James is incredible. We sent our 7 month puppy to James for four weeks last year. We were, and continue to be, so happy that we did. She did not have any problems (and continues to be a wonderful dog and that's probably because we sent her to James). She had basic commands down. After James, she became excellent at multiple commands. She would sit at her bowl for hours if you don't release her (by verbal command). You can leave her with steak in the next room and won't eat it if you don't release her. You get the picture - James knows what he is doing and will set you, and your pup, up for success. He was very thorough in explaining what to expect and how to continue her training at home. We could not be happier. Our pup is also happy, and she loved James. When we brought her back for boarding a couple nights she couldn't wait to hang out with James. We had to save up to send her, and it was worth every penny. We would do it again. Highly, highly recommend. For any pup! read more

We got a deaf Miniature Bull Terrier @ 13 weeks old that after 6 months, seemed hopless to train, just basic commands. As a last ditch effort we called James @ Empire K-9 2.5 hrs away from our home. After 5 weeks of training with Ross he was transformed into the best dog we have seen anywhere. James spent a whole day with myself and my whole family to train us on how to handle and communicate with our new family member. Here we are over a year later and if we call James with a question he is quick to respond back with a helpfull answer. When we need to board Ross we drive him down to James @ Empire K9 2.5 hours away because he is the only one we trust with our Ross. Thank you James for this gift of being able to communicate with our deaf dog, you have no idea how much joy this little Miniature Bull Terrier bring to our family now. read more

James at Empire K-9 is amazing! Our dog Gus spent 8 weeks with James last fall and he came home a TOTALLY different dog. Sending him here was the best decision we could have made for Gus and our family. I can honestly say James performed a miracle! Gus is now the most well-behaved dog... he is obedient, happy and lovable with our entire family and I never thought I'd see the day this would happen! Thank you James and the staff at Empire K-9! read more

I am writing this review on Empire K-9 to tell everyone that James saved our family. We have a mix breed dog named Malibu he had temperament issues as well as dominance and some anxiety. We have had Malibu back for 3 weeks now and he is a different dog. Not only did James take the time to train Malibu but he took the time to train us. We had no idea how to control Malibu and after many long talks and frustration I stumbled upon James on the Internet and took a risk. James helped us bring our family back together and keep our fur babies where they belong which is home with us. The money spent is well worth it. Malibu will be only boarding with James from now on! read more

James has taught me how to be a strong leader to my two dogs. They walk great on a leash, they sit, stay, and are very well behaved. He has been worth every dime I've spent. If you're at the end of your leash with your dogs give James a chance to work with them. He can teach you how to communicate with them so they know what you are asking them to do. Young or old. My dogs are rescued, one is 8 the other is at least 3. Never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. And, I'm very busy and work odd hours. He's always willing to work with my schedule. read more

My Zeus loves it there. And i love the staff. I cant say enough about them. And i will be sending my most prized possession there as long as i can. read more

Our lives have been changed, tremendously following our puppy's training with James. We picked up our 8-week old blue weimaraner puppy and imediately fell in love with him. He was very good at paying attention to us and was able to maintain eye contact when I spoke to him. Our two grown children had moved out of our home almost 14 years prior to our bringing our puppy, JAK, into our downsized and completely updated tiny home. We had two wonderful and loving laborador retrievers while our sons were growing up, however, they both passed shortly after our sons moved out. We enjoyed our empty nesting. The house was always neat and clean and at the drop of a hat we could walk out the door without arranging for doggy or child care. It was great, for a while that is. Both our boys and their families had dogs. We loved visiting with them and yearned for our own puppy. JAK was a Godsent. I was recovering from two separate surgeries and had become very inactive compared to my pre-surgical, athletic and very active lifestyle. JAK was supposed to provide me a therapeutic recovery. We all bonded well. JAK passed both his AKC Puppy and beginner obedience classes and we felt positive about his behavioral potential. Winter approached and JAK's energy level and strong willed, self-directed behaviors became mischievious and problematic. He had grown significantly and became extremely bold and rough with me. He was jumping up on me, I was receiving scratches and his nipping at me, with what appeared to be his attempt to elicit play would often break my skin. He had a significant obsesion with injesting toilet paper, paper towels and fabrics, such as wash clothes, socks, blankets, etc. He was so manipulative too. If I went in one direction in the house, he would sneak in the opposite direction to grab whatever he wanted. He would then run around the house, back and forth, by me and around me. He also had an obsession with eating dish sponges. And, he was an obsessive "counter surfer." Both my husband and I were at our wits end. We both had agreed that we would do anything to have a very well behaved and obedient dog. JAK was more apt to comply with demands if a treat was visible. The dog training club we trained with used treats for positive reinforcement. I knew bribing was a great mistake. My husband started researching dog trainers. Either JAK's behaviors changed or we would need to look at other options. After speaking with James, we decided it was in our best interest to to make a commitment to enroll JAK into EMPIRE K-9 with JAMES. We received a weekly progress report and a video and or photos of JAK with James and some of the other dogs he was training with. The dog we picked up after completing his training course with James was a completely different dog. James gave my husband I our handler training and explained the training techniques used and JAK's accomplishments. James commanded JAK to demonstrate all the new skills he had acquired. James handed me JAK's leash and directed me to walk JAK back and forth down to the mailbox and back, twice. During JAK's leash walk he maintained a close heal. He sat by my side each time I stopped and healed appropriately on command. He was able to turn to the left and right on command. He was able to demonstrate the ability to sit, lie down and stay. Our lives have been significantly changed, thanks to the expertise of James. Our home life with JAK is wonderful. JAK is a fun-loving, loyal, compassionate, affectionate, devoted, protective and faithful dog. Although weimaraners are well known to be very hyperactive, attention deficit and extremely high energy, we are able to live with a very calm lifestyle in our home and in our travels. One command to "sit," one command to "stay," one command to (lie) "down," one command to go to his "bed," one command to go to and go into his "kennel," one command to "sit" and wait till commanded "up" to jump into the back seat of our car. JAK will automatically sit down by the car door and lift his left foot first when I approach with his harness. He will then spontaneously lift his right foot and hold it up till I put it through the other side of his harness. Then one command to (lie) "down" on the back seat of the car so I can fasten the teather to his harness. JAK will always remain down until I use the release command "OK." My husband I are both in love with the companionship and unconditional love JAK gives us. We take him many places with us. We often dine at restaurants that not only allow dogs to accompany us while dining outdoors, but they serve a bowl of water and dog biscuits too. We shop at many dog friendly shops and frequently stroll with JAK through cities and towns packed with tourists such as August in Saratoga, Summer in Lake George and Woodstock, NY. While strolling, or, while my husband sits on a bench with JAK by his side, numerous people stop to compliment on JAK. Many ask to pet him (to be continued) read more

My dog Logan went to James about a year ago and now going back for boarding. James and his assistants were so great with Logan. Logan is a Golden retriever male that was over weight. He has worked with a trainer before but she did not address his issues and made him worse. Logan has fear aggression issues and was petrified of the car and every little thing that was new. James was our last hope. He taught Logan to be more confident in himself and is now less afraid of new things. James also put him on a treadmill routine. He went from being around 120lb. To about 85lbs now. Much better for his overal health and hips. We are so please on how Logan has improved. James thought us how to give him tough love so Logan can be more secure with himself. The more confident we are, the more confident he is. I would not send a dog any where else. James has changed out loves and Logan's life for the better. We can take him place and he can love a more active and productive life. Thanks Empire K-9 for all your help. read more

Empire K-9 was the answer to my prayers and the reason my dog is a valuable member of the family. My Rotty mix, Maizie, was very demanding with her dominance issues. Her constant nipping my thighs and barking at me to get attention got to be more than I could handle. I was beyond stressed out dealing with her issues. She refused to go through the door at the groomers, so I could not get her thick nails trimmed. The groomers told me to get her nails done at the vet. The vet could not get her nails done or do much with her due to her dominance issues and wanted to sedate her. I knew this was not the answer- the problem was deeper. I had been working with my dog for 12 months (since she was 8 weeks old) going to three 6-week training classes and having a private trainer come to the house. These classes did not correct her dominance and behavioral issues. The classes and private trainer simply provided puppy socialization- nothing more. I searched and asked all around, desperate for help. No one had answers until I came across Empire K-9 online. James knows dogs! I could tell over the phone that James and Boot Camp was my only solution and would last the lifetime of my dog- worth the investment. After a month at Boot Camp, I had a new dog! This was a miracle! There were no more demanding barks and nips to get my attention, no more counter-surfing, she seemed to forget about stealing towels and clothing, shredding toilet paper rolls, chasing the cats, and growling at me when I tried to take something away from her. Finally, I had a dog who respected me, looked at me, listened, sat waiting patiently for my commands, walked without pulling, and most importantly, did not nip and bark at me! It is much easier to work with Maizie since she has Boot Camp training behind her. I have been able to desensitize her to the groomer by taking her for social visits 1-2 times a week for a month. Now, she gets excited to go get her nails trimmed and get a bath. I am doing the same desensitization at a different vet office, due to the bad experience she had previously. So far, she is doing great and I anticipate conquering this hurdle as well. I cannot say enough how wonderful it is to have a well trained dog and to have learned the commands to use on her everyday. James did a very thorough job training my dog and then teaching me, so we can live a happy, enjoyable, stress-free life. Maizie is a great companion now and I look forward to coming home from work to play ball and go for walks. I love my "new" dog! Thank you, Empire K-9! read more

James is the best. My dog had severe aggression issues - he was constantly pulling me into the road in an attempt to go after dogs, people, squirrels, even some cars/trucks. James is totally hands-on, totally practical, and totally helpful. Some dog trainers talk your ear off about psychology and theory and blah blah blah. James tells you what you need to know, when you need to know it, all while working with you and your dog. I have moved from the area and I have not been able to find anyone like James at Empire K-9. Anyone who is even remotely nearby - it is worth the trip, it is worth the money, he is the best. read more

James is a dog trainer par excellence. My family was looking for a trainer for our nearly 2-year old German Shepherd, Radar, who's received minimal and ineffective training up to now. After contacting a number of trainers, I felt confident and comfortable after speaking on the phone with James and arranged to enroll Radar in boot camp. James carefully went over the program and paperwork with us when we drove up to drop Radar off. We were immediately impressed by the bucolic setting, with a full dog run set up outside the training facility. The grounds were spotless and you would have never known that a group of eight dogs had just graduated. We were shown where Radar would sleep, the exercise equipment he would be using, reviewed his feeding schedule and were reassured that he would be fine. We picked Radar up yesterday and consider James to be a Miracle Worker for canines. Radar demonstrated all the behaviors we were told he would learn. He bulked up and looks more healthy and handsome than ever. You could tell that, in addition to skilled training, he received a lot of love and affection from James. James painstakingly went over his helpful printouts with commands and other instructions and then we then worked with Radar under James' supervision. We can recommend James' services without any hesitation. read more

Finding James and Empire K-9 has been a gift. I've struggled with my aggressive terrier ever since buying him at 3 months old. I've been through 2 previous trainers, one of which included an extended 5 week board and train. I was told my dog was "a monster" and that maybe in a year I'd have solid results. While I saw some results after his board and train, I was timid and nervous for the journey ahead as I was about to move to NY from another state and would have to find another trainer. As soon as I made it to NY my previous trainer quickly stop responding to my messages and even neglected to respond to James to update him on my dog's history. I felt abandoned and again quite nervous. That quickly subsided as soon as I met James. He is thorough and clearly loves the animals he works with. He was able to show me new techniques that were extremely effective in managing my dogs' aggression in just one session. But what I appreciated the most was the fact that he took the time to explain to me why/the theory behind the techniques which helped me tremendously to be able to understand my dog's mentality and to improvise the techniques to other scenarios. After my 3+ hour long training session with James, I felt revitalized and confident I could handle my dog. And sure enough, his techniques are proving strong at home a month after our training session. Another bonus about James is that, unlike my previous trainers, he did not abandon me. I have had some questions along the way that I needed help with and he was quick to respond to my emails to offer a solution or further training sessions. If you're a dog owner who feels like no hope is left, I whole heartedly recommend James and Empire K-9- he has been a true life saver. read more