Empire K-9 Inc.

Justa GoodOlBoy

2022-05

Met James when Sasha was 9 weeks old and the advice he gave, from simple things to things I would not have thought to do have made all the difference in the dog she now is at 17 weeks from where she was at at 9 weeks being the runt and almost 2 lbs underweight. Happy to report that she was 26 lbs at her 16 week checkup and her weight is in line with her smaller height. Can't be more grateful for the knowledge that was given to me 2 months ago!*UPDATE*At 6 months and much due to the nutritional advice James gave us 4 months ago, Sasha went from 3 lbs underweight to being 50 lbs.Can't be any more pleased!

Jennifer Parsley

2018-05

I can't say enough great things about this facility! James designed a shortened (1 week) training class for our dog last October, and his work with her was amazing! After detailed explanations from James, we were able to learn how to keep up with the training and adapted pretty quickly to everything. Here we are almost a year later, and it's a breeze! He has been very helpful along the way as well. We've also boarded our dog with James 4 times since the training, and he treats her like one of his own. She loves going to see him! I highly recommend to anyone in search of any sort of dog training!

Danielle

2021-05

My 6 month old cattle dog mix, Milo, suddenly became aggressive and reactive to people. I had worked with the local pet store trainer and they weren't able to help me curve the problem. When I called James I immediately felt confident that he would be able to help us. James met me at the house and taught me how to bridge the communication gap between us and assisted with determining some basic rules and boundaries in the house. While its only been 5 weeks, I am seeing a huge positive switch. Milo is now a completely different dog - he can meet people, he's more calm in the house and is SMILING for the first time! Bonus is that I am feeling much more confident in our relationship and feel better knowing I was able to get the help Milo needed. If I could give James 10 stars, I would. This has significantly helped me create a great foundation with Milo for years to come.

Susan M

2016-05

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.

Mary Seaman

2015-05

James is AMAZING! We recently adopted an adorable 8-9 month old golden retriever/chow mix rescue puppy. In spite of an immediate bonding, her behaviors were very difficult for us to manage. She had been described by her foster mom as "a little dog with a big personality". James rescued us all! He taught us how to communicate with our Callie in a way that clearly establishes what we need and expect in a loving yet effective manner. He came to us for two hours on the first visit, at the end of which Callie was watching for our clues, and responding beautifully. Life is peaceful and fun. She is now a happy, well adjusted little dog while we are grateful and better educated owners. James developed a rapport with Callie almost immediately. He is a gentle, in control trainer. His knowledge and experience working with dogs and their people is extensive and well documented. Our second time with James was at his facility. Callie fairly flew out of the car to greet him. It was as if she was as thankful for his help as we are. We would recommend James to anyone experiencing difficulty with their dog regardless of breed, problem or length of time together. He can help!

marlena grzaslewicz

2016-05

Sienna spent 8 weeks at James' facility attending the boot camp. She, a rescued, fearful, insecure big cane corso, needed all the help there was to offer.James not only thought her the obedience part of the training. He was able to install in Sienna a confidence that she was lacking. He helped me to understand my dog's problems and "trained" me how to communicate with her. I wasn't a confident dog owner. Thanks to James, I am.My impression is that James "tailors" the training to the pet as much as to the pet's owner.I would recommend James' services without any hesitation!

Andrea Smith

2017-05

I went to James 4 years ago after being told by another trainer my dog was too stubborn and James was able to correct all of the issues I was having with my then ~1 year old pittie within 1 session. He sent me home with detailed notes and all was well. We have recently moved and have encountered some behavioral issues regarding the next door neighbors barking dog. James was able to correct the behavior instantly. James was super responsive with my current issue and helped immediately. I highly recommend James and his training!

Steve Kasselman

2023-05

Empire K-9 is THE BEST!! My experience w them is over 10 years, my own dog and I’ve sent anyone who asks or needs their services their way! They perform miracles you don’t see on staged TV shows… that’s how next level they are. There is no substitute for purpose, mission, real world experience. They care more about your dog and they’re happiness and safety than your money and you’re getting world class training for local rates!Owner/Founder served in the Military handled/trained/consulted/operated with dogs thru his career which continued after his service especially his philanthropy work to save dogs (looked like he was SF; Green Beret from the photos in his office but I don’t pry, gratefulFor your service if you read this, J!).Bottom line - you’re talking WORLD CLASS training and expertise at local rates with a company that’s passionate about their mission, come here first!

Scarlet Deford

2016-05

Highly recommended!! My dog Cooper and I have a much better relationship since going thru the training courses. Cooper had a good personality when I got him, but was stubborn and a somewhat uncontrollable. He now can run around free off leash and knows all his commands. He gets along much better with the other pets in our house and is just much more of a pleasure. James is a very personable, easy to talk to person, who is very good at what he does. I would recommend it to anyone looking for dog training.

Dacia Shears

2015-05

We met James 4 years ago, he was our last resort with our 75lb mixed breed bully, Max. Before James we spent hundreds of dollars on harnesses, training and CGC certification and our dog still couldn't walk on leash. He was reactive to people and dogs. We were afraid to bring him outside, concerned he would be deemed aggressive and put down. It was safe to say that my husband and I were very stressed out because of our out of control dog. Other trainers told us "some dog's just aren't meant to be around people or other dogs" and the strict positive reinforcement people suggested "redirect him and give him a treat". Well our dog's intellect superseded their tactics and he learned that if he barked in our face and pushed us around, he got a treat.I reached out to James nervous and in tears. Within minutes of arriving James had Max in a heel. Through balanced training gave us the tools other trainings lacked to effectively communicate with our dog, set boundaries and challenge him both cognitively and physically. It took follow through on our part, but James was there to support us along the way. Max now runs along my left side on leash in our neighborhood with verbal cues, he is the best behaved dog on our block and doesn't turn a head to a barking dog, his off leash recall is improving and we are ALWAYS in control. No, my dog is not perfect, but that's a result of his temperament.As consistent clients, we board Max with Empire K-9 when we go out of town, and there is not a doubt that he is getting at least as much (maybe even more!) love and attention than he gets at our home. I am not kidding when I say my dog is my world, and having peace of mind that he is being well cared for allows us to actually enjoy our time away from home.Without James, I don't think my dog would be alive right now. I have referred many 5 other dog owners to Empire K-9 with a variety of different issues, all have been pleased with their outcome. Don't waste your time, money or energy anywhere else!

AN TRINH

2016-05

We highly recommend Empire K-9. Both our Great Pyrenees attended doggy boot camp and boarding.Our boy Great Pyrenee was displaying aggressive behavior and bit my husband a couple of times. He weighs 130 pounds. At the time, there were a lot of changes in the household and I was undergoing chemo treatment. He has never bitten me. Due to size, we were desperate to minimize this issue immediately and were concerned if he could possibly bite other people and our biggest fear is biting a child. We had seen trainers and dog behaviorist who recommended Prozac. This was not the route we wanted to take.I searched locations in NYC and spoke to many on the phone. James's method made sense and his attention to details and listening to our situation made me realize he was the trainer for us. In addition, the facilities are clean and our dogs came back happy (if not, happier). Most importantly, they came back listening to commands and James taught my husband how to handle difficult situations that may arise. What he did in 3 months surpasses dog training session we had over a course of 6 months in NYC. His method actually works! We can't thank him enough.

Ellen Falk

2018-05

Excellent experience with Empire K-9 inc located in Nassau NY. Our recently adopted dog Bruno, a 75 lb Doberman, completed his 4weeks of "privates" class and we couldn't be happier. Follow up sessions reinforce the owner's responsibilities and the continued support is extremely beneficial to both owner and dog. James is exceptional, super knowledgeable and patient. Thank you for everything!!

Stephanie Britton

2017-05

James is not only the absolute best dog trainer you will ever have the pleasure of meeting, but an amazing person. He helped us out in a really tough time- we weren't sure what we were going to do with our pup. We were on a huge time restraint (we literally had the weekend to find somewhere for us or our dog to go. He was extremely reactive with our new housemates dog and wasn't allowed to stay.) James took Murphy, our 1.5 year old vizsla boy in with open arms. Murph had some behavior issues- fear aggression, dog reactivity, anxiety issues, stubborn, couldn't walk on a leash, didn't listen when called, etc. We moved from Atlanta to NYC and quickly realized that a reactive dog wouldn't make it in the city. After 8 weeks with James, Murph is a complete dream dog. He is no longer dog reactive. He is always calm and confident. He comes when called, every single time. Everywhere we go, murph is complimented for his great behavior. I was worried that spending that much time at a training camp would change his personality, but he is still our same silly Murphy... I thought that said lots about how James treats the dogs. With tons of love! Sending him to James was the best thing we ever could've done- not just for us, but for Murphy as well. He is happy, not constantly getting yelled at for being bad. He can have freedom and run in the park. He knows what we expect and hardly ever has to be corrected now.We're planning on sending our female vizsla to James in a few months as well. She has picked up tons from Murphy, but she still has a few kinks that we can't work out on our own.He has changed all of our lives and made us able to enjoy our sweet dogs so much more than before. Worth every single penny.

Kailyn Lazarus

2019-05

My six year old lab began showing signs of aggression toward other dogs after we moved for the first time to a new apartment. Rick came out and has been helping me and after one session she has improved immaculately. I am continuing to train with him working on off Leash and service dog skills for fun now as well

Daniel Campos

2016-05

worth every penny !!. james is an amazing trainer with great character and is down to earth with an amazing facility ,we sent both of our dogs to him and a complete 180 .our lives have become so much easier, we have a labrador named shadow and a pitbull named tyson. they know all they're commands and do exactly what you ask of them. they don't try to attack other dogs, bikes and don't get triggered by fast moving objects anymore our life is stress free with our newly trained dogs. we are truly happy with the results and highly recommend james don't go anywhere else ..your dog is in fantastic hands he will treat your dog as his own

D M

2022-05

Called a while ago and James seemed very knowledgeable and competent. Agreed I’d call back to set up a time for a meet and greet style observation. Sounded great.When I called back to confirm a time I could not get an answer from James. He did not return multiple calls, voicemails or texts. Called from another number and same deal. Absolutely was intentional.Not sure if he just didn’t want to deal with me, if I’m not a big enough client or whatever the deal may be but those games aren’t cool. If you’re too busy just say so.Overall disappointed because he seems very sharp and knowledgeable.

Patrick Kirsch

2020-05

Great experience. This was the second place we took our dog because the first place didn’t work. We now feel like we have a brand new dog that we can enjoy for years to come. Thanks James!

Jameson Lennon

2021-05

I don't remember leaving a review must have been an accident