Gary Maria Professional Dog Training
Ranked #1 in Livermore and #44 in California
Service area: Gary Maria Professional Dog Training serves the Bay Area, specifically including Alamo, Blackhawk, Clayton, Concord, Danville, Dublin, Lafayette, Livermore, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasanton, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek.
Service Overview
Types of Dog Training
- Family Dog
- Behavior Modification
Specialty Focus Areas
- Basic Obedience
- Puppy Training
- Leash Pulling
- Reactivity / Aggression
- Barking Excessively
- Separation Anxiety
- Resource Guarding
- Fearfulness
- Recall
Training Formats Offered
- Private Lessons
- In-Home
Program Formats
- One-Time Consultation
- Sessions Package
Types of Dogs
- Small
Age of Dogs Trained
- Puppy (<1 year)
- Adolescent (1-2 years)
- Adult (2-8 years)
- Senior (8+ years)
Dog Training Methodology
Methods:
- ✓ Positive Reinforcement Only
Gary Maria Professional Dog Training offers several programs tailored to different needs. Puppy development training is available for puppies aged 10-20 weeks to help them adjust to their environment and engage with owners.
Basic dog obedience focuses on teaching fundamental manners and control, fostering healthy communication and a positive relationship. Advanced off-leash dog obedience aims to provide dogs with necessary exercise while enabling owners to maintain control.
Behavior modification addresses unwanted behaviors such as aggression towards people, separation anxiety, and resource guarding. Programs are customized to each unique owner-dog relationship, focusing on clear and consistent communication and training owners to be effective pack leaders.
Testimonials
“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.”
– Bill H.
“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.”
– Joe V.
“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!”
– Sheila T.
About the Trainer
Gary Maria Professional Dog Training is a highly experienced dog training business that has been serving clients for over 45 years. Gary Maria is recognized as an expert in the field and has successfully trained and temperament tested over 15,000 dogs.
The business offers a system of dog-friendly training techniques, primarily using positive-reinforcement. Gary’s philosophy emphasizes understanding the critical role of the owner and customizing programs to build clear and consistent communication, training owners to demonstrate leadership.
Clients often experience immediate and positive changes in eliminating negative behaviors. Gary Maria Professional Dog Training has received over 302 reviews with a 4.9-star rating and has been awarded Best Bay Area Dog Trainer for four years in a row, including Best Dog Trainer of Pleasant Hill California in 2025.
Accomplishments
Gary Maria has been a trusted name in dog training for over 45 years, having successfully trained and temperament tested over 15,000 dogs. The business boasts over 302 reviews with a 4.9-star rating.
Gary Maria Professional Dog Training has been recognized as the Best Bay Area Dog Trainer for four consecutive years. This includes being named the 2025 Winner of Best Dog Trainer of Pleasant Hill California, along with awards for the Bay Area, Walnut Creek, and Livermore.
How to Get Started!
To get started, clients can select their service area from a provided list, then proceed to book or inquire about services. A consultation can be requested through an online form. Clients can also contact Gary directly via phone or email.
Contact Information
Misc Features
- wheelchair accessible entrance
- wheelchair accessible parking