Acadia Canine Academy

I gave of myself to this young lady with my experience and wisdom that what she needs to select an appropriate dog trainer that is not going to rip her off as many do. She immediately said that she could not afford my Board and Train Curriculum. I did not hang up and I talked to her about her new puppy. How many people in life don't realize that the joy is in giving and not taking. I gave of myself to this girl for the benefit of her puppy and her going forward with the puppy. Maybe I spent a half an hour on the phone with her. Nobody would have gave her the advice and experience that I gave up for free. Why, because I care and I am a giving person. My name is Jim Stile and I own Acadia Canine Academy. Been training dogs for 35 plus years. Master Dog Trainer and Animal Behaviorist.

Thank you so much for your review Anne Marie.

"I didn't write this review lightly —I'm not someone who fires off reviews to tear people down, and I do believe Jim is, in many ways, a nice person. But I keep coming back to one thing: I wish someone had written this before I trusted him with my dog and $4,000. So I’m writing it for whoever is standing where I was, trying to make a careful decision."This client did not pay $4,000, she paid $3,888.00 which includes NYS sales tax. So, this 1st paragraph begins the falsehoods! "A little about me: I spent years training service dogs for Guide Dogs International, a rigorous, respected program, and I've been around dogs my whole life. I can teach basic obedience no problem."So, why would this person not train their own dog? "Last year my husband and I brought home a Doberman puppy named Axe. Knowing a working breed is very different from the labs and goldens I grew up with, I wanted an expert. So in November 2025, at five months old, we brought him to Jim at Acadia for a two-week board-and-train and paid $4,000. The real reason I chose Acadia was eventual protection training — the one piece I knew was beyond me." Again...."paid $4,000.00", an inaccuracy again although this may seem minute. "Axe came to Jim already solid — sit, down, wait, crate, tie-down. Two weeks later I picked up a dog who could do a bit of heel and little more, hyper and jumping the moment I arrived. I drove home with a pit in my stomach, knowing I'd spent money we couldn't spare on results worth a few hundred dollars at most. Right before pickup he'd offered a free extra week — which, going off the videos he'd been sending, my gut read as a sign Axe wasn't finished. "Hey Jim! Hope you’re enjoying the spring! I wanted to reach out with an update on Axe. He’s doing absolutely great — he turns one year old tomorrow and has developed a wonderful temperament! 💕 His training is really coming along too, and I think he’ll be ready to move into protection training soon. I also wanted to ask if you’d be able to board him for us. We’re heading out of town next week for five days — would that work for you? Thanks so much!" DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A DISGRUNTLED CLIENT? THIS WAS SENT TO ME ON WHATSAPP BEFORE DROPPING AXE OFF FOR BOARDING OF WHICH SHE DID NOT PAY FOR AND REFUSED TO PAY FOR! THIS WOMAN IS NOTHING BUT A MANIPULATOR!!!!! "Axe came to Jim already solid — sit, down, wait, crate, tie-down. Two weeks later I picked up a dog who could do a bit of heel and little more, hyper and jumping the moment I arrived. I drove home with a pit in my stomach, knowing I'd spent money we couldn't spare on results worth a few hundred dollars at most. Right before pickup he'd offered a free extra week — which, going off the videos he'd been sending, my gut read as a sign Axe wasn't finished." MY GRACIOUSNESS OF OFFERING TO KEEP AXE AN ADDITIONAL WEEK WAS NOT BASED UPON ANY TRAINING DEFICIENCIES, IT WAS BECAUSE I ENJOYED TRAINING AXE AND THAT I LAID THE FOUNDATION WORK FOR PROTECTION WORK AS I SAID I WOULD AND LEAH WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO OUT OF HER WAY TO PICK UP AXE AND THEN TRAVEL SOUTH TO VIRGINIA, AN EXTRA 4 HOURS. I am done with responding to this persons false allegation that are based upon her inability to manipulate me as I am sure she does very well with others. Protection training is expensive as there is a LOT of work involved in such training...$10,000.00 and more. She omits her WhatsApp texts purposely. I INCLUDE THEM HERE. "Hey Jim — yes please, I’d appreciate Axe’s collar mailed back, thank you for hanging onto it.Quick refresher since it’s been a few months: back in December, after I picked Axe up, you were really gracious on the phone and offered to do his protection training once he hit a year old. He just turned one this month — and yo’’d mentioned you’re getting ready to sell the business and move. I’d hate for us to miss the window on that. How do you want to handle getting it done before you go?"THIS REVIEW WAS POSTED AFTER I REFUSED TO MAIL THE COLLAR ! SCREW HER!

We thank you so much for your review, Lisa. This time of year, for most people is a time of giving. I practice giving three hundred and sixty five days a year in one form or another but most often to dogs and their owners. The key to giving is to give without having any expectations!!!! Then you will never be disappointed. It is when there are contingencies attached to what you give, then you set yourself up for disappointment. We should give because simply we want to experience the joy of giving which is a charitable, loving gesture. <br>At the end of our conversation, I felt comfortable asking you to give a Google Review. I explained that my goal is to get 100 Google Reviews by years end and that I was currently 97 or 98. You, your husband, and I come from the same age generation. This is deep..... My request for a review was not based on selfishness or self-centerdness. There are two sides to every coin. Soon there may not be coins anymore. They already took away our pennies. LOL 😆 Our coin has two sides Lisa. I gave of my time to you and your husband and your dogs that which I don't have much of not only based upon my age, 69, but how busy I am. I don't look at everybody as a dollar sign being a professional dog trainer and business man that I am. More people have to get engaged with the joy of giving and not taking. I imagine you must have experienced the joy of giving when you put up that review to some degree. Now the icing on the cake is for you when you read my response to your review and experience what the joy of giving gets back....more joy! You are doing the right things with your pets. I intuitively knew what the solution is after 10 minutes into our conversation, having trained thousands of dogs. Many times people know the answer to what they need to do, and they are looking for affirmations from others. Thank you for calling me and allowing me the opportunity to walk you through the options that you face. Feel free to call me going forward. Happy Holidays!!!

Thank you so much for your review Ashna. It has been a few years since I trained your dog but I still have the Halloween photo you sent on the wall of my new facility. It warms our and others hearts when we look at the before photo and the costume photo. I love people that take the time to send us photos of their loved dogs as you have. Best wishes going forward with your 4 legger.<br>Please remember that you can always call on us for the life of your dog with any questions you may have. You are always welcome to visit. If you are still in the area, come by for a visit. <br>Sincerely yours, Jim