Aspire K9 Academy

Aspire K9 Academy gets an exceptional 5 star rating from me and my dog. My dog came from BARCS (in Baltimore) and is a highly energetic mixed breed 60 pound ball of energy and had no training when I adopted him at ~10 months of age. Gary is a very experienced and knowledgeable trainer with a very in depth understanding of dog psychology. He understood the specific needs of a shelter/street dog. His lesson plan was very straight forward and organized. He focuses on the needs of the dog including nutritional, environmental enrichment, exposure and socialization. During lessons he demonstrated helpful techniques and training drills and provided time for me to practice the activities. He provided clear lesson summaries and "homework" plans through email after each lesson. He follows up closely with email and is available between sessions for any questions. Early in our training sessions, I asked Gary to urgently evaluate another dog which had come into the picture. He made time for this and provided expert and helpful feed back to me. In summary, again, 5 stars. We just completed our training sessions two weeks ago. My dog and I went to the hardware store today, He was well behaved, and at the end of our shopping he sat outside by the boy scouts who had a popcorn stand near the store. The dog was perfectly well behaved. Thank you, Gary.

We had such a great experience with Gary! He is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and kind, and it’s clear that he genuinely cares about both the dogs he works with and their owners. Gary took the time to explain everything clearly, answer all of our questions, and give us practical techniques that made a real difference. He was extremely helpful throughout the entire process, and we came away feeling much more confident and informed. We’re very grateful for his help and would highly recommend Gary to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, compassionate, and effective dog trainer!

We have the joy of being proud parents to a Doberman puppy, and our veterinarian recommended Aspire K9 Academy - Gary. From the moment we reached out, Gary responded promptly, took the time to learn about our lives as new puppy parents, and asked about our goals for training. He created a schedule that worked around our busy lives and provided a clear, organized list of recommended training equipment with convenient links, making it easy to get started. His organization and attention to detail gave us confidence from day one. Gary is an exceptional trainer. He worked not only with our puppy but with us as well, always reminding us that our puppy was “just a baby” while recognizing how intelligent and capable he is. Watching Gary interact with our dog, it’s clear he has a special ability to connect with dogs immediately. One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that we’re being trained right alongside our puppy! Our Doberman gets excited every time it’s time to see Gary, and that says it all. If you’re looking for a knowledgeable, patient, and highly effective dog trainer, I wholeheartedly recommend Gary. We are incredibly grateful for his guidance and expertise.