Empire of the Dog

Brooklyn, United States

4.8

Open now

20 reviews

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 917-723-5233
Website:
www.empireofthedog.com
Address:
415 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY, 11211
b/t Rodney St & Keap St
Williamsburg - North Side
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
970 ftGrove Street (PATH)
0.4 miHarsimus Cove
0.5 miJersey Avenue
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Today

Today 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Open now
Local time (Brooklyn) 13:22 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 7:30 pm

Description

Specialties

We have been training New York City’s friendliest dogs for over a decade. We offer both private lessons and group classes for adult dogs and puppies. We primarily train in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

Our private dog training lessons are 90 minutes long and we come to your home to train you and your dog together. We believe good dog training encourages you and your dog to work together, not adversarially. Our clients consistently experience amazing results and most of our advertising is simple word of mouth. Ask your neighbors and ask around. Contact us today to discuss your dog’s training needs.

History

Established in 2000.

Empire of the Dog opened in Brooklyn, NY in the summer of 2000. Empire of the dog built up a following in Brooklyn while Denise also worked for Andrea Arden training in Manhattan. While working in Manhattan, Denise began NYC’s first and ONLY [at the time] «Small Dogs Only» classes and playgroups. Today small dog classes and playgroups are a routine offering at most dog schools. Empire of the Dog is based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but Denise and her trainers hold classes at 4 locations in Brooklyn. New on the roster is Empire of the Dog’s formal apprenticeship program for trainers, and an «Urban Agility» class for city dogs.

Meet the Business Owner

Denise H.

Business Owner

Denise is a Valedictorian of the famed San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers. In 2000 she opened Empire of the Dog in Brooklyn NY to rave reviews. Empire of the Dog has been featured in Dog Fancy Magazine, NY1, Animal Planet and Rescue Ink. Denise is also the video guide for 3 separate eBooks, the most recent of which Cool​Hunt​ing​.com reviewed, calling it «masterful advice»

Denise has developed several specialized classes for dogs over the past decade including NYC’s 1st Small Dog Specialty classes [in 2001], Urban Agility, Frisbee Catching in 90 minutes and Dog Skateboarding Lessons.

Empire of the Dog also recommends

PS9 Pet Supplies

58

reviews

Pet Stores

Denise H. says,

«Joan is one of the greatest local business gals, and her store rocks! Empire of the Dog runs special events often at PS9. Thanks for all the suppport.»

Eva’s Play Pups

45

reviews

Dog Walkers

,

Pet Boarding/​Pet Sitting

Denise H. says,

«Eva and Sofia run a tight ship to keep your dog safe and happy. Empire of the Dog has been teaching classes at Eva’s for the past 4 years.»

District Dog

32

reviews

Pet Stores

Denise H. says,

«Rob & Bea really care about your pets. They even groom CATS!»

Unleash: Brooklyn — CLOSED

53

reviews

Pet Boarding/​Pet Sitting

,

Pet Stores

,

Pet Groomers

Denise H. says,

«A beautiful space with great staff! Keeps your dogs [and cats] safe and happy.»

The Neighborhood Vet

58

reviews

Veterinarians

Denise H. says,

«Dr Loose is helpful and knowledgeable without being intimidating or pushy. I have worked with her for my personal dog as well as sent clients to her.»

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20 reviews of Empire of the Dog

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY
Quite honestly, I do not know where to begin with a review on Denise and Empire of the Dog… We began working with Denise just before we adopted our first dog from the shelter. She spoke with me for 30 minutes about adopting, what to look out for, dos and don’ts and then reviewed and provided feedback on countless videos/​behaviors of the dog we were planning to adopt.
During our time with our dog, we had incredibly effective private lessons and stopped by for small dog play group on Sundays — small dog playgroup is a free meet up where Denise monitors and provides training on socialization for dogs under 20lbs and their humans. When we had struggles on the weekends or during the holidays, Denise would take our call and coach us at a moment’s notice which was hugely helpful with a dog who suffered from various types of aggression.
Although Denise’s training was effective, our dog had multiple behavioral issues (and lack of history from previous fosters/​adopters) that made life with our 8 year old cat and a family filled with other dogs an unfit environment for our dog. Denise compassionately coached us through the trying and emotional process of returning the dog to the shelter in the best way possible to ensure his next family would be his forever home. Thanks to her coaching, our dog was readopted less than 24 hours after we returned him! Denise didn’t stop there… she emailed us a few weeks later to offer her support and to let us know the lines of communication would remain open if we needed anything.
If you are adopting or seeking dog training in Brooklyn, I would look NO FURTHER… this place offers training to the fullest extent — effective training and unparalleled support!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Have had my puppy for almost 5 days and because I work at home, the dog has completely consumed my schedule, and although I’ve been trying to follow hours of research online on crate training, etc, after implementing the tricks we picked up at puppy training, I feel like I might have my life back and my puppy is already much more adjusted to his new surroundings and home. SO THANKFUL.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Highly recommend Empire of the Dog! We have done Puppy Kindergarten I & II and also Basic Obedience — would have done even more Puppy Classes if there had been any — we really enjoyed them and so did our puppy! We still have a little work to do on Millie’s behavior but have already come on leaps and bounds with our older dog Barney’s separation anxiety. Both Denise and Elizabeth are absolutely great. I wish I’d know about them sooner! Also, they do a Rescue Dog Seminar — super useful if you have a new rescue!
Place rating: 5
Williamsburg, NY
We had Elizabeth come over to our apartment for a private lesson with our 11 month old puppy, Maggie. We had some issues with baking at the door and also whining for attention. Within a day, using Elizabeth’s techniques, we noticed a huge difference. It’s only been a week since our lesson but Maggie is thriving. We would definitely recommend Elizabeth and Empire of the Dog and we will be going to their small dog obedience classes as well. Thank you so much!
Place rating: 1
Long Island City, NY
I would love to give you a great review but I called 4 times leaving all my information but I never received a call back. That alone turns me off finding this place not profetional… I did how ever find a trainer that I gave my business too
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
At least once a week I find myself thanking Denise.
I got my dog, Hudson, as a rescue from AC&C a little over two years ago, and after reading reviews here on Unilocal I chose Empire of the Dog for our basic obedience class. The class was super informative and I can’t even imagine what our lives (and belongings) would be like without the impulse control Hudson learned in that class. Within a few weeks he no longer tried to steal everything I had in my hands from me,
and now waits patiently until I tell him he can have it.
When my dog started showing signs of anxiety a few months later, Denise made a training plan to help us work through his issues. He is leaps and bounds better than he was two years ago. She gave me the tools to go from being completely hopeless with the situation to a place where Hudson’s anxiety is manageable. As expected, we still sometimes have a bad day or week, but when that happens I look back to where we were two years ago before Denise’s help and I am so grateful for her help.
If you need a dog trainer, look no further, you have found one of the best.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Elizabeth and the puppy kindergarten class were great! Elizabeth was super responsive outside of class too with our additional concerns and helped us work through a lot of issues with our puppy Pickle and gave us a great set of tools and pointers moving forward.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
We are so happy we took Pickle to 4 week puppy kindergarten! Elizabeth was great with the puppies and helped us with so many useful tips and also with assisting us outside of class. Pickle is well-​behaved and well socialized.
Place rating: 5
Flushing, NY
Thank you Elizabeth!!!
Our little Brody is super socialized and well behaved thanks to the puppy classes.
We can take him everywhere –he is great interacting with people and other dogs.
The way Elizabeth worked with the puppies was very impressive.
VERY happy we took him to the 4 week puppy class.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Denise was so helpful. We were having trouble with our six year old Maltese, who was jumping on our young son’s high chair during mealtimes. During our in-​home consultation, Denise immediately started identifying bad behaviors and recommending simple remedies for them (quick timeouts) and suggesting practical improvements for us to make (giving our dog a challenging toy during meals).
It was great having her walk us through the suggestions in person, and we noticed an improvement that same night. We’re very thankful to Denise and we highly recommend her.
Place rating: 5
Santa Fe, NM
Denise is an amazing trainer with many years of experience instructing dogs in a variety of techniques. I took my young beagle mix to her Urban Agility course, which is a very creative way to create an obstacle course for your dog, using tools you have inside your apartment, or outside on the street. As someone who owns an active dog in NY, this course was indispensable and the tools I learned really help me keep my dog exercised and mentally engaged all year round.
Denise is also passionate about helping rescue animals who may need a little extra help in the training department.
If you have a dog (young or old) and live in NY, I highly suggest taking one of her classes and experiencing her wonderful training for yourself.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
We adopted Winston, a terrier mix, when he was about six months old, and we soon discovered that he barked and whined for hours when we left, was afraid to walk down stairs, stopped every few feet on walks, and wasn’t great at recall. Denise tackled one or two major issues at each session, and within a couple of weeks of practice, all of them are now 90 to 100 percent better.
One of the best things she did for us was reassure us that crating was helpful, not hurtful (I had huge doubts). She also had us stop feeding Winston out of a bowl and start feeding him out of Kongs and puzzle toys, which provide hours of stimulation. She got in the kitchen and showed us what foods to use, walked around the neighborhood with us, etc.
She’s a really calming, assertive presence whom we totally trust. She’s also pretty available for follow-​up, which has been a lifesaver.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
Elizabeth is the BEST! I was at my whit’s end when my 2 year old dog suddenly started acting out. Elizabeth provided awesome insights and variety of solutions that not only fixed the problem. but restored my sanity!
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Denise is an absolute gem. I first went to her seeking help with a foster dog who had severe noise sensitivity and general aversion to other dogs and strangers. The dog’s anxiety and fear were making me feel anxious and overwhelmed but Denise put me at ease right away — she’s calm, intuitive, knowledgeable and is very easy to talk to. She gave me a thorough action plan that was very easy to follow, which worked wonders.
When I finally adopted my own dog I didn’t hesitate to visit her to address his separation anxiety issues. Again, Denise gave us a tailored and effective program to follow and helped relieve a lot of the stress we were experiencing.
In addition, Denise is very easy to get in touch with and is happy to respond to follow-​up questions or issues.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Penny our dog graduated from empire back in September and now looking back, I’m so glad she went to puppy kindergarten! She regularly goes to dog parks and she is so social and loves playing with other dogs. The best thing about empire is they offer an HOUR of supervised puppy play before the classes so they can learn how to socialize. It also teaches the owners what is appropriate or not. Its one of the cheapest puppy classes around and the trainers are always willing to answer any questions you have after class or email. A must for new puppy owners!
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Denise rocks. I love her philosophy of dog training with positive reinforcement. My dog, who is half jack russell, and I have been working with her for the last 4 months, and everything about Empire of The Dog’s method works for Petula. Watching Denise work with dogs is like the best drug ever. She has made Petula do things that are just amazing. Aside from the actual training sessions, which are so jam packed your head will be full for days, Denise is very responsive to emails and takes time to answer your questions/​concerns. I really value a business that cares about it’s clients (woof!) Petula and I are enrolled in Adolescent Obedience class, and I can’t wait to see how we both do! I can’t recommend Empire of The Dog enough.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
My wife and I brought several dog trainers into our life before we struck gold with Denise and Empire of the Dog. Denise is a rare breed herself: A people person and a dog person. She’s a true dog whisperer type who communicated like a magician to our rambunctious pet and curbed some very disturbing behavior instantly and permanently. We were floored. That was 9 years ago, and we recently had to call on Denise again for some new issues, and she was kind enough to spend time on the phone with me to hear the problem and offer insightful and up to the minute solutions that she backed up with an email chock full of online articles and research results that spoke directly to our problem. If Unilocal offered 10 star ratings, Denise and Empire would still get 11 from us. Thanks again, Denise, for being professional and personable.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
We scoured the internet and landed on Empire of the Dog for our Puppy Kindergarten class. We took a 4-​week class with Elizabeth and couldn’t have been more pleased. She was super helpful, creative and really cared about the class and about helping us train our little Layla. Her tips were really helpful and she was extremely patient every step of the way.
Elizabeth went above and beyond by having more than 1 phone call with us after the class to help work out some specific issues we have as well as to make up one of the classes we missed. I would recommend her and Empire of the Dog to anyone looking for some puppy training.
Place rating: 4
Sunnyside, Queens, NY
My friend recommended them and was so glad I signed up for the basic obedience classes! At the time, I recently rescued a 1 year old Beagle and she was a bit mischievous and hyper.
During the hour course each week, I was able to get her to concentrate and learn a few tricks and basics along the way including waiting for me to say OK to get her food, waiting patiently by the door before we go out and even rolling over. Good thing she’s super motivated by food — the trainer/​instructor said she was one of the best Beagles she’s seen! Months later, my Beagle is still doing great and still remembers all the tricks.
Going to these classes really calmed her down and helped settle or transition her to the new environment. I’m hoping they offer more classes similar to this but a step up from the basics. I would definitely recommend this company!
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Denise… there’s not enough positives we can say about her! She came to our apartment for a private lesson with our 7-​month old beagle/​boxer mix (we’ve had for 2 weeks) — and literally from the moment she walked in the door, she was giving advice and instruction. We were doing so well with the lesson that we accidentally ran over a little, and she didn’t mind at all.
We opted for the at-​home private lesson, as our pup already knew basic commands, there were just some specific things we wanted to work on, and that was definitely the way to go. She gave us the «locals» rate, and we were able to make a list and work through our specific goals (and she left us a list of homework and techniques to maintain).
My favorite thing is probably just the WAY that she instructs. She teaches you how to calmly and patiently correct behavior, without shouting commands at the dog– the entire lesson and the things we have learned have all been calm and repetitive ways to teach your dog what you do and don’t want them to do. She left us with homework and an inspiration to continue the lessons ourselves — which we are doing and have already noticed improvement in our pup — and it’s only been (3) days since the lesson!
Highly, highly recommend her. She has a way of understanding dogs and she had a way of being able to teach us too, which as new pup parents that’s probably just as important.