But don't take our word for it.
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Thanks Maria, for your expertise, professionalism, and all around fantastic approach. Because of your counsel, we developed an outstanding baseline and have crafted a plan to make sure Daisy is a happy, confident dog. Thanks also for your nutritional tips, so we can be sure that Daisy is happy AND healthy. We have seen such positive changes in Daisy (and in us) from working with you. She has become a fun, loving, relaxed part of our family. Your knowledge of all aspects of working with dogs is amazing! You are a true pro! Thanks for everything!
~ Daisy’s Mom and Dad (and Daisy!) 
"It had been over 15 years since I had a dog. I had forgotten about all the terrible things that happen with a new untrained dog: nothing in its span of reach is safe, hyper activity, unwillingness to let something go, etc. I experienced all these things and more when I adopted my new mixed beagle, Zach. After the first day I felt that I had made a terrible mistake. Is this dog trainable? Fortunately, I was made aware of Maria Huntoon's consulting services..."
"I’ve trained my dogs all my life. Three German Shepherds and three Cairn Terriers including advanced obedience and a bit of search and rescue(shepherd) and Agility (last Cairn) but a lot has changed since I trained my last puppy and one can always learn so I reached out to Maria. Goodness, I’m glad I did.
Maria taught me two very important things that have made all the difference. First, she helped me understand my puppy and what he needed and therefore gave me a huge advantage in training him. I’d like to think I’d have gotten there without her but she made it certain and painless. Second, she (gently) told me what I was doing that confused him. I don’t think I’d have ever figured that out without her. Hemingway has been a joy to train, enhanced by the help from Maria. I enthusiastically recommend her for even a few lessons." - Blake & Hemingway 
"Maria helped us so much with our newly adopted dog!! We had some apprehensions which she quickly put to ease with her calming words and knowledge. I noticed such a change within one session! Her gentle way of training feels so animal and owner friendly! Thanks Maria!"
- Shane, Beth & Apollo 
"Maria's consultation allowed our male litter mates to learn proper behavior and defy what so many people warn against in adopting same gender litter mates. Raising two puppies could be challenging, but Maria shared with us effective ways of building and reinforcing behaviors that had our two Boston Terrier pups, Lincoln and Sherman, fitting in their forever home with ease. I cannot express how knowledgeable Maria is with training techniques and her understanding of canine behaviors. Lincoln and Sherman are two different personalities, and Maria assessed them immediately and structured a training to make learning commands fun and engaging. You will be pleased with the results that come about from just one class meeting."
- Carl, Sarah, Sherman & Lincoln 
"I met Maria At Guiding Eyes for the Blind. She was our regional manager in the newly formed Ulster region. My puppy was Phineas who was a very challenging puppy in class. Maria was so patient with him and really taught me so much. She gave me a great understanding of just how to know when things were stressful to Phineas and how to help him through it. He is currently in training to become a guide dog and I truly believe he could not have made it this far without Maria. If you need help with your canine companion give her a call!"
- Carol & Phineas 
"We rescued our pup over 2 years ago and contacted Maria for support in helping us to best cope with our dog's aggression toward other dogs. Within three sessions, she taught us how to read her signals of happiness and understand and manage her distress around other dogs. We love Maria's compassionate positive-reinforcement approach. Maria came to our house and met us at one of our dog's favorite hangout parks where we practiced hands-on techniques to help our dog thrive. Our dog (and we) is doing great!"
- Chris and Monica, Duchess & Duke 
"I began the journey of looking for a trainer when I hit a communication wall with one of our two dogs, Willow. She seemed uncertain of what we wanted her to do in certain situations and was acting out a bit. Our attempts to instruct her weren't really sticking and I was afraid of reinforcing bad behavior. I also wanted to make sure the learning process was positive and involved everyone in our (little) family. The last thing we wanted was to be absent from the training process and end up with dogs who only listened to (or connected with) the trainer.
Enter Maria... energetic, positive, clear, patient... this is exactly what we needed. Not only did she identify and address the needs of the dogs as individuals, but was able to identify where my husband and I needed more instruction or guidance as handlers, and addressed us in much the same way. Not only did we learn how to communicate with both dogs, but we learned where certain behaviors came from and how to tap into that energy, instead of correcting or fighting against what are totally natural behaviors. The most valuable thing I learned was to trust my instinct and trust my dogs. I was unsure of whether I was reading them "correctly" and Maria really took the time to answer my questions and teach/reinforce positive training techniques. We strongly recommend her services to doggies (and humans!) of all skill levels." - Miya, Willow & Ranger 
"Maria helped my pet black lab resolve some separation anxiety and resource guarding behaviors. Her calm, firm, yet kind demeanor was just what we both needed! Excellent practical advice--that worked! Great follow-up."
- Lorraine & Keaton 
"Maria was absolutely wonderful and completely invested in helping us. From the beginning she was flexible in scheduling and willing to help us in different settings. Her wealth of knowledge and calm demeanor were just perfect for our Gigi to learn."
- Rebecca & Gigi |
"Maria's training techniques and solid understanding of canine thinking made a huge difference in our dogs' behavior - and ours. She trained us along with our pups, a seven-year-old Puli and one-year old Havanese. We now know WHY they behave the way they do and what we have to do to get the behavior we want. We owe their fast learning to Maria's great training. Thanks so much, Maria."
- Janet, John, Teddy & Carly 
"Maria is an excellent dog trainer! She is very knowledgeable and truly understands the behaviors of dogs. She helped us understand how to use practice training sessions and positive reinforcement to train our puppy for what works in our daily lives, rather than just the general sit, stay, and walk. Two good examples of this are teaching him how to meet new people without jumping on them and how to react when we are answering the front door.
From the moment Maria came into our home, she started working with us and our puppy to teach him the desired behavior, using positive reinforcement and consistency. She explained several things that were so incredibly helpful, both in our puppy’s training but also in the way we went about it. She understands and thoroughly explains the causes behind a dog’s behaviors. Maria took the time to talk with us to find out what issues we wanted to work on and helped us understand how to work with our new puppy. We all thoroughly enjoyed our sessions with Maria and continue to apply her techniques. We would highly recommend Maria to anyone looking to have an awesome relationship with their dog!" - Heather, Doug, and Murdox 
"Hi, I am Ranger's dad, Jorge. I love taking Ranger everywhere with me but he gets nervous and anxious when a lot of people are around. Also when left home alone, he would get separation anxiety. What I learned in the short amount of time with Maria I wouldn't have learned it anywhere else. I connected deeper with my dog being able to communicate just by listening to what he is telling me. The best thing about it is it works with any dogs. Now Ranger is more confident when we go out, not as nervous, and enjoys going everywhere I go without being scared. Maria didn’t just teach Ranger, she taught me as well. I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart for the patience and understanding for Ranger and Myself. If you are on the fence I say go for it cause trust me - it’s worth it and you won’t regret it."
- Jorge & Ranger 
"It’s absolutely amazing how much joy, love, and contentment can come from bringing a dog into a family. Our dog, Duke, goes almost everywhere with us. He is very social and thinks all people and animals are here specifically to be his friend! At nine months old our puppy already weighs 85 pounds! It was essential that he be well behaved in public and respectful while walking on leash. Maria helped our family so much! We learned to meet Duke on Duke’s level and our relationship with him is based on a mutual respect and understanding of each other. We are so pleased with the results from our sessions with Maria and highly recommend her to all dog owners!!!"
- Kristan & Duke 
"We contacted Maria shortly after adopting a ten-month pit bull, not due to specific behavior issues, but to moderate his assimilation into our family, which includes an eight-year toy poodle and an older cat, and to work on basic obedience. I’d read a lot about training, was aware of the diversity of opinions and approaches, and thought I knew what to expect from a so-called ‘positive reinforcement’ trainer like Maria. She quickly proved me wrong..."
"Hey Maria! I was just thinking the other day about how thankful I am for all your advice and help with Thor! I swear he wouldn't be the most amazing dog he is today without the time we spent with you and all the useful tips and wisdom you shared with Thor and I on our training sessions! We actually just took a trip to Vermont this past New Year with lots of family members and 4 other dogs and I couldn't have been more proud of Thor! With your help, he is no longer afraid of loud noises, he was great with all the dogs, and wasn't hesitant to try new adventures and explore new territory! I simply can't thank you enough."
- Emily & Thor 
"Maria shared a wealth of knowledge and valuable tools that helped us get on the right path with our playful and energetic lab/boxer rescue pup. It is nice to know Maria will continue to stay in contact with us and answer any questions we have!"
- Tracy & Pepper 
"Full Circle Veterinary Hospital worked with and shared referrals with Maria Huntoon over the last year or so. Maria is an amazing trainer whom we could refer our clients to with the understanding that they would be treated with the same warmth & respect that they expect at our practice. Maria's approach to training is similar to our approach to medicine - tailor the training plan to the individual pet and work as a team with the pet and the owner. We were very sorry to have to bid her farewell from our area, but know her new clientele will benefit greatly from her services!"
- Dr. Michelle Rocque and the staff at Full Circle Veterinary Hospital, Wappingers Falls, NY 
"I definitely feel comfortable moving forward and that I've learned how to understand Brandy's behavior. Using the info and tools Maria has provided me, I will continue to better understand Brandy's behavior and how to respond to it, and how to help Brandy manage it. I received many valuable things from my time with Maria, but one outstanding was that my energy/behavior can affect Brandy's behavior and that I need to be aware of my behavior in order to help her manage hers. Also, that my goal is to help Brandy learn good manners and learn self control, so that I am not always controlling her. Our recent trip was a success and I thank you for that, Maria, because if I hadn't headed your advice and suggestions, coupled with the training, it would have been a disaster! Certainly we have much more work to do, and we will be tapping into your website for much needed information! So very thankful that we were able to work with you... I don't know how things would have been without your wisdom and guidance!"
- Kim & Brandy 
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"Maria is wonderful! When I reached out to her about my dog Jossie's reactivity challenges, Maria knew exactly how to proceed. She talked me through what was going on in Jossie's mind and body, showed me techniques that helped improve Jossie's impulse control, and walked alongside us as we learned how to implement the techniques. After each session, I felt much more confident and able to help Jossie be her best self. I also found it enormously helpful to chat with Maria about situations Jossie and I encountered between sessions. I'm excited to see how Jossie and I continue to grow and learn together, and when we need help again in the future--I'll definitely give Maria a call!"
~ Ashley & Jossie 
"We have been working with Maria for several months. After the passing of our 14 year old beagle we decided to get 2 brother beagles. While we were used to having a dog it had been awhile since we had a puppy, and never had 2 at the same time. We are so glad we started working early on with Maria. She was helpful in pointing out their different personalities. Smokey and Bandit loved their sessions with Maria. She was great at working with both dogs and myself and my son to remind us the strategies we need to be successful with these 2 different dogs. I highly recommend Maria Huntoon to all interested in getting to know their dog better and have a great relationship with their dog."
- Breda, Tom, and Tommy, Smokey & Bandit 
"Maria was awesome with my Bruno! She is very knowledgeable and helped me see things from a dog’s perspective. Her effective training techniques have helped reinforce specific behaviors from my dog. Now that I am able to understand his body language, training has become easier and more efficient.
With each session, Maria immediately jumped right in, fitting in as much information and training as possible for the couple of hours she was with us. Her website is also full of useful tools such as videos, strategies for training, and information on understanding canine behavior. I’m so thankful to Maria for all that she has taught me. Now that I have the tools I need to understand my dog’s behavior, we can continue to train successfully!" - Michelle & Bruno 
"Mocha and I had a wonderful experience with Maria. She helped me understand behaviors I had never experienced with my other dogs. We are on the way to a great life together thanks to Maria."
- Cristina & Mocha 
"I adopted Kieran January 23, 2018. I knew he was only a year and half, had heart worms, was found running the streets, and was incredibly cute! What I didn’t know was that he had never been socialized, didn’t know any commands, and had terrible separation issues. Those first few nights he spent with me were not the happy and fulfilling times I had envisioned. He lacked any understanding of submission.
"My dog Lincoln and I have been working with Maria. She's so personable, knowledgeable, and relatable. She is thorough on her explanations and is raising my awareness to dog behavior and body language for me to better train my dog! I am truly enjoying every second of it! If you've been thinking about getting a trainer-contact Maria!"
- Erica & Lincoln 
"I was very happy to have Maria’s help with our new puppy. Maria is a serious professional who understands dogs and knows how to communicate with them. She also knows how to communicate with dog owners! Her interest in dogs and dog welfare is impressive."
- Cali & Bentley 
"Maria is an excellent trainer! We hired her to help with our Labrador Retriever, Kibby, from her puppy days to one year old. We had gone to obedience classes, but were having trouble with applying the skills to different real life situations. Here is where Maria came in! She came to our house, met us in the town we live in, came to the park, wherever we needed guidance. She helped us with loose leash walking on the street, greeting people at the door, greeting strangers in public. The individualized approach that she offered is very unique, that is, she was able to perceive what Kibby needed and helped me to read Kibby's behavior. Most of all, she gave the confidence to keep going when I was overwhelmed with a new dog! We will miss her tremendously!"
- Madeleine & Kibby 
"We adopted Duffy the Rescue Shih Tzu Dog in May 2015. Duffy had issues with socializing with other dogs. He could socialize w/ people just fine, but never with other four-legged friends. Duffy just couldn't be around other dogs, Period. And, even walking around the block was traumatic. We stopped walking around the block.
We’ll never know his history, what he has endured or suffered that has caused these reactions. Duffy would get frustrated, scared, ‘puffed-up” ... Sometimes, a dog would just be walking past the house and Duffy became uncontrollable, running from the picture window to the front door and back again, in a frenzy, until the other dog was out of sight. It broke my heart. Frustrated w/ my inability to restore Calm & Peace in Duffy’s life with the other dogs, we reached out to Maria of Maria G. Huntoon Canine Consulting Services. I knew he would have a fur-ever home w/ us. I just couldn’t help him on my own with his dog-relationships. I needed Maria Huntoon. She worked her miracles on that first day and showed me how to love & help my little dog to overcome his fear/anxiety and behavioral problems and become the Pack Leader again." - Shelly & Duffy 
"Maria was terrific with our Border Collie Mix puppy. She gained rapport with the entire family as soon as she came through our front door! Not only did she tell us what to expect at each stage but she was patient with any and all questions. As a new dog owner, I feel more confident because of Maria's expertise."
- Meredith & Katie |
Understanding your dog creates lasting change.
