Would NOT Recommend

My 5 month old, 20 lb, Miniature Australian Shepard, “Bowie”, was enrolled in the Puppy Foundations class this summer after a 6 week waitlist. I was concerned due to COVID-19, but decided we would give it a try to see if things felt safe. Bowie was excited when first coming into class (in a manner that I deem extremely appropriate for a 5 month old high-energy puppy ie: pulling on the leash to play with the other dogs). Immediately, Bowie was tightly squeezed and restricted by the instructor in such a way that I deemed extremely unnecessary and aggressive, until he yelped in fear and discomfort in a way I had not seen before and haven’t since. This “technique” did not help me feel confident in the instructor or classes and additionally did not align with the “positive reinforcement” style of training that OPBark claims they operate under. Not only was I displeased with instruction, but I became uncomfortable with the lack of social distancing inside. The instructor had us walk in a circle closer then 6 feet with other participants, indoors. Finally, class ended a solid 10 minutes early. Despite our extremely poor experience and in the midst of a global pandemic occurring, we were denied a refund. I warn anyone against taking classes here. However, we did have a wonderful experience with classes at Unleashed Training at the Pant Dog Center. I would recommend choosing Unleashed Training instead if you want a more positive-reinforcement based, COVID-19 safe experience.

Nov. 12, 2020