I could remember back before I left the Military (USAF) and had been introduced to, back then, The No Limitations Dog Training System, now Sit Means Sit. I told myself, “This is great! My job is going to be, going to the park and playing with dogs. I could even take my kids to work with me.” Those of you still in the Military understand how important that was to me because sometimes we end up spending a little more time at work then we do at home. With deployments and all. Don’t get me wrong, this is a lot of work as well but now I can involve the kids as well. Some of my clients have seen this, I at times get a person that says, “It’s cause my dog knows your the trainer!” I’ll put my kids behind the leash to show them anyone is able to do our system. In this video I my son Junior is working his 17 month old pitbull, Roxy.
We all say, “I’m going to get a dog to teach my kids responsibility.” I’m a realist, I know I’m going to be the one cleaning the poop, washing the dog, etc. I do want to involve my kids though, because I don’t want them to grow up fearing or not understanding why dogs do certain things or better yet, what they are doing to provoke the dogs behavior.
More than 4.7 million people are attacked and bitten by dogs each year. Because thousands of those victims are letter carriers, the U.S. Postal Service and some officials have decided to bite back.
Under the watchful eyes of about 100 postal workers, Luciano “Lucky” Aguilar, owner and head trainer at Sit Means Sit Dog Training Los Angeles, demonstrated a dog attack at the Spring Carrier Annex in Long Beach on Friday.
With 3-year-old Hurricane, a pitbull rescued from hurricane Katrina, and Ajax, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, Aguilar showed the proper actions a mail carrier should take if attacked and to avoid being attacked.
“The thing I hope they (carriers) take away from this is that maybe it’s something they are doing that is provoking the dogs,” Aguilar said.
Carriers should never show fear and use their satchels as a barrier, he said.
“Also, be aware of your surroundings. You get comfortable, and you put yourself at risk. You never know what’s going on and the more distracted you are, the less you are aware of your surroundings.”
But, it’s not just carriers who need to be alert.
“I think owners need to be aware, take responsibility and take an active role in educating their dogs,” said Aguilar. “A dog has a mind and can think and learn different things. They can think to do right or wrong. If we just leave them in the yard then they are going to do wrong. Everybody wants to call them their baby, but nobody wants to take an active role in teaching them right from wrong.”
Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske showed her support for stricter dog laws in a speech to the postal workers.
“I appreciate what you do,” she said. “And we are trying to beef up our vicious dog ordinance. This is not about bad dogs, this is about bad owners.”
On Tuesday, the City Council will consider a new ordinance that would strengthen the city’s laws for roaming or dangerous dogs.
The ordinance would require that any impounded animal be implanted with a microchip for identification and would strengthen leash laws to penalize owners of animals that leave their yards, among other rules. The law also would allow the city to levy administrative fines and/or criminal charges against owners of dogs that have attempted to bite, attack or menace a human or animal.
“If you want to be a pet owner, you’re going to have to be responsible or you’ll lose your privileges as a dog owner,” Schipske said.
The Postal Service’s training is scheduled throughout the year in the Santa Ana District, which covers South Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
“We’ve been doing this training for about two to three weeks for the past month and a half,” said Aguilar. “We’re scheduled to be doing them until May and postmasters are still calling.”
There will be training sessions at post offices in every city in the district.
“We’ve always had talks about it or we’ve given out written communications, but this is visual,” said Richard Maher, U.S. Postal Service public affairs and communications representative.
“Having a live training like this is very effective.”
California’s 37th District congresswoman, Laura Richardson, also expressed concern for the safety of mail carriers.
“(Dog) owners have to be more responsible to say it’s not OK,” she said. “I am committed to working with you to bring more awareness to this.”
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, about 500,000 to 800,00 people annually are admitted to U.S. emergency departments with dog-bite injuries and many such injuries go unreported.
According to Maher, 226 bites were reported in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in 2007; 20 of those were in Long Beach.
For postal workers Juan Barrios and Moon Choi, the training, although late, was valuable.
Barrios, who has been with the USPS for 24 years, was bitten in 2001, receiving 50 stitches to his eye. He believes change is necessary for his safety and the safety of his co-workers.
“We love our jobs, and we care. It’s unfortunate that you get these people who don’t care,” he said. “There should be a law about sending dog owners to class.”
In the years since the attack, Barrios has never been the same. He suffers from post-traumatic stress.
“I had to see a psychiatrist to get over my fear,” he said. “When you come back to work you go through all these emotions.”
Choi, who’s been a postal worker in Torrance for 251/2 years, was attacked only seven months ago, in August 2007.
After days in the hospital and extensive surgery to repair the damage to his face, he still can’t put his feelings into words.
“When I returned to work, I just wanted to make myself busy to forget everything,” he said. “I’m not a dog hater. I loved dogs, but owners must be responsible.”
Maher expressed concern for USPS workers on city streets.
“Our employees’ safety on the job is critical,” said Maher. “We want them to come and do their jobs and go home to their families.”
In order for carriers to do their job safely, customers must be responsible for the animals and not let them bite the hand the serves them, said Maher.
“Although the post office is leading the way in this training, it’s really a community problem,” said Maher. “The majority of those bitten are the elderly and children. It’s the most vulnerable in our communities who are being injured.”
For more information about Sit Means Sit visit www.sitmeanssit.com or call 310-538-1553.
For more information on the USPS dog attack training, call 714-662-6350.
Staff writer Paul Eakins contributed to this report.
pam.hale@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1476
A few nights ago our Los Angeles Dog Training office received a phone call from our friend John of Super Pawz a pet sitting company based out of long beach ca. He explained to our office that he had met a family that were in need of his services, but once he arrived he was surprised with a fear aggressive dog. The family had informed John that they have been seeking help for months. Knowing of our experience with dog behavior modification, John let us know that he recommended us to the family. Having been mislead by other dog training/dog behaviorist companies, the family took a day to research Sit Means Sit. One company told them that if they did not use their service the only other choice would be to put Kali down, they were devastated. Our office received a call from Matt the owner of“Kali” a Rott/Shepard mix. A Free evaluation was set up a few days later. Upon arriving at the home we were greeted by Janayah (owner) and John (Super Pawz). Kali was behind them barking and lunging back and forth. Even though Kali was muzzled you could feel everyone’s tension. We asked Janayah to place her dog in another room or outside so we could explain our methods and history. After our quick run down, we invited Kali back into our little meeting. In the video you will see how long it took us just to switch out the previous dog training equipment (prong collar) with hopefully the new training equipment (Sit Means Sit Collar). Once the switch was made and I (Luciano) was ready to commence communicating with Kali, I took a brief second to explain how our Sit Means Sit Dog Training method works.
This video is by no means an instructional video, it is meant to show you a day in our life as professionals. We recommend you seek the guidance of a true professional with any dog behavior problems. Remember, “Talk is cheap, we show you
En el Sit Means Sit de Los Ángeles se habla español. Nuestro estilo de entrenamiento para perros no solo rompe las paredes de lenguaje con nuestros perros sino también con nosotros los humanos. Aquí creemos que la palabra es barata, déjame demostrarte porque estamos revolucionando el mundo del entrenamiento de perros.
At Sit Means Sit Los Angeles we speak Spanish as well. Our style of dog training is not only breaking the barriers of communication with our dogs but with us humans as well. Here, we believe that talk is cheap, let me show you why we are revolutionizing the world of dog training.
We have an upcoming seminar in Los Angeles California, that should not only be a lot of fun, but will be the actual very first seminar that we will be doing where we will be showcasing our “The Sit Means Sit Collar” which will be available on August 1st, 2007. Here is the information on our seminar in L.A. Hope to see you all there!!
August 10 – 12 – Los Angeles, CA
Sit Means Sit “Live” Seminar
Fred Hassen (SitMeansSit.com – Las Vegas), Carla Collins (SitMeansSit.com – Dallas, TX) and Luciano Aguilar (SitMeansSit.com – Los Angeles, CA) bring to you this “Sit Means Sit” dog-training event.
“Sit Means Sit” extraordinary seminars are sweeping the continent. “Sit Means Sit” has a proven track record of successfully transforming any dog – even the worst dog- into a super happy, off-leash trained companion.
We encourage you to bring us the worst dog you can find, or even the best dog that you know to see him get better. See dogs come in lacking confidence, scared, disrespectful, aggressive, and even dangerous… watch the changes in just one session. Confidence, joy, fun, performance, answers to problems… in fact an absence of problems!
This seminar will be held at Club Fido, Culver City, CA and pre-registration is encouraged to ensure space availability. Further information for this event is available by contacting our Los Angeles Dog Training Office at 310-538-1553, or lucianoaguilar@sitmeanssit.com.
Our Los Angeles office, presently serves the following areas in Los Angeles County:
Hawthorne California
Lawndale California
Gardena California
Torrance California
San Pedro California
Palos Verdes California
Redondo Beach California
Hermosa Beach California
Manhattan Beach California
Playa Del Rey California
Marina Del Rey California
Westchester California
Los Angeles California
Downey California
Huntington Park California
Carson California
Compton California
Artesia California
Bell Flower California
Baldwin Park California
Beverly Hills California
Brentwood California
Cerritos California
City Of Commerce
Cudahy
Culver City
El Segundo
Hawaiian Gardens
Inglewood
Lakewood California
Lomita California
Long Beach California
Malibu California
Norwalk California
Rolling Hills California
Santa Fe Springs California
Santa Monica California
South Gate California
Hollywood California
West Hollywood California
Venice California
Mar Vista California
Harbor City California
Ladera Heights California
Wiseburn California
Paramount California
People often wonder why there dog dosen’t stay in the sit, why they have to yell, the list goes on and on. It’s lack of attention or maybe they don’t comprehend what’s being asked of them. A good friend of mine, some of you know him, Vito, asked me to come and watch him work his puppy. I’ve been assisting Vito with Honey for a little while now but he’s definately taken it to the next level with his puppy. Everyone says there going to spend the time to teach there dog but life has the funny thing of putting obstacles in front of us. Vito’s one of those quiet guys in the background, you wouldn’t even know he was there. He watches and listens then applies the instruction. Watch, Honey as she demontrates her comprehension level. Sit Means Sit Los Angeles Dog Training
I’m always getting asked, what’s a good age to start my puppy with obedience training. My personal opinion, the day you bring them home, training has started. Whether you’re teaching them right or wrong, with or without the assistance of a professional… trust me, you’ve started training. I think the sooner the better. Why would you want to start them off on the wrong paw. I started “Roxy” the puppy in the “Puppy Love” entry at the age of 2 months. The video in this entry shows her progress at age 5 months. The benefits of doing simple obedience has it’s rewards. Now, I don’t mean one of those “socialization” classes where you don’t teach your puppy anything. A lot of us have done these types of classes. Teach your puppy the simple mechanics of learning and watch negative behaviors such as potty in the home disappear. This is only my opinion, whether you agree or disagree you’re entitled to your opinion, good luck! Sit Means Sit Los Angeles Dog Training
We have an upcoming seminar in Los Angeles California, that should not only be a lot of fun, but will be the actual very first seminar that we will be doing where we will be showcasing our “The Sit Means Sit Collar” which will be available on August 1st, 2007. Here is the information on our seminar in L.A. Hope to see you all there!!
August 10 – 12 – Los Angeles, CA
Sit Means Sit “Live” Seminar
Fred Hassen (SitMeansSit.com – Las Vegas), Carla Collins (SitMeansSit.com – Dallas, TX) and Luciano Aguilar (SitMeansSit.com – Los Angeles, CA) bring to you this “Sit Means Sit” dog training event.
“Sit Means Sit” extraordinary seminars are sweeping the continent. “Sit Means Sit” has a proven track record of successfully transforming any dog – even the worst dog- into a super happy, off-leash trained companion.
We encourage you to bring us the worst dog you can find, or even the best dog that you know to see him get better. See dogs come in lacking confidence, scared, disrespectful, aggressive, and even dangerous… watch the changes in just one session. Confidence, joy, fun, performance, answers to problems… in fact an absence of problems!
This seminar will be held at Club Fido, Culver City, CA and pre-registration is encouraged to ensure space availability. Further information for this event is available by contacting our Los Angeles Dog Training Office at 310-538-1553, or lucianoaguilar@sitmeanssit.com.
Our Los Angeles office, presently serves the following areas in Los Angeles county:
Hawthorne California
Lawndale California
Gardena California
Torrance California
San Pedro California
Palos Verdes California
Redondo Beach California
Hermosa Beach California
Manhattan Beach California
Playa Del Rey California
Marina Del Rey California
Westchester California
Los Angeles California
Downey California
Huntington Park California
Carson California
Compton California
Artesia California
Bell Flower California
Baldwin Park California
Beverly Hills California
Brentwood California
Cerritos California
City Of Commerce
Cudahy
Culver City
El Segundo
Hawaiian Gardens
Inglewood
Lakewood California
Lomita California
Long Beach California
Malibu California
Norwalk California
Rolling Hills California
Santa Fe Springs California
Santa Monica California
South Gate California
Hollywood California
West Hollywood California
Venice California
Mar Vista California
Harbor City California
Ladera Heights California
Wiseburn California
Paramount California
Hondo, is a dutch shepeard I started working with a few months ago. I remember when he first came to me. I was told he knows this and that, and a few other negatives that I don’t need to mention. He knew nothing and those other negatives, well he showed me our first dog training session. I tried taking him for a simple walk and he tried simply killing me. A few of you got to witness this. It took me some time to gain his trust. I told his owner that this dog had issues, there was a lot to clean up. I took my time, that’s all we have is time. Soon, I started to see progress, then I started using him for dog demonstrations. Now that our time together is ending, I realize the only reason why it took me so long was, because I love this dog. He could have gone home quite some time ago but I didn’t want him to go. I would like to demonstrate his obedience in my blog, that is what this entry is for. Hondo, you royal pain in the butt, it’s going to hurt me see you go. You’ll always have a special place in my heart and if for what ever reason Daddy doesn’t want you, come on home!
v
In my travels I’ve come across numerous opportunities to bring our Los Angeles Dog Training service to different parts of our county. A good friend of mine, Shirley Lewis of California Groomin’, told me of this place in Culver City that was looking for a dog trainer. If you know Shirley, you know that a recommendation from her is as good as gold. We set up an appointment to visit, Club Fido. We hit it off instantly. That staff is really down to earth and the place is super clean. I have to admit I was impressed, 10,000 square feet for your pup. We offer free unlimited group classes to our customers and we worked out a deal for us to meet at Club Fido, occasionally. It’s going to take some time to work out the bugs of course but I think this is the start of a wonderful relationship. As for my existing clients we will let you know how this will work very soon. If any one is interested in taking a tour of Club Fido please call them for an appointment
