About Gary’s Dog Training Programs
A question I get asked a lot is, when should I start dog or puppy training? Here are some guidelines on when to start a dog training program.
Puppies (10-18 weeks of age)
Ideally, the best time to start training is with a puppy at 10 weeks of age. Puppies need positive reinforcement as well as socialization in a safe environment. Because training puppies can be stressful at times, my training program will minimize the stress for not only the new puppy, but the owner as well. The younger the dog starts my program, the less likely they will develop bad habits.
The Puppy Development Program is 6 private sessions.
Dogs (18+ weeks or older)
Dogs aged 18 weeks or older are ready to learn new skills and can learn from both positive and negative feedback. The set of 6 private sessions runs once week for 6 weeks. The result is that you and your family will be very confident in how to help your dog understand which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. Learning how to communicate with your dog will ensure your dog is able to best adapt to its environment and ensure your dog is a loved member of your family.
Senior Dogs (7 years or older)
When dogs become seniors they can develop different behavioral issues stemming from health problems, built up stress, aggression, and so on. Often senior dogs are experiencing high anxiety levels and they need to be brought back to a calm, balanced state. I do this by using stress reduction techniques and helping the owner improve his or her communication with its dog.
Aggressive Dogs
Dog aggression is common but can be managed with proper techniques and training. There are many reasons why dogs can become aggressive (either toward people or other dogs), or guard their resources such as food, toys, and even their beds. Environmental factors and past events can and often do contribute to these habits and problems. Proper dog training techniques will help prevent dangerous situations from occurring.
Program Structure
Every program is customized based on each owner’s unique situation with his or her dog or puppy. Based on your needs, I then tailor my programs to meet those.
As a dog or puppy owner you will learn how to create a reward system.
- We will begin with teaching you how to reward your dog at its level, not at a person’s level – it must be done within 1.5 seconds or the dog will not understand.
- You will learn how to not overshadow when you train; which means that you must first give a verbal cue for the behavior without additional body movement.
Throughout the program, you will learn:
Engagement
Where you become the focal point and everything else is secondary to the dog.
Leash Walking
Loose leash walking is criticalto allow your dog to investigate and enjoy itself. The loose leash walking is important because when dogs walk on tight leashes, it takes their flight instinct away to protect themselves which makes them fearful or aggressive.
Short-Term Impulse Control
Like people, dogs must be taught impulse control, for example, not running out of doors, not jumping and waiting patiently.
Long-Term Impulse Control
This is used for having the dog focus on a behavior for an extended period of time, for example, extended down-stays or walking on a loose leash.
(For the people who desire the ultimate control of their dogs)
It is dangerous to have your dog running loose in public, parks and trails without being properly trained. In this program, we will teach the dog an off leash recall and to follow you off the leash under distractions. The dog will be trained to check in with you, while it gets the exercise it needs.
Dog training reviews
Rated 5 out of 5 stars based on 110 customer reviews.
- We just completed our sessions with Gary for our rescue Benny. Benny was struggling with leash manners and his fear of men. Gary took such an empathetic approach to training in order to build trust with our dog (an us!) and make sure Benny was always comfortable and also having fun. We really appreciated how much Gary explained not just the fix to the behavior but the underlying causes and how we can be better handlers and advocates for our dog. Benny has grown so much through this process, we’ve learned a ton, and we are eternally grateful. I can’t say enough great things about Gary’s approach to training, his engagement with our dog and just who he is as a person.read moreread less
Phoebe S.5/14/2023
Gary helped my dog and I be better best friends (other than my wife of course)! He was communicative, flexible and professional to our needs.
I recommend with no hesitation!read moreread less
Richard S.4/26/2023We just completed our sessions with Gary for our rescue Benny. Benny was struggling with leash manners and his fear of men. Gary took such an empathetic approach to training in order to build trust with our dog (an us!) and make sure Benny was always comfortable and also having fun.
We really appreciated how much Gary explained not just the fix to the behavior but the underlying causes and how we can be better handlers and advocates for our dog. Benny has grown so much through this process, we've learned a ton, and we are eternally grateful.
I can't say enough great things about Gary's approach to training, his engagement with our dog and just who he is as a person.read moreread less Phoebe H.4/23/2023 - We have a very hyper 1 year-old Golden Retriever, Cooper. We were at a loss to control his excessive energy. Gary really understood the breed and his needs. Gary guided us in obedience training, showing and telling us each lesson, and outlining our "homework" each week. He also gave us ways to focus Cooper's attention in appropriate ways. Gary approaches training in a way that reinforces respect and care rather than dominance. After Gary's six-week program, we've noted a world of difference. We highly recommend Gary Maria's Professional Dog Training.read moreread less L R.4/13/2023Gary Maria is outstanding. We just finished with training our 21 month old Goldendoodle who is having issues with fear aggression and basic listening skills (because we learned he had NO idea what we were saying). We have seen an incredible difference in our little man in the six short weeks we spent with Gary. He is a wealth of years of knowledge and you can just tell how much he loves what he does. He's teaching humans to speak to their dogs how the dog understands with plenty of examples and data to explain why it works. We felt like super proud parents when Gary would handle him after we practiced all week. Gary gives explicit and basic homework to work on each week...and then builds upon it slowly and methodically. It was PERFECT. We will not stop what we learned. Consistency and "saving the behavior" is something that will continue until our dood can sit still when someone comes in the house - which we've been told is when "we've arrived" at a relaxed and well mannered dog. Thank you, Gary! You are incredibly good at what you do and make it SO easy to follow a program. We enjoyed our Wednesday mornings with you...and will, most likely, see you again for next level! Hands down, Gary is who you want to use to teach you how to communicate with your dog.read moreread less Christy S.3/16/2023I wish we would've found Gary earlier! He really helped us strengthen our bond with our pup, Zuki, by helping us understand her needs and giving us the tools we needed to set her up for success. The training sessions were really for us, as dog owners, to make sure we could confidently train at home. Gary held us accountable which is exactly what we needed. Highly recommend!read moreread less
Alex C.2/18/2023 - Gary Maria was enormously helpful with our puppy. She was nervous, easily frightened by other dogs, unfamiliar people, and loud noises. It was hard to enjoy a walk with her because she would often come to a halt at a spot where something had scared her days before and refuse to continue. Gary introduced us to quite a few practical techniques for use in tough situations such as that. More importantly, he taught us how to understand our pup’s thoughts and feelings, and respond in a gentle, sympathetic and effective way-- he trained us to how to train our dog. He is astonishingly alert to what is going on with a dog from moment to moment, and resourceful about ways to stimulate self-confidence (ours as well as our dog’s). In addition, he’s a very interesting and pleasant person to be with—we looked forward to our sessions with him. Worth every penny, and a memorable experience with a remarkable person.read moreread less
Jennifer R.2/14/2023Gary is so amazing at what he does! He taught my husband and I the skills we needed to make our dog the happiest she could be. He truly understands dogs and what they need. Incredible!read moreread less
Aimee A.2/02/2023I just finished Gary's basic obedience training with my now 7 month old Golden Retriever puppy. Gary is a true professional. I'd highly recommend him. Before seeing Gary, I did weekly virtual training sessions through dog training mobile apps and like many other dog parents do, scoured the internet for free resources online. The vast amount of information out there (oftentimes conflicting) can make dog training somewhat overwhelming, especially to a first time dog parent. These methods worked for a while and got my puppy to a decent place obedience-wise (or so I thought), but I really wanted to take her training to the next level. Gary's system was exactly what I needed. His training methods are unique in comparison to other cookie-cutter methods I have seen. It's all about understanding your dog, why they do the things they do, and what that means for you, the owner/handler. Throughout his course, you'll learn about dog psychology and will develop a greater understanding of how to effectively communicate with your dog. Gary's obedience course isn't about teaching your dog useless parlor tricks; the training program is all about building a solid leader-follower relationship with your dog. You'll learn how to get your dog to trust you and look to you as the protector and pack leader. But of course, with these foundations, you can teach your dog pretty much anything. At the end of the day, Gary teaches you, not your dog. You'll have daily homework after every session and each session builds off of the last. In conclusion, this course was worth every penny and my relationship with my puppy couldn't be better. I plan on coming back for the advanced obedience training in a few months.read moreread less
Christopher R.1/14/2023 - With a new labradoodle puppy joining our family, we knew we wanted to employ the services of a professional to make the best of our new family member. We had heard of Gary and joined his waiting list.
When it was our time, Gary came to our house and our dog responded almost immediately to his presence. As a first-time dog owner, this was really cool to witness. After the initial meeting, we decided to become a customer and we spent the next few months meeting with Gary once a week.
Gary was amazing. He reinforces a number of key things over and over that really helped me understand what would work and what would not. His techniques absolutely changed the dog's behavior in a good away. Ultimately, your dog learns to trust you and natively learn to behave in the ways you want.
I would make sure that you take good notes and film the first few sessions as they will be helpful to reference in between sessions.
Gary is the best - he's a fun time for both the dog and the owners.read moreread less Daniel B.10/12/2022It was outstanding to work with Gary. I appreciate his patience and helping set up my Aussie shepherd Leo and me for success. Gary's years of experience, understanding, and love of his work shines through. I can't thank him enough for training me and helping to strengthen my bond with my dog. Months after we completed the on-leash training course, we are still going strong. I have recommended him to my friends and to anyone that is looking for help to set up you and your dog for success. Thanks Gary!read moreread less Craig S.9/19/2022I 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.read moreread less
Debbi R.7/26/2022 - I got my schipperke puppy when she was 14 weeks old. By the time she completed her shots she was past her socialization period and she had developed anxious traits. Gary taught me how to relate to and help my Roxie get past her anxiety filled outbursts. Now our walks are quiet, Roxy is relaxed and responsive. I didn't think it possible. Gary is a fabulous trainer.read moreread less Mary R.7/25/2022Gary is amazing with dogs. And dogs love Gary. It is clear he has a passion for them. He has an incredible ability to understand their body language and pick up on any behavioral signs they are giving off, and explain what those signs mean. We learned at our first lesson how to spot an under-socialized dog and what signs of stress/anxiety can look like. Now I always pay attention to other dogs when we're on walks. Stanley, our golden retriever puppy was 20 weeks old when we started working with Gary. He is full of energy, and VERY easily distracted by everything outside (wind, leaves, sticks, birds, anybody passing by... the list goes on). He really needed help controlling his impulses and to understand that my husband and I are his pack leaders. It became clear at our first consultation with Gary, that we were the ones being trained, not so much Stanley. Gary would demonstrate simple but effective techniques on Stanley-- using positive reinforcement, and then we would practice in front of him until we had it down. It was then our job to do the homework and practice twice daily (if not more) before the next training, as each week builds upon the previous week's technique. If you want results, you have to put in the work and practice those skills regularly at home/on walks with your dog. If you do, it really does work! We have seen incredible improvement with Stanley over the course of our training, and look forward to seeing him continue to improve with ongoing daily practice. We highly recommend Gary's on-leash training course. We feel we can understand Stanley's thinking so much better now and therefore are better equipped to set him up for success. Thank you so much Gary!read moreread less Jacqueline N.7/19/2022Gary has been excellent.We just completed the basic obedience training with our now 11 month old, female Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff). The difference is night and day.Having a solid foundation to grow from, has made it so much more enjoyable to go on walks and even just spending time at home with her.The skills Gary gives can all be completed in the course of a normal day with your dog and then you have them for the rest of your life.read moreread less
Peter L.7/15/2022 - Gary is a life saver! We rescued our 2 year old Shepard mix 6 months ago. She was initially very timid and quiet but as she became more comfortable in her new home she became rather scary. Nipping, jumping and snarling at stranger. No control on walks. She was jealous and aggressive with our 18 month old baby. We started with some corporate training, which was a fine start but in hindsight a waste. We thought about a "boot camp" but found out that most of these programs are NOT reward based, something Gary helped us understand. We also hired a behaviourist for 1 session that was marginally helpful. Once we arrived with Gary we were in desperate need of progress. From session one we felt better about the direction of our training. He has such a love for dogs and is fiercely protective of their growth and happiness. That means he will not cut you any slack for not being precise in your training. The training appears simple but each session is a progression of activities and as we practiced there was a world of change in our dog. Beyond the act of training we felt her start to calm. She started to understand there were boundaries and that my wife and I were the pack leaders in the house. We have now completed our sessions but the practice continues. As we continue to practice we are able to branch out to more and more distracting environments. We are getting much quicker responses. And we have not worried about our wonderful dog around our baby since training started. Thank you Gary!read moreread less
Peter G.7/14/2022I'm finally writing this review after we've had a chance to apply all the lessons and training we received from Gary. The wait was worth it! We have our new puppy and have always been convinced we both needed and wanted general training for our new addition. We contacted Gary Maria and started with his puppy training program when our dog was 12 weeks old. We knew this is a critical time in a dog's development for initial training. Gary worked with us weekly, using purely positive reinforcement techniques to train us so we could train our puppy.I was having a bit of a disconnect, in that I didn't think our puppy was progressing adequately. After going through the initial 6 weekly training sessions, I was expecting better results. I wasn't allowing for my puppy's development and maturity (or lack of). We continued the training program well after our lessons with Gary and as she matured, we could actually see the results taking shape before our eyes. Gary's technique is all about long term developmentally appropriate skills based training (my description). Each step builds on all the prior steps. I really like the accountability built into his program. Roles and responsibilities are always clear. Gary is a total professional and worth every penny we invested!read moreread less Lanser H.7/08/2022Gary is a life saver!We rescued our 2 year old Shepard mix 6 months ago. She was initially very timid and quiet but as she became more comfortable in her new home she became rather scary. Nipping, jumping and snarling at stranger. No control on walks. She was jealous and aggressive with our 18 month old baby. We started with some corporate training, which was a fine start but in hindsight a waste. We thought about a "boot camp" but found out that most of these programs are NOT reward based, something Gary helped us understand. We also hired a behaviourist for 1 session that was marginally helpful.Once we arrived with Gary we were in desperate need of progress. From session one we felt better about the direction of our training. He has such a love for dogs and is fiercely protective of their growth and happiness. That means he will not cut you any slack for not being precise in your training. The training appears simple but each session is a progression of activities and as we practiced there was a world of change in our dog. Beyond the act of training we felt her start to calm. She started to understand there were boundaries and that my wife and I were the pack leaders in the house. We have now completed our sessions but the practice continues. As we continue to practice we are able to branch out to more and more distracting environments. We are getting much quicker responses. And we have not worried about our wonderful dog around our baby since training started. Thank you Gary!read moreread less
Peter G.6/23/2022 - Gary is a true professional. Hearing how he has adjusted his trainings throughout the many years of his career is proof that he constantly is looking to improve and innovate in his field. He worked with me and my 16 week old puppy, and right away I knew it was going to be a great fit. I appreciated how he was willing to be straight up with me and explain what I was doing wrong, and what I was doing right. I'm a firm believer in that people should be trained in these situations, not the dog. I can't thank Gary enough for working with me and helping me further my bond with my puppy. If you're looking to have someone hold you accountable and show you how to best work with your puppy/dog, Gary is the trainer for you. Invest in the future of your new family member.read moreread less
Dustin S.6/14/2022Gary Maria showed me that my "stubborn" golden rescue was shy and sensitive. With a set of training sessions premised on gentle and consistent commands, Ray will now sit, down-stay and come on command. Gary is a pleasure to work with. Our sessions were fun and worthwhile. I highly recommend Gary - he is a super trainer!read moreread less
Deborah C.6/14/2022We recently completed a training circuit with Gary and we could not be happier. As a life long dog owner I thought I knew it all but I learned far more than I could have expected. Gary was responsive from our very first inquiry, clearly understood the needs of our dog and ultimately delivered results. I would recommend Gary not only because he is professional, knows his stuff, and is great at what he does but additionally he is a fantastic listener and really understands the needs of both dog and parent. After completing our training we got multiple comments from friends, family and even our vet on how much better behaved our energetic dog was. Thank you Gary!read moreread less
eric t.6/14/2022 - We reached out to Gary to help us with our 6 month old puppy starting last year to get her trained as quickly as we could while she was still young and we were very satisfied with the way that Gary provided tips and training techniques along with his reward system. Our puppy adapted very well, with lots of practice in between sessions and we've been so incredibly pleased with his training!! He gives a few things to work on each week and the key is consistency. I'm so happy we made a connection with Gary, he has a great personality, makes each session fun and has a tremendous passion for training dogs!read moreread less
Christi O.6/14/2022Gary was absolutely amazing in helping train my dog. My dog, Amadeus, is sensitive and has fear-based aggression (which I also learned through Gary). Gary was positive, optimistic, and completely helped lay down a template to properly train and lead my dog. He also made sure to go at my dog's pace, didnt overwhelm him, and helped me see signs of anxiety in my dog that I had absolutely no clue of previosuly. I learned so much from him. Training is going to be a life-long journey for my dog, so Gary really helped provide guidance and I feel that I can take over and continue to train my dog, now that I have this proper training foundation.I highly, highly recommend him! He' an absolutely outstanding dog trainer and encourage anyone with sensitive dogs/aggressive dogs especially to go with Gary.read moreread less
Savannah T.5/28/2022My dog is 13 years old today and I am still so grateful to Gary Maria. I have a dog who is more than obedient. She trusts me, looks to me for direction, and I have learned to take the very best care of her that I can. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Gary Maria. What he brings in knowledge and expertise is truly lasting and so worth it!read moreread less
Patricia W.4/23/2022 - Gary is a true professional. Hearing how he has adjusted his trainings throughout the many years of his career is proof that he constantly is looking to improve and innovate in his field. He worked with me and my 16 week old puppy, and right away I knew it was going to be a great fit. I appreciated how he was willing to be straight up with me and explain what I was doing wrong, and what I was doing right. I'm a firm believer in that people should be trained in these situations, not the dog. I can't thank Gary enough for working with me and helping me further my bond with my puppy. If you're looking to have someone hold you accountable and show you how to best work with your puppy/dog, Gary is the trainer for you. Invest in the future of your new family member.read moreread less Dustin S.4/03/2022We worked with Gary with our lab puppy. His deep understanding, long experience, and passion for dogs was clear from the start. His clear, structured lessons laid a solid foundation for our pup. Dog training is as much about training owners as it is about training dogs, and we always appreciated Gary advocating for the dogs and working with us to strengthen our relationship with our dog!read moreread less
Jason L.3/26/2022I rescued a 14mo. old German Shepherd (Chase) in June and though I had Shepherds in the past, wanted to make sure i spent the time training and working with him. After reviewing several other trainers, I contacted Gary and set up the initial consultation. It was immediately apparent when Gary arrived that he had a passion and knowledge for all dogs, especially Shepherds. Chase was very responsive and Gary spent a long time just answering questions and explaining the process. Over the following 6-8 weeks we met with Gary I was impressed with his approach and how well Chase has responded. I couldn't be happier with the decision to work with Gary, and have found that both Chase and I have missed our regular Saturday sessions. If you are looking for a trainer that will work with you and your dog using incentive based training, and learn the proper way to work with your buddy, then Gary is the obvious choice.read moreread less Tony O.9/28/2021 - Gary is a fantastic dog trainer and expert. We reached out to him for help with our 10 week old Doberman puppy, Lola. We had never owned a large working dog before and were used to "old school" alpha training methods. Gary quickly retrained us to better methods to work with our sensitive puppy. We immediately saw drastic changes in her and she is now a very sweet, loving, well-behaved puppy. Gary's style pushes socialization, confidence for the dog, and rewards. This gave a us a very social and well-adjusted puppy. Gary initially comes for a consultation and gives you his breakdown of your dog and what they will need. He really cares about your dog and makes the training as simple as possible. He helped us get Lola to the point of her being able to take off leash hikes with her at 5 months and get a ton compliments on her behavior in public and strong recall. If you are looking to have your dog fit into your life and take them everywhere with you, meals, shopping, etc. Gary is by far the best trainer for you.read moreread less
Jake P.6/14/2021This review is long overdue, but Gary is hands down one of the most knowledgeable trainers out there. He did wonders with our Golden puppy on mastering the basics!! He is also such a positive force when interacting with dogs, he really understands their psyche.read moreread less
Nik O.6/14/2021We contacted Gary because our once social/happy 2yo Havashu had started to show aggression to other dogs out on walks, and even some strangers that got too close. While he was so kind and gentle to our new baby, we were afraid his new behavior might show itself at home and it had us on edge. We started with a consultation with Gary where he pointed out behavior “ticks” and assured us that our dog hadn’t become an aggressive alpha, but was showcasing fear-based aggression. Over the next 6 sessions we were educated on how to read our dog at home and outside the home, how to instill trust, and key commands to help us have successful outings. Before we called Gary I had gone to an outdoor coffee shop with the stroller and the dog and had left embarrassed after my little dog had aggressively pulled the leash towards another dog and caused me to spill tea everywhere — the day after our final session I attempted another visit with a crowd of people and dogs and he laid down while I ordered, and was cool & collected the entire outing!! Our happy pup was back, and that was worth every penny!read moreread less
Carissa W.6/14/2021
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