Complaint Review: Rick Lherrison & K9 Training Academy

Rick the owner threatned to kill my dog- twice. 

We dropped off our Rottweiler for a refresher of obedience training- a 6 week basic obedience training course where our dog would be boarded at his kennel while he trained her. 

Within 24 hours Rick- the owner- called threatening to kill our dog if she did not behave. When we asked for more detail- i.e. why he would say such a thing- he said that she refused to leave her crate to work with them and was acting defensive.  He said that he would keep working with her and would check in with us regularly. 

We called him just about every day for a week asking for a progress report and he said that she was getting comfortable with his team and responding to his training. Great. 

BUT THEN a week later we get another, even more disturbing call from Rick saying that my dog "is alive, but..."  and that she was misbehaving with a trainer. He then continued on to say that he "couldn't guarantee that she would be alive" if he had been working with her" because sometimes, he "just sees red." He once again threatened to kill my dog.

We immediately requested all training be stopped given our massive safety concerns for our animal and picked her up early. He held her hostage- refusing to release her back to us- until payment was made. Absolutely petrifying situation with unacceptable behavior from a so-called professional. 

When we got our dog back she as covered in her own feces and had a limp in her back leg. She looked like she had been through hell and back. We called our vet immediately but as it was a holiday week, he was unable to take us and recommended that we take our dog home, clean her up, and keep an eye on her limp. 

After a week, her limp resolved but it is clear that the psychological impacts of his training (abuse) are still long lasting. Our dog is now perpetually terrified of being left alone with people she does not know (such as going to the groomer, visiting the vet etc). She is fearful of people touching her hips and hind legs- we assume he hit her or did something highly traumatic to that area to cause this behavior as she was never this way prior to Rick's "training."

Absolutely unacceptable behavior. This man is an animal abuser, not a trainer.

If you want to keep your pets alive- and safe- do not take them to see him. 

K9 Training Academy is no training facility whatsoever. They act with reckless disregard for the welfare and safety of the animals for which they are responsible.