Gary Maria Professional Dog Training

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.

I hired Gary to work with my daughter and her dog as she moved out on her own. The difference in the dog’s behaviors from the beginning to the end was incredible. This was a rescue dog with severe anxiety, who became a dog who was calm and secure enough to lay down in public and stay there - anywhere - with my daughter. His kind, calm approach and his rapport with dogs and owners is unparalleled. I would recommend him to anyone who wants to have a better behaved pet - with the added bonus of becoming even closer to their furry best friend in the process.

Firstly, we had amazing outcomes working with Gary. My dog Sasha and I have a great relationship, she is very well trained and is fantastic w kids and even in large groups of people. Gary is a dog whisperer. From my first visit, as I got out of my car w Sasha and the walk up to meet Gary, he had already analyzed our behavior. His analysis from our first visit set the tone and goals. He is incredibly knowledgeable and a delight to work with. Gary helped me understand how to communicate w Sasha, how to read her behavior, how to work with her on positive outcomes. I am still in training and practicing w Sasha daily using the skills Gary provided me with. Sasha is a large dog! I can confidently take her anywhere and in any environment w/o any stress. The tools and skills I walked away with allow my family to have a better relationship w Sasha and to provide her a happy environment. Sasha is a very happy dog. I would say much happier than prior to training.

We knew we needed help, but didn’t want to use shock collars or negative or punitive training methods. Working with Gary was the best decision! He has over 35 years of experience in knowing what works and more importantly what doesn’t work. As a teacher, I really identified with his training method – positive reinforcement with praise and treats, daily practice, additive (each skill builds on the previous one) and making it a great experience for our dog and us. Really, training a dog is more about training people to help the dog understand what we are communicating. Our dog now understands what we are telling her and vice versa. We are well on the way to a balanced dog. In most “dog people” circles, Gary is mentioned as the gold standard in training – in fact, we learned about him from our doggie daycare provider who has worked with him for years. Gary was always patient and understanding and his instructions were always clear. He starts every session with a check in to see how the week went – successes and challenges and help you to address the challenges before adding more training. Our dog has responded and progressed a lot in a short period of time (6 weeks), and so have we! We are more confident in our ability to handle future issues and excited to see continued improvement.