Alpha Dog Center

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CLOSED NOW - Opens at 7:00am

Awful, unprofessional company. Go elsewhere, staff mistreat animals behind the scenes. The live videos are staged, "bad" dogs are locked in a cage all day instead of informing customer that it's not working out. Money hungry! Staff also instructed not to give dogs affection but instead offer one on one time at an additional charge. Read reviews on their other platforms like yelp, Google, and their own facebook. Many many horrendous experiences documented.

I had used their grooming service for several years. We didn't necessarily like the customer relations portion of business, but the groomer did a good job. I just received a call, out of the blue, cancelling my upcoming appointment and telling me we were no longer welcome because I supposedly complained about having to drop off my daughter's dog separate from my dogs. incredible! Not only is that untrue, I always thank them for setting appointments back to back for me and tip them generously. I know their groomer left and they are using a temp, so maybe they are trying to phase out grooming??? Insulting, rude, condescending, unprofessional. beware.

I started taking my rescue at the time 5 month lab mix puppy whose history is unknown but by being around him you can tell he has trust issues there back in August. The process was easy and quick to get him started and we came in for a temperament test that lasted 5-10 minutes. I was told he could start next week and was given a quick tour of the facility. My plan was to bring him 2-3 times a week due to the fact I work a few long days and he was a puppy with a lot of energy and thought doggie daycare would suit my needs perfectly and it was conveniently located in the town where I live and work. I started off only doing half days to get him acquainted. The second day he went I was called a hour early to pick him up because he was "barking and had enough." When I picked him up I was asked if I let him sleep with me and was rudely asked "could you not" I said no he sleeps where he feels comfortable whether it's in bed, his bed, couch, open crate and so on. I was then told I was setting him up for failure and not building his confidence and he was going to have separation anxiety. I left there upset and took a couple weeks off due to how I was talked to. I understand what she was saying but the delivery could have been put him a much different way. I then took him back and even everything was ok and each pick up all I got was he did "good today." He would come home with bumps and bruises which is expected so I brought that up one day just checking in to make sure he was playing ok and not being aggressive. I was told no he plays rough but not aggressive and she thought some of the bumps he had was from home. I said no it happened here. Fast forward to 10/6 when I was called 45 minutes after dropping him off to be picked up. The original phone call I got was "he's ok..he is going to need to be picked up though...he was playing and tucked and his tail and screamed and that makes him prey and he can't be here so he needs to be picked up." I had to call another family member to pick him up because I was just at the start of my busy work day with clients and he was retrieved from a kennel where he was by himself and said "everyone has a bad day." While at work I had a moment to call back and get the full story. When I returned home from work to finally see my dog he had bite mark looking marks all over his stomach! I WAS NEVER INFORMED THAT HE HAD ANY PHYSICAL MARKING and this is why I am most upset. His fur is light and you can see every mark easily so they knew when he was seen as prey he must of been touched by another pack member who went after him. Not being told this is very unsettling. No they were not puncture wounds but it is the principle at the end of the day. I was very upset and took my thoughts to my own personal social media page. Here is now why i am deeply astounded on how their business operates. The manager of the business commented on my personal page about the situation and berating not only my dog but myself. She went into detail about how my dog has extreme separation anxiety and he gets overwhelmed easily. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HEARING MY DOG HAD SEPARATION ANXIETY. To me this is not how it should have been handled. As a business it should have been between us. I should have received a phone call personally and it should have been discussed then. It was extremely unprofessional. I understand the right to stick up for your business and that these things can happen in a doggy daycare setting. This is not my point. And if this business thinks that it is OK how the situation was handled both about the incidnet inside the business and after the way it was taken care outside the business then it just blows my mind and speaks volumes. I just hope that by hearing this they are able to work on their customer service and realize they are in the service industry as well not just keeping dogs safe. The emotional distress that my dog and I have encountered all could have been avoided at the end of the day.

After seeing poor reviews elsewhere, and here, I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I used to come here for a training course as well as one or two times for grooming (only because my favorite groomer temporarily moved there but after much drama she moved back to her original place). I had an experience with a trainer's dog biting my dog in the FACE (and when I spoke to a behaviorist afterwards, they said the way Alpha Dog handled the situation, which was ignoring it, was wrong). I had crummy handling of my dog (he's not walking on your right because he was trained in Germany for Schutzhund, so no, don't get angry at him and snap at my dog). And then I hear from employees that they hate it there, so why would you ever send your bundle of joy to a place like that? For what it's worth, we had fun. We would stand in a circle with dogs lunging at everyone, while my dog took a nap. Thanks, but I'll keep my part couch potato German Shepherd.

Be careful if you are looking for doggie daycare! You have to get a fecal test at your vet (about $50), then you pay Alpha $10 temperament test (took 5 minutes w/my dog) and then they rejected my dog because she was nervous?? I told them ahead of time she would be. Seems like they "care too much for my dog to have her be nervous" even w/my explanation that she takes time to warm up and my offer to pay for 1/2 day and drop her off only for 30 mins a day to acclimate her! - again rejected/denied. Owner must be making tons of $$, I asked for a call back from manager/owner and they were too busy to call me back. According to the rep on the phone they are "so busy. Good for them, ride out this good economy.. wonder how their poor customer service and real lack of caring for timid dogs will hold up if the economy tanks! Imagine if toddlers were treated this way in daycare! lol, they are too shy we can't take them!

I rescued a 6 month old puppy last summer. He was very different from what I was use to with a puppy. Did not have much history on him so he could have been abused or just not socialized at all. My boyfriend and I took him to at least 5 different places for training or even just socialization and he was awful. He would go after any dog who would come near him and growl at people. All the trainers told us "you need to get him social before you return". I just kept thinking how do we socialize this puppy if we keep getting kicked out? Until I was referred to Kendra. Kendra is AMAZING! She put the time and effort into not only my puppy but us too! She tells it how it is, and honestly at the point where I was, I was about to listen to everything she had to say. I went through not only 1 but 4 training classes with Kendra. She was the only person my puppy would let touch him besides close family members. This puppy is a completely different dog today and if it wasn't for Kendra and her dedicated staff I think I would have just tried and keep my dog away from society which I hate to say. I've also realized that the owners need the training as much if not more than the dogs. I personally recommend Alpha Dog and Kendra to anyone who needs behavioral help with their dog. You must be willing to do the work and it is a lot of work but I PROMISE you it is so worth it in the end!

We were recommended to Alpha Dog Center by our vet when we first adopted our puppy Baxter. We have completed 2 levels of training through the Center with both Kendra and Jess and both were full of information on anything you needed addressed. I have emailed Kendra many times on concerns I was having and she told me exactly what to do to fix the situation, and it worked every time! She even was able to help me correct food aggression within a week! Bottom line is they will not sugar coat things and tell you what you want to hear. If there is an issue or you are doing something that is not benefiting your dog they will tell you exactly what it is. Baxter goes to daycare here at least once a week and he always comes home exhausted and happy! They also offer grooming services here. We have Karen and Jess bathe and cut his nails and he always looks great when they are done with him. We love Alpha Dog and all the girls there!

WE LOVE ALPHA DOG!!!!! We started using Alpha Dog for Daycare and Basic Training when our German Shepherd Beama was 12 weeks old, and we have been hooked on it ever since. We have used all there services (Daycare, Grooming, Training (Group and Private), Food (Taste of the Wild), and Boarding, and we give everything 5 paws up. Owner and head trainer Kendra has turned our girl from a "troublesome" 9 month old into an amazing 2 year old. We can not say thank you enough to Kendra and her entire staff for all their hard work with Beama. They even went so far as to personally, in the middle of winter (all winter long), come outside and get her from my car. I have seen them not only with Beama but with all the other dogs that enter the facility, take that extra time to work with each individual dog to make sure their pack is run safely and orderly. I think it is wonderful that they temp test each dog, and it makes me as a mommy know Beama is safe while in their care. The entire staff is fantastic and soooo friendly. My favorite part about Alpha Dog would have to be the training, it is like no other. We have done multiple training classes with Kendra, and she doesn't follow some cookie-cutter guideline, she runs each class based off of the dogs that are in it. She listens to the parents about issues at home, in the park, walking, and she will make you and your dog work through those issues. Beama is not only physically but mentally drained by the time class is over. We can't say enough good things about Alpha Dog and look forward to continuing Beama's training and using their wonderful services for years to come :) Thank you ALPHA DOG xoxoxo

This place is the best... they do it all and do it all very well... We started our dog here as a 3 month old puppy in obedience class(he is now 8 months old), then enrolled him in the daycare, we have also had him groomed, and boarded him when we were on vacation, there is no other place we will bring our dog.

The staff are truly crazy about dogs and it shows in how they work with the dogs and interact with all us crazy dog owners. They have made a huge difference in the development of our little puppy, turning him into a playful, fun-loving dog who is so well socialized and friendly with everyone and is so well behaved it is not to be believed.



If you live in Northern RI and have a need for any of the services they offer go here as fast as you can and you will not be disappointed....

Alpha Dog Center has worked miracles for my timid lab mix! All staff members are friendly, knowledgeable and dedicated to all of the dogs. The one thing I noticed right away when I walked in is that it did not smell of dog and was spotless! That really impressed me. They have daycare, boarding, training and grooming all in the same building. I adopted my dog Lexie last August. When I first brought her home she was fearful of everything. She would not get into the car or go outside if people or dogs were in sight.



I was hoping doggie daycare would help her socialize. I took her to a well-known daycare center and they turned her down because she was timid. I took that as she was not “perfect” and would require some work on their part which they did not want to do. My last attempt was to bring Lexie to Alpha Dog Center. Even though Lexie was scared to death during the temperament test, the staff could see she was nervous and not aggressive. They told me they would work with Lexie and ease her into the pack at her pace. After the first week of daycare Lexie was opening up and started to play with the dogs. I have seen a tremendous increase in her confidence in just 5 short months! She now gets into the car with ease and goes outside for walks with excitement (she wants to meet new dogs and people)! I never thought she would have gained the confidence to do so this quickly. I am very grateful to everyone at Alpha Dog center and would not take my dog anywhere else. They accepted my not so perfect dog and continue to work miracles for her. Best of all when I tell Lexie she is going to daycare she goes crazy in the car and can not wait to get there!

I found Alpha Dog 2 yrs ago when I was searching for a training facility for my new puppy Pitbull, Kya. Alpha Dog's website caught my eye because unlike other area daycares, Alpha Dog does not promote breed discrimination. My first experience with Alpha Dog was attending puppy training classes. With Kya being my first pet I had no clue how to train a dog. Kendra, the owner/trainer was not only very clear and informative but she often spent time with me after class answering my questions and offering me additional training tips. I was so pleased with the first set of classes, I continued Kya's training by enrolling in the advanced program.

As soon as Kya met the doggie daycare requirements I decided to try that out too. Doggy Daycare is the best service they offer! Kya is always happy to go and I can count on her being exhausted at pick-up. The staff is great! They are friendly, knowledgeable and I can tell the care for Kya as if she were their own. I never have to worry if my dog is in good hands when she is at the Center.

Alpha Dog Center - You guys are the best and my dog has

always been soooo happy there. Even though I have moved 45 minute

away and her visits to Alpha add an additional 20 minutes to my 45

minute commute to work, I continue to bring her on Wednesdays. That

way, when I have to board her, (she is staying with you for a week in

April), she will remain comfortable and know everyone. I wouldn't

think of boarding her anywhere else. If I still lived in Cumberland,

she would still be at Alpha 5 days a week. :)



Shirley and Lucy Parry

My 7.5 month old Bichon Brady has been going to Alpha Dog for daycare for a month now. Brady absolutely loves Kendra, Karen and Kirby as well as the other staff there. Brady can not wait to enter the building and get to playing with all the other well behaved dogs. Kendra and her staff are extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. Brady had a little trouble adjusting and it was due to lack of knowledge on raising a well adjusted dog on my husband and my part. Kendra, Karen and Kirby all took the time to explain a variety of things to help Brady achieve a calm state of mind. Within 2 weeks, a lot of patience, guidance and answering the same questions over and over Brady became a different pup. No matter how many times or ways I asked a question they never made me feel inferior or silly and they never grew tired of answering my endless questions. Just recently we tried their grooming service while Brady was attending daycare, their price is comparable to petsmart and other groomers but Karen did an amazing job. For the first time in all my grooming experiences with Brady, he looked to the specifications I asked for. Karen really took her time and treated him like her own. I can not say enough about the staff at Alpha Dog, I know when I leave Brady there for a day that he will be well cared for, have fun, and comes home happy and tired from his day of play. We are enrolling in the beginner training class and even though we have not taken the class yet the staff have worked on training with Brady to enhance what we have already done at home. I will never bring Brady anywhere else and I will recommend Alpha Dog and their staff every time. You can tell when you walk in that they truly love dogs and make it a point to really get to know each and every dog in their care. It truly is a family experience and I love knowing that when I am at work my "baby" is well cared for and having fun. We LOVE Alpha Dog!!! Thanks Kendra, Karen, Kirby and everyone else for all the love you give Brady everyday...

We are now located at 70 Industrial Rd Cumberland RI.

Right down the road from the previous address!!

See you soon!

The owner and staff all love dogs and it shows. Weither your dog goes one day a week or 5 days a week, they will have a blast and learn new "social" skills. When you pick your dog(s) up, they will be tired and very happy. Give Alpha Dog a try, they have a great set up with both inside and outside areas. You and your dog will love it.