In recent decades, dog training has been compared to the Wild West, where anything goes, without rules or regulation, from advertising to methods that can endanger anyone involved—dogs and their guardians, too. Add the current easy access to the use of AI technology (artificial intelligence) for anyone who wants to try it, and we have a situation that might compare to the Wild West when the telegraph was invented.
Certainly, early adopters of the telegraph were grateful for quick communication across the miles between family and friends, for business and commerce, for safety and convenience. But we can be sure that many at the time considered (with glee) other possibilities opened up by the new technology. Possibilities that were far more nefarious than simple quick communication, possibilities that included many opportunities to use the new technology to take advantage of others: opportunities to scam.
I asked friends online, many of them dog professionals, what they have seen lately that might constitute a scam involving dog training, dog health, or dog safety. I posted several ads that have been appearing frequently on Facebook. I inquired: “What have you seen advertised and why do you think these are scams? I’ve posted a few that look very much like scams. What are the red flags that you see?”
Photo by Jill Gibbs
Here are some of their answers and some ad copy for you to read.
Lauren Shelley (Massachusetts) OMG, the stupid “new” heel product … it is a mobile fence for your dog. As you walk, you have an invisible fence around you. It was all over my Facebook page—it is so dumb. Poor dogs. It is an e-collar, basically … that your phone controls as you walk. If you click the link on the ad you can see how it works. It basically creates a circumference around the person with the device or phone and then gives a tone or shock when the dog is out of range. The product is misleadingly being called “heel”!
How It Works
Set the length of the virtual leash
Choose between 10, 25, 75, 150, 750ft
Set the correction type:
Tone, vibration and optional static correction
Get out there!
[The product] automatically measures how far the collar is from the remote and provides correction when your dog approaches the boundary.
Can be used as a standard training collar with range of 1000ft
Works with up to 3 dogs
No cellular or GPS required
No subscription costs
Up to three dogs at a time? I want to see the video, don’t you?
Here’s some ad copy from a different source for a “remote training collar.”
Looking for a fast and easy way to train your hyperactive dog without spending thousands?
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Safe & Humane—No shock adjustable settings for gentle correction tailored to your dog’s size and temperament.
Proven to Work—Thousands of happy pet parents are already seeing results.
Train from a Distance—Up to 1,000 feet of control, perfect for backyard or park training.
TRY IT RISK-FREE WITH OUR 30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
If your dog’s behavior doesn’t improve within 30 days, we’ll refund your money. No hassle. No stress. That’s how confident we are!
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Micha Michlewicz (Maryland) Vagus nerve theory has been debunked. Thank you for including it.
Karen Stinnett (Virginia) Lost-dog tracking scams taking advantage of people who are vulnerable. They often spoof legit pet trackers, take money, run away with it, and damage those businesses’ reputation. You can see an example on Kat Albrecht’s page.
I am in Virginia, though the scams are everywhere. There have been several in Virginia because we have more lost-pet professionals than most places. Kat Albrecht was on the front page of the New York Times a couple of weeks ago (March 25, 2025) for her pioneering work in lost-pet tracking.
Darren Sweet (British Columbia) The worst is telling people with lost pets that they can magically determine where your pet is right away … but first you pay a small fee, then send the SCREEN SHOTS of the entire transaction to prove payment. THEN you no longer own your own identity, as they got enough information to steal your profile.
Micha Michlewicz There have been a lot of Autism and Veteran service-dog scams. It’s always coercive training.
There are also printable “certifications” so you can fly with your dog. Even the airlines don’t accept emotional support dogs any more on flights. (You have to pay the same as for a pet.)
Guarantees
* Board-and-trains where the dogs are treated harshly but the company posts about how “happy” they are when the body language is showing the opposite
* Dog-breeding scams where you pay for a puppy to be shipped to you and you never get one.
Adrienne Critchlow (United Kingdom) Training handbooks written just for your dog. No author named, no qualifications listed. People buying this stuff fill in a questionnaire, giving their dog’s name, and then AI just puts generic, pre-written “training” advice into a document, interspersed occasionally with the dog’s name to make it look “personalized.” These books are useless and are way more expensive than actual books written by real humans who are accredited dog professionals, and who know what they’re talking about! Those accredited dog professionals are also sick of AI companies stealing their content and misapplying it.
Neil Resto (California) Marketing and advertising services for dog trainers and dog professionals … from failed dog-training professionals or unknown dog specialists selling their own systems. And dog-professional credentialing schemes that aren’t post-secondary–education accredited.
I howled when I read the About on the website of a company selling their product to people with dogs. Two headlines: “We’re engineers!” and “We’re dog people!”
“Oh, look,” I said with an evil grin. “They have dogs! That so qualifies them to take my money for their product! What more would I ever need to know?”
Will the product or service that you see advertised online turn out to be a scam? Due-diligence first, using all the technology to which you have access. Start asking questions of the company directly. Contact your own resources, too—friends, family, local professionals you trust—until you get the answers you need.
Do you still have doubts? If it could be a scam … walk away. You can do better.
