Puppy training & socialization

Little boy kisses the dog in nose on the window.

I work with clients through all stages of puppy development and molding to ensure each client has a well-adjusted puppy. Training puppies early on ensures a well-adjusted and pleasant companion in the long-run.

Puppy development & training schedule

Under 10 weeks

housebreaking – potty training (as soon as puppy comes home) crate training managing biting (mouthing)

10 weeks to 16 weeks

behavior and socialization puppy management training positive reinforcement

Over 16 weeks

basic obedience training – basic on-leash training advanced off-leash obedience training

Puppy management–first critical stage of development

Between the ages of 10 weeks to 16 weeks of age is one of the most important molding times for your puppy.

It is the most critical period for social development. Exposing your puppy to socialization training early on prevents puppy shyness, excessive barking, chewing, anxiety, and depression (yes your puppy can become depressed).

Two small Jack Russell Terrier are running and playing together in the meadow with a ball

Most importantly, early puppy training helps prevent aggression toward other dogs and people. Stop fears and phobias before they start.

Starting at 10 weeks is a critical time for the owner to establish positive pack leadership.
This is the time to set expectations so your puppy has a job to deliver on.

GOOD HOME MANNERS ARE A MUST. Home manners include but are not limited to housebreaking, biting, not jumping, chewing furniture, ripping cloths, tearing or digging up the backyard, scaring the children, and so on.

Let’s stop unwanted behaviors before they become bad habits.
By training early, you open the lines of communication. This teaches the dog to respond to your voice and obedience commands.

The results are a truly happy relationship between you and your dog.

Dog as funny schoolboy going back to school with backpack full of school supplies

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Puppy training reviews

						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.					
Mary R.		7/25/2022
						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!					
Christi O.		6/14/2022
						We 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!					
Jason L.		3/26/2022
						This 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.					
Nik O.		6/14/2021
						Call Gary right now -  he will change your life! He was simply amazing with our very sensitive and fearful rescue pit mix. Our dog is afraid of many things and would turn to aggression when he felt there was no other option. Gary not only helped us to understand why our dog was behaving the way he was, but helped us to make him feel calm and safe. Everything Gary told us would happen did, and everything he told us to do was spot on. He gave us hope, and brought much happiness to our lives and Tyson’s. It was by far one of the best investments we have ever made. Gary will be my first call when the time comes to add another puppy to the family.					
Laurie C.		6/14/2021
						After searching around multiple dog trainers in the Walnut Creek area, we found Gary Maria and are truly satisfied by his training techniques/experience. In a manner of 6 weeks, our 21 week year old Aussiedoodle has learned so much, from attention commands to leash training. In the beginning, our puppy's impulse control was high and all over the place. Throughout our training experience, you will see a continuous evolving progression with Gary Maria's knowledge and training. Highly recommend!!!					
Mitchell Z.		6/14/2021
						Call Gary right now -  he will change your life! He was simply amazing with our very sensitive and fearful rescue pit mix. Our dog is afraid of many things and would turn to aggression when he felt there was no other option. Gary not only helped us to understand why our dog was behaving the way he was, but helped us to make him feel calm and safe. Everything Gary told us would happen did, and everything he told us to do was spot on. He gave us hope, and brought much happiness to our lives and Tyson's. It was by far one of the best investments we have ever made. Gary will be my first call when the time comes to add another puppy to the family.					
Laurie C.		7/31/2020
						I cannot thank Gary enough for helping us understand how to train our highly energetic, easily distracted ridgeback puppy! We have just completed the basic training package and Gary has given us not only tools and tricks on how to keep our wild child under control, he also shared his years of doggy wisdom and seeing things through the eyes of our pup. Can't wait to go back and complete the advanced puppy training package!					
Chin T.		6/14/2020
						We couldn't be happier with the training we received from Gary for our labradoodle puppy.  Each week Gary would give us a new piece of training to work on and would circle back with us even on technique to be sure we were successful with our words and movements towards our pup.  We have had to use Gary's "come" technique in a very scary "runaway" situation and it worked perfectly.  This investment was worth it's weight in gold, thank you Gary!					
Stephanie W.		1/03/2020
						I cannot thank Gary enough for helping us understand how to train our highly energetic, easily distracted ridgeback puppy! We have just completed the basic training package and Gary has given us not only tools and tricks on how to keep our wild child under control, he also shared his years of doggy wisdom and seeing things through the eyes of our pup. Can't wait to go back and complete the advanced puppy training package!					
Chin T.		11/03/2019
						Gary truly knows how dogs work and he helped me with my reactionary puppy. He taught me the skills to keep her engaged and helped her with her fear. I highly recommend Gary, he's the best by far.					
Erin L.		6/14/2019
						Gary is a great dog trainer! I have a Shichon puppy (Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise mix). We started with Gary when my puppy was 10 weeks old. I really like to positive reinforcement training technique. Our puppy was always excited to see Gary for our weekly sessions and we and our puppy learned so much from Gary! Gary is easily accessible for questions or concerns that I have even after my training sessions have ended. Every advice he gave me to address issues worked! That says a lot about his years of experience. Thanks Gary for your knowledge and training!					
Angie M.		6/14/2019
						Gary is terrific. He helped train us and our rescue puppy who was dealing with being afraid of other dogs. He also helped us with basic commands like "down / stay" and "come" and leash work. He's a true lover of dogs and our Tucker absolutely loves him. I highly recommend Gary for any dog training needs.					
Cher J.		3/16/2019
						Gary is a fantastic dog trainer.  The depth of knowledge that he has about dog training is something that could only be obtained through a life's dedication to the trade.  Gary provided one on one sessions for our shepherd/husky mix puppy, and he did an amazing job with the training (the dog was easy to train, it was me who needed the most work!).  Can't recommend Gary enough.  Would use him again in a heartbeat.					
Andrew T.		6/14/2018
						We completed Gary's puppy development training course and it was honestly the best thing we could have done for both us and our pup! Our puppy is now well trained and obedient, and we are much better parents with a better understanding of our dog! Now that our training is complete, Gary is only a phone call away and always happy to answer any questions we have. We love him!					
cassy v.		1/24/2018

Puppy training & socialization

Puppy development & training schedule

Puppy management–first critical stage of development

Puppy training reviews

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