Amanda Gagnon Dog Training

We recently adopted, Jack our «forever» dog from Puerto Rico. He’s a mixed shiz tzu/​Russell Terrier. He’s lot of fun, a great dog, but seemed intent on gnawing on us, getting over-​stimulated and jumping up on us and other people, especially newcomers to the house. I received recommendations for several dog trainers and then talked to them. After describing the issue, one of the dog trainers bowed out, saying it sounded like a difficult problem. We hired Amanda — you pay more for her per hour than her staff. Although her fee ain’t cheap and is more expensive than anyone else we contacted, we found her to be a good listener and gave us very specific tasks (plus handouts) to train Jack. We were diligent in following her instructions and saw immediate improvement. She came back for a second session, which was really just to add a few more train techniques. Initially, her staff said we’d probably need four or five sessions — which I usually think is a come on for them to make money. How do they know before they see your dog? But, we weren’t required to commit to that number of sessions. Then, after our second session, Amanda saw great progress and volunteered that we didn’t need additional sessions.

My wife and I had Amanda come by for an initial consultation session plus 4 follow-​up training sessions for our dogs Toby and Howard. Every week Amanda brought an additional person with her (sometimes Sam, sometimes Tim) and all 3 were super, professional, and friendly.
The issues that Amanda helped us with were:
Resource Guarding, Handling, Elevator aggression, Barking at other dogs in the park, and Impulse control.
All this in 5 sessions! Amanda was always on time, extremely friendly, and didn’t just tell us to go in another room while she worked with the dogs — she explained the training, performed the technique, then required that my wife and I both perform it to her satisfaction before moving on. It was VERY much worth the time and cost. Amanda didn’t just give us slightly improved dogs, she gave us the tools to keep making progress with them forever.
In addition to working on the items above, Amanda also helped us teach the dogs (ages 6 and 2) some new tricks! They can both Spin on command and go Up or Off the couch on command too!
In the end, here’s a quote from my wife about how much the dogs’ behaviors have been modified: «When we used to go to the park we were avoiding other dogs at all costs. Now we get excited to see dogs in the park, just like the dogs!»
Feel free to reach out to me directly if you have questions on any of this, happy to be an advocate for Amanda and team :)
Twitter: @ericmatisoff

We’ve been working with Amanda for about 6 weeks now to train our new Westie puppy. Her gentle yet really fun techniques have worked like magic with our rather stubborn puppy. He learned to LEAVE IT and DROP IT after only one meeting with her. She also seems very in tune to our puppy’s temperament and it has helped us to get inside his little head much more than we otherwise might have. This has been such a valuable learning experience for all of us and I know it will help us achieve what we all want — a happy, well adjusted dog. I can’t recommend Amanda enough!

We met Amanda through the very enthusiastic recommendation of another dog owner and one of her clients.
Axel, our rescued Weimaraner, came to us on his way to a shelter. He had been left in an outdoor pen simply for breeding, with little human interaction and only being let out only to exercise. We had to teach him to chew a bone and chase a ball!
The first time we put him in his crate and left him alone in the apartment, he broke out and did as much damage as a frightened 85-​pound dog could do. After 3 months of never leaving him alone, we desperately wanted to socialize as a couple, outside of the apartment. We were at wit’s end and had no idea how to proceed. We needed to be rescued, too.
Amanda was one of the trainers we spoke to about Axel’s extreme separation anxiety. We chose Amanda primarily because the other trainers we contacted wanted to use tranquilizers, which we — and Amanda — oppose. Amanda logically asserted that,
while meds might alleviate the symptoms, the underlying cause would remain, and that’s what needed to be addressed.
When we began training with Amanda, we were able to leave Axel for 8 seconds — yes, 8 seconds! — before his anxiety set in. Over time, implementing the techniques that Amanda taught, we can now leave him alone for more than two hours, and that time period is now increasing in half-​hour increments. The training has required a great deal of patience and dedication, and with tremendous encouragement from Amanda, Axel is now the dog we’d always hoped for.
Amanda has great knowledge about canine behaviors and training techniques. She is as warm and kind with humans as she is with dogs. Aren’t people really the problem?!
Administratively, she and her Office Manager, Tim, run UWSDT efficiently, professionally, and courteously.
We are happy to recommend Amanda and UWSDT without qualification.

I highly recommend Upper West Side Dog Training by Amanda Gagnon. Amanda is an amazing, passionate, and thorough dog trainer. She turned my anxious puppy, who barked any time he was left alone in the house, into a relaxed and happy puppy who sweetly greets me at the door upon my arrival home. I didn’t think it was possible. I believed my dog’s anxiety was irreversible since I had tried many things on my own. Amanda’s ease when approaching a situation makes her even more impressive. She is truly fantastic at what she does. The puppy classes she hosts on Sundays are a great way to learn how to train your dog and learn from others and their dogs. Amanda is an incredible dog trainer and her team is helpful and wonderful as well.

Amanda and her team are easily the best of the best! They’re friendly, helpful people who clearly enjoy their job and genuinely love the dogs they work with. Amanda establishes great relationships with her clients; the results she’s achieved speak for themselves!

Upper West Side Dog Training is an incredible company. Founder and trainer Amanda Gagnon is by far the most passionate, dedicated, professional and fun trainer any where in New York. She practices kindness wherever she goes and it is clear how much she is loved by the excitement you see from every dog she works with. She keeps great hours and is really amazing at finding ways to help out in a pinch. I highly recommend her, this company, and her methods of training.