Animal Consulting & Empowerment

“When I moved from New Mexico to Highland Park, IL in 2012, Marius was highly recommended to me as a resource for training Sam (my Great Dane). At about one year old, Sam began having issues with leash frustration. The issue became so pronounced that I could no longer walk him. Marius began working with Sam and the two quickly developed a close bond of friendship. Since then, I have seen steady improvements in Sam’s behavior. Marius uses only positive training methods so I was very comfortable leaving Sam in his care. Marius has also been good about including me in Sam’s training and communicating insights into his progress and needs. What has impressed me so much about Marius’ approach was his patience and ability to gain the trust of my dog. In addition to training, Marius also makes time to have fun with Sam so he really enjoys their time together. As a professional, Marius has a calm and relaxed personality that is easy to work with.”

“Snappy Pets has been amazing for our family! Our family refers to Marius as “Uncle Marius” because of how much our dogs love him. How rare it is to find a place that you feel completely comfortable leaving your dog- a warm, caring environment with LOTS of play time and socialization with flexible hours. We will never again leave our dogs in a kennel or at a facility that has masses of dogs with little personal attention. Snappy Pets is our dogs’ home away from home.”

“Marius has an instant, visible connection to animals. His gentle, honest nature allowed our puppy Sid to trust him right away. Not only is Marius wonderful with dogs, but he always makes time to advise us on how to continue Sid’s training at home or with problems that come up later. We know that he gets great treatment because Sid never seems to want to come home from being with Marius. Marius even remembers which treats are Sid’s favorites. We would recommend Marius for dog training without hesitation.”

“Marius is not your average trainer, who has mastered and can communicate training techniques. Marius has something extra. Something special. He actually seems to share with dogs a secret language which is deeper and more subtle than treats, and goes beyond body language and commands. I think this language must be telepathic: A meeting of minds. The only explanation I can think of is that Marius is, in fact, really not a human being, but a dog who has the ability to, when necessary, choose to appear in the form of a (very nice and attractive) man. When you see him interact with your best friend, you can decide.

I have plenty of stories to tell about how Marius has helped me above and beyond the call of duty. Emergency texts at midnight. The extra ride to class. Unlimited advice. But, for me, it’s the magic; the extraordinary, uncanny tenderness and love which goes in both directions, between Marius and dogs, that I recommend.”

“Marius is beyond amazing. We have been coming to Marius since Tucker was 10 weeks old. Marius has a deep understanding of dog behavior. His practical approach to dog training is creative and positive and has helped Tucker grow into a well behaved and well socialized adolescent. He is always interested in Tucker’s well being and improvement. He cares about Tucker and all the dogs he helps so much you would think they were his own. I love watching Tucker’s excitement when he sees Marius. Marius is always available to help and always willing to give advice. I really feel that he goes above and beyond, and has each dog’s best interest at heart. It is difficult to imagine a better dog trainer/teacher than Marius.”

“Our Vizsla, Otis, has worked with Marius since we brought him home at 8 weeks old. Marius has always used positive reinforcement techniques to shape Otis’ behavior so Otis is always thrilled to see him. The in-home private lessons are super helpful, especially since Marius is great at explaining why a behavior is taught a certain way at a certain time. He has extensive knowledge of canine behavior and imparts that knowledge on us so that we know the consequence of the choices we make for the dog.

On several occasions, we have Marius visit and train Otis while we are traveling. Even though we’re not there, we’re given instructions and even videos of what was taught so that we can be consistent at home when we get back.

We will continue to use Marius going forward!”

“Our family got a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, Lucky, in Sept. ’13 and our Vet referred us to Marius when we inquired about training. We were instantly hooked after meeting Marius and observing his calm, positive interaction with dogs. We were also happy to learn about all of his flexible training options.

Within a month, using only positive reinforcement training principles, Marius taught our puppy his name, how to sit, come, and stay (almost ). He also helped us teach Lucky not to bite when putting on his leash. We had a family training session including our two young daughters (ages 4 & 5) - which Marius recommended and Marius treated us all the same. He had our daughters learn the same cues for the behaviors we did and he showed them how to get our puppy to respect & listen to them. It was fun to watch!

We were also fortunate enough to have Lucky visited and trained by Marius over the holidays. We had complete peace of mind knowing that Lucky was training with Marius while we were having fun on vacation. The constant photos and video updates were fun to see & share with our family. We have also used Marius’ socialization training services so that Lucky can get some socialization with other dogs we trust. On those below zero days, Marius is willing and happy to go outside & play with your dog!

Marius is a great resource. He always spends extra time with us when picking up/dropping off our dog. He has provided us with countless hours of advice on the latest training techniques, dog food websites, treats, toys and general dog resources.

We are very LUCKY we found Marius! His calm, cool, personality, style, attitude and positive training methods worked well and our puppy is living proof! We truly feel Marius loves our puppy as much as we do. We highly recommend his services.”

““We are a dog family and have always had either one or two Golden Retrievers in our home — even when all three of our kids still lived at home. The newest member of our family is a 65 pound English Cream Retriever named Charlie. He is now 14 months old, but from the time he was a small pup we have always turned to Marius to act as our “co-pilot” in helping us mold Charlie into an excellent dog.

Marius has a unique combination of skills: he has unlimited patience and has a calmness about him that Charlie senses and seems to understand. Most importantly, he has a deep understanding of what makes a dog tick, is consistent and kind and easily commands Charlie’s attention and respect while he is training him. We’ve never really seen anything like it in all the years we’ve owned a dog. Marius has single-handedly turned Charlie from a “goofy pup” into a “fine young man”; all with love and kindness rather than the harsh training methods that were popular in the past.

As a result, we trust Marius explicitly when it comes to either training or caring for Charlie; It is very comforting to know that we can leave Charlie with Marius any time and he will be cared for exactly like we would. Whether it be training one on one with us, having Marius train Charlie alone or just dog play with Charlie’s buddies—we have total confidence and a huge comfort level with Marius. We are very fortunate to have him in our lives — and in Charlie’s life, too. We invite anyone with a question about Marius or his dog training abilities to call us directly.”

“Marius is so attentive when it comes to not only our dog, but all the dogs he works with. Every time Eva sees Marius she gets so excited. You can really see how Marius truly loves what he does and wants to help you and your dog have a successful and positive relationship.

Marius is so attentive when it comes to not only our dog, but all the dogs he works with. Every time Eva sees Marius she gets so excited. You can really see how Marius truly loves what he does and wants to help you and your dog have a successful and positive relationship.”

“My family (wife and two young daughters) got a nine-week old Australian Shepherd this past summer (2013). Although my wife and I had previously trained and raised two Australian Shepherds, we had forgotten how challenging a puppy can be and had no experience training a pup with two young kids complicating matters. We needed help. We were intrigued by clicker training and, as a trial, joined a puppy socialization class taught by Marius. We immediately knew that Marius was special. Not only was he wonderful with the dogs and a good communicator, he was extremely patient and genuinely enjoyed working with all the kids in the class. Following the conclusion of the puppy class, we continued working with Marius in private training sessions in our home. These have proven to be fun and rewarding. I do have one caveat: you need a healthy ego to work with Marius, as your dog will undoubtedly forget about you whenever he’s around.”

“Koda has issues with other dogs when on lead and also in greeting strangers who come to the house. It has gotten worse as he has grown up and, at 105lbs, we needed to do something about it as we can’t pick him up and walk away from a situation!

We’ve been working with Marius since February with three sessions a week teaching Koda impulse control. Koda loves Marius (and so do we). The connection between them is amazing. Koda has made great progress over the past few months – and so have we. Marius has helped all of us who look after Koda be on exactly the same page and that consistency is critical. I personally also love the fact that Marius uploads photos and videos onto Facebook after each session, so even when I’m on the other side of the world I can still see how things are going. Most of our best photos of Koda have come from Marius!

Marius is also much more than a trainer. He has a holistic approach giving us information and recommendations on leashes and how to fit them, toys, great articles to read, foods, even directing us to an allergy test that has helped us get his stomach issues sorted. I know he’ll be part of “Team Koda” for a long time to come.”

“We were fortunate to have found Marius over two years ago when he began training our English Lab Guinness. Marius is so in tune with Guinness (as he is all the dogs in his care) and Guinness loves Marius to no end. All we have to do is mention Marius name and Guinness starts to get over the moon with happiness. We have started to refer to Marius as “M” so we can fool Guinness for a short time. The training provided is so gentle yet commanding along with the love he shows for Guinness has made him come a long way in his training. When we utilize the day care services or boarding, pictures and videos capture the day which my family thoroughly enjoys. Guinness love to play with his “friends” and I often wonder if he is sad to come home after having such a great time. Marius has gone the extra mile when Guinness needed some extra care during our boarding stays which was greatly appreciated!

From his tips, training, day care or boarding and genuine love for our dog we have found an extraordinary teacher in Marius and hope to continue our relationship for years to come.

We would happily recommend Marius to anyone looking for a talented and special person to work with their pet.
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“When we brought Queenie home at the age of eight weeks old, my children and I had no idea what to do with her. Loving her was the easy part. We did not know the first thing about training a dog. I had bought many books to try to learn what to do, but they weren’t making sense to me. A friend of mine referred me to Marius, and then, everything changed.

He instantly connected with our sweet puppy. She loved when he would come to train her and she learned basic skills very quickly. After a short period of time, Marius trained us as well! He taught us what we needed to know to make sure she was well behaved and she loves to be well behaved.

As time goes by, and we discover more areas we would like Queenie to improve in, no matter what they are- Marius has the answers. Marius trains with love and rewards and is sweet and kind to our Queenie and she adores him. People are always stopping me to say what a wonderful and sweet dog she is. I believe a major part of her personality is due to Marius’ training. We feel so fortunate to have met Marius and to have him to be a part of Queenie’s and our lives!!!
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“Marius is a genuinely kind and caring person who truly loves dogs. He is extremely experienced and knowledgeable with dog behaviors and dog training. He has helped my dog to have appropriate social behavior with other dogs. I cannot recommend him high enough to give any new dog owner advice or support. His socialization services are great as he only takes some dogs and they are all well trained. He takes excellent care of all of them. I feel completely at ease leaving my dog with Marius to go on adventures together. He looks happy and healthy when I return. Quite frankly, he doesn’t want to leave Marius. I am extremely fortunate that I found someone like Marius to help us with our puppy! ”

“We started training with Marius in April 2015 when Frank was 9 weeks old. I talked to many dog trainers but I loved Marius’ approach to training
and his willingness to help guide me through the tough first months of puppyhood. People comment to me all the time on what a well trained & behaved dog he is! Frank LOVED Marius from the start, as does all my family! He truly has a special gift with animals. He trains with positive reinforcement and behavior modification techniques but all while using a firm but gentle touch. Marius also guided us through a very rough period when Frank was 9 -10 months old.

Frank still goes for socialization adventures with Marius and loves his friends he gets to meet. He literally starts whining & clawing to get out of the car when we’re still blocks away from Marius’ he’s so excited! He has helped us raise Frank into a loving, socialized, well-trained dog who loves to learn new things and is easy to train. We can’t recommend him enough!”

“Back in August my husband and I bought a male Portuguese Water Dog who was 8 weeks old. After giving him a week to acclimate, we wanted to hire a trainer for him to try to civilize him because he was a typical PWD puppy, jumping on people and mouthing us until we were bleeding! I called the breeder to get a recommendation and she gave me the name of a great trainer she had used and recommended to some of her puppy parents. However, the breeder lives in Bloomington Indiana and when I spoke to the trainer, she said that we lived too far for her. She then recommended Marius Geykman who she had worked with several times and thought that he was terrific.

I called him and he came to our house and Bentley fell in love with him! So did Jerry and I. He is the most patient , positive and kindest trainer I have ever met. He trains with positive reinforcement always trying to get your dog to succeed at whatever task he is given. I have never seen him display displeasure or any negativity with my dog. He also coaches you so that you can practice with your dog. He is a fountain of information about any problems or questions that you might have. I recommend him with the highest grade possible... A++++++”

“What do you do when you have two untrained Siberian Husky sibling puppies along with two Bernese Mountain dogs and five boys? You call Marius as quickly as you can! Not only do the dogs love, respect and respond to him, they clamor for his attention! Marius is a joy to work with. He is responsible, reliable, extraordinarily educated and possibly one of the nicest people I have met in recent years. No need to be afraid that your dog will not be loved or cared about . Marius calls my dogs “the girls” . Possibly the sweetest term I’ve ever heard from a trainer. If I could I would love to have Marius with us daily. Our lives would be complete and my “girls” would be so happy! Do not waste a moment! Hire Marius he is the most fabulous animal trainer!

Most sincerely,”

“I originally got Marius’s name from our veterinarian while at our new puppy’s first vet appointment. As a lifelong dog owner, I recognize the importance of good training from the beginning. I was intrigued by Marius’s predominate use of positive reinforcement. Marius’s training philosophies seemed humane and were definitely effective. My puppy responded to the treat-driven reinforcements. In the meantime, I received an education on healthy treats, and a refresher education in basic psychology of reinforcement behavior. Marius was also a wealth of information when it came to dog supplies such as toys, leashes, and other canine equipment.

My puppy and I worked with Marius in various environments – my home, my neighborhood, downtown Highland Park, and dog parks. My dog learn to be a gentleman in social settings around town. For my dog’s first year of life, we worked with Marius on a weekly basis on anything from sit/stay to getting my 80 pound dog to jump into the back of my car. Any time I found an issue, we worked on it the following week.

Now that my puppy is 2 1/2 years old, his visits with Marius are for boarding services. I am confident that while my dog is with Marius, my pup is well socialized, well exercised, and getting some side training without realizing it. I know that he is also well cared for which makes being away from my pup that much easier.”

“I’ve had the pleasure and opportunity of working with Marius to help train my French Bulldog Bruno. Bruno is great with other dogs, but horrible whenever anyone enters our house, barking and nipping at anyone walking into our home. It had gotten to the point that I was afraid to have anyone come to our house. Along came Marius and everything changed for the better. Bruno has been a challenge, but over the course of a few sessions with Marius, I feel like I now have things under control and Bruno has been doing great with different people entering our house. I really don’t think I could have changed Bruno’s behavior without Marius’ help. Marius is patient, caring, punctual and extremely professional. You can tell that he loves animals and Bruno certainly loves him. I highly recommend him and feel fortunate to have found him. ”

“Marius came to our house soon after our puppy Clover came home and provided invaluable training help. He was great about assessing our family and needs and prioritizing what to work on each week.

Marius did a wonderful job of including our daughters in the training process. Very quickly we saw results from our positive reinforcement techniques with Clover.

In addition to coming to our home, Marius provided some helpful reading materials and was always available to text or talk. Thank you Marius!!”

“Marius Geykman has helped us train Earl, our Australian Labradoodle, since he was puppy. Marius is an exceptional trainer who is particularly sensitive to both the needs of the puppy and the parents. He is extremely knowledgeable, and he has an extraordinary ability to understand how dogs think. His explanations of the dog’s thought processes can be quite humorous in addition to fostering a solid relationship between the dog and his parents.

Marius is a trustworthy, reliable, kind, and thoughtful man. Without question I would give him the highest recommendation to anyone who considers using his services.”

“Marius came highly recommended by a neighbor. I couldn’t be happier with the training sessions. From the moment he approached my dog it was truly like being with the dog whisperer. Marius not only trained my dog, he also educated me on how to interact with her. He is always willing to answer any questions I may have and is available via text if a situation I don’t know how to handle should arise. In turn I highly recommend Marius to train your dog.”

“We started working with Marius for in home training for our Chocolate Lab, Wyatt, when he was less than 3 months old. Marius was a in how he immediately connected with our puppy and got him to focus and learn in a way we simply could not. Marius helped us immensely in understanding basic principles of training using positive reinforcement, love and kindness while immediately getting results in critical behavioral areas for a young puppy, he will be our go to helping hand on any and all behavioral and training needs for Wyatt and any of our next dogs to follow, though Wyatt may never need it because he is so good!”