Letter To The Editor: Loyal Canines Defends Training Techniques

Dear Editor,

Your March 26 story, “Shelter’s Punishment-Based Training Techniques Raised Concerns” was 100% inaccurate in its description of Loyal Canines’ dog training services and the life-saving work we did with Bandit.

This is the truth:

1. Bandit had severe dog aggression and anxiety when Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) sent him to Loyal Canines for training and socialization. The shelter and their “volunteer” trainers could NOT get him anywhere near other dogs. We spent nearly two months training and socializing Bandit with other dogs in a positive, safe environment at our Peabody facility so that he could be adopted (see training videos below, note no prong collar was used during any socialization).

https://youtu.be/ik29fY4pQis

https://youtu.be/KLwgn8FlWF4

https://youtu.be/odgZJTM39tY

2. When Bandit left Loyal Canines, he was well socialized, happy and under control. This was NOT the result of “punishment based training.” We use prong collars correctly as ONE training tool – among many other positive reinforcement techniques – in some situations for some dogs. It really depends on the individual dog, the behaviors we are trying to control and the owner’s end goals. Many dogs do not need training tools like prong collars.

3. Loyal Canines would never suggest, encourage or condone an owner leave a prong collar on their dog 24/7. We recommended using a prong collar for Bandit ONLY for walking and leash control because he is a very strong and powerful dog. Trainers knowledgeable about the proper use of prong collars understand that these are valuable tools for leash control, and not punishment devices.

4. We believe the shelter volunteers quoted in the Patch article have a personal agenda to discredit Loyal Canines’ business and push positive-reinforcement-only training. One works for a direct competitor of our company, and the other has no formal “certifications” or any formal education or dog handling experience. Neither of them have been trained on the proper use of a prong collar for leash control (not punishment) of an extremely strong dog.

5. The story about a shelter volunteer visiting Bandit at NEAS after his training at Loyal Canines where she said she found the dog “shaking in his kennel and there was a prong collar on the shelf next to his crate” is 100% fabricated. Bandit did not return to the shelter after his training – he went directly to his adopted family from Loyal Canines.

6. Shelter volunteers were NOT able to “fix” Bandit with “positive-reinforcement-only” methods. The “manual” the volunteer wrote was NOT successful, and shelter volunteers were NOT able to walk Bandit without him being aggressive towards other dogs. If they had been successful, he would have been adopted without further training from Loyal Canines.

7. Several "certified animal trainers" who have never met Bandit and who do not know anything about Loyal Canines were quoted in the article commenting on Bandit and our methods. This is wrong. No professional dog trainer should voice an opinion about an individual dog or the methods that are appropriate for training the dog until they have directly evaluated and worked with the animal.

8. We are often the “last chance” for these dogs, and have saved thousands of “hard to train” dogs who would have otherwise been euthanized if we were not successful.Many of these dogs have gone on to be placed in loving homes.

9. We are very proud of the work we did with Bandit and the reputation we have earned for working with and successfully training even the toughest dogs with the biggest challenges. Bandit’s family sent a glowing testimonial to the shelter about how happy they were with him and with Loyal Canines after they adopted him (see below).

https://www.northeastanimalshelter.org/2017/09/one-day-lonely-blue-thought-misbehaving-right-thing-went-reform-school-labored-long-hard-now-loving-family-even-big-back-yard-o/

We have been in business for nearly 10 years and are highly knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated and passionate about dogs and dog training. Our head trainers have decades of collective experience working with dogs in a variety of settings (including competition, service and rescue situations) and many different dog training certifications. We customize all of our training methods to each dog’s temperament and each owner’s specific goals to develop “well-balanced dogs” in a safe, healthy, positive and productive environment.

Sincerely,

Jermaine Anderson

Owner

Loyal Canines LLC

More on this story:

• Shelter's Punishment-Based Training Techniques Raised Concerns (03/26/2018)
• Staff At Northeast Animal Shelter Refused To Care For Local Pets (03/21/2018)
• Allegations Mount Against Northeast Animal Shelter Management (03/20/2018)
• Northeast Animal Shelter Responds To Allegations By Ex-Employees (03/19/2018)
• Ex-Employees Claim No-Kill Animal Shelter Euthanized Healthy Pets (03/18/2018)

Patch file photo of Bandit