Why Gary Maria?
Gary Maria is one of the most sought after and experienced dog behavior specialists in the Bay Area. Since 1977, Gary has improved the behavior of thousands of dogs using his combination of proven positive techniques.
As the Head Dog Behaviorist, Gary created temperament and behavioral programs for 5 animal shelters, trained staff and officers on his techniques. He has temperament tested thousands of dogs and has served as an expert witness in numerous court cases.
Due to Gary’s extensive experience with dog behavior, Animal Control Agencies have often referred owners of difficult dogs to Gary for training. Gary is also a guest lecturer at Carrington College on dog behavior and behavior modification.
Gary can do the same for you and your dog today. Your happiness and satisfaction as a dog owner is Gary’s top priority.
Best of Livermore 2022 and 2023 Dog Trainer Award Winner
Gary Maria Dog Training has been selected two years in a row for the Best of Livermore Awards for Dog Trainer and now qualifies for the 2023 Livermore Business Hall of Fame.
About this Award:
The Livermore Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Livermore area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
Gary’s Achievements
Recognizing the plight of abused and abandoned dogs in the Bay Area, Gary has dedicated much of his time at several Bay Area dog rescue shelters, including East Bay SPCA,Contra Costa Animal Services, Oakland Animal Services, and others.
Year
Achievements
1977
Early career: At a young age, Gary recognizes his calling and starts training all breeds and ages of dogs
1977-1981
Education: Gary earned his Professional Dog Training Certification in Sacramento, California.
1981-1991
Pro-Train (Largest dog training facility in N. CA): Gary trained thousands of dogs in puppy development, On & Off leash obedience and personal protection training.
Gary was a teacher for the Pro-Train Institute, training future trainers in dog behavior evaluation and on and off leash obedience training. He led weekly classes in 5 locations and completed dog evaluations for future training.
Gary also completed training on dogs who were for sale (dogs were sold to police departments or privately).
1991-Present
Customized programs: Gary starts offering private in-home dog training. Training programs including Puppy Development, On & Off leash Obedience and Behavior Modification.
As Gary trains and observes dog behavior and the owner/dog relationship over time, he adapts his program to be both fun for the dogs and their owners.
2000-2015
Leadership & Innovation: While he was Dog Training Manager for East Bay SPCA in Oakland and Dublin, Gary developed and implemented a Temperament Testing System to determine adopt-ability and trained his staff to train dogs in the shelter and to instruct public classes.
He also started a social playgroup for adoptable dogs to help release stress while they were in the shelter. To reduce adopted dog returns, Gary implemented dog training for each adoptable dog. Each dog had to pass an obedience test before being placed into adoption (this was a great success).
Gary was then recruited to Oakland Animal Control and the Martinez Animal Shelter (including Pinole). In order to help as many dogs as possible, he stayed at the shelters implementing temperament testing, playgroups and training while working at his private dog training business. During this time Gary was used as an expert witness in many court cases.
Present
Speaker/Educator: Gary is asked to speak at various schools or groups on dog behavior and training methods.