Update: Our dog Deefer just spent an excellent 9 days at Hounds on the Hudson while we were out of…read morethe country on vacation. This was our first time leaving him for more than a weekend. We now live in Brooklyn but drove him to Albany (where some of our family lives) specifically so he could board here. What a delight for him (and us). He had the best time staying there, running around, swimming, exploring and getting such good socialization time. Jen and the team kept us updated with daily texts, pics and videos. It really felt to us that Jen and her team know our dog really well, and are well able to take care of him. Definitely worth the trip for us knowing he's being so well taken care off, and isn't stuck in one room for a week with one walk a day. Definitely our go-to spot for long term daycare. Thank you Jen and team :)

Hounds on the Hudson has moved from Albany. Last year, a sustainable clothing store moved into the…read morespace. I don't wish to delete my previous review because I really did have difficulty getting a response from the business, but the owner did eventually contact me. I think it was months later. She seemed very nice. She was very apologetic. She said she never noticed my phone messages or emails. The business was having technical difficulties and she assured me the problem was an aberration. I'm happy to see that the business has a better website and is doing well enough to expand to two locations. Sending my best wishes.

We adopted an un-trained 4 year old Olde English Bulldogge... a stubborn breed to say the least…read more.. and he liked to hump all new people... (funny but not funny) and was dog reactive to boot!! So we started looking into trainers... Thankfully I came across Upstate Canine Academy. After a very professional consult over the phone, we felt assured that this was the right place to bring our dog. We left him at the Academy for a 3 week board and train. Missed him like crazy. He came home understanding commands, don't get me wrong, it wasn't night and day, there was still a LOT of work to be done, but the work was really for us to continue the behavior instilled by the Academy trainers. We were given clear tools to work with him when they handed over the reigns. The incredible part about this facility is that they offer support for the lifetime of the dog after the board and train. (That is how assured they are of their program). Our dog has improved a lot since his initial training, and it is nice to walk him on a leash without his going ballistic when we pass by another dog... and a relief that he no longer humps our human guests when they visit our home! The staff at Upstate Academy are great. They are all dog lovers with an exceptional understanding of dog behavior. The place is clean, and you can be assured that your dog will be safe and happy while he is in training. This is a worthwhile investment.

Beware of this daycare! We have been bringing our dog here fir the past 5 1/2 years no less than 3…read moredays/week on average. She was recently out for a month with a serious gastrointestinal infection as well as an infection on her foot which resulted in two of her toes being removed. After reaching out to have Amber return to daycare with a veterinary clearance, we received the following e-mail: Hi, We hope you guys had a wonderful weekend. We miss Amber as well and are happy to hear that her vet doesn't have any concerns. That being said, daycare can be extremely active, and messy as well during play (when pools are out, mud, etc), and we would never want Amber to get further hurt or sick in a vulnerable state. Due to her extreme and sudden onset of medical issues, we feel as a team that we can no longer provide the level of specific care Amber needs at this time. As much as we would love to continue seeing her, we feel that it would not be the best decision for her medically. I appreciate your understanding, I apologize for the inconvenience, and wish you all the best. WTF??? Is upper management now veterinarians too? Who are you to override a veterinary clearance? We thought that is why you have EVERYONE sign a waiver which releases you from liability. What we see here is ageism plain & simple - you do not want to attend to a senior dog who can walk, run & play because you have no staff and cannot be bothered oh, by the way, this is after we, as loyal clients did not sue you after our dog was severely attacked at daycare by a bully dog who had only just joined. Yes, we are loyal clients, we came back, we recommended you to others, you used our dog as a test dog for meets & greets with potential new clients! We have never been in arrears for payment, oh wait, we actually paid in advance! This is NOT how you treat clients! We will be taking our loyalty, money & sweet girl elsewhere, this is all on you, you should be ashamed as there is no reason why she cannot come back, but after the way you just treated us, never again at UCA.

In just a few short weeks working with Micah we have seen a huge improvement with our dog. Micah…read morehas taught us how to work with our dog, and improved our communication skills and relationship. She's very flexible with her schedule and well worth the cost

Rachel is amazing! I couldn't believe how quickly my dogs responded to her training. With her…read morecoaching, I was able to enforce the training and rules in my home so that my pups responded and listened to my commands. Now our dogs are calm and listen when the doorbell rings, and wait for guests to arrive rather than charging and barking at the door. She also showed me how to loose leash walk my two dogs, which makes our long walks a lot less chaotic. So happy we were able to work with her!

I took Dylan's Puppy Start Right class with my first puppy Rosie and would highly recommend working…read morewith him. He is professional, very compassionate and focused on the dog's needs, and his training techniques are highly effective. Rosie is my first dog and a high-energy terrier, so I knew I was taking a lot on and I was nervous about getting things right. When I picked her up from the breeder, her first words upon my arrival were "Your puppy is an absolute terror". Uh, oh. I was worried. Dylan helped us through puppyhood from start to finish. He did an initial consultation with me before Rosie even arrived so that we were ready on day one. He always went over and above, helping us navigate the array of puppy products by putting together a recommended shopping list of beds, crates, etc. that were tried and true. I really can't speaking highly enough of the Puppy Start Right class. If you have a puppy, you should take it as early as possible. Dylan went to great lengths to bring in different props, sounds, textures, etc. to help socialize Rosie to a wide array of stimuli that it would have been difficult to expose her to otherwise. Puppy Start Right, combined with a puppy play group, has left us with a dog that is well adjusted, happy-go-lucky, and gets along with everyone, everywhere. She is excited and willing to try new things and even looks forward to hopping in the bath tub after a mudding walk. We finished the Puppy Start Right class with all the basic skills we needed for our puppy days. We had a reliable sit, recall, etc. Even more importantly, Dylan taught us how to examine our puppy's behavior and problem solve different situations. This has been invaluable in the interceding months as we continue to broaden Rosie's horizon. At six months old, we now have a dog that: walks courteously on and off leash has reliable recall will sit quietly and patiently at an outdoor cafe doesn't bark and gets along with two cat siblings at home I'm not sure where we'd be without Dylan's training, but I know that taking his class has helped to maximize our joyful journey with Rosie.

We worked with Dylan to train our 1.5 year old rescue dog, Birdie, who came to us with a variety of…read moreissues, ranging from reactivity, to leash pulling, barking, marking and anxiety. Dylan helped us choose the right package for Birdie, and showed us how to work with her in a positive way that was very hands on, and fun for all of us. His techniques have really proven to be effective when you put the time in. We've been working with Dylan's techniques for a few months now after our training has wrapped up and we are definitely seeing a major improvement in our pup, which is making our lives much easier! I would highly recommend anyone looking to get some guidance for dog training to trust Dylan's ability to work with your dog in a loving way, and explain things in a way that is very thorough but still approachable and adaptable to your lifestyle. We're very grateful for Dylan's help and will be in touch again if we need more help with Birdie or get another dog down the line!

"Santana", my 18 mo old lab did the 2 week training camp. He left my home exuberant and bouncy and…read morereturned well behaved and more pleasant than ever. I can't say enough about K9 training and the peace of mind I have because my dog listens/behaves so well. It's such a joy to have a mindful dog. When I walk my dog in town, off leash, people often stop and watch. They are so amazed that I can walk him on the busy sidewalks of a city. Lindsey, our trainer, was so accommodating. I feel like she really listened to my concerns and addressed them. She took care of my dog as if it were one of her own. She really cared and made the whole process easy. She picked him up and delivered him back even though it was a fairly long trip. I am so happy with this company and have recommended them to several friends.

Buyer Beware. Do not sign a contract with Off Leash K9…read moreTraining without understanding what you are agreeing to. Their contract is written with so many loopholes that they can change any major element of your program -- trainer, location, dates, even the structure -- and still refuse to refund your money. Trainers are not consistently trained, and the company presents them as following a "standard OLK9 program" even when they have never attended OLK9 seminars or formal training and have only been with the company for a few weeks. You have no guarantee of who will actually be working with your dog. Each franchise is individually owned and operated, which means there is no accountability and no consistency across locations. If anything goes wrong, leadership will not step in to help you. You are left dealing with the franchise alone, even when the franchise is the one who changed the terms of your program. If you value transparency, consistency, and accountability -- look elsewhere.

Bernie loves going to Puppy Play as we call it!! He got a bath, nails grinded and had a Play Pal…read morewhere he didn't quite feel like playing, so it was Cuddle Time, his fave!!

Our dog loves it there and the staff is amazing. If I was rich I would let her go every day just to…read moreplay for a while

James is incredible. We sent our 7 month puppy to James for four weeks last year. We were, and…read morecontinue 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!

We got a deaf Miniature Bull Terrier @ 13 weeks old that after 6 months, seemed hopless to train,…read morejust 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.

Ruby is our fourth rescue and the animal love of our lives. Part Red Boned Coon Hound part Mastiff…read moreshe is a big girl with a bigger personality. By 2 years old Ruby had gotten her canine good citizen certificate and participated in various training/socialization programs. She is obedient, loving with all humans, especially kids and enjoys most dogs. Every so often certain dogs seem to flip her switch. On those occasions this big girl looks aggressive. Never has she hurt or touched another dog, but the barking and snarling concerned us enough to seek out a behaviorist. We found Sarah Todd through an internet search and respected her bio of credentials and experience. Speaking with Sarah on the phone prior to engaging her only confirmed that we had found a consummate professional. Sarah drove over an hour to consult with us. She allowed us to demonstrate Ruby's behavior in the environment and situations we encounter daily. Sarah spent our consultation time really listening to our concerns, giving us some important foundational information that we needed for a basic understanding of reactive behavior and excellent suggestions for activities, reinforcement and responses to modify Ruby's behavior. The harness she recommended has been a game changer for enjoying walks with Rubes. Sarah followed up the consultation with a written account of what was discussed. The suggestions weren't a magic bullet because they required consistency, but the effort is so worth the result. Basic training is a pet owner's responsibility to their pet and to themselves. But when you are faced with an issue that truly impacts the ability for your dog to be socially integrated, I can't emphasize enough the value of engaging someone like Sarah who has the experience, training, and ability to convey the information in a way that makes sense and is able to be applied practically in a way that allows you to live your life with your dog, not around them. Sarah is worth every penny...and then some.

From the owner: We specialize in helping dogs become the BEST family members possible. We offer Board& Train in a…read morebeautiful stress free environment, stress and anxiety free bc dogs live in my home with me ,( NO Kennel life here) all to help your dog have a wonderful experience while learning. We also offer Stay & Play for dogs that need a farm vacation while their humans travel. A truly unique home away from home for you canine family ! Also offer at your Home Private Training and Behavioral Consults for dogs with more serious behavorial issues , local area including Albany, SW Vermont etc

Dan and Kathy trained my three German Shepherds. Within 5 minutes, my pups were no longer pulling…read moreand tugging on leash and enjoying long "Pack Leadership" walks. Following Dan's advice and developing a routine for my dogs, they now go outside. No leash. No fences. No expensive electric fences . We enjoy being outside with no worries of the pups running off into the woods or onto the road. They are more relaxed and happy. Dan and Kathy revolutionized my family's life and my pups' lives.

Dan and Kathy came to our house for the first training session with our eleven-week-old Irish…read moreDoddle puppy. They were professional in every way, sharing their expertise, experience and vast knowledge with us and the puppy. Dans hands on approach was great for both the dog and us. I would highly recommend "Dan Trains Dogs " to anyone who wants the best for their pet from an outstanding team who truly loves what they do. Mike B.

I have been going to this location ever since I adopted my pup in April 2023. The store is well…read moreorganized and clean and the staff are very helpful. Their grooming services have been fantastic!

I go to Troy NY store. The coupons are great and the staff is very helpful I stock up when they…read moresend a good coupon and their sales are awesome too!