I began my law enforcement career as a U.S. Army Military Police Patrol Dog Handler in 1975 and ultimately retired as the 40th Police Commissioner for the City of New York in December 2001, some 26 years later.

Throughout my career, I have seen one K-9 program after another, in various police, military and civilian organizations and have met some of the best trainers in the world, but I have never met anyone as accomplished and experienced as John Soares.
For the past three years he has trained the German Shepherds that protect my family and me and I couldn’t ask for more. His knowledge, experience and expertise in the field is unparalleled and is only over-shadowed by his personal touch that has helped my wife and kids feel more comfortable around working dogs.

I have, and would recommend John Soares to anyone that requires professional dog training at the highest levels. You will not find better.

I am what you would call a lifetime dog training student. I have had many pets and have worked in the pet industry for twenty years. I am always trying to learn more and try my best to improve my pet handling skills. I insist on having well behaved pets. Since I take my Doberman Rowan with me everywhere I go, including work, it is imperative that he be obedient. When Rowan was a puppy we attended two different series of classes with two different trainers. I was not happy with the results; Rowan is a strong headed pup who was going to be quite large. In my research to find a trainer who I could be confident would help foster a successful relationship for Rowan and me, John Soares’ name kept coming up. Though my handling skills were lacking, John’s patience was unwavering and the results were immediate.

Rowan is now fifteen months old and more than one hundred pounds! We have been training with John for over six months. John spent many hours working with Rowan and me, giving me the confidence to continue even when things got difficult. John always encouraged me and stressed the importance of making it fun. His expertise is unmatched by any trainer I have ever known. As a result of our successful training, I have set some competitive goals for Rowan and myself. Since it has been such a positive experience, I have started training my seven month old rescue pup Ceili with John.

John trains even the smallest of dogs with sensitivity and enthusiasm. I feel fortunate to have witnessed him in action. From basic obedience to competition, I highly recommend John for all your training needs.

Cheers John to a long, happy, healthy training career!!!

My husband and I have always owned dogs—primarily dobermans and German Shepherds.  Last year we learned of an 18 month-old doberman male who was returned to a breeder, and was in need of a new home. Although we were still grieving the loss of our previous Doberman, we were excited to be able to move on and to provide a loving home to this new dog, which we named Koa.

Immediately upon bringing Koa home it quickly became evident that he had some issues. Although he did well inside the home, taking him outside of the home was another story. It was impossible to take him on a walk as he would pull in every direction, bark and aggressively lunge at any other dog or cat, and was so anxious, he couldn’t even focus on any basic commands.  In addition, he had fence aggression with our neighbor’s dog that was exceptionally frightening and difficult to manage (even through a 6 foot privacy fence).  It seemed that our new dog possessed two personalities—which was scary since a 100-pound doberman has the ability to do quite some damage!  My husband and I even became fearful that if we weren’t careful, that this dog might eventually turn his anxious and frustrated energy on us.

Within two months of bringing him home, we had Koa enrolled in a training program that came recommended to us.  However, despite working with this trainer, and working with him at home, we did not see much change in Koa’s personality.  It was at this point a friend recommended John Soares—a highly regarded trainer with plenty of experience working with the doberman breed.

We were very impressed with John from the minute we met him.  His level of professionalism was immediately evident.  He performed an assessment of Koa, and told us what he thought.  While we absolutely loved John, but we stubbornly thought that because we were experienced dog owners we could put the training off for a bit and keep working with him at home just a little longer—oh how we were mistaken!  Within six months of our initial meeting with John my husband and I were calling him back to schedule training.

Koa spent 3 weeks boarding with John, and we had several follow-up sessions so that John could train all of us.  I can’t even begin to describe the huge difference that we noticed in Koa immediately—it’s like we have a new dog!  Although he continues to be a work in progress, he now listens when spoken to, he has learned how to walk on a lead, and his fence aggression has almost completely resolved.  In addition, Koa is now more confident—something that he lacked before.  Koa has also become more loving and trusting of us as his owners.  We firmly believe that John is a miracle worker that saved our dog (and us)!  Words can’t even begin to describe how highly we think of John and his level of professionalism.  He is truly the best, and we are so grateful for all he has done for us!

At first, our 3 month old Rottweiler, Diesel, seemed like any other rambunctious, lively puppy. He was into everything. No matter what it was, paper, eyeglasses, yard lights, you name it, he chewed it. The older he got, the more dominant he became. His visits to the Vets office right from day one were a nightmare. He tried to bite one vet several different times. I blamed the Vet, thinking that he didn’t like Rotties and “blamed the breed”. So, we switched vets. Diesel seemed to be good with the female vet in the group, so we thought “problem solved.” Next vet visit, he went after the male vet. We were told he was not allowed back unless he was muzzled. We still didn’t think there was a problem, Diesel just didn’t like going to Vets.

As he became older and grew larger (100 lbs.) he became increasingly difficult to handle. He would not listen unless we screamed at him and then only minimally. I had no control over him whatsoever and he barely listened to my husband. Walking on a lead consisted of Diesel dragging me down the street. He also became very dominant towards our German Shepherd that was in the house from the moment he came home. The last straw was when I was giving him a hug one night he just whipped his head around and bit me on the face for no apparent reason ! I did not require medical treatment but he did draw blood. Obviously we were very upset. I have been around dogs my entire life and this was the first time I had ever been bitten.

We came upon John Soares quite by accident. We were originally going to another trainer, but at the last minute that did not work out. That trainer recommended John.

Diesel was evaluated by John and it was determined that he was a Fear Aggressive dog and needed a lot of help. It was decided that Diesel would spend 3 weeks with John at his training facility. I have to tell you, those 3 weeks were very hard for me. No contact with Diesel whatsoever. Just a brief e-mail from John every now and then as to his progress.

The day finally came when we were to pick up Diesel. John brought him out and went through a whole training routine with him. We were amazed………….who was this dog? Diesel sat at attention, turned on a dime and worked with John off and on the lead. My husband and I both worked with Diesel and he actually listened to us and behaved.
It was a miracle!

Diesel is coming along very well. We still have to keep on him every minute. He’s very smart, if we slack off his training, it definitely shows. He constantly wants to revert back to that “wild, crazy, unruly” puppy. But because of John’s expert guidance we know what to do now. We know how to correct him and to do it immediately. We know how to reward him when he does something good. I think John is truly a miracle worker. He is VERY patient and understanding. I’m sure John would say Diesel actually was easier to train than me! John taught me to treat Diesel like a dog and not “my little baby”. I would highly recommend John to anyone that has a problem dog or just wants a well-behaved dog. Diesel will be going back to John both in August and then again in November while we are on vacation for “refresher” training and boarding. We already have him booked! I truly cannot say enough about John’s professionalism, his love of dogs and patience and guidance for the Owners!

The privilege of training with John Soares has been mine since 2005. I am the proud owner of four Dobermans since 1990, two of them trained by John. I began training with John during July of 2005 upon his arrival in Warwick, NY.John’s focus, enthusiasm and intensity were the first qualities I notice dabout him and I liked him immediately, both as a mentor and a genuine person.  After training weekly with John for several months, I developed a deep respect for his skill, methods and vast knowledge. We also began a mutual and respectful friendship that continues to grow. No trainer before had ever taken the time to explain to me the complexities of sport training and canine behavior in terms simple enough to understand the way John has the ability todo. His patience and willingness to teach are a real credit to his dedication to his craft. John’s training program and methods really work. He took my girl Rosie, Cara’s Thorny Issue, in 2005 for one full month at six and eleven months of age for obedience training, on and off lead and sport imprinting. As a result of John’s successful program, and with weekly lessons together, Rosie and I have earned her WAC, her BH, her ATT, and virtually all the elements required to trial for her SchH1.  John has also trained my boy Josef, Cara’s Josef “RedBull” Rosensohn, a Rosie son, since June of 2009. John took Josef for several weeks at six months of age for obedience training, and within a week ofhis return to me, Josef and I earned his PTT. Josef is now training for all the elements required for trialing for his WAC and BH and beyond as soon as he comes of age, following in his mother’s paw steps. Rosie, Josef and I continue to train with John either weekly or as frequently as our busy schedules allow. Sport training is intense and difficult. John makes it fun and fascinating. John’s training methods work. And they work well for a diverse range of dogs and humans. John works tirelessly to achieve success. John possesses an uncanny ability to communicate with his canine and human students. John is equally comfortable and adept at trialing and training in world-class settings as well with humble pet owners. John’s great versatility combined with his intensity, work ethic, and good sense of humor all combine for a successful dog trainer.  Training with John Soares is a privilege that I look forward to sharing for years to come.

Having owned several dogs in my life I realized that, just like people, dogs come with various degrees of intelligence, drive and motivation. They require different methods and techniques to bring them to their ultimate potential. At times, unfortunately, some of our K-9 companions come to us with a serious personality problem which has caused many a good dog to be euthanized or given up to an animal shelter. In my over 30 years of law enforcement, both in the civilian and military sector, regrettably I have seen the havoc and damage in the physical, emotional and financial sense, that these poorly trained, or so called un-trainable dogs, have caused.

Being the owner of several imported high drive, high energy Doberman Pinchers I would entrust their training to no one else other than John Soares. Besides myself, I have recommended many dog owners to John and everyone has been extremely pleased with the results of his training. John is truly a “DOG WHISPERER.” I strongly recommend that if you are looking for the best dog trainer, and the Harvard of dog training, please consider John Soares as both you and your K-9 companions best friend and teacher. John’s methods are humane, proven and effective and in the long run cost effective.

My name is Michael Krzywicki and I have been a police officer for nineteen years, seventeen of those years I have been employed by the Kingston Police Department in Kingston Pa. I have been a Sergeant for 10 years and a police work dog handler for 9 years.

I recently had to retire my German Shephard Explosives/Patrol dog due to health reasons which led me to start doing some research for a new dog. My co-worker Sgt. Blaski is also a K-9 handler and found a Doberman through Ray Carlisle. Sgt Blaski was very pleased with the work John Soares had done with training Stinger to the point where our trainer could continue the training we needed to complete certification. I am pleased to say that Stinger has been successful in his job and our department was also very pleased.

I began my search for a new dog that I could bring into my house with another male police dog and a female Bernese Mountain Dog. I also have a wife and young daughter and told John that the dog I needed had to be able to live in the house, but yet capable of doing scent work and aggression work. I kept in contact with John for approximately three months and during that time John would advise me on the dogs he had come into contact with and what he felt would work for me and my department.

I am pleased to say that back in May of 2010, I was contacted by John who told me he believed he found me the dog I was looking for right down to the color of the dog I requested. My trainer and I went to see John and were very pleased with what we saw John had done with the dog in such a short time. John was very concerned about our needs and was more interested in selling me a dog that worked for me than with making a business deal.

ONYX and I are about to be certified shortly and I have to say that the dog John found for me was not just a work dog, but a dog that fit into my home and the department I work for. ONYX knows when it is time to work and when it is time to be a dog. Although I would never leave ONYX unattended, I trust that he knows where he fits into the family and can still be a loving dog.

Thanks John, I am very pleased in your work and am proud to call you a friend.

We were having many behavioral issues with our one-year old Lab, Sam. The pulling, nipping, barking, stealing and overall lack of discipline was just too much to bear most days. The basic obedience classes we attended when he was a puppy basically resulted in a dog that would only respond if we had a teat in our hands. We mostly bribed him to get him to do anything. We knew that we needed help but we both work and time was a real issue for us. We decided to look for a trainer that would board him and work with him daily. The decision to send our dog away was difficult for us and we wanted to be sure that our baby would be treated properly. John Soares came highly recommended to us by another trainer that we know and trust. I have to say that, without a doubt, it was the best decision that we have ever made. Sam spent two weeks at “camp” and came home a different dog. He walks perfectly on his leash, responds to sit and down without any treats and holds the position until we give a command to get up. I think that we have finally established our proper roles (thanks to our people training sessions with John) and he is responding in a more appropriate way to us. We were happy to see how Sam responded to John when we went back for our follow-up training. He went to him happily; showed no signs of fear or anxiety at all. We are so pleased and completely satisfied with John and the changes that we see in Sam that we are sending him back to “camp” for off-leash training. We have no doubt that with John’s help Sam will become a well trained dog that our friends and family won’t dread being around.

My yellow lab, Buddy, has been a challenge to my family and me ever since we got him as a puppy.  We have been through many classes with him as well as several trainers.  He was now three years old, and I realized we were at a turning point in his behavior and training.  I searched the internet and found John.  I was certain from the minute I saw his website and watched his videos, he was our answer.  John evaluated Buddy and determined he was trainable.  I knew the day I dropped him off, he would come home a different dog.  After Buddy completed four weeks of training with John, I was now able to walk him without being pulled down the street.  He was obeying his commands and now had manners.  Jumping had also been an issue in our home as well as on our walks.  However, we recently had a party with 20 people – and one dog!  Buddy walked around the house while we were entertaining.  There was no jumping.

More importantly, I saw the respect my dog had for John while I observed them working together.  Now it is my job to demand that same respect from Buddy.  John gave us both the tools to work on this together.  I am forever grateful to John and thank him for the time he spent with Buddy.