I noticed that many of the existing reviews for this trainer date back to 2018, so I wanted to…read moreshare a more recent experience for anyone considering working with him. Business practices can change over time, and I feel it's important to share my recent experience so others can make an informed decision.
I hired Felix to work with my working-line dog and spent $8,000 over four months. Initially, Felix was professional and punctual. Over time, however, he became increasingly disorganized. Sessions were frequently cancelled or rescheduled for personal reasons, and he arrived late on multiple occasions. I continued because for a while the training went well, and my dog was learning a lot from the time and energy I dedicated to him. This is why I bought a second package from him.
Felix started using a Dogtra e-collar at very high levels (90-100). As training progressed, this became more frequent. My dog vocalized and showed clear signs of distress. On one occasion, my dog lightly redirected toward me (after a correction Felix inflicted at 100) behavior he had never displayed prior to working with Felix. I raised my concerns via text later in the day, explaining that I felt these correction levels were inappropriate given my dog's age, maturity, and frustration level. Felix dismissed my concerns, responding that "bites happen," and told me I was making too big of a deal out of the situation, which caused me to second-guess myself. He affirmed my dog was 100% safe and noble.
At our next session, Felix showed me photos of serious injuries caused by his own dog letting me know my dog wasn't actually handler aggressive like his dog was.
Following that session, Felix applied harsh prong-collar corrections while my dog was learning a new command. My dog quickly redirected toward him (no broken skin). Felix became visibly frazzled, speaking aggressively toward both me and my partner, making inappropriate comments about my physical strength/body and questioning why I owned a large male dog and berating me in front of my home. My partner, who is a psychologist, calmly intervened due to concern about the tone and direction of the interaction.
Immediately afterward, while my dog was highly aroused, Felix attempted a "leave it" exercise by scattering ham in our backyard without having taught the command first. When my dog attempted to eat the food, Felix administered multiple level-100 e-collar corrections. My dog yelped in pain, and my partner expressed serious discomfort, which Felix again dismissed. Felix then made alarming comments about having been "mauled" by several dogs and having dreams of being killed by dogs. Before he left our home, he told us that once again we were "on track" and he'd see us next session. When he left we were both shaken. That night my partner and I had drawn a line and decided we needed outside consult because our dog's behavior was changing in real time. And the exercise out back crossed a line for us and our dog's safety.
The following day, Felix sent a message cancelling our work together. In a short text, he commanded me to return my dog to the breeder, instructed me not to contact him again, and blocked me and my partner on social media and text message.
Stunned, I went to his website and emailed him requesting a refund for the unused sessions (over $3,000). He refused, citing a "no-refund policy," though no such policy was provided in writing or verbally at the time of purchase.
Since then, I have consulted with multiple highly respected trainers, including two who have competed at the IGP World Championship level. None were familiar with Felix or his work, and all expressed extreme concern about the methods described. They indicated these methods contributed to the redirection issues and confirmed that my dog is highly workable with appropriate training.
Felix has the right to choose who he works with. However, cancelling services while refusing to refund prepaid sessions reflects poorly on his business practices and integrity. I am sharing this experience so others can make an informed decision before hiring this trainer. Please know that if Felix feels overwhelmed or in over his head while training your dog, he can (and might) stop the pre-paid sessions at any time, block you, and refuse to give you back money for services that were not rendered.