Gary wants all of his clients to be successful with their dog and puppy training programs. Each and every one of Gary’s clients receive.
In order to better serve clients, Gary requests that clients pre-fill the Training Evaluation Questionnaire prior to the first scheduled private consultation visit.
Clients can pay Gary for services through Square, personal check, cash, Venmo, or Zelle bank transfer.
To get right into your consultation, please complete this form before your first consultation visit. Completing the questionnaire will take approximately 10-15 minutes.
If you haven’t already done so, please download and fill out my Dog Training Evaluation Questionnaire (versions: PDF or RTF for those who prefer to type). We will review this at the start of our first session. I look forward and am very excited to work with you and your beloved dog.












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. 


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!!! 


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. 

Gary Maria is one of the most sought after and experienced dog behavior specialists in the Bay Area and is recognized as an expert in the field.
Since 1977, Gary has improved the behavior of thousands of dogs using his combination of proven techniques.