Customer Reviews

Within 15 minutes into our initial consultation, Gary was already showing us what was possible to achieve with our puppy. Gary has extensive experience and is fun to work with. We just finished our 6-week class and only wish we had started sooner. We highly recommend Gary!

Gary was incredibly responsive when I reached out for help with my dog Peaches and her leash reactivity. The initial consultation went great, and I learned a lot about dog communication and how to better support her. I also learned that Peaches is a very anxious dog, which helped explain many of the challenges we were facing. We enrolled in Gary’s 6-week program and saw real progress. Peaches has come a long way, and we now have the knowledge and tools to keep her moving in the right direction. Just like people, dogs recover at their own pace, and we’re excited to enroll in advanced training when she’s ready. What really sets Gary apart is his approach. He doesn’t rely on obedience-only methods or gimmicks. Instead, he teaches you how to work through real situations and explains the “why” behind everything, helping you become the calm focal point your dog needs. Highly recommend.

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.

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 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!

Gary Maria is amazing! We found our mini-schnoodle at the Dublin SPCA, took him home and promptly named him Spencer Theodore! Spence 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!

Gary is the real deal!!! I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but I took my dog Chloe (Pomeranain) in for training and it has changed everything for us. First of all, Gary is an absolute pleasure to work with. He is kind, funny, understanding, and encouraging. He trained me very well (it was clear I needed training, not Chloe!). He heped with so many things that I had been struggling with including potty training, recall, and so much more. I had huge issues brushing her because she was terrified of the process and pretty much screamed in protest, but now it's a calm experience that is much better for both of us. I also learned how to be a true pack leader in a kind way that leaves her trusting me and feeling safe. Her indoor potty accidents (after just a few weeks) have decreased by 90%, and her recall is pretty much 100%. I have more control over her while in public and on walks, and I understand what she needs from me to succeed and thrive. I can't reccomend Garry highly enough! You won't regret it - such value from this!

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

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

Gary is the real deal!!! I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but I took my dog Chloe (Pomeranain), in for training and it has changed everything for us. First of all, Gary is an absolute pleasure to work with. He is kind, funny, understanding, and encouraging. He trained me very well (it was clear I needed training, not Chloe!). He heped with so many things that I had been struggling with including potty training, recall, and so much more. I had huge issues brushing her because she was terrified of the process and pretty much screamed in protest, but now it's a calm experience that is much better for both of us. I also learned how to be a true pack leader in a kind way that leaves her trusting me and feeling safe. Her indoor potty accidents (after just a few weeks) have decreased by 90%, and her recall is pretty much 100%. I have more control over her while in public and on walks, and I understand what she needs from me to succeed and thrive. I can't reccomend Garry highly enough! You won't regret it - such value from this!

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!

We rescued Penny, a little PomChi, and she is the sweetest little dog. But, she was very anxious and scared of people, other dogs, noises, pretty much everything. We knew we needed help and found Gary searching online so we decided to reach out. It turned out to be the best decision we ever could have made for her. At our first meeting with Gary, Penny was clearly scared. She was non-stop barking for over an hour, just unable to calm down due to fear. It was heartbreaking, and Gary told us not to worry, and that by the end of our training sessions, Penny would love him. He was right. Each session, Gary gave us the information and training methods that we needed to help Penny with her anxiety and to work on stress reduction. Penny started improving almost immediately. With each session, and some work at the house, she became more confident, calm, barked less, and her fear and anxiety were melting away. I truly cannot recommend Gary enough. This training truly changed Penny's life, and ours, for the better.

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!

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!

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!

I adopted Olive from a rescue. She had chronic anxiety. She was scared of life and everything involved with that. I decided to look for help with her behavior problems and called Gary. I truly believe he saved her life. She is a completely different dog now. She is down for super long walks, car drives, vacations, as long as she is with me she is happy to do whatever. We frequent coffee shops and parks now. She is even happy to see a few of my close friends. Gary is beyond an expert in his field. He has a gift and I will forever be grateful he shared it with us.

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.

We had taken our pup Charlie to a couple other dog training classes before finally finding Gary. Gary helped us better understand Charlie’s behavior and give us foundational tools to reshape and hone in on the training we had already put into our dog. Charlie’s confidence and behavior on and off leash is night and day from when we started the training sessions to now. We are excited to continue to grow our relationship and trust with our dog as he grows, because as Gary always tells us, it’s all about the journey! Thank you Gary!