Testimonials

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!

Bob has changed my dog for the positive. He went from peeing in my house, biting, guarding, and being very pushy. He’s now manageable, happier, more relaxed and fun. I am thankful that I found The Dog Mentalist

Bob was really helpful with my dog. In just a few months, he's much more confident when we walk and doesn't get as nervous around other dogs. It's helped me understand what he needs better, so, it was great overall. Bob is friendly, and straightforward! This is worth it.

I had the pleasure of working with Bob recently, and I must say, his training methodology exceeded all expectations. With his expert guidance, I found effective tools to train Daisy.

Bob's approach is not only effective but also incredibly personalized. He took the time to understand Daisy's personality (as well as mine) and tailored techniques accordingly. From day one, I felt confident in his expertise and commitment to Daisy's progress.

What sets Bob apart is his emphasis on practicality. He didn't just provide generic advice; instead, he offered actionable strategies that I could implement immediately. His hands-on approach made the training process both engaging and rewarding.

Thanks to Bob, Daisy has made remarkable strides with needed commands and good dog behavior. His training tools have empowered me to foster a deeper bond with her while addressing any challenges along the way.

Overall, I highly recommend Bob for anyone seeking professional pet training. His dedication, expertise, and effective methodology truly make him stand out in the field. Bob's guidance has not only transformed Daisy but has also enriched our relationship beyond measure.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! We began training with our pup when he was 12-13 weeks old. It has been the most helpful thing we could have done. Bob is highly invested in our pup, super informative, and provided me amazing insight into my pup. Our pup has made such improvement !

Bob was referred by a friend with another golden. We quickly learned that trying to tire a dog is not obedience. An obedient dog is a happy dog. The process was not easy, but Bob stuck with us to lay the groundwork and assist even after visits. The compliments now from outside observers is incredible regarding Boone. RecommendBob and his services highly of you are looking for results. His insight and guidance are what experience proves. Thank you again.

Great personalized training. Our puppy is walking beautifully now and we will continue to use the tools he gave us.

Our Arush was rehomed to us this summer and outside of being crate and house trained, he was very "wild". Bob helped us tremendously and started with the basics and worked up to where we are very comfortable with his behavior inside and outside the house with other dogs and strangers. It's certainly hard work, but if you take the lessons you learn from Bob and apply them everyday, you are guaranteed positive results. Thanks Bob!

Thanks to Bob, my walks with my dog are less stressful and I look forward to them. He has the knowledge and awareness of how a dog responds to his environment. Thank you.

Bob is a wonderful and thorough trainer. Our 2 dogs were running our house. Until we met Bob. He trained us as well as helped teach us how to train our dogs. If you are willing to do your homework, you will be amazed at the difference in just the first 2 weeks. Time well spent working with such a knowledgeable professional. Thank you very much Bob for helping turn our pups into well behaved and much calmer dogs.

Bob Maida offers personalized, one-to-one in-person dog training. We have had 5 sessions ranging from 1-2 hours with him so far. He has helped our fearful, shy 12 week pit mix grow into a well behaved, confident, friendly dog! Bob has helped us to learn the skills to train our dog, so that he can have a fun & safe life, while being disciplined! Together we have been able to learn sit, sit & stay, down, down & stay, heel, come, and generally how to behave around other dogs and people. We had one session every two or so weeks and Bob gave us training assignments to work on within the two week period. I can say that our dog has come a long way and we are very happy with his behavior and progress! In addition, Bob is very helpful in giving advice whenever you call him with an issue or problem that hasn’t been addressed in person during training sessions. You can call him anytime and he will answer questions! Some people may think that his price is quite expensive, and though it is not cheap I think it is a lifetime investment that is worth it! If you have a puppy that needs all sorts of training or even an older dog with some issues, I highly recommend giving Bob a call! He is super friendly and trustworthy with our dog and I couldn’t be happier with our choice to go with Bob for our training needs! His experience, expertise, and knowledge speak volumes and our dog loves him too!

Bob is fantastic, he worked with our two dogs who each struggled with a different issue (they are both rescue dogs), and the results are fantastic! He is patient, professional, and very experienced - Bob was recommended to us by a fellow dog owner in our park and we couldn't be happier! Thank you!

Bob has been extremely patient with me as I learn to work with Gracie. Gracie is a great dog but is able to take advantage of some of my limitations. Bob has taught me many techniques to make Gracie fully listen to me etc. He is wonderful with dogs. I highly recommend him to anyone

I couldn't recommend Bob Maida enough! Our 1 1/2 year old golden retriever was out on control. We had three incidents where he has bitten members of the family. He was extremely high energy and would destroy the house when he was alone. Our dog was constantly pulling on walks and would try to go after anything he encountered. He was also food aggressive. This was our first dog and we were really frustrated and didn't think we would be able to gain control of him. However all of this changed once we found Bob. Bob gives you all the tools you need in order to successfully train your dog. He records the sessions so you have them to look back on, which is very helpful. Bob is professional, always on time, and was very flexible with his schedule for us. Our dog is truly a new dog now; he is much more calm, knows his place, and is PERFECT at walking. He's no longer food aggressive and hasn't had any incidents. I get compliments about how well behaved he is all the time! PLEASE if you're looking for a dog trainer in the NY/NJ AREA, contact Bob. It's so worth it and has truly helped our pup so much!

We wanted to thank you for helping us train our dog Ringo. He is a high energy dog and needed to learn discipline. He would jump and pull the leash on walks. He would pull you if he saw a dog, and jump on anyone if they walked near you. He needed to learn his place and respond to commands. Bob Maida is amazing. He has showed us how to control him and how to get him to listen to commands. Bob takes his time and shows you training procedures and then make sure you can follow through with it. We practiced each day on the procedures until Ringo did it perfectly. He truly is a top-notch trainer, and has such a connection with dogs. We are completely satisfied with the training he provided and would highly recommend him for anyone who needs training. He truly is amazing. Eric Hvisc Yonkers, NY

Great training session with Bob Maida!! Learned so much from this very knowledgeable man! He is a wealth of information. Bob leaves you with a video of your own pet to refer to. Looking so forward to working with Bob in the future! Would recommend him highly!!!

We can not THANK YOU enough for what you did for Rocky.

When we rescued Rocky seven months ago, everyone thought we were crazy; getting a 60 lbs full-grown Pit Bull (he was already 2 years old and badly abused).

Despite this, my family and I were all very excited and still hopeful.
When I called you, I was pretty sure that we would not be able to keep Rocky, due to his aggression.

When someone would come into our home, he would go to bite them (or kill, we weren't sure which one due to the growling).

We resorted to walking him very early in the morning & later in the evening, when people and dogs were not around.

Your first visit occurred three weeks ago, and you showed us what we needed to do in order to handle an aggressive dog.

When you returned, you came into a house with a NEW ROCKY.
He no longer jumps on the couch to look out the window.
He does not come up on the beds, because he has learned his place in the family.

If I need to go outside, for a minute, I tell Rocky to sit and stay.

When I return, he is still sitting there. This really amazed us because he was so out of control before you arrived.

Since you trained us on the proper ways to train Rocky, we can now walk him anytime of the day.

If, during our walks, I stop to talk to someone, Rocky sits down and patiently waits to continue our walk.

People can now come into the house, and he is able to remain calm and not growl.

Rocky finally learned that all people are not bad.

Though he still has a lot of reinforcing in his future, thanks to you, it is obvious that Rocky has a future with our family, his new forever home.

Bobby is one of the best dog trainers around. He has a way with animals which is amazing. He helped me train my boxer who was quite rambunctious. She is now house trained and listens to me. Highly recommended!!