Hello. On the weekend of Feb 6, 2010 I took my GSD and new puppy to the Williston Vermont location. Upon entering our dog became very agitated. I went immediately to the muzzles and we put one on him. Please understand that our dogs behavior was not common. He has gone to The Monks of New Skete and he is a well socialized dog.We have been told by HIS trainer that he is not dog aggressive. After about 15- 20 minutes of sitting at the door in a sit and down position/ with a degree of difficulty we walked him by the fish tanks and around and he seemed to ome back tonormal. He was playing with another Shepherd as well as many other dogs... his behavior when he entered was barking and fur up. One of your trainers decided to come over and start feeding my dog treats. WE DO NOT FEED HIM TREATS... as a means to promote positive behvior. We do to reward good behavior as it is fitting. We do not want nor like people feeding him. We try to discourage any feeding other than what we give him. Never the less we purchased $100.00 of items and we left. We called our trainer and we were told to do sit and down poistion with him and to correct his behavior. Try him again the following week. Upon arriving today at the Williston store...we were returning an item that didnt give the dog enough room to fit turn around. We walked through the store after the refund. When we entered we had a King Poodle snarl at our dog the women went her way apologized and we were fine. Our dog played and sniffed many dogs in the store today with no issues. Even greeted a Greyhound rescue dog att he door with no problems.
As we were getting ready to leave the store our dog started to bark at a Border Collie as did the collie bark at us. The owner commented on how her neighbors have same type of dog we do and he is aggressive. Needless to say your staff of four came up to us infront of the enitre check out line and started telling me that my husband had "hit" our dog. That she had customers complaining. First and foremost if your managment staff comments that she did not see it that someone complained that she should have the courtsey to have spoken private to my husband and I. You have a trainer there the same one worked the previous Saturday which was the women who gave trerats to our dog. She was 'telling' me that she could get my dog to behave and that she believed in the rewarding the dogs for "positive" behavior". I did not spen thousnads of dollars to be spoken to by a staff member of no degree/ or posted degree on dog training in training my dog with a impressive world wide known name of The Monks of New SKete. Condecending is not customer service. When I told her that I did not want her to feed my dog treats "which she never has asked to, just given to him" she commented that she could train him and continued to have the treat in her hand as if to give it to him.
If my dog has/ had allergies would your company pay for the vet bills or the cost of refuning my dog if it hurt or injure my dog? I carry insurance on my dog actually a $500.000 policy and what if he didnt do it gently enough when she gave it to him and he broke her skin..(he is gentle) but in the situation with us surrounded by four of your employees being confrontational I wouldn't suggest her feeding him.
I am sure that your company isnt worried about one customer that comes in to purchase food, and dog supplies, and other pet supplies, but I do not appreciate your staff saying that my husband was hitting my dog... when she said she hear a complaint about it from a customer, and that if our dog isnt friendly than perhaps he shouldnt come in, and that my husband shouldnt be hitting the dog. When she did not see anything and says that was the customers "perception" than I think she should have more to base it on than that. We do and will continue to hold his snout shut when he is barking. The customer that was with the border collie was already in a negative mind set because before she even knew I was with my dog she said the comment about her neighbor. What a shame that your company isnt open to all breeds.
Maybe your management staff and trainers should be more aware of what they are doing and saying. And have more customer service skills that are not confrontational infront of all the other people in the store. Perhaps asking could you step aside and come spreak with me would of worked alot better. As far as your trainer being condecending and insistent on feeding my dog treats without asking ormy permission and insiting on it I would wonder if that would open you up for some kind of suit in reagards to her offering and offering when she was told NO.