We waited a full year to share our experience with All Dogs Unleashed to reflect the long-term impact on our dogs. While staff were friendly, the program felt largely misrepresented to us.
In October 2024, we enrolled our two dogs (8 y/o + 2 y/o) in a 4-week board-and-train program specifically to address resource guarding. Both dogs had a history of resource guarding, which we had managed successfully, but the behavior had recently escalated and we wanted professional support. We were assured multiple times that resource guarding would be addressed through individualized obedience training.
Communication during training was limited. We had to initiate contact, and updates generally indicated that the dogs were doing well. No concerns were raised to us about their behavior or suitability for the program.
Upon returning home, our younger dog appeared extremely fearful and hesitant, taking nearly 15 minutes to approach us despite reassurance. During the "live demo," commands like "place" were enforced with excessive e-collar corrections. The dogs seemed confused, stressed, and did not appear to have any understanding of the commands being given. Bad manners, like jumping, were still present even during this session. When we asked how resource guarding had been addressed, the sole reason we signed up, the trainer said, "We never saw this behavior ourselves, so it wasn't addressed," without further elaboration. The dogs displayed resource guarding behaviors during this session, and she instructed us to "just use the e-collar whenever they do something you don't want," which directly contradicted advice from the manager that punishing guarding could significantly worsen it. When we raised concerns multiple times both during this session and afterward, we generally felt dismissed and were told for a long time to "let them adjust" before seeking more training.
Our youngest began frequently urinating in her crate, a behavior she had never displayed before. When we asked about this, we were recommended to see a vet. They did offer another training session, but we ultimately felt it was not the right decision to continue with them. A veterinarian confirmed her urination was stress-related, consistent with the behaviors we noticed during the return session. She has since required daily anti-anxiety medication for fear-based behaviors that arose immediately after she returned home.
Over a year later, their obedience is unchanged from before the program, and we have had to cope with long-term stress and anxiety for our dogs. We spent about $5,000 on a program that failed to address our primary concern and left lasting negative effects on us. We don't recommend this business and encourage anyone seeking professional training to choose a trainer whose approach is tailored to their dogs' specific needs and training goals. read more