Texas woman goes to beginner dog training class at Petco. Then a worker steps in: ‘If all he knows what to do is sit this is the wrong class for him’
A puppy owner has a bone to pick with a Petco in Plano, Texas.
Jenna (@jenna_ty1), a mother who became the proud owner of a (not so) mini Bernadoodle, recently headed to the popular pet-centric retailer for a class to help her dog learn social cues. While there, he says she was confronted by a Petco worker. Jenna claims the worker seemed hell-bent on ruining her day from the get-go.
The experience prompted Jenna to hop on social media and relay her tale, which gained enough traction for the brand’s official TikTok account to reach out.
What does she say the Petco worker did?
Initially, she was excited. But that feeling didn’t last very long. Jenna says she was shocked by the way Petco staff treated her during the puppy training class.
“As soon as I walked in the trainer, her name’s Jill, she looks me up and down, like this,” Jenna says, emulating an expression of disgust. She says she then asked if she was at a puppy training class.
Jenna says the worker responded sarcastically, “She looks at me and goes, ‘Well if you’re here for training it is.’”
She claims Jill then asked her dog’s name. When she replied, “Moose,” Jill retorted, “you don’t look like a Moose.” Then they discussed the dog’s breed.
Upon learning the puppy is a bernadoodle, Jill quipped, “Oh they’re just coming up with anything nowadays.” Jenna says she found this to be “condescending.”
From bad to worse
By then, Jenna says she was already feeling some type of way about Jill. Her dislike only grew from there.
Jenna told the trainer that her dog knew just a few prompts, like how to sit. But she really wanted to work on respect for others’ boundaries.
She claims this last prompted a snarky response. “Personal space,” she recalls Jill saying. “If all he knows how to do is sit, then this isn’t the class for him.”
Jenna says she was stunned. She asked what the class taught, and says Jill responded by asking what she signed up for.
“I signed up for the beginner class, this class,” Jenna purportedly told the woman. Jill reportedly told her that Moose wasn’t a “beginner” dog.
“If all he knows how to do is sit then he needs puppy training,” Jenna claims Jill said.
The Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh offers dog-training classes at three levels: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. The first tier, which is aimed at puppies, “teach the basics of obedience such as sit, down, leave it, [and] loose leash walking,” it says.
Enough already
At this point, Jenna decided she’d had enough. She says she asked the trainer about her “sh**** attitude.” Jill, she says, doubled down with her insistence that a dog that “only knows how to sit” isn’t suited for the beginner class.
Jenna says then she spoke to a manager about a refund. She claims the manager was polite as he helped her process the request. But later, she says her Google review blasting Jill’s behavior was removed from the online search page. Meanwhile, Jenna alleges that a positive review Jill uploaded after hers remains.
She called the disparity “ironic” and ultimately contacted Petco corporate to file a complaint. Jenna claims the company didn’t respond or process her refund in a timely manner.
Petco responds
As her video racked up views, it apparently caught the attention of Petco.
The company commented on her post, “We’re so sorry you and Moose experienced this, that’s truly not the kind of environment we want for our pet parents. We’re flagging this to leadership right away to review. Please send us a DM with your contact info so we can include it in the follow-up and make sure they’re able to connect with you.”
Asked by a commenter if Petco made things right, Jenna answered in the affirmative.
“I received a full refund for the training classes and a $100 gift card as well as a few calls and emails from corporate apologizing for the experience,” she said.
The Big Lead has reached out to Petco via email and Jenna via TikTok comment for further information.
