Meet The Trainer

Our owner and lead instructor, Jim O’Brien, got his start in training dogs as a police canine handler in 2005. He handled two police canines while he was a patrolman in the state of New Hampshire. Jim and his canine partners were a huge asset in central New Hampshire and were responsible for the capture and arrest of countless suspects and drug seizures. Jim developed both canines programs from the ground up and had much success with both programs. While learning the ropes in the police dog world, Jim started working with personal pets as a side business in additon to police work. That is where the real learning occurred. Pet dogs and Police dogs are very different when it comes to the drive of the dog. The police dog lives to work, the pet dog often has more desire to hang on the couch and snuggle! Having the ability to work many differnt types of dogs has allowed Jim to hone his skills

In 2014, Jim took a huge leap of faith and left policing to pursue dog training full time. Prior to starting NC K9, Jim was the lead instructor at two kennels in the state of NC, where he was tasked with instructing Law Enforcement and Military personnel. Jim has instructed canine teams from around the world and has instructed classes for Working Dog Magazine, K9 Cop Magazine, Bravo 3, ATK9 Seminar, MWD Symposium and Hold the Line K9 conferences. Jim enjoys learning new skills to enhance his abilities as a trainer and continually strives to increase the success rates of his canine teams in the field and build great realtionship with pet owners and their dogs.

In 2017, Jim and his wife, Cindy, opened NC K9 and started by training just police canines and their partners. Pet dog training was added a few years later and now both pet dog training and police dog training are the mainstays of the company. 

As the business expanded it became pretty clear that more space was necessary. In  August of 2020, Jim and his family purchased a beautiful 38 acre farm in Four Oaks, NC. The farm is home to NC K9 and Clover Leaf Farms. 

Jim has had many great human influences and dog trainers over the years that have assisted his growth as a trainer and his love for dog training. However, the one being that grew that passion more than any human was his last partner, Blek. Blek was a great patrol dog, but was the best instructor!