"Gimme a Paw" Dog Training
(201) 749-2209
Testimonials
Testimonial from Ray, U.S. Army soldier
While visiting home, I found a stray dog which I could not leave behind. Suddenly I was thrust into the frustrating and difficult world of animal rescue. Gail was recommended to me as someone who could possibly help me find a home for this great dog, who I named Kevin. I spoke with her nearly everyday and soon realized that she has a sincere love for and tremendous dedication to all dogs. I know there are a number of training techniques, but after witnessing Gail’s humane approach which emphasizes positive reinforcement, I am convinced that her technique is a great way to train your beloved pet.
By the way, with Gail’s help, I found a home for Kevin!
The Traditional School at Young World Day School Mahwah, NJ
May 2008
"Dear Ms. Tenney,
Thank you for coming to our school and teaching us about training dogs. We all learned a lot today.
First of all, it's amazing how much you can teach a dog using a clicker. Also, we learned a lot about positive and negative reinforcement.
Second of all, the tricks Jenna did were amazing. You must be an excellent trainer because
none of us thought a dog could do such complex tasks. For example, the "high-ten" was cool, and pushing the "Easy Button" was amazing.
Thanks you again for coming to our school. It was a huge help to our project."
Sincerely, Ryan Stillings -on behalf of the Primary 2 Class
"Dear Gail,
I want to express my sincere appreciation to you for teaching me how to train my Affenpinscher, Leo. There is no doubt you are a certified expert in the field of positive reinforcement dog obedience training and more.
After having tried other trainers without success, I was fortunate to have met you, with your extensive expertise in dog behavior and obedience training. You were professional, patient and kind when dealing with Leo and me, and we looked forward to seeing you at each session.
Most importantly, I now truly believe that the "Operant Conditioning" or "Positive Reinforcement" approach to dog training that you use is the only successful way to train a dog. The other harsh, penalizing, traditional methods only create other phobias in the dog that will cause worse behavior in the long term. This I also learned from you.
In addition, the resources that you brought to my attention in all areas of dog training and about dogs in general-books, videos, publications, articles, other trainers' methods and your handouts to aid me in my education-were all very valuable. You gave me information about dog behavior, nutrition and health that I would have not known otherwise. I was shocked to find out what I did not know and would have not known if it weren't for you. Leo will live a longer and healthier life because of your education me, and we are both much happier for that.
I am pleased that I opted to buy the package of ten training sessions that you offered because I now realize that it could not have been done in just one session. The ten sessions are definitely worth the money and more. As I mentioned above, during those sessions you educated me in many other areas as well because there is more than just training that is important in living with and raising a dog. You have given me knowledge of basic training and shown me resources available for Leo and me to continue progressing. Dog training does not happen overnight. It is a continuing process.
I am also grateful that I can call upon you at any time in the future for your advice or with questions and that you will be there if Leo and I need you.
Again, Gail, thank you for everything"..Sincerely, Eloise Melillo, Mahwah, NJ
To Whom It May Concern:
Gail Tenney is a certified dog trainer with extensive experience handling, training, and caring for dogs. I have found her to be highly educated in canine behavior, constantly striving to stay up to date on the latest in the scientific behavioral community. She also has an amazing knowledge of holistic health, care, and feeding practices for canines.
Gail has an exemplary ability in working with dogs, and the connection between her and her canine students is apparent. What also makes Gail such an effective and connected teacher is that she relates to her human students with gentle, relatable humor, compassion and kindness, which are all very integral elements of her success as a trainer and teacher.
While Gail’s knowledge and ability is impressive, what sets her truly ahead of the rest of the “pack” is her undeniable care, concern, and empathy towards dogs. Her number one goal is to heal behavioral woes that cause strife in the human-dog relationship, but she never sacrifices the welfare of a dog to achieve that goal. She is a creative, intuitive problem-solver, using methods that are always gentle yet effective, to reach the optimal outcome in any given situation.
I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend Gail as a trainer, behavior specialist, and canine health care consultant.
Sincerely, Marilyn W. Franklin Lakes, NJ
It has been my pleasure to know Gail Tenney for almost a decade. When I met Gail, I was just beginning to train my Pomeranian, Sugar. I immediately connected with Gail’s humane training methods. Her dog training knowledge, in learning theory, is quite sophisticated. All of her training methods just made so much sense to me. I was very uncomfortable with trainers that use prong or choke collars to train their dogs and feel very fortunate to have connected with a certified positive trainer like Gail. Unfortunately, positive trainers and positive dog training schools are still very few and far between. Even today, old school methods still abound in training schools and even on TV.
Gail is a very clear communicator and her methods make sense to intelligent people. She is also extremely dedicated and the well being of the dogs is her number one priority. Sugar now works in TV, film and print ads, along with my other Pomeranian, Princess and their resumes are quite extensive. TV and film requires training complex behaviors on short notice which is very challenging. As Gail says what makes her a good trainer is the ability to make her clients’ good trainers. Thanks to Gail I am able to handle very challenging show biz training situations and my dogs are very motivated to train and work.
I will always be very grateful to Gail for teaching me how to train intelligently and humanely. Gail is the type of trainer who is a very rare find. If you are fortunate enough to train with her, and have the wisdom to listen to her, you and your pets lives will be enriched for the better and you will be setup for continued training success.
Sincerely,
Heidi Wise,
Odie, Scout, Andrea and Bob,
"I met Gail Tenney about two years ago and have used Gimme a Paw for several private lessons. Gail is a highly qualified dog trainer that immediately won the respect of my husband and me. Gail came into our home to assist us in training our two new puppies, Odie and Scout. Thanks to Gail they are now very well behaved.
She was invaluable to us in getting our dog’s trained using positive reinforcement. Gail quickly taught us that positive reinforcement is much more effective that traditional training.
Gail is extremely sensitive to animals and this is deeply reflected in her training. She is compassionate
and caring even when my husband or I did not "get" her instruction.
In addition to training, Gail spent a lot of time discussing the best nutrition for our dogs and how to create a safe home for our dear friends.
I have been so pleased with the results of Gimme a Paw training, that I have referred her to many of my friends. I encourage all people to give Gail a try when training their animals"......Andrea Neumann
Laura, Tom, Ollie and Tula
I cannot say enough about how pleased I am with finding Gail and having her help my husband and me. From my first interaction with Gail, it became apparent that she was a wealth of information on dog behavior. Since she’s been helping us with both of our dogs, I’ve realized that not only is she an excellent trainer, but also very knowledgeable about the total well-being of dogs. And she’s always willing to share her knowledge and resources on various pet care issues.
Gail has helped us to understand why our dogs exhibit certain behaviors and has empowered us with solutions that we can easily implement. We sought Gail’s help initially because our dog Tula was barking, growling, and lunging at other dogs on walks. We couldn’t understand why our sweet dog, who is so friendly and affectionate with people and our other dog Ollie, was reacting this way. And anything we tried to do to help was ineffective and probably made the problem worse. I first met Gail with Tula in a pet store and she was able to witness Tula’s behavior. She explained to me why Tula was reacting this way and showed me a simple method to use when we come across other dogs. In that brief interaction, I saw my sweet girl acting calmly in close proximity to an unfamiliar dog. Needless to say, I asked Gail when she was available for training and booked a session immediately.
Although my dogs can’t tell you themselves, I’m certain that they are happier to learn appropriate behaviors for which they are rewarded, rather than all of us ending up stressed. Through Gail’s help, I now feel confident that I know how to help my dog Tula to remain calm when we encounter other dogs on our walks. She’s helped my husband and me to be able to enjoy walking our dogs again, which we are extremely grateful for.
We’ve also relied on Gail for walking our dogs on a few occasions, which was a huge help. Prior to working with Gail, we would rely on family or friends to walk our dogs when we would be gone for extended periods. We never used a dog walker before and I wouldn’t feel comfortable hiring a complete stranger. It’s such a relief to have someone else that we trust with the care of our dogs. I highly recommend Gail for training or walking your dog. I am sure you and your dog will be as pleased with her services as we are. Laura Winters
Kathy, Finbar and Dooley
I have known Gail Tenney as an experienced dog trainer for over 3 years. We have experienced both her private lessons and group lessons with two different dogs.
Gail has shown outstanding animal sensitivity. Her patience and compassion shine through even under very frustration circumstances. Her knowledge seems endless. Yet she is always willing to learn more. Her resources are abundant. She is always willing to help. Whether it be a behavior issues, a food issue, a leash issue-she will answer any and all your questions fully and informatively and without condescending feedback! My family has always been welcome to attend the lessons, which is a plus for all involved!
We have also trusted Gail with our dog while on vacation. We felt very safe that they were in a safe and happy environment.................Kathy Magennis
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a letter of recommendation for Gail Tenney.
Gail has been walking and training our dog Jesse since May 2011. Jesse has special behavior and medical needs and she was able to bond with him immediately and he trusts her.
Gail walks him every day at lunch time and has also made herself available to drop in later in the day to let him out for a quick break if we have evening appointments.
In addition to walking him, we have engaged her for several weekend training sessions in which she has provided us with the tools to help train him. Gail emails us lots of articles that we might find of interest and is often suggesting new foods or treats that she has already tried with her own dogs. She has been a great resource for everything dog-related!
Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss further.
Sincerely,
Diane and Grant
Hawthorne NJ
Moe and The Scully Family
"The experience of having Gail Tenney of "Gimme a Paw" Dog Training was a wonderful one for both our dog Moe and the rest of our family.
Ms. Tenney had our complete confidence from the first. She showed herself to be consistently strong in both knowledge and application of her training methods. he never wavered in the commitment to helping us strengthen our relationship with Moe. Her review and re-enforcement of healthy skills have gone a long way toward having a really changed animal in our house.
And now this animal seems to be settling down and responding, when before Gail we felt somewhat hopeless. Moe was rescued and was very skittish and hyper when we took him into our home. Now he is a real joy in the family and we are thinking of rescuing another dog. We could not have considered it before Gail Tenney and seeing the results her methods and enthusiasm have wrought."
Sincerely, Vincent Scully
Elise and Daisy
"My name is Elise and I have a success story to tell thanks to a trainer named Gail Tenney. I recently moved and my dog Daisy was having some issues. Neighbors were companying about her barking and I was at my wits end. Gail recommended products to me and information on how to make my dog comfortable in her crate and new surroundings. Sunday morning I had to go to work at 6:30 in the morning and didn't know how my dog was going to act..........Well this is the best part! I put my shoes on ready to leave when my dog Daisy proceeded to go in her crate and sit. I closed the crate door and left and stood outside waiting for the screams and cries.
Nothing!! Not a sound did she make!!! The next morning she did the same routine and when I left not a sound! I was totally impressed at the advice that Gail Tenney gave and how fast my dog calmed down. I would recommend Gail Tenney to anyone.
I want to thank her for her caring and helping me to understand my dog better. She is life saver.
She can give me advice any time and I will follow it!".............Sincerely, Elise and Daisy
Alex, Lou and Java
"Dear Gail Thanks you for your dedication to animals. We really enjoyed the Basic Training Class and we learned a lot from you. We especially liked the emphasis on positive reinforcement and NOT
punishment. Thanks!! Alex, Lou and Jave, Mahwah NJ
Buckner, Ed and Nancy,
"Dear Gail, We have enjoyed having you work with Buckner. He was always happy to see you! Thanks to you he can run and play when we are outdoors with him. Thank you for all the articles and suggestions on dog care. You are a wealth of information! Best of luck as you continue your research and working with dogs.
Thanks again"......Ed & Nancy
"Thank you for training me. You were so kind and gentle with me each day!!" ........Love Buckner
