Empire State K9 Services

Rick and his team have been great! We are learning the necessary skills to properly handle our bullmastiff so that we can be confident in his interactions with other people and animals. We are thrilled to have found Rick! He is available for questions/help throughout the entire process. This isn’t a one and done type of training - this is a forever relationship. If you want to be able to have a well-trained dog, Rick is the guy to go to.

5 stars — Empire State K-9 changed my dog — and honestly, changed me, too. I don’t write reviews like this often. But this deserves it. My dog Coco is family. She’s also high-energy, distractible, reactive, social to a fault — the mayor of every block. Walking her was a full-time job. I’d resigned myself to always having a leash-yanking, sidewalk-sprinting, bird-chasing kind of pup. Then I found Empire State K-9. After almost two weeks of immersive training, Coco came home a different dog — not in spirit, but in structure. She still has her spark, but now there’s focus behind it. She heels. She respects boundaries. She listens. She can walk by my side, calmly, even in high-distraction environments. A pigeon flew by today — she started to glance, and with the smallest tug, she turned back to me and kept walking. That kind of transformation doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through consistency, skill, empathy, and serious time on the ground. And that’s exactly what Empire State K-9 delivers. From the moment I dropped her off, I felt like I was handing her over to someone who truly cared — not just about dogs, but about people, too. The trainer spent hours with me upfront: walking me through the theory, the tools, the transitions, and the work I’d need to do when she came back. I got worksheets. Real-time walkthroughs. Space to ask questions. Time to process. He even drove me to and from the train. Brought me lunch. Gave me trash bags when I forgot them. The care was constant, not performative. Coco came home with a new collar, a new leash, and a completely new relationship with the world. She now lies down at my feet when we enter restaurants — something I never could have imagined before. I can finally take my hand off the leash and trust that she won’t bolt. Even now, I get unlimited follow-ups for three months — real access: calls, texts, whatever I need. No nickel-and-diming, no weird fine print. If I had to offer one piece of constructive feedback, it’s that sometimes the sessions ran a little long — the wrap up one especially. I was promised two hours and hit closer to three. I was totally fried by the end. But to his credit, he noticed immediately, read the room, and got me to the train with kindness and care. So even the one “flaw” was handled with grace. Was this worth the cost? Yes. Would I recommend it to anyone who feels overwhelmed, frustrated, or unsure where to start? Absolutely. Will I be continuing to work with Empire State K-9 moving forward? 100%. Three months of training post I dont know of another bootcamp that offers that. This wasn’t just training. It was transformation — for both of us.

Rick and Empire State K9 have been nothing short of amazing!! We brought our 1-year-old dog to Rick last year for basic family dog training. After her short 3-week initial stay we picked her up and had our first training session with Rick that lasted about 3 hours. We couldn't believe how much more obedient she was. Our walks were so much more enjoyable! Our work did not end there as we returned to Rick for additional lessons where he not only helped us train her to be obedient, but helped us work on helping her with her separation anxiety. Every lesson was full of tons of information and tips to help her with what she was struggling with at home. He was thorough and honest. Rick was available for phone calls and text exchanges where we shared Brenlee's progress. Brenlee loved seeing Rick and it was clear they created a nice bond when she was with him for 3 weeks. We would 100% do this again if we could, and plan to when we eventually adopt another dog in the future. Well worth the investment!