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September 2024 by Aston McCarson
We have 2 miniature dachshunds that were in need of potty training and socialization skills. We were never successful in accomplishing these goals and needed some help. After weeks of researching and calling different places, we found James and his team at Upstate Dog Academy. From the first initial phone conversation, James explained in detail why we were having the issues and gave us a plan of action to help. He was the first one I felt confident in sending our dachshunds to. After a few days with them, James called with an update to let us know how things were going, which I greatly appreciated. When he returned them home to us, he explained the difference between when they first arrived and when they came home, and how he was able to get these results. I am soooo happy to say that since they have been home, we have only had 1 potty accident in the home and we have been able to take them out in public several times without the them having bad anxiety and barking at everyone. They don't train dogs, they teach them which is a world of difference in my opinion. Not only that, but they truly love the dogs that go to them and they become part of the family. I know they provided our puppies with so much love and it was obvious. I highly recommend James and his team at Upstate Dog Academy and plan on sending both of them back again soon to further their progress. Thank you Upstate Dog Academy for making our lives so much easier.
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July 2024 by Coral Long
My big dog,Valor, starts whining to get out as soon as he recognizes the neighborhood. James KNOWS dogs, loves dogs, trains dogs with love and special rewards. He knows the psychology behind unwanted behaviors. There's never physical punishment, but firm commands and lots of rewards and kisses. Valor LOVES being housed and times of play when left with James, on my extended trips!
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May 2024 by Jessica Reeves
James is soo amazing! Our dobie puppy went to him and after two weeks he is so much better. They keep you updated and they are so outgoing and easy to work with! They also explain how to do it at home to keep it going. Our boy will be back soon for his next level of training I a thousand percent recommend.
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May 2024 by Brittany Ianuario
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Upstate Dog Academy to train our Doberman, and the experience has been exceptional from start to finish. He started working with our puppy at a young age, and the foundation he helped us build has been incredibly valuable. Now that our dog is 9 months old, the progress we've seen is remarkable.
One of the best aspects of working with James is that he not only trains the dog but also teaches us how to better communicate with our Doberman. His guidance has made us more confident and effective as dog owners, and our relationship with our dog has greatly improved as a result.
James’ patient and professional approach made the training process enjoyable and rewarding. We highly recommend him to anyone looking for a top-notch trainer who can work wonders with both dogs and their humans!
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March 2024 by Amy Mattison
I cannot say enough wonderful things about James and Upstate Dog Academy. Our 14 month old Sheepadoodle and was out of control. We had allowed him to train us instead of us training him and it really made him difficult to enjoy. He was nearly impossible to walk on a leash without him dragging you along. We couldn’t have people over because he jumped all over everyone and/or barked incessantly for attention. He loved playing with other dogs but played rough and ended up annoying the other dogs more times than not. We connected with James and really felt good about him and his training methods. James kept me updated about Ollie’s progress throughout his time there. Most importantly, James took the time to train us on how to communicate with Ollie and how to continue the training he instilled. Thank you so much James and Upstate Dog Academy!
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March 2024 by B
James and everyone at the Upstate Dog Academy are top tier. They helped me train my pitbull and put us both on the right path for happiness. Thanks for everything!!
I wouldn't hesitate to call James for training!
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November 2023 by Jacob Corley
Brought my 1 year old GoldenDoodle in for a 3 week board & train. I couldn’t be more pleased with not only the communication, videos throughout the training explaining how it’s going and what all he’s been doing with my dog each week. But the instant results I noticed as soon as I picked up my dog was incredible. Anything I asked, James was very knowledgeable about and gave me advice on so many things to work on at home. This is the place to go! I now see why the breeder I got my dog from recommended this place.
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October 2023 by Karen Ratzlaff
UDA shipped a puppy to me that did not have a clean bill of health. She arrived sick and underweight.
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October 2023 by Debbie Wallace
James and his staff did an excellent job with our little guy, Buddy. We are thrilled with his new skills and level of confidence. Upstate Dog Academy gave us a better understanding of how to keep the teaching process going and how to make it fun for Buddy. It only gets better from here! We are so appreciative of James’ expertise and guidance!!
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October 2023 by Christina Figueroa
Our dog did the board and train program and learned so much with the Upstate Dog Academy crew. Thank you guys for loving my boy and teaching him so much!
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August 2023 by Sherri Hughey
I am really please with Josie after letting her spend some time with you all at Upstate Dog Academy. She is doing great a the commands you taught her(and me) she is now doing well with other dogs and she loves her crate…. The Puppy Foundations level is perfect. Josie acted like she didn’t want to leave when I came to pick her up. It showed me that she enjoyed being with You, Shelly and Carlos. I look forward to bringing her back in the fall to build on her training.Thanks again! See y’all soon!Sherri and of course Josie
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June 2023 by Trevor White
James and Carlos are dog whisperers. Our golden doodle trained here for the four week puppy training program over a year ago. Fast forward to now and our doodle is still well behaved, obedient, and receptive to commands. We just sent our golden retriever puppy in for training to be a therapy dog for our child with autism. James and Carlos have kept us updated with videos, pictures, and phone calls. I would highly recommend them to anyone who has a dog in need of training or a puppy who needs basic obedience control.
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April 2023 by Glori Fett
We have nothing but kind words and gratitude for what James and his team have done with our dog, Milo. We have never owned a puppy before, and we felt like we were in way over our heads when we first started this dog ownership journey. Ever since having training, he has been a completely different dog. He is no longer nipping at our small children or jumping all over us. We are amazed at the change we have seen. Getting proper training is worth every single penny spent, and James’ philosophy on dog training is the best. We are so grateful we went with his services to train our pup!
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March 2023 by Amelia Reback
James and his team at Upstate were awesome to work with! Frankie is an Irish Setter Doodle and he’s by FAR the biggest dog we’ve ever owned, and waaaaaay more active than our lap dogs. We knew before he was ready to leave his mom & litter mates that we needed help getting him started down the road of what it means to be a good dog. That’s exactly what James & his team delivered and it made a HUGE difference. Choosing to send him to training for several weeks definitely pulled at our heart strings, fearing we would miss a lot of his puppy days, but I am SO happy we made the decision to send him to training at Upstate. We forgot what it was like to have a puppy, and had never had a BIG puppy. We sent Frankie for 5 weeks of training and James & team sent us photos and videos every week and did a live session to explain what he had learned and what the commands were before he was sent to us. It was worth every penny, every second. Listen: puppies do what they do. You can’t train that out of them. However, Upstate gave him a foundational understanding of what is expected of him and allowed us to communicate with him right away. Seriously, puppies should come with a warning that says, “Don’t try this at home”. I would highly recommend using Upstate Dog Academy for your new pip. It really does make a massive difference!!
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February 2023 by Rancesine Norman
We dropped our 1 year old male pit off this morning. We were very pleased & impressed with the owner James. He has so much knowledge & we felt good about leaving Legend in his & his staff capable hands
