Hidden Gems: Meet James Stokes of Midas Touch Dog Obedience School, LLC.

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Stokes.

Hi James, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was first introduced to dog training when I was 13 years old. Around that time my parents had bought me my dream dog. He was a beautiful Rough Collie named Joe. I wanted to train him but wasn’t having much luck on my own. I went to the public library to read a few books on dog training but I ended up leaving more confused as every trainer swore their method was the best but there was no way to tell who was right and who was wrong.
My mother ended up finding a man who had about 30 years of experience training dogs in the Army and NYPD. He had retired and was living in Stafford, Missouri, which is a small town in southern Missouri.
The trainer would hold basic obedience classes on the weekends which I signed up for. I fell in love with dog training during this time. I learned so much about dogs, and how to properly motivate them. What I loved most though was feeling my and Joe’s bond grow as we trained together.
As many people know life takes us in different ways and I ended up becoming a Master Electrician. I was earning a living and supporting my wife and three children when I took a job in Kansas City, Missouri. While at this job I was working in Kansas City during the week and would return home to Springfield, Missouri on the weekends. I ended up having a lot of free time during the week and would volunteer to help at local dog shelters.
I fell in love so much with the Kansas City area that we ended up moving to North Kansas City. After moving I began fostering dogs with behavior problems. During this time in my life, I met a friend who was a fellow Marine who owned his own dog training company. We became fast friends, and I showed him my fosters and told him about the progress they had made.
When I felt the dogs were ready, I would work them at Zona Rosa on Friday and Saturday nights because they had live music and there was always a large crowd. When my friend came and watched my four dogs work in a large crowd with precision, he encouraged me to start my own company.
I would eventually end up giving lessons in my spare time, and I became successful enough to where I was able to quit my job, open Midas Touch Dog Obedience School and train full-time.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has been surprisingly easy. The only struggles would be the typical struggles any small business might face such as getting new clients, advertising, navigating social media, etc. However, I love what I do too much to complain.

As you know, we’re big fans of Midas Touch Dog Obedience School, LLC.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
If there is one thing I want people to know about Midas Touch is that this is not a job to me but a passion. I love working with dogs and I love being a part of our customers’ journey of building their bonds with their dogs.
I think one thing I am known for is something a lot of customers end up saying after the first lesson. “This training is for us not the dog, isn’t it?” I think I do a great job of relaying to our customers that a lot of their dog’s success is dependent on them and how serious they take the training and how much they practice.
I think what sets me apart from others is that even though I convey that message effectively I still recognize that not every dog is the same. Some dogs may come with a lot of traumas and in those cases, I am very well versed in how to help our customers get the behavior they are looking for. If the customer is willing to follow the program and put in the work, they will be amazed by the results.
We don’t shy away from aggressive dogs here at Midas Touch and are proud of how many clients we’ve been able to help keep their family intact after they were prepared for the worst. The key to success is not perfection but daily improvement and results can happen quicker than people might expect.
What I am most proud of though is that our company has donated thousands of dollars to support local rescues as well as fostering some of their most aggressive dogs. We spend any free time here working with those fosters to improve their behavior so they can find their forever homes.
What I would want your readers to know is that we offer a variety of different services: puppy training, basic obedience, board & train, boarding, socialization training, behavior modification. Our lessons can be given at serval different locations: our facility in Kearney, Missouri, local parks, or your home.

How do you think about luck?
I don’t believe in luck much, I believe if you listen to the higher power in your life and try to treat people with kindness everything tends to work out. Even when we have problems, I believe it is important not to look at those problems as “bad luck” and more as challenges to overcome. How we choose to handle these challenges defines us. So, I try my best to approach these challenges with gratitude and not frustration.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://midastouchdog.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midastouchdog/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MidasDogTrain/