As first-time dog owners, we were completely new to what it meant to raise/train a puppy—and it was overwhelming at first. Thankfully, we found Bob Maida, and he completely changed our experience for the better! From the moment we knew we would be adopting our puppy in February 2025, we connected with Bob. We called him to discuss what to look out for when adopting a puppy and he talked us through everything. We adopted our dog, Charlie, on a Saturday and Bob started with us the following Monday!
From the first session, Bob came to our home and helped build a respectful and positive relationship between us and our new puppy, Charlie. Bob doesn’t just train dogs—he trains people, too. He took the time to explain our puppy’s body language and the different ways he was trying to communicate with us. Every session came with homework and actionable steps that helped us progress in a manageable and meaningful way. We were consistent with Charlie's obedience training and he stopped counter surfing and jumping on people when he met them with simple quick corrections. With Bob's help, Charlie is becoming friends with his cat brother!
What really stood out was how Bob tailored the training to fit our specific family's needs. With two young daughters, he made sure to include practical things like walking the dog while pushing a stroller, setting boundaries (like no rough playing in the house), and keeping Charlie off the furniture. His approach was thoughtful and personalized every step of the way. Our regular training sessions helped us (and Charlie) tremendously. When we adopted Charlie, I was doubtful that we would ever be able to go out to eat somewhere and just have him relaxed next to us...and now we do it regularly.
Now, our puppy is 11 months old and we constantly get compliments from strangers about how well-behaved he is. At over 70 lbs, he’s strong—but thanks to Bob’s guidance, we can trust our 6-year-old daughter to hold his leash when we’re walking together as a family. Charlie is very well socialized and non-reactive with other dogs. He walks beautifully on a leash, has solid obedience training (sit, stay, come, down), and remains in a down-stay for a very long time. We bring him with us everywhere we can, and he is well behaved in stores, at coffee shops, restaurants, and even at my 94 year-old grandpa's house!
Even after our sessions ended, Bob stayed in touch. He still picks up the phone, and even calls just to check in. That kind of support is rare, and it shows how much he truly cares! We can’t recommend Bob enough. If you’re looking for someone who knows dogs, understands people, and brings out the best in both—you’ve found him!
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