Testimonials

What People are Saying

Don, Sue, And Rocky — Saint Charles, MO — Positive Paws Pet Training Inc.

Our dog Rocky, a five year old Pomeranian, was not sleeping through the night. He had a bad habit of getting up in the middle of the night. We contacted Kim, a Certified Dog Trainer, to offer suggestions on how to address this situation. Rocky now sleeps until 6:15am most of the time. YEAH!!!!


Also, Rocky could be aggressive with guarding his bones and his “spot” on the couch in the evening. He has improved in this area. Rocky has a better demeanor while in HIS territory. He is less irritable when people and vehicles encroach on his space.


Kim is knowledgeable about dogs and humans. Her personality works well with humans and dogs. Positive Paws is worth the bang for the buck.


Don, Sue, and Rocky


Ballwin, MO

Denver — Saint Charles, MO — Positive Paws Pet Training Inc.

I contacted Kim with Positive Paws to help me with my 2 year old Miniature Schnauzer, Denver. Denver was getting overly excited when people would come to the door with their dogs. He would jump, whine, “grrrr”, and become hyper. It was embarrassing and distracting.


Kim came first for a consultation to meet Denver. She pointed out his strengths and weaknesses as well as mine. She was easy to talk to and a good listener. She took a lot of notes and spent a good deal of time getting to know me and my dog. On our first official lesson, she came prepared with the lesson plan that we were going to cover as well as the homework assignment for me. This assisted me in working with him between sessions which was key to our success. All of the lessons were tailor made for my dog’s personality and temperament as well as the goals which I wanted to achieve for him. By our last class, I could see a lot of improvement in my dog’s ability to listen under stress. The bigger challenge came when we had to put our lessons to work in real life situations without Kim. Had it not been for Kim, her training, and constant encouragement, I may not have followed through.


Denver is now doing really great in meeting dogs as they enter his home. I am continuing to work with him on the skills that we were taught. Kim didn’t stop there either, she calls to check on Denver and his progress from time to time to make sure everything is going well.


Whatever problems you may be having with your furry best friend whether mild or severe, I highly recommend calling Kim, a Certified Dog Trainer and Certified Canine Behaviour Counselor with Positive Paws to work with you and your dog(s). Without her help, I know that I would not have been able to see such a drastic improvement in my dog’s reactions.


Carol and Denver


St. Louis, MO

Lisa, Paul, And Mabel — Saint Charles, MO — Positive Paws Pet Training Inc.

Before meeting Kim with Positive Paws Pet Training, my husband and I were overwhelmed by the behaviors of our one year old yellow Lab, Mabel. Mabel would relentlessly jump on any visitors we had. She never came when we called her, and pulling on leash was a major issue when we walked her. But, our biggest issue was with the way she would guard her food, bones, toys, and her “spot” on the couch. We knew that we needed a Certified Dog Trainer and Behavioural Counselor to help us with these issues.


Kim exceeded our expectations. She was accommodating of our late work schedules and thoroughly answered our countless questions. Kim was organized and kept us on track with weekly lesson plans and homework assignments. Her approach was unique in that she didn’t just train our dog; she trained US on how to train the dog. She explained the reasons behind Mabel’s negative behaviors and then taught us several cues that helped us regain control of Mabel. Kim made learning the new cues fun, and seeing Mabel respond correctly makes us very proud.


We couldn’t have done it without Kim’s humble expertise, patience and endless encouragement. We practice what we learned daily and see great improvements in the way Mabel behaves and reacts to us. She is calmer overall. Mabel is now able to greet people without jumping, eat without growling, walk with less pulling, and come when we call her. We are forever grateful to Kim for helping us make Mabel a better pet!!!


Lisa, Paul, and Mabel


O’Fallon, MO

Abbey — Saint Charles, MO — Positive Paws Pet Training Inc.

Thank goodness for “Positive Paws Training” and you! Abbey is a wonderful little English Cocker with some “issues”. The worst were her lack of confidence and her inability to go in and out the “doggie door”. She didn’t seem like the type to succeed in a large training class so I went “web-surfing” and found “Positive Paws Pet Training”, a Certified Dog Trainer.


You worked within our schedule and at Abbey’s house. Abbey proved to be very “treat oriented” and smart. Within the four week period, she went from a shy, “scaredy-cat” to a confident little girl who goes in and out the doggie door at will. She can’t thank you enough since now she has her independence!


Thanks again,


Pat and Abbey


Webster, MO

Bob, Eileen, And Boomer — Saint Charles, MO — Positive Paws Pet Training Inc.

In October of ’07, we had the pleasure of working with Kim Gracner, a Certified Canine Behavior Counselor and Certified Dog Trainer. We had some obsessive behavior issues with our Old English Sheepdog, Boomer. Kim’s ad stated that she provided “in-home” consultations and training. This was a big plus for us as we have very hectic schedules. In addition, the behaviors that we desired help with would have been difficult to assess and/or duplicate elsewhere. After speaking with Kim on the phone, we felt comfortable with her training and experience so we set up a time to meet with her in our home.


During our first meeting, Kim was able to observe Boomer in his normal environment and his reaction to stimuli in his own home. After observing our dog and our interaction with him, we discussed our goals. Kim was quickly able to develop a positive reinforcement plan for all of us. Within a matter of a few weeks, we were making huge strides in Boomer’s behavior modification (and ours!) Each week, Kim came to our home and documented our lesson plans, step by step, so we always knew exactly what our focus was to be and the process to achieve the desired behavior.


We were extremely pleased with Kim’s approach, guidance and results. During our first meeting, there was never any pressure to sign up for the training program. However, after meeting Kim, we were very enthusiastic to do so. Kim was always flexible to the specific needs of the day, answered all of our endless questions, and always provided verbal, behavioral and documented training for lessons. Her knowledge and skill far exceeded our expectations and the training was fun for all of us, including Boomer.


Thank you Kim for a great experience!


Bob, Eileen, and Boomer


Wildwood, MO

Miley And Boy — Saint Charles, MO — Positive Paws Pet Training Inc.

Just a quick note to thank you again for what you have done with our Miley! We are now able to enjoy her without frustration. She has become a well behaved puppy that my family loves thanks to your knowledge and techniques.


Having several training options, I am very glad that I chose private lessons with you as a Certified Dog Trainer versus the training classes offered at the local pet store. I feel that I was able to accomplish and train Miley so much better and quicker with the one on one lesson plans. It was also very convenient for Miley’s training to take place in our home.


Thank you again for all you have done!


Susan, Miley, and family


O’Fallon, MO

Nancy, Bear, And Smokey — Saint Charles, MO — Positive Paws Pet Training Inc.

I contacted Kim Gracner, a Certified Dog Trainer and Behavioral Counselor with Positive Paws Pet Training after our 80 lb dog, Bear, got out of our fence and pounced on our neighbor’s 7 lb dog. I was upset over this incident and very concerned that Bear was an aggressive dog. I explained to Kim that this incident was not my only concern about Bear’s behavior. I was also disturbed about how Bear would bark and lunge at other dogs while on leash. In addition, he would have terrible barking sessions with the neighbor’s dogs on the opposite side of the fence as well as sometimes growl and lunge at dogs that might get in his face. Also, I have another dog, Smokey, that was following in Bear’s footsteps. Smokey pulled so hard when walking on a leash that I never wanted to take him for walks.


After Kim observed Bear and Smokey’s behaviors, she spent a lot of time with me to help me understand why Bear behaved as he did. He was not a vicious dog, but he had been getting away with behaviors that had caused these situations to escalate and become more that I could control. Kim showed me how to redirect Bear and Smokey’s behaviors so they would behave when meeting other dogs which greatly reduced the fence barking.


I no longer have to walk Bear and Smokey after 10:00pm at night to avoid walking past other dogs. The barking and growling at other dogs and pulling on their leashes have almost completely disappeared. And now, if they do respond inappropriately at other dogs or bark at the fence or window, I know how to end it quickly and take control of the situation. I actually look forward to passing other dogs on our walks so that we can practice all of the techniques that Kim taught us.


We enjoyed training with Kim so much that we decided to continue on with out training. And, in March 2008, Bear and Smokey received their AKC Canine Good Citizen award!


Thanks for the wonderful experience,


Nancy, Bear, and Smokey


St. Charles, MO

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