My dad (left) recently passed and his best friend (right) gave us this photo of the two of them somewhere in SF. My guess would be north of the park? But honestly I have no clue. Would be very appreciative if anyone can help me locate this (it would have been taken somewhere in the mid-late 70s)
We had a very bad experience at Alpha Dog and I recommend you think twice about sending your dog(s) there. Without our permission or consent, they used bark collars/e collar on our dog. One of the collars they use on their dogs is a Citronella collar. According to the Animal Humane Society, Cintronella is toxic to dogs (linked here). Again, I want to emphasize, Citronella is toxic to dogs and they use these types of collars without the consent of the owner. They also use prong collars and typically train with negative reinforcement. According to studies, negative reinforcement in training with dogs (prong collars, e collars, etc) can actually cause more stress and trauma in dogs (see study done on the negative effects of e collars and prong collars linked here). If we had our choice, we would have talked to our vet about alternative methods/potentially better solutions. Bark collars can also be triggered if other dogs are barking which causes more shocks and sprays to the dog when unneeded.
As a dog kennel, there should be a better understanding of each dog breed and their behaviors. Dogs will bark and they will bark especially if they are separating dogs via a wired fence. A wired fence allows the separated dog groups to be able to see to the other side. Our dog was jumping against the wired fence and his nail came off. They took him to the emergency vet to treat the paw. They made us pay for the entire vet bill as well as the visit in full. Having a wired fence where the dog is able to see through can cause many issues besides injury and stress. I think it is incredibly inappropriate to ask for the owner to cover the bill because a dog is jumping against their fence.
I think Alpha Dog has a general problem with the way they do their trainings. It seems like there is a lack of understanding of dogs and breeds.
If you own a dog it is important to understand that they have certain behaviors they cannot control and is inherently a part of their genetic DNA. A dog barks because it is their genetic behavior. We have beagles that bey and the barking/beying is a part of their build. Beagles throats are actually different than other dogs because they are able to open their throats more (hence why they bey). This is part of their hunting DNA (what they were bred to do). If you cannot handle having a certain breed at your kennel then you should not be boarding those breeds. Alpha Dog definitely looks for any way to drain money from you by offering extra services that inherently won’t improve any behavior.
Because our dog is typically on the hyperactive side they sent us an email (not a call, an email) suggesting more “play sessions” which you have to pay extra for. You have to pay for the staff to play with your dog.
Alpha Dog also boards up to 150 dogs at a time with minimal space and options for the dogs to have space to roam.
In their posts on social media you can also see dogs clearly in distress whether it is having close proximity/camera in a dogs face or using physical pressure to teach a dog down (and if you know, a more appropriate and harmless way to teach a dog down is to have them follow with a treat into a down position with practice). Using pressure training can actually cause more trauma and stress to the dog.
I highly highly recommend you spread the word. I know other people have had pretty bad experiences with Alpha Dog, especially with diseases being spread.
Please reconsider sending your pet to Alpha Dog.