We took in a 5+ month old puppy from a challenging situation and needed help as the pup was reactive, not socialized, and terrified of everything. Gary was just the right amount of direct but supportive. He taught us lessons that built upon themselves and after the full course, we now have the tools to help our pup live his best life. Totally worth it. Very flexible with schedule and good communication. Already our new family member has made huge strides. Thanks, Gary!! read more

I reached out to Gary for help with my dog Peaches and her leash reactivity, and he was extremely prompt in responding. The initial consultation went very well, and I learned so much about dog communication and how to better support Peaches. I also learned that she is a highly anxious dog, which explained many of the challenges I had been concerned about. We enrolled in Gary's six-week program and finished with the tools and knowledge needed to keep Peaches on the right track toward recovery. Just like humans, dogs rehabilitate at their own pace, and over those six weeks Peaches made significant progress. We're looking forward to enrolling in advanced training once she's ready so she can enjoy more freedom off-leash. Gary is not like other trainers we've worked with. He doesn't rely on obedience-based shortcuts or gimmicks. Instead, he teaches you how to work through real situations and explains the theory behind his approach so you truly understand what's happening and how to handle stressful moments. Most importantly, Gary teaches you how to become the focal point for your dog, which has made a lasting difference for us. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

We had an absolute great experiencing working with our German Shepherd mix and Gary! Gary is extremely knowledgeable and patient. We've seen a true change in our dog's confidence and behavior. Would highly recommend for basic training and/or if you have a specific behavior you are trying to work on. read more

We worked with Gary Maria for six weeks to help our 3-year-old rescue, Giorgi, who struggles with fear and anxiety. Honestly, Gary was incredible. From day one, it was clear he knows his stuff and loves what he does. A lot of the time, Giorgi was too overwhelmed to participate. On day 1, Giorgi hid under a table the whole session. But that's ok because Gary was really training us. By the last session, Giorgi was walking around, watching other dogs and people walk by, and still listening to commands. Gary taught us how to help Giorgi feel safe, calm him down when he's stressed, and build trust. We've already seen such a difference at home. Gary is knowledgeable, patient, direct (in the best way), funny, and available when you have questions. He celebrated every little win with us! You can tell he truly cares about the dogs he works with. We still have more work to do, but thanks to Gary, we know how to keep moving forward. If you have a dog with anxiety or fear, seriously, go to Gary. He's the real deal. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Gary Maria is amazing! We found our mini-schnoodle at the Dublin SPCA, took him home and promptly named him Spencer Theodore! He is a sweet little guy (so good with kids and most other dogs) who came to us with fear of isolation and overall stress. Gary taught us exactly what to do to make Spence feel safe and protected. Gary's lessons have led to Spence becoming so much more calm and confident. He is just a joy of a pup and we give Gary so much credit for guiding us all. Thank you Gary! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Spencer monkey-face - Pet Training Near Me

We worked with Gary for 6 sessions over two months to help our female boxer, Harper, who was struggling with anxiety, fearfulness, and leash reactivity. We had also recently welcomed a baby, and Harper started isolating herself and pulling away from the family. Gary was incredible. He gave us the tools we needed to help Harper feel safe again and to re-establish me as her protector and pack leader. The progress we've seen has been amazing -- she's more confident, more connected with us, and much less reactive on walks. That said, this isn't a quick fix. You 100% have to put in the work between sessions, but if you're consistent, the results are absolutely worth it. We know we still have a long way to go, but I wanted to leave this review to thank Gary for his patience, understanding, and for really tuning in to what Harper needed. Highly recommend -- 10/10! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

He's the best! We had trouble with our Irish setter with a new onset of aggression that really changed the dynamic in our home. Gary has so much knowledge and patience! He is so passionate about educating owners on what is best for their dogs and truly wants you to be successful. Thank you, Gary!!! We couldn't thank you enough. read more

Five-star ratings were what caught our attention when we were looking for a dog trainer. Five-star ratings were the the reason we decided to trust the process and believe that our two-year-old reactive dog could one day behave in public. Five-star ratings were the reason why we sought to work with Gary Maria, even though we knew we'd have to drive two hours round trip every week for our trainings. Five-star ratings? Here's another. Our reactive dog Ragnar is two years old and for the past year his anxiety around other dogs continued to escalate. We had to resort to walking him extra early in the morning to avoid other dogs. We would sadly leave him at home instead of taking him out to dog-friendly places that could trigger him. We were at our wits' end. Does that sound relatable to you? Read on. We wanted a better life for our dog and for ourselves. That's why we reached out to Gary Maria. For the past several weeks, we've driven from Napa to Walnut Creek so that our dog could have one-on-one training with Gary. We were very nervous for our initial consultation. It was at Heather Farm Park, where there are dogs EVERYWHERE! We were worried that our dog would freak the hell out. We were right. But it was good for Gary to see our starting point. He said our dog was very sensitive and would be on the severe end of the spectrum for reactivity. I asked Gary what our dog's ceiling was for improvement. Without missing a beat he turned to me and said, "What's YOUR ceiling of willingness to work with him?" I knew then and there that we were in the right hands. There's no magic switch to change your dog. It's your willingness to put in the hard work day in and day out. Gary gave us very specific exercises and techniques to train our dog, with each session building on the lessons learned and practiced from the previous week. It's hard work, but working with Gary made all the difference in the world. His very specific instructions, guided by 45 years of experience, gave us a LOT of confidence in training our dog. That in turn, gave our pup more confidence. In the past, we'd tried so many different training styles and tactics from YouTube, books and other resources with conflicting information. We were confused and so was our dog. Now, we're all on the same page and very happy building a strong and healthy relationship with our dog. Within the first two sessions our family and friends noticed a big difference in our dog's behavior. He used to bark his head off whenever someone came over. He's now a lot calmer and more confident. We just finished our sixth and final session with Gary and the progress has been amazing compared to that first day at the park. He went from triggering at every man, woman, child, pet and squirrel that he saw to not triggering ONCE yesterday at the park, despite the fact that there were about 15 dogs who walked by us yesterday. He would get curious and alert, but we would be appropriately proactive and get him away from the potential trigger before he exceeds his stress threshold. It's a lot easier to nip a situation in the bud than to calm down a dog that's already freaking out. The ultimate test? On our way home from training, we stopped at In n Out. Going through a drive-through window used to be a HUGE trigger for him before. Yesterday, he didn't bark at all. He was very alert, but not aggressive or barking. Someone even walked very slowly in front of our car with a dog loaded into his shopping cart. Our dog watched intently but did not bark. We rewarded him very handsomely with his favorite treats. Our dog has made a lot of progress over the past few weeks and now it's our job to continue putting into practice the exercises that Gary taught us. We plan to continue building on our progress and then contacting Gary again in a few months to do some more advanced training like off-leash recall. I never thought we'd be able to get our dog to a point where it's believable that he could one day do off-leash recall. But today, seeing our dog's progress and his potential to learn and grow, I'm a believer. Our dog is better and we're better because of Gary Maria. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Week 2 of training with Gary Maria, our dog was willing to take treats and follow commands at the vet. - Pet Training Near Me

I wish we had met Gary years ago, we have had several German Shepherd and his training is simply amazing. Our rescued 1 year old German Shepherd Olivia LOVES Gary. His training program has greatly helped Olivia's issues. She can now walk nicely on a leash, great down/sit, and I could go on and on. He is the very best. Highly Recommend. read more

We just completed both the introductory and advanced training programs with Gary and we could not have had a better experience. Gary helped our high energy dog (GSP) and more importantly, helped us to understand the fundamentals of training and dog behavior. We are now able to take our dog on off leash hikes with total faith in his recall which we couldn't have dreamed just a few months ago. Thank you so much Gary!!! read more

Gary is amazing!!! When we brought our American Bully to him, he knew right away that our dog was anxious. He pointed out the signs too so that we could be aware of it. Having him as a trainer is really like having a translator between you and your dog. The deep understanding he has of our dog's behavior is really where you get your moneys worth. His professionalism, his knowledge, his demeanor, and warmth really allowed us to enjoy the sessions and it enabled us to set our dog up for success. It's A LOT of work and discipline and a WHOLE LOT of chicken breast, but we definitely saw how much improvement and success his training did for our dog and thats the reward!! It's almost instant really. You can tell that our dog enjoyed and loved the sessions too! When we skipped a training day with Gary, our dog was so sad. He loves Gary so much and we can feel how much Gary cares for our dog too. All in all, if i can give Gary 100 stars i would. His sessions are worth every penny! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Our Good boy Bruno a proud Gary Maria student. - Pet Training Near Me

Gary was awesome at explaining the why, not just the how behind teaching our dog to trust us so he would stop trying to be the boss. Our dog went from an anxious mess, especially around other dogs, to one that checks in with us when we are in situations that would have normally turned into pure chaos. I grew up around dogs and worked as a vet tech for 20 years and never had behavioral issues explained this way and I feel much more confident in make the smart decisions to keep me, my family, and our new dog safe and happy. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Gary is a great trainer who has really helped me get "unstuck" in trying to train my two young rescues. I have had many dogs that I have successfully trained in the past, but couldn't get beyond the 80% mark with this young, bonded pair. His insights and behavioral approach not only make sense, but it works! Both dogs are much more relaxed and definitely obedient :) The dogs and I all enjoyed the training and will continue to apply everything we learned! read more

The phrase "life-changing" is overused, but in this case, it's true ... working with Gary really has been life changing. We have a highly sensitive 5-year-old labradoodle who was displaying signs of anxiety that we weren't picking up on, and it was manifesting in fear-based aggression towards other dogs and people. Through lots of patient coaching and training, Sparky is like a new dog. Gary was absolutely amazing through every step. We learned SO much, and my only regret is that we didn't start working with him when our dog was a puppy! I knew that the training was working when, about a month ago, we walked by two very intimidating looking Doberman Pinschers and Sparky ignored them and kept his focus on me! Like I said, life-changing. Walks and family time are so much more peaceful and enjoyable now that we have the tools we need to understand and train Sparky. Thank you, Gary! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

I just finished Gary's basic obedience training with my now 7 month old Golden Retriever puppy. Gary is a true professional. I'd highly recommend him. Before seeing Gary, I did weekly virtual training sessions through dog training mobile apps and like many other dog parents do, scoured the internet for free resources online. The vast amount of information out there (oftentimes conflicting) can make dog training somewhat overwhelming, especially to a first time dog parent. These methods worked for a while and got my puppy to a decent place obedience-wise (or so I thought), but I really wanted to take her training to the next level. Gary's system was exactly what I needed. His training methods are unique in comparison to other cookie-cutter methods I have seen. It's all about understanding your dog, why they do the things they do, and what that means for you, the owner/handler. Throughout his course, you'll learn about dog psychology and will develop a greater understanding of how to effectively communicate with your dog. Gary's obedience course isn't about teaching your dog useless parlor tricks; the training program is all about building a solid leader-follower relationship with your dog. You'll learn how to get your dog to trust you and look to you as the protector and pack leader. But of course, with these foundations, you can teach your dog pretty much anything. At the end of the day, Gary teaches you, not your dog. You'll have daily homework after every session and each session builds off of the last. In conclusion, this course was worth every penny and my relationship with my puppy couldn't be better. I plan on coming back for the advanced obedience training in a few months. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Gary Maria, is an outstanding communicator and trainer. Our dog has fear aggression issues. Gary was able to give us the ability to recognize the signs and the tools to work with him to make him feel more comfortable. His approach has allowed our dog to be much calmer and feel protected. I would highly recommend Gary for your training needs. read more

Gary was absolutely amazing in helping train my dog. My dog, Amadeus, is sensitive and has fear-based aggression (which I also learned through Gary). Gary was positive, optimistic, and completely helped lay down a template to properly train and lead my dog. He also made sure to go at my dog's pace, didnt overwhelm him, and helped me see signs of anxiety in my dog that I had absolutely no clue of previosuly. I learned so much from him. Training is going to be a life-long journey for my dog, so Gary really helped provide guidance and I feel that I can take over and continue to train my dog, now that I have this proper training foundation. I highly, highly recommend him! He' an absolutely outstanding dog trainer and encourage anyone with sensitive dogs/aggressive dogs especially to go with Gary. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - My sensitive pup - Amadeus! - Pet Training Near Me

Gary is an incredible trainer. Not only does Gary train your dog with fundamental steps, he also trains owners to behave in ways that show you are the pack leader and that you have you dogs best interests and protection at heart. Then training your dogs becomes even easier. I would highly recommend his services. He is a master trainer and he truly loves dogs read more

There's no shortage of five-star reviews for Gary Maria, and I'm happy to add mine to the list. Working with Gary is undoubtedly an investment, but it's worth making. He equipped "us, the humans" with the knowledge and techniques to understand our new rescue, helping us build trust and communication. We started with a dog who ignored commands, chased our three cats, and did whatever he wanted. After just six weeks, thanks to Gary's guidance, he's become more confident and trusting in us. Watching his progress--and our own--has been incredibly rewarding. We highly recommend Gary! read more

After deciding to get a dog, the next big decision made was selecting the right trainer for our American Bully named Maui. My wife and I are extremely happy with the program Gary provided to us. From the get-go, Gary patiently worked with us and showed that training was much more than just being about the dog. During our partnership, we learned a lot about ourselves in the process, and most importantly how to interact with our puppy on his level. While we are still at the beginning of our journey with Maui, Gary has provided us with a solid framework that will allow us to reach a high level of obedience and joy with our puppy. Highly recommend working with Gary!! read more

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We can't recommend Gary highly enough. He is awesome! We brought him a 2 year old Golden Retriever mix rescue we adopted 3 months prior who was sweet but not trained. She had a lot of anxiety that Gary identified immediately. During our time with Gary, we learned so many lessons- both what our dog was telling us and what we were inadvertently telling her. We have a dog now who comes instantly when called, is a pleasure to take on a walk, and is learning to lay down and stay in all situations. Really impressed with how far we have come in such a short time. We now have tools to keep progressing. Gary is a pro!! read more

We worked with Gary about 5 years ago training our very sensitive rescue (border collie / greyhound mix), Abby. His techniques made, and continue to make, such a difference - she's confident, secure and so well-behaved. Best of all, we know how to communicate with her, as well as how to keep her stress levels low by being her steady, patient protectors. We learned so much with him, that we naturally went back to him when we got our golden doodle puppy, Wilbur. Again, Gary's techniques, which center communication, positive reinforcement and setting your dog up for success, are working like a charm. Working with Gary is an education in how to be the best human you can be for your dog, and in doing so, train your dog to be the best they can be too. It's a journey, and you don't get there overnight, but wow, it's worth the effort. Especially because Gary is with you every step of the way. He is *so* supportive, knowledgeable and empathetic. He's the best in positive training and I can't recommend him highly enough. read more

This is real dog training. What does that even mean? I'll tell you. To preface this, my husband and I worked with *three* trainers prior to finding Gary. Kobe is 9months now and we started him with professional training at ~4 months. At other places he did learn basics like sit but during Covid, our very energetic pup developed some bad habits even during training. We decided to switch trainers and so worth the price. Our puppy is completely different from session 1 to who he is session 6 now. We were focusing on all the wrong things prior to Gary. Gary is unlike any trainer. He actually observes, and takes the leash to guide you. He makes you practice in-front of him and he corrects you as you go. he doesn't miss any queue in between and is always correcting us humans! turns out, we needed more training than Kobe :P Kobe is extremely receptive to Gary and loves him. My husband and I are also happy with how far Kobe has come in 6 weeks. For example, Kobe was a huge jumper to get what he wanted and now, without even saying the word, he will get on all 4's and stay there. HUGE win! He has also become much better with his impulse control. You'll find so many "trainers" out there but Gary is 100% in tune with every muscle twitch, eye movement, sound your dog makes and helps you address what is needed in that moment. Thank you so much Gary for helping us think about our dogs love and care in a new way! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Kobe the Golden - Pet Training Near Me

We had such a wonderful experience with Gary for training our Bernese Mountain Dog named Walter. Walter is a large dog who has a lot of fears and anxiety out and about. Gary taught us how to be Walter's protectors and give him confidence. He is extremely knowledgeable and helped us each step of the way. I highly recommend Gary for training. We had to wait a bit on his waitlist but it was well worth it to know that we could trust our trainer and that he was the best. Thanks so much Gary!! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Walter being a good boy - Pet Training Near Me

We can't recommend Gary highly enough. He was able to help my family understand my behavior and help us to communicate so that my mom could stop being so frustrated with me. I really am a good boy and try very hard to please. Now we can live in harmony and Mom can laugh at my antics. Barkley the Beardie read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Five stars just aren't enough to express my happiness with and gratitude for the training Gary provided for my dog Moxie and me. Ten stars is much more appropriate! Gary exceeded all of my expectations. I rescued Moxie nine months ago. She is a wonderful, loving, typically goofy lab who is 5 1/2 years old. Moxie was anything but difficult, but she definitely had some quirks that were very frustrating and were keeping us from having a great relationship. She would do fine on walks, but would reach a wall where she wouldn't move. She would either sit or lie down and was virtually unmovable! The stalemate could last up to 40 minutes!!! I tried everything, coaxing, pleasing, food, pulling, picking up (80 lbs of limp dog didn't allow for this!), nothing worked. I used to tell my friends and neighbors that I didn't need a trainer for Moxie, I needed a therapist. Enter Gary!! In our first meeting Gary explained he was not just a trainer but a behaviorist. I don't think he had any idea how ecstatic that made me. He asked me to describe our stand offs. He asked about her previous owner, who I had some information on. Moxie had been left alone for many hours a day (she wouldn't pee for me unless it had been 10-12 hours even though I would take her out), wasn't taken on walks and allowed to reach the hefty weight of 106 lbs! Basically she was left to fend for herself. After hearing about our issues, he began explaining what she was experiencing. Because she was used to taking care of herself, she felt stressed on walks when something happened she didn't feel comfortable doing. Whether it was turning around and going a different direction, going down a hill, or approaching other dogs, my seemingly calm girl was a nervous wreck inside. The answer? I needed to be trained to be her leader, her protector so that she could relax. Gary's training is very systematic. Not robotic, but a clear step by step plan to create trust in you for your dog. He makes it fun for the dog and you. As you go through the six training sessions, Gary gives you homework each week that prepares you for the next step. As he explains the new step, he tells you why the step is important, what you are trying to accomplish and how it helps build confidence in your dog. My dog loves "practicing". Everytime I ask her if she wants to practice she gets excited and furiously wags her tail. Almost immediately, our standoffs lessened and after about a week and half, they disappeared! Moxie is able to focus on me for our next move throughout our walks. She definitely has more confidence, both at home and out in the world. I am so grateful to Gary for his expertise and fun and loving way that he taught Moxie and me. I cannot recommend him enough. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

With a new labradoodle puppy joining our family, we knew we wanted to employ the services of a professional to make the best of our new family member. We had heard of Gary and joined his waiting list. When it was our time, Gary came to our house and our dog responded almost immediately to his presence. As a first-time dog owner, this was really cool to witness. After the initial meeting, we decided to become a customer and we spent the next few months meeting with Gary once a week. Gary was amazing. He reinforces a number of key things over and over that really helped me understand what would work and what would not. His techniques absolutely changed the dog's behavior in a good away. Ultimately, your dog learns to trust you and natively learn to behave in the ways you want. I would make sure that you take good notes and film the first few sessions as they will be helpful to reference in between sessions. Gary is the best - he's a fun time for both the dog and the owners. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Gary is a life saver! We rescued our 2 year old Shepard mix 6 months ago. She was initially very timid and quiet but as she became more comfortable in her new home she became rather scary. Nipping, jumping and snarling at stranger. No control on walks. She was jealous and aggressive with our 18 month old baby. We started with some corporate training, which was a fine start but in hindsight a waste. We thought about a "boot camp" but found out that most of these programs are NOT reward based, something Gary helped us understand. We also hired a behaviourist for 1 session that was marginally helpful. Once we arrived with Gary we were in desperate need of progress. From session one we felt better about the direction of our training. He has such a love for dogs and is fiercely protective of their growth and happiness. That means he will not cut you any slack for not being precise in your training. The training appears simple but each session is a progression of activities and as we practiced there was a world of change in our dog. Beyond the act of training we felt her start to calm. She started to understand there were boundaries and that my wife and I were the pack leaders in the house. We have now completed our sessions but the practice continues. As we continue to practice we are able to branch out to more and more distracting environments. We are getting much quicker responses. And we have not worried about our wonderful dog around our baby since training started. Thank you Gary! read more

Our experience with Gary was wonderful! When we first sought out Gary, our American Brittany, River, had run out of the dog park and into the hills chasing after a bird. We could not get him back for quite some time, which scared us to bits. Gary took his time with training, ensuring us that although our main goal was recall, River needed his foundational skills. This started with charging markers, proper sits/downs/stays/etc. Gary was very clear that training a dog is really about training the owners to know how to train the dog. Gary was great in that he combines Positive Reinforcement and, if the dog demands it, Avoidance training styles. He is very knowledgeable on using other tools such as prong/e collars. I was apprehensive about using these tools, but once we exhausted all other options and River was still at risk of injuring himself in certain situations, it was wonderful to know that we could learn to use these tools appropriately. Three months later, the culmination of River's training was when we took him to Shell Ridge Hiking trail. River was running through the hills, chasing birds and truly enjoying himself. The best part was we knew if we told him to come back, he would without a shadow of a doubt. The most meaningful part of this process has been learning about River's psychology, which has created a level of trust between us that we never would have imagined. Thanks Gary! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - River - Pet Training Near Me

Gary was so helpful with our dog, Barkley. He took the time to understand the issues we were having with him and incorporated those points into his 6 week training course. Gary trained us (stubborn humans!) so that the cues we give Barkley positively reinforce the behaviors that we wanted him to continue. The humans are still a work in progress, but Barkley has made huge leaps forward. He has stronger recall, is more respectful, and walks more calmly - and he has not lost any of his bubbly, quirky personality. Thank you, Gary!! read more

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My dog is 13 years old today and I am still so grateful to Gary Maria. I have a dog who is more than obedient. She trusts me, looks to me for direction, and I have learned to take the very best care of her that I can. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Gary Maria. What he brings in knowledge and expertise is truly lasting and so worth it! read more

A few months have gone by and I wanted to do a quick update. The training and techniques we learned have been instrumental for us. Stout has continued to improve and is now happy and settled in our home, we do not have to worry at all when he is with our girls, he is cuddly with the family and is a joy to have. We had been headed down the wrong path using training techniques that were not a fit for him and Gary was a godsend for our family. When he tells you that signing up for his training package comes with his help for life, he truly means it. We have reached out several times for advice or help and each time he calls and talks us through the situation. We cannot hank Gary enough for all of his help. He truly "gets" dogs and even if his training methods don't seem intuitive to you at first I cannot say enough, trust him and the process. read more

My husband and I rescued a 4 month old German Shepard mix from the animal shelter in Dublin. She was marked as a stray with no history we could be made aware of. She is the sweetest girl, but when we brought her home, we quickly learned that we needed professional help, as we were definitely in over our heads. After some research the decision to pick Gary was an easy one, and we are so happy we worked with him. With Gary's help we were able to learn more about Luna, her behaviors, triggers, and most importantly how to manage them and provide the necessary help she needed to feel more confident. The tools he gave us were amazing and have helped her fear aggression in the outside world. He also helped us to become calm and confident pack leaders which has helped our relationship with Luna tremendously. Plus she got lots of chicken during training so she obviously LOVED Gary. If you are dealing with a puppy or dog showing any type of aggression, fear, lack of confidence, etc... I highly recommend going with Gary Maria Training! We will definitely be going back to him for any future training needs. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

We worked with Gary last year to train our adopted german shepherd mixed dog who had aggression issues. I found Gary by browsing yelp. Unfortunately, Gary's training wasn't useful and led us down the path of choke collars. The whole experience just seemed rushed and in hindsight I should have done more research before booking him. Gary can expertly maneuver your dog, but his trainings just don't give you enough so that you can maneuver your own dog, this despite us doing everything he recommended (using choke pronged collar, buying select treats, practicing 15-20 mins a day with dog, getting dog on meds, etc). After he met with us for the free consult, he made us feel like if we didn't book with him then, he would be booked for months so we had to secure our spot in that moment. That is why I'm sharing my experience so that others don't feel rushed to purchase his package and come away with very little understanding about why their dog acts a certain way. The next trainer we used educated us on why we should not use a pronged choke collar with our dog but instead a body harness, which was easier on us (less uncontrollable tugging) and really helped us learn why our dog behaved that way (fear vs anxiety vs aggression). Gary gets 1 star because he is friendly and another star because he does seem to generally have a lot of knowledge about dogs. Too bad most of his knowledge was counterintuitive to what our dog needed. One size does not fit all and we lost out on $600+ to learn this. read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Perfect little angel with Gary - Pet Training Near Me

Gary helped my dog and I be better best friends (other than my wife of course)! He was communicative, flexible and professional to our needs. I recommend with no hesitation! read more

Gary has been excellent. We just completed the basic obedience training with our now 11 month old, female Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff). The difference is night and day. Having a solid foundation to grow from, has made it so much more enjoyable to go on walks and even just spending time at home with her. The skills Gary gives can all be completed in the course of a normal day with your dog and then you have them for the rest of your life. read more

I contacted Gary when our dog was becoming so reactive on our daily walks. I am so thrilled I did! I can now take my dog on enjoyable walks without stressing out about other dogs, people or cars. Gary has given us the tools to use to calm Walter down in stressful situations. Gary is extremely positive and clearly loves dogs and training them. I can't believe how much more relaxed my dog is, as well as myself. We had our 4th session today and look forward to our upcoming sessions. I would give Gary 10 stars if I could, He's truly amazing! I would highly recommend Gary Maria. read more

Gary is an amazing resource for all dog knowledge and a great trainer! We adopted a year old Jack Russell mix who was in need of basic training and had some aggression towards other dogs. I found Gary on his website, used it to ask a question and within a few days he called to have a chat about his services and our dog it was great! We had a consult and 6 training sessions total. During the training we also moved and Gary was a great resource to ask all of our questions for moving our dog. He was always on time, sweet and helpful at the sessions. Our dog a has learned sit, down, stay, come and leash manors as well as training buzz words. You go have to be willing to work and follow his instructions. Training a dog isn't easy and just going to the sessions isn't going to cut it so be ready but it is so worth it! Once we master all of our training we will be back for more! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Dog lying down - Pet Training Near Me

I guarantee you that Gary is the most genuine and empathetic dog trainer you will find out there. He taught me how to train my dog during a very difficult period in my life when I had to get my dog's behavior under control or give her up. Gary convinced me to keep my dog and told me all about his personal experience with a similar situation he was going through. I'm glad I listened to him. Fast forward 9 months and the vast majority of my dog's unwanted behavior is completely gone. Just listen to Gary and take the time to practice what he teaches you. I promise you will be glad you did. read more

I initially found Gary through Yelp - figured he couldn't have this many strong recommendations without being an amazing trainer? Turns out everyone was right! We started with a super, high energy 3 month old German Shorthair Pointer and 6 months later and we have an amazing family dog that has great voice recall (and still has a ton of energy!). We take our dog out to trails off-leash frequently and because of Gary's process the dog will stay close enough, check in frequently and always comes when called! Gary has an amazing ability to really understand dogs and more importantly help dog owners to understand their own dogs! Gary has a great, well thought-out process - every week is built upon the last - I think it's important to note that Gary is a great guide but he can only show you the way, you need to be dedicated to do the work that Gary asks you to do if you want great results. Gary really focuses on positive reinforcement which we really liked rather than breaking the dog down and commanding him. We'll always be grateful for what Gary taught us! read more

Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me