUR DOG IN THE CUSTODY OF ANYONE ELSE.

SUE!

Hi,

I'm just writing to say that my wife and I have been working with Carlos and Shirley and their staff for over three years. We have had an amazing overall experience with them, through three dogs.

First, we have a Jack Russell Terrier who was a one-year old rescue dog that was found tied to a tree before my wife adopted him. He was kicked out of at least three different dog daycares, and no one would go near him. My wife was at a loss, and Carlos took up the challenge. He took our Jack Russell up to the ranch to live there for about five months, and worked wonders on him. He still has a bad day from time to time, but he is a changed, balanced animal 95% of the time and we are amazed not only at what Carlos and staff were able to do, but at their dedication in doing it. Even now, years after he was up there for rehabilitation, if our Jack Russell needs a refresher course, Carlos will take him back up there for no charge for a few weeks. Put it simply, Custom Dog Training is the reason this dog is still with us, there was simply nowhere else to turn, and he's great now!

Second, we had a very old Black Lab who had cancer by the time he first went up to Thee Boarding Ranch. He had a great life before he went up there, but I am fully convinced that the last two years of his life, going up to the ranch twice a week for day care (they will come and pick your dog(s) up where you live, anywhere in the LA area and take them up for day care to the desert, twice a week!) were as good as the last two years of his life could have been. Being an old and gentle boy, they gave him the run of the place, and every time he went he was allowed to "swim" (wade, really) in a koi fish pond that Carlos keeps there. Being a huge swimmer in his past, but being far too old to go out in the ocean any longer, I am sure that my old Lab was in his own brand of heaven floating and wading among Carlos' Koi fish. In fact, we were told on a visit after our old boy passed away that when he went in there, it kicked up the silt and clogged the pump for the pond, but they replaced the pump three times and just let him go back in to swim. They treated him like he was their own old boy, and when he passed, we could tell they felt it as we did. So, not only can they take troubled pets off the street, but also an old boy with cancer and take good care of him.

Third, we adopted the newest member of our pack from Carlos -- one of his purebred German Shepard puppies. He has been put through on-leash and now off-leash training -- again, spending months at the ranch for the off-leash. He's still a puppy, so he needs a refresher from time to time, (well, actually, I think that we are the ones needing the refresher, not him!), and soon he'll be going for his protection dog training program. Carlos doesn't advertise his breeding program, and doesn't often have a litter. He is very careful about the dogs he uses, and the result for us has been an addition of a very sweet, goofy, fun and also very protective new member of our family.

I suppose the bottom line is that not everyone is going to mesh perfectly with everyone else, but if you and Carlos and the people at Custom Dog Training can mesh well together as we do with them, we have found that they can be great partners with you in the raising, training, and caring of your dogs.

thanks
Ned

Hi,

I'm just writing to say that my wife and I have been working with Carlos and Shirley and their staff for over three years. We have had an amazing overall experience with them, through three dogs.

First, we have a Jack Russell Terrier who was a one-year old rescue dog that was found tied to a tree before my wife adopted him. He was kicked out of at least three different dog daycares, and no one would go near him. My wife was at a loss, and Carlos took up the challenge. He took our Jack Russell up to the ranch to live there for about five months, and worked wonders on him. He still has a bad day from time to time, but he is a changed, balanced animal 95% of the time and we are amazed not only at what Carlos and staff were able to do, but at their dedication in doing it. Even now, years after he was up there for rehabilitation, if our Jack Russell needs a refresher course, Carlos will take him back up there for no charge for a few weeks. Put it simply, Custom Dog Training is the reason this dog is still with us, there was simply nowhere else to turn, and he's great now!

Second, we had a very old Black Lab who had cancer by the time he first went up to Thee Boarding Ranch. He had a great life before he went up there, but I am fully convinced that the last two years of his life, going up to the ranch twice a week for day care (they will come and pick your dog(s) up where you live, anywhere in the LA area and take them up for day care to the desert, twice a week!) were as good as the last two years of his life could have been. Being an old and gentle boy, they gave him the run of the place, and every time he went he was allowed to "swim" (wade, really) in a koi fish pond that Carlos keeps there. Being a huge swimmer in his past, but being far too old to go out in the ocean any longer, I am sure that my old Lab was in his own brand of heaven floating and wading among Carlos' Koi fish. In fact, we were told on a visit after our old boy passed away that when he went in there, it kicked up the silt and clogged the pump for the pond, but they replaced the pump three times and just let him go back in to swim. They treated him like he was their own old boy, and when he passed, we could tell they felt it as we did. So, not only can they take troubled pets off the street, but also an old boy with cancer and take good care of him.

Third, we adopted the newest member of our pack from Carlos -- one of his purebred German Shepard puppies. He has been put through on-leash and now off-leash training -- again, spending months at the ranch for the off-leash. He's still a puppy, so he needs a refresher from time to time, (well, actually, I think that we are the ones needing the refresher, not him!), and soon he'll be going for his protection dog training program. Carlos doesn't advertise his breeding program, and doesn't often have a litter. He is very careful about the dogs he uses, and the result for us has been an addition of a very sweet, goofy, fun and also very protective new member of our family.

I suppose the bottom line is that not everyone is going to mesh perfectly with everyone else, but if you and Carlos and the people at Custom Dog Training can mesh well together as we do with them, we have found that they can be great partners with you in the raising, training, and caring of your dogs.

thanks
Ned

Hi,

I'm just writing to say that my wife and I have been working with Carlos and Shirley and their staff for over three years. We have had an amazing overall experience with them, through three dogs.

First, we have a Jack Russell Terrier who was a one-year old rescue dog that was found tied to a tree before my wife adopted him. He was kicked out of at least three different dog daycares, and no one would go near him. My wife was at a loss, and Carlos took up the challenge. He took our Jack Russell up to the ranch to live there for about five months, and worked wonders on him. He still has a bad day from time to time, but he is a changed, balanced animal 95% of the time and we are amazed not only at what Carlos and staff were able to do, but at their dedication in doing it. Even now, years after he was up there for rehabilitation, if our Jack Russell needs a refresher course, Carlos will take him back up there for no charge for a few weeks. Put it simply, Custom Dog Training is the reason this dog is still with us, there was simply nowhere else to turn, and he's great now!

Second, we had a very old Black Lab who had cancer by the time he first went up to Thee Boarding Ranch. He had a great life before he went up there, but I am fully convinced that the last two years of his life, going up to the ranch twice a week for day care (they will come and pick your dog(s) up where you live, anywhere in the LA area and take them up for day care to the desert, twice a week!) were as good as the last two years of his life could have been. Being an old and gentle boy, they gave him the run of the place, and every time he went he was allowed to "swim" (wade, really) in a koi fish pond that Carlos keeps there. Being a huge swimmer in his past, but being far too old to go out in the ocean any longer, I am sure that my old Lab was in his own brand of heaven floating and wading among Carlos' Koi fish. In fact, we were told on a visit after our old boy passed away that when he went in there, it kicked up the silt and clogged the pump for the pond, but they replaced the pump three times and just let him go back in to swim. They treated him like he was their own old boy, and when he passed, we could tell they felt it as we did. So, not only can they take troubled pets off the street, but also an old boy with cancer and take good care of him.

Third, we adopted the newest member of our pack from Carlos -- one of his purebred German Shepard puppies. He has been put through on-leash and now off-leash training -- again, spending months at the ranch for the off-leash. He's still a puppy, so he needs a refresher from time to time, (well, actually, I think that we are the ones needing the refresher, not him!), and soon he'll be going for his protection dog training program. Carlos doesn't advertise his breeding program, and doesn't often have a litter. He is very careful about the dogs he uses, and the result for us has been an addition of a very sweet, goofy, fun and also very protective new member of our family.

I suppose the bottom line is that not everyone is going to mesh perfectly with everyone else, but if you and Carlos and the people at Custom Dog Training can mesh well together as we do with them, we have found that they can be great partners with you in the raising, training, and caring of your dogs.

thanks
Ned

Hi,

I'm just writing to say that my wife and I have been working with Carlos and Shirley and their staff for over three years. We have had an amazing overall experience with them, through three dogs.

First, we have a Jack Russell Terrier who was a one-year old rescue dog that was found tied to a tree before my wife adopted him. He was kicked out of at least three different dog daycares, and no one would go near him. My wife was at a loss, and Carlos took up the challenge. He took our Jack Russell up to the ranch to live there for about five months, and worked wonders on him. He still has a bad day from time to time, but he is a changed, balanced animal 95% of the time and we are amazed not only at what Carlos and staff were able to do, but at their dedication in doing it. Even now, years after he was up there for rehabilitation, if our Jack Russell needs a refresher course, Carlos will take him back up there for no charge for a few weeks. Put it simply, Custom Dog Training is the reason this dog is still with us, there was simply nowhere else to turn, and he's great now!

Second, we had a very old Black Lab who had cancer by the time he first went up to Thee Boarding Ranch. He had a great life before he went up there, but I am fully convinced that the last two years of his life, going up to the ranch twice a week for day care (they will come and pick your dog(s) up where you live, anywhere in the LA area and take them up for day care to the desert, twice a week!) were as good as the last two years of his life could have been. Being an old and gentle boy, they gave him the run of the place, and every time he went he was allowed to "swim" (wade, really) in a koi fish pond that Carlos keeps there. Being a huge swimmer in his past, but being far too old to go out in the ocean any longer, I am sure that my old Lab was in his own brand of heaven floating and wading among Carlos' Koi fish. In fact, we were told on a visit after our old boy passed away that when he went in there, it kicked up the silt and clogged the pump for the pond, but they replaced the pump three times and just let him go back in to swim. They treated him like he was their own old boy, and when he passed, we could tell they felt it as we did. So, not only can they take troubled pets off the street, but also an old boy with cancer and take good care of him.

Third, we adopted the newest member of our pack from Carlos -- one of his purebred German Shepard puppies. He has been put through on-leash and now off-leash training -- again, spending months at the ranch for the off-leash. He's still a puppy, so he needs a refresher from time to time, (well, actually, I think that we are the ones needing the refresher, not him!), and soon he'll be going for his protection dog training program. Carlos doesn't advertise his breeding program, and doesn't often have a litter. He is very careful about the dogs he uses, and the result for us has been an addition of a very sweet, goofy, fun and also very protective new member of our family.

I suppose the bottom line is that not everyone is going to mesh perfectly with everyone else, but if you and Carlos and the people at Custom Dog Training can mesh well together as we do with them, we have found that they can be great partners with you in the raising, training, and caring of your dogs.

thanks
Ned

Lisa & Patrick, parents of Diesel, a very dog aggressive boxer was sent to us to be fully trained On-Leash with anti-dog aggression training, was injured by a female boxer that was being mounted by Diesel. After our dog-handler removed Diesel off the female Boxer, our dog- handler continued playing with all of the other dogs in our dog yards. (we are located on 3 acres and have huge play-yards) in a matter of seconds, as with any out-door dog park, the female Boxer already irritated by the bothersome mounting turned around and retaliated against Diesel, causing ONE bite wound and several SCRATCHES on Diesel, Protocol for this type of accident at the Ranch, requests that both problematic dogs be immediately removed from the yards and inspected for any injuries, and immediately contact Carlos to determine what action to take next.

Both Lisa & Patrick signed a Boarding Release Form giving Carlos Banuelos-Head Trainer & Owner to act in my behalf and in my pets' best interest by obtaining veterinary care at my expense, if deemed necessary, for illness or injury. I further agree to pay for all veterinary and all other necessary services incurred by and for my pet during it's stay at CDT Ranch. ..This boarding facility agrees to exercise all due and reasonable care to prevent injury Also, both owners were informed (and fully understood) the risks that are at ANY out-door kennel/dog park even when owners walk their dogs, they risk their dog being approached by a aggressive dog on-the leash. We have seen it happen many times, and in a split second a dog can receive multiple injuries. We have trained/rehabilitated dogs who have been attacked and dogs that have attacked.

At Custom Dog Training, we pride ourselves in our training and provide our customers with a full GUARANTEE on ALL our training packages. Carlos has been training aggressive dogs for over 10 years. He has rehabilitated hundreds of abused, abandoned, & aggressive dogs that if not for him, would have been turned into the Animal Shelter and put to sleep. We are currently training aggressive/problematic dogs from STARPAWS RESCUE & BOXER RESCUE. Both rescues currently have dogs at our Ranch to be fully trained by Carlos so that they may find loving homes.

It was a very unfortunate accident, and simply just that. Please note that we were hired by Lisa & Patrick to train Diesel & Bella (their other female Boxer) 15 voice commands & Hand Signals. Throughout Diesel & Bella's stay Lisa & Patrick came up to our Ranch for lessons with one of the Trainers, and they were both VERY satisfied and happy to see that both Bella & Diesel were fully trained and in great spirits with us. Unfortunately, right before their departure, Carlos arrived to the Ranch and was informed by our kennel assistants of the accident. Carlos, a Certified Vet-Technician, immediately began to take care of Diesel, and arranged for him to be seen by our Veterinarian.

We love and own our own beautiful dogs, and it is heinous & false to be called dog-abusers when in fact we love each and every guest as if they were our own. We tried to appease Lisa & Patrick by offering to pay the veterinarian bill, despite business policy. Unfortunately, this was not enough for Patrick & Lisa. They requested a full refund on the training for BOTH dogs, despite the fact that they were both fully trained with a full guarantee and 10 in-home private lessons due to them.
We will continue to back up our training and will provide free private lessons at their home, to prove that we have NOT ripped them off.

Despite the defamation and false accusations towards myself & Carlos and all that we believe in, we are still willing to go to their home and teach Lisa & Patrick all the commands that Diesel & Bella have learned. Because of the time lapse in between their return home and no official lesson at the residence, Lisa & Patrick have not been able to continue their training, and Bella & Diesel most likely lapsed into any unwanted behavior. If that does not help, we will REFUND the money they asked for AND honor our Guarantee by providing all 10 private lessons owed to them, if we are contacted directly by Lisa, Patrick or their Attorney.

Finally, we hope to hear from ANYONE with questions or concerns, including Lisa & Patrick so that Custom Dog Training Thee Boarding Ranch will not be construed to be anything other than a safe and loving, family-run Dog Ranch.

We provide tours, visits, and referrals by hundreds of happy clients, to anyone who has any doubt.

Blessings,
Shirley R.
Owner & Manager

If it was obedience training, why cant you do it yourself?

I cannot imagine anybody training somebody else's dog. Did you actually trust this guy to train your dog?

If it was obedience training, why cant you do it yourself?

I cannot imagine anybody training somebody else's dog. Did you actually trust this guy to train your dog?