Helping Pets Behave

Short version: I’ve worked with Mary on temperament evaluations as well as issues of reactivity and separation anxiety, and 100% recommend her to others. Mary has helped me (and my two border collie mixes) both in person and online, and I wouldn’t hesitate to contact her again. She indeed offers a fear-free setting and puts great effort into individually tailored training plans to match both human and canine needs. Long version: I was referred to Mary in 2017 to have behavior evaluations for my two senior dogs as a requirement of my housing association. [Not because of any incident, but due to a “lovely” neighbor and association rules that require an evaluation for any claim (founded or not) that someone is housing dangerous animals. That’s a different review, but shows what brought us to Mary.) One of my dogs is reactive - wary of new people and dogs - but her behavior was managed and I worked with a trainer in the past. My other dog was not reactive and was a friendly, people and animal-loving pup. Upon meeting them, Mary sympathized with my situation and evaluated both but charged for one. She provided a thorough evaluation that helped to identify my reactive pup’s limits, but in a comfortable setting. Prior to the visit, I was worried about the idea of a temperament evaluation, expecting it to be a “push the dog until it snaps” sort of event. It was not that at all. Mary was well-prepared for us after reading the history I provided in her forms, and observed my reactive girl’s response to different stimuli without trying to push her toward major discomfort. Mary provided my association with a detailed and unbiased evaluation of both dogs. In addition to the general evaluation, however, Mary talked with me about how I’ve managed my dog’s reactivity in the past and offered new suggestions. Mary’s suggestions largely centered on my own interactions with strangers and dogs who approached, and I’m happy to say they helped my dog be more confident in what she could expect from strangers and ultimately have allowed for more positive relationships for her and new humans as well as dogs. Prior to meeting with Mary, I felt like my reactive dog and I had plateaued when it came to her behavior. We were fine, but there were things I’d wish could be helped for her own stress level. Mary’s techniques helped us move forward and create a more relaxed dog. I only wish I would have met Mary sooner. Three years later and I have moved to a new state, shortly after the passing of one of my dogs. My other dog, who has not exhibited separation anxiety in the 11 years I’ve had her, now can no longer tolerate being home alone without sadly and loudly howling. My new neighbors are understanding, but I wanted to correct this behavior and ease my dog’s anxiety ASAP. I saw that Mary was offering online consults and immediately contacted her for help. Mary developed a training program for me suited to meet the needs of my dog’s personality and health, and also offered alternate options just in case I couldn’t adhere to the schedule exactly as detailed or if we don’t seem to be making progress. I just started this training program, but am extremely comfortable with the process that Mary has laid out for us and optimistic that my dog will in time be relaxed in her new home as a solo dog. And finally because cost is often a concern, I’d like to add that I don’t think you can find a “deal” for good animal behavior consultation. It requires time, experience, and education from the individuals you’re seeking help from. Prices for services were fair and never did I feel like I was being forced to add time or cost. Mary works efficiently but thoroughly during the allotted time. Her emailed newsletters are also helpful, and provide information on behaviors you might not have even realized could be improved. All in all, I highly recommend Helping Pets Behave.

Mary does a wonderful job not just teaching your dog, but teaching YOU how to teach your dog with positive reinforcement! I'd adopted a young, reactive rescue with some fear issues as well as the usual "bad manners." By the end of our class, he was much better at walking on a leash, knew how to focus on me as a handler, and we now have a solid groundwork to continue our training. I'll definitely be returning for future classes!

I have been meaning to write a review on Mary for months but just never got around to it. Mary was the third trainer I went to with my dog George to help with his sudden and random aggressiveness towards other dogs and certain people. George and I had moved from over seas and the stress of the move had left him anxious and reactive when he used to be a dog loving pup. Unfortunately his reactivity lead to a very serious bite on another dog so we were in a dire place. I wish we had gone to Mary right away instead of wasting our time with other trainers. Her first session was packed full of info and we did quite a lot of practice for what I should be doing with him when we see another dog and how to handle him when he is uncomfortable around certain people. Even within one session I could see a difference. After around 4ish weeks of working on things at home we went back for a follow-up and got a bit more information on how to take things to the next step like having him meet other dogs. Since then I am so thrilled to say that George now has two dog friends that he was carefully introduced to with short supervised playtimes that he now totally adores. They even stayed with us for two weeks and we had ZERO issues- they were just best friends. This is all thanks to Mary and the help she gave us. George and I couldn't be happy with how things turned out.

I finally took my dog-aggressive (10 year old) pup, Star for a private session with Animal Behaviorist Mary Huntsberry. It has made an amazing difference in Star's behavior. The crux of Mary's work with us was to help us understand our dog's behavior and then to act/respond accordingly. Mary is enthusiastic and passionate about her work and extremely patient. I realized afterwards that these are the exact traits owners of dogs with behavioral issues need :) Star is like a different dog. She is much calmer and we are able to enjoy her so much more now. She is able to go for walks and encounter other dogs on the street without becoming aggressive. Her barking at passerby has decreased about 80-90 % and when she does bark, she is easily redirected. Highly recommended!