With more than four decades of professional experience, Gail’s extensive background in dogs includes: breeding English Mastiffs and Vizslas; working for a professional show handler; handling many dogs of her own breeding to their breed championships and high scoring obedience titles; competitive obedience and agility training; training companion dogs in house manners; hearing and service dog training; and behavior counseling for behavior problems including serious aggression cases. She was pivotal in the early understanding, training, and popularization of puppy personality and temperament testing as a behavioral indicator.
Gail is the founder and owner of All Dogs Gym® training, boarding, daycare, grooming and event facility employing over 50 people, and All Dogs Academy for Professional Trainers and Groomers. All Dogs Gym was one of the first purpose-built dog activity centers, and one of the first all-marker-training programs in the country, offering a full range of services and activities for dogs and their owners.
Gail was given the designation the “trainer of trainers” with the publication of her first books (with Jack Volhard) Training Your Dog, and Teaching Dog Obedience Classes, which was written as the textbook for the first-ever University course for trainers. This was a two-year certificate program Gail developed and taught at the University of New Hampshire. In 2004, Gail developed a program working with inmates at the New Hampshire Correctional Facility to train service dogs, which she ran for three years.
Gail’s latest book, THE THINKING DOG was nominated as Best Training Book by the Dog Writers’ Association of America, and has received critical acclaim from trainers and owners alike as the clearest, most user-friendly approach to dog-friendly, positive dog training.
In addition to her writing, Gail’s entertaining and educational seminars have spread the word of humane dog training and a greater understanding of dog behavior to audiences throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. She was named one of the top five lecturers in the world on dog behavior and training by England’s “Our Dogs Magazine.” She has spoken at a wide range of events from local training clubs to National breed club annual dinners to the Royal Veterinary College of London and in May 2000, Gail presented two programs, including one on “dog aggression” at the 3-day International Veterinary Symposium in Lucerne, Switzerland. Gail’s commitment to learning and sharing knowledge benefits dog owners, professionals and the dogs themselves.
While Gail’s direct involvement with dogs has been the mainstay of her professional life, she has made even more significant contributions to the field as a mentor to both dog owners and professional trainers. The list of people who got their start with Gail is a virtual Who’s Who in the dog world. Many internationally recognized experts started their careers with her. Through her teaching, writing and lecturing, Gail is fulfilling her life’s mission: to enrich and enhance the wonderful relationship we share with dogs.
