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!
Customer Testimonials
Here are a few words of praise from some satisfied clients:
....."after having tried other trainers without success, I was fortunate to have met you. There is no doubt that you are a certified expert in the field of positive reinforcement dog obedience training and more. You were professional, patient and kind when dealing with Leo and me......" Eloise Melillo, Mahwah NJ
..."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 her time to make me understand my dog better. She is a lifesaver. She can give me advice anytime and I will follow it..." Elise and Daisy, Ramsey, NJ
....."Gail has shown outstanding animals sensitively. Her patience and compassion shine through even under very frustrating 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 is a food issue, a behavior issue, a leash issue-she will answer all of your questions fully and informatively and without condescending feedback! We have trusted Gail with our dog while on vacation............" Kathy McGennis, Mahwah, NJ
...."Gail is a highly qualified dog trainer and immediately won the respect of my husband and me. She was invaluable in getting our two dog’s trained using positive reinforcement. Gail quickly taught us that positive reinforcement is much more effective that traditional training. I have been so pleased with the results of Gimme a Paw Training, that I have referred her to many of my friends......Andrea Neumann, Glen Rock, NJ
..."Ms Tenney had our complete confidence form the first lesson. She showed herself to be consistently strong in both knowledge and application of her training methods. She never wavered in her commitment to helping us strengthen out relationship with Moe. And now he seems to be really settling down and responding where before Gail we felt somewhat hopeless..........Vincent Scully, Mahwah, NJ
"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
Testimonials
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, Beth
The Traditional School at Young World Day School Mahwah, NJ
"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. Gail, thank you for everything".......................................Sincerely, Eloise Melillo, Mahwah, NJ
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
Finbar, Dooley and KathyI 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
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 compassionateand 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
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
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
Java, Alexa and Lou"Dear GailThank 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"... ............................................................................................................Alexa, Lou and Java
Buckner, Ed and Nancy Bialas,"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 Bialas
"Thank you for training me. You were so kind and gentle with me each day!!" ........Love Buckner
