Cathy Pote’s Oakville Dog Training Blog

Wendy’s Testimonial

Wendy's Piper Dear Cathy:
Piper and I would very much like to thank you for your expert helping in training us both!
I rescued Piper formerly “Trinket” whose former name means “a thing of little value”. I think her former owners did think that as poor Trinket had 4 homes in 10 months and was in a high kill shelter when Second Chance Doberman rescue found her. A wonderful organization that saves hundreds of Dobermans! This was a perfectly healthy young dog and on top of that really beautiful that was to be put down. There were no Ontario Doberman females at the time, good news really, so we ended up going to Clinton Michigan for Piper.
She was a warm and friendly girl but very high energy. I had just lost my perfectly trained 13 year old Mabel Black Label and was very distressed and probably not in the right frame of mind to adopt, but adopt we did!
I soon discovered conventional obedience would not work with this Dobergirl, we had trained 4 others and she was very different from them. When I was preparing her food I found her jumping up to my eye level in her excitement. She pretty much was 3 feet off the ground at any time! Bouncing off walls and furniture literally and I was getting increasing worried about training her, when I came across the Sit Means Sit display at the Rolex Horse Show in Kentucky. I was very impressed with how quickly the dogs responded to the instruction and how happy they were in their training. Tails wagging and tongue lapping in happiness!

Shortly thereafter I called Cathy and asked for help. We were so frustrated with her that my husband actually wanted to return her which I would never do, but it was getting very stressful. She was constantly jumping us on us and I had footprints on my chest at most times as she bounced off of me regularly!
After one class with Cathy she started to calm down and after two classes I was confident enough to let her be off leash during our wilderness walks. She was staying with us with no problem and was happy doing it. She understands what I am asking her to do and she does it willingly.
Suffice to say all the training the usual easy stuff sit, stay and down were hard for this dog, who no one had ever taken the time to do with her so this method absolutely was the right one for her.
I cannot tell how pleased I am with her, I just took her into the vet’s office where two dogs were absolutely out of control and she was perfect sitting quietly while I waited and was completely in control.
I could have wept! It is such a transformation! I highly recommend this method of training to anyone especially rescue dogs that have many issues due to the lack of care they receive. It has made her life better and certainly has made ours as well.
“Well done” Sit Means Sit and especially Cathy Pote for her calm quiet approach that has helped me so much. I did not even realize I was raising my voice! Her instruction was so effective and helpful.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely
Wendy and Piper Fortin

July 21st, 2008 | Category: What my client's are saying... | Leave a comment

Sit Means Sit Dog Training

Our programs include puppy management, basic and advanced obedience, behavior modification, aggressive dog training, one-on-one and group training; all aimed at giving you and your dog the highest levels of fun and control around severe distractions. It’s hard to forge a deep friendship with your dog when they are chewing up your furniture, soiling your carpets, jumping uncontrollably or nipping at your friends and kids! Our training methodology puts you in charge so you can move beyond bad behavior and begin to more thoroughly enjoy your relationship with your dog.
We offer a FREE demonstration and consultation for you and your dog before any decisions are made for training. Please take a look at our video and testimonial sections to get a great idea of what Sit Means Sit can do for you. Then give us a call….we look forward to meeting you and your best friend!

February 25th, 2008 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Spencer in Bronte Creek Provincial Park

Spencer Loves to tear around in the forest at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. I “place” him on tree stumps and continue my walk. He attracts a lot of attention sitting still waiting for me to release him!

February 21st, 2008 | Category: Our Spencer | Leave a comment

Dear Cathy,

Sit Means Sit dog training has improved our lives with our dogs. This might sound somewhat dramatic, but it’s a fact. We have two Miniature Schnauzers. Kaily is 9 years old and Nikki is 7 years old.

We moved to a mature area of Oakville with towering trees. Our backyard looks like the Muskoka area. We were elated to move into our new home. The yard was a dream for our two dogs to run around. However, along with the mature trees and lush gardens came rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks. . . and then barking, howling and jumping on furniture, scratching at doors and windows.

I had to cover some furniture for protection . . . apply brown wrapping paper to every single garden door and pull down all the blinds so that the dogs couldn’t see out to eliminate the barking. Our dream house had become a nightmare as the dogs barked at everything, whether it was passerbys with or without dogs. Needless to say, we were absolutely beside ourselves given mostly Nikki’s wild and unmanageable disposition. When Nikki started with her barking, I couldn’t even get her attention.

After only a few weeks with Sit Means Sit training, my blinds are now open. The brown paper is removed from all windows. It is a pleasure to look out our windows into the back and side yard again, and it’s a pleasure to see the dogs sitting at the garden door looking out without sounding like they were being tortured – that’s exactly what Nikki sounded like when she saw the squirrels.

Nikki now walks right by my left side, no more pulling. When we meet other pets, there is no tugging, barking or irrational behavior. She is controlled. It is an absolute joy now to go out for walks with both dogs, we find ourselves walking more frequently. It’s a win win situation!

We were hesitant to agree to this method of training and concerned that Nikki would loose her sweet personality (when she wasn’t barking). She is sweeter, and even more adorable. People stop me as we walk by with both my dogs by each side well mannered and well behaved.

If there is anyone that is hesitant to pursue training with Sit Means Sit, never hesitate to provide my name and number. I had tried so many other training schools with Nikki and was unsuccessful. We were even asked to leave one of the dog training classes I enrolled in with Nikki.

Thank you so much for all your guidance, assistance and professional training. You have gone beyond your duty as a trainer with Nikki. Your passion for dogs and Sit Means Sit dog training is a direct reflection in the success with training our dogs.

Thank you again for giving us back the pleasure of having two dogs.

Lynn MacWillie

November 10th, 2007 | Category: What my client's are saying... | Leave a comment

Adam Katz from dogproblems.com says:

DOG TRAINERS TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL

Last weekend, I was invited to attend Fred Hassen’s “Sit Means Sit”
yearly alumni seminar. I got to meet some great dog trainers.
Some who were absolutely outstanding include: Dave Skoletsky, Toni
Drummond, Alfredo Rivera, Lianne Hassen, Luciano Aguilar and many,
many others. (I’m probably butchering their names, too!)

I’ve been around a lot of dog people and a lot of dog clubs in my
time, and I have to say that this is a great bunch of trainers,
from around the country. They are friendly and open. And most
importantly, they seem to leave their ego at the door and instead
let their dog training do the talking.

I saw dogs doing very complicated training exercises.

You know… it’s one thing to see a good AKC obedience trainer who
works with a dog that knows the obedience pattern and what’s
coming next. But it’s quite another thing to see somebody invent
an exercise that the trainer has never seen before, and then watch
almost magically as that dog trainer gets her dog to do the
behavior in a matter of seconds. And really advanced stuff, too–
like getting a dog to retrieve a toy from a bucket of water, at a
distance of 20 feet… while other dogs were standing around!!

It was an exercise that one dog trainer thought up, and challenged
the others, to do. Trust me when I say that it’s not simply
dropping a toy into a bucket of water and telling the dog to go
pick it up. The exercise involved: A directed send-away, a fetch
command, a return/recall command, and the dog having enough trust
in the owner to stick his head into a bucket of dirty water and
retrieve a toy.

Probably not what the average pet owner will ever need to teach
their dog to do– but impressive, nonetheless.

I saw many other incredibly high levels of training. And I’ll be
sharing more, in weeks to come.

If you’re looking into hiring a local dog trainer to help with your
dog, I think it would be wise to contact a Sit Means Sit dog
trainer in your area and have them at least come out and give you a
demonstration. I can guarantee you’ll be impressed.

For more information, see:
http://www.sitmeanssit.com

(By the way… I have no financial interest in recommending Sit
Means Sit. Fred Hassen, the owner, bought me a couple of dinners,
and that’s not nearly enough to buy my recommendation).

A Mercedes would be, though.

Enjoy your dog,
- Adam Katz
Dogproblems.com

http://www.dogproblems.com/public/main.cfm

October 31st, 2007 | Category: What the experts are saying..... | Leave a comment

Will my dog listen without his electronic E collar on?

This question is asked to us at Sit Means Sit dog training quite often. In fact, it is asked often enough that we usually do our demonstration for the people both with, and without the Sit Means Sit dog collar on.

Over the years, Sit Means Sit dog training has attracted a number of competitive dog handlers, police dog trainers, and people in the field of Search and Rescue a long with handlers of other dog related activities because of the reliability in dog training that the Sit Means Sit dog training system brings. Sit Means Sit dog training does not in any way recruit competitive dog people, nor is it a requirement in any way for people to compete. However, any one looking for an edge in dog training, whether it be competitive, or to make their pet dog more reliable, and trained in a faster, more efficient manner, these people will inevitably come across the Sit Means Sit dog training system. A lot of dog training systems that are out there, do not attract competitive people at the highest levels, and do not also have successful pet dog business trainers as well, basically because their systems may be limiting in the type of dog, or the training that they do. Sit Means Sit dog training rises to whatever the occasion might be. In many dog trials and tests for dog performances, the handlers are not allowed to use any sort of training aid during the testing of the dog. This is a great policy, and most certainly is a factor in how reliably a dog will listen and perform. It also makes the selection of the right type of dog a big factor in these tests and trials, which will only further dog breeding and dog temperaments. The cream will always rise.

Dog Training Aids - What exactly is a dog training aid?

Many things are used as dog training aids to assist a dog in learning a specific, or many specific types of behaviors. There are common aids such as toys or food, which can assist in the learning, or also referred to as motivators. There are also other sorts of aids such as using a hand placement on the back side to aid or assist a dog into a sit position. Groomers use tables, as do many dog trainers, to aid or assist in keeping the dog stable when grooming. Many dog trainers use a stake tie out, to aid and assist the dog in learning to stay put when teaching a stationary command. We are all familiar with choke chains, prong collars, halti’s and other aids or devices to help in the learning process of many commands. Agility competitors use wires as aids in teaching a dog to go through weave poles. In it’s simplest form, all dog trainers use leashes to aid a dog in learning to a certain degree. A leash is an aid, and for the most part a restrictive device, and is put on a dog to prohibit him from being out of control for the most part. I have personally never seen a person that claims to use nothing but positive methods, be able to take a roomful of random dogs and control them without using aids such as leashes to restrict the dog in some manner. If we just let dogs do whatever they wanted to do, without restrictions, we would not be able to do something as simple as eating our dinner in front of our dog.

On the other hand, when a statement is made such as: Will the dog work without the collar on? People are referring to the dog working without a particular aid, or aids that has been used in training the dog. In this case, they are referring to an electronic dog collar, but we could replace that with ANY aid, or aids that have been used, because they are usually not allowed at most trials and tests for dogs, as it should be. You are not allowed to use a leash in an off-leash trial on the day of the trial, but most people use their leash constantly to build, and maintain building their reliability, up to, and including the day and moment right before the trial. The same with cookies and treats, barriers, your hands or any other sort of aid that is at your fingertips. I can also give numerous examples, where aids are ALLOWED in the training, and it still does not matter because they are still dogs. A lot of trials have ‘on leash’ obedience, where in this instance the handler is actually ALLOWED to bring his aid into the ring, which in this case would be the leash itself. However, we still see most dogs far from performing perfectly even though the leash is on the dog, and they are employing it to a certain degree. We also see many instances of a dog having it’s highest score 2 years into the training, even though the individual may compete the dog for 5, 6, 7 years or more! The dog obviously has more training the more time that he has into it, but things don’t always go as planned because of a variety of factors, one of which is the fact that they are living, breathing creatures that things constantly change with, and that is the main reason why aids are used so much in training, on a continual basis, and rightly so.

Obviously, from an emotional standpoint, people do have a tendency to look at a remote dog training e collar as some sort of different aid because of their lack of understanding, and lack of education on our training process, and of the tool itself. This is very normal and to be expected. When you look at the fact that very few professional dog trainers are familiar with successful remote dog training in general, it is not unusual that the average layman would not have much knowledge either, and we thoroughly understand our position as an educational source in the scheme of things, and we understand that we need to educate people by showing them. Talk is cheap, we show you.

In the above video, Ashton Fitz-Gerald from our Las Vegas dog training office is seen doing a demonstration and he has just been asked to take his collar off for the demonstration. I’m sure trainers are also asked to put the cookies away, and the leash away and whatever else the aid might be. We all strive to have the dogs the best they can be with or without training aids, and we are very strong believers in that our Sit Means Sit dog collar is the best training aid available to have the dog the most reliable, and in the shortest amount of time, with or without any aid available in the end.

October 24th, 2007 | Category: Remote Collars | Leave a comment

Cathy Pote’s Oakville Dog Training Blog

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