29/07/2026
WARNING - LONG POST - PLEASE READ - DO NOT LEAVE DEROGATORY COMMENTS - THEY WILL BE DELETED!!
💔 **SKYE IS SIX MONTHS OLD — AND NOW SHE IS IN RESCUE.**
This is a story that needs to be told.
Not to encourage a social-media witch-hunt. Not to invite people to speculate about identities. But because dog owners need to understand that a certificate displayed on a website does not automatically make somebody a safe, ethical or competent trainer.
Skye was born on 24 January 2026.
Her family had recently lost their beloved 14-year-old German Shepherd. When Skye came home at around ten weeks old, she was supposed to represent the beginning of a new chapter: a beautiful little puppy who would grow up loved as part of their family.
About a month after bringing her home, the family were due to go away for two weeks.
Rather than leaving such a young puppy with friends or putting her into ordinary boarding kennels, they tried to do something genuinely thoughtful. They enrolled Skye on a two-week residential board-and-train programme.
Honestly, it was one of the most selfless ideas I have heard from a new dog owner in a long time.
They knew they couldn’t take Skye away with them, so they chose what they believed would help her. They hoped that, while they were away, their puppy would be cared for, safely socialised and given positive foundations for the future.
They expected to come home to the same sweet little girl they had dropped off — just with a little more training and a few new manners.
**How wrong could they possibly have been?**
When Skye returned home, they immediately began noticing serious changes in her behaviour.
The carefree puppy they had entrusted to a professional had become frightened, anxious and increasingly difficult for them to understand or manage. In their words, it felt as though she had gone from “angel to devil” in the space of two weeks.
But Skye was not a devil.
She was a frightened baby who could not explain what had happened to her.
The trainer will remain unnamed while complaints are considered and the appropriate authorities establish the facts. We will not risk prejudicing that process, and we ask people not to speculate or attempt to identify anyone.
However, the trainer publicly presents herself as qualified and certified through the British College of Canine Studies, including an Advanced Level 4 qualification in canine behaviour. She also publicly advises owners to check a trainer’s credentials because the dog-training industry remains unregulated.
On the surface, that sounds like excellent advice.
But qualifications are only meaningful when the person holding them consistently works within the ethical, welfare and legal responsibilities that should accompany them.
We have personally spoken at length with Skye’s owners. We have assessed Skye ourselves, and we have been shown video evidence relating to her training.
Skye was returned to her family wearing a **prong collar**.
The videos we have been shown appear to show this six-month-old puppy wearing both a **prong collar and an electronic training collar**.
Just let that sink in.
**A six-month-old puppy.**
The British College of Canine Studies’ published Code of Ethics says that training must prioritise a dog’s physical, emotional and psychological welfare. It says methods must not cause unnecessary pain, fear or distress, and that trainers must comply with relevant animal-welfare laws.
We believe the methods evidenced in Skye’s case raise extremely serious questions about how those ethical standards were applied.
Even more concerningly, the residential training is understood to have taken place in Wales.
The use of electronic shock collars on dogs and cats has been prohibited in Wales since 2010 under the Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (Wales) Regulations 2010.
Questions have also been raised about whether the premises used for residential dog training held the required local-authority boarding licence. We are not presenting that as an established fact either way — we have reported our concerns so the council can investigate and confirm the position.
LUOSKO has now contacted the British College of Canine Studies and reported the methods we understand were used on Skye. We have asked the College to investigate whether those methods are compatible with its published ethical standards and whether any qualification, graduate status or directory listing should be reviewed.
We have also contacted the relevant local authority in Wales to report the alleged use of an electronic collar and to ask it to establish whether the residential boarding activity was appropriately licensed.
We will allow those organisations to do their jobs.
For now, our priority is Skye.
The little girl who entered rescue today is loving, intelligent and incredibly special — but the world beyond the safety of a garden currently terrifies her.
Dogs barking frighten her.
People frighten her.
Bicycles frighten her.
Cars frighten her.
Ordinary sights, sounds and movements that a puppy should have been learning to understand have become overwhelming. When she reacts, she is not being “naughty”, “dominant” or “devilish”.
She is frightened.
Her behaviour is communication, and right now Skye is telling us that she does not feel safe in the world.
Her owners have lost £1,100, but the financial loss is only a small part of this story. They have also lost the puppy they thought they were bringing home, the future they had imagined with her and, ultimately, their confidence that they could safely manage her.
They became so frightened and overwhelmed by Skye’s behaviour that they made the heartbreaking decision to hand her over to LUOSKO.
That does not make them bad owners.
They are two of the kindest, most genuine people I have ever met during a handover. They tried to do the responsible thing. They trusted somebody who presented themselves as a qualified professional, and they believed they were giving their puppy the best possible opportunity.
Instead, they have been left devastated, out of pocket and without the dog they loved.
And Skye — at only six months old — has entered rescue.
That should break every dog lover’s heart.
This is why owners must look beyond certificates and impressive wording on websites.
Ask exactly which methods and equipment will be used.
Ask whether prong collars, choke chains or electronic collars form any part of the programme.
Ask what will happen if your dog becomes frightened, overwhelmed or fails to respond.
Ask to observe a training session.
Ask for genuine, first-hand recommendations from people you trust.
Ask for references — and contact them.
If your dog will be staying overnight, check the local authority’s public register or contact its licensing department to confirm that the premises are licensed for boarding.
A qualification can demonstrate that somebody completed a course. It cannot, by itself, prove how that person will behave when nobody is watching.
Recommendations matter. Transparency matters. Evidence matters. Welfare matters.
Most importantly, trust your instincts. If a trainer refuses to explain or show you exactly what they intend to do with your dog, walk away.
Skye’s story is not being shared to punish her owners. It is being shared because they did what so many caring families would have done: they trusted the word **“qualified.”**
They deserved better.
Skye deserved better.
We will not identify the trainer while the complaints and enquiries are ongoing. If the matter progresses and information becomes appropriate to share publicly, we will provide a factual update at that time.
Until then, please do not post names or speculation in the comments.
Today, Skye’s painful chapter ends — and a new one begins.
💙 **Welcome to the LUOSKO Family, little one.**
No matter why you are here, you are safe now.
We will not force you to face the world before you are ready. We will help you learn that ordinary sounds do not always mean danger, that people can be kind and that training does not have to hurt.
We will give you time.
We will give you patience.
We will rebuild your confidence one tiny step at a time.
And when you are ready, we will help you find the family who will love the dog you truly are — not fear the behaviour your experiences have created.
You are only six months old, Skye.
Your life is not ruined.
**Your real journey starts today.** 💙🐾
