Central Texas Premier Dog Training

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Central Texas Dog Training Experts

Serving Belton, Temple, Killeen, Georgetown and Waco with beginner through advanced group classes, day-train, board & train, and 1 on 1 training. Specializing in aggression, fear, dog reactivity, etc. Any age accepted!

 

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About Sit Means Sit Dog Training

Dog Training Programs

Any Dog Any Age Any Problem

Board and Train

Board and Train

Your dog will stay in the home with our professional trainers during their time in training.  During their stay you will receive many updates of their progress to include videos.  The shorter stays are for jumpstarting the training process and setting a solid foundation.  The longer stays help break the harder habits and solidify your dog’s understanding of the training.  Follow-up with private lessons is always part of your program, because your ability to learn how to continue working with your dog is vitally important to the long term success of any training program.

This program is designed to help introduce the training in the most structured and concise way.  Your dog stays overnight in your trainer’s home and gets a lot of practice in and around the home environment.  Usually the boarding is scheduled Mon-Fr or Tues-Sat. (exceptions made for travel dates and other reasons) This package also includes private lessons and group class membership.

Training equipment included with this plan: 15 ft long leash, Small (demo size) or Standard Place Cot
Your trainer will discuss any additional required training equipment with you individually.

 

 

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Day Training

Day Training

Day Training is what we refer to as the “hybrid” training package.  This program is designed to help introduce the training in longer stays throughout the day, but not overnight.  After each day of training, your trainer will go over the details of the day and provide guidance on the tools, structure, and practice your dog will need through the coming weeks.  In just a couple of weeks, your dog will be ready to join the group classes included with this training program.

Training equipment included with this plan: 15 ft long leash, Small (demo size) or Standard Place Cot

Your trainer will discuss any additional required training equipment with you individually.

 

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Puppy Training

Puppy Class & Puppy Management

We offer American Kennel Club (AKC) S.T.A.R. puppy classes.  STAR stands for Socialization, Training, Activity and Responsibility.  You can expect to learn about all facets of starting your puppy off on the right foot, and guiding behavior to create a canine companion you can be proud of for the duration of their lifetime.

Your puppy can be a STAR!

Upcoming Classes:

 
Mon    6:00-7:30 PM  3/18/24
Sat       1:00-2:30 PM  4/6/24
 

(Class Dates are subject to change. Please contact us for more details)

  • Call the office for more details. (254) 541-3343
  • Only instructors approved as an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluators may teach AKC Star puppy classes.
  • All sessions are 4 weeks, and the cost is $225. Class is limited to a max of 10 puppies, so please sign up in advance.  A $75 non refundable deposit is required to hold your space.
  • Puppy socialization with people and other puppies, common puppy behaviors, house training technique, sit, down, come, leash walking, play biting and much more!

 

 

Requirements for puppies

  • Pups who are between 10 weeks to 6 months old on the first night of class
  • Pups must be in the care of a veterinarian and have completed their 2nd round of puppy vaccinations

Requirements for puppy owners

  • Bring a 4 or 6 foot leash, or slip collar
  • Bring treats or toys, whichever is more interesting to your puppy (or both!)

Interested to learn more about the AKC S.T.A.R puppy program?  Click here.

 

Many people combine our IN-HOME Puppy Management program with the AKC Puppy Star Class.  Sign up for this if you are waiting on the next class to start!

 

Pups older than six months are better served by a free demonstration/consultation. Contact us for more information on scheduling a consultation by calling us at (254) 541-3343.

 

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Private Dog Training

Private Lessons

Private Lesson Training is what we refer to as the “basics” training package.  This program is designed to help introduce the training in a way that guides the owner in being able to confidently work their own dog as the main handler.  After each private lesson, your trainer will go over the details of the day and provide guidance on the tools, structure, and practice your dog will need through the coming weeks.  In just a couple of weeks, your dog will be ready to join the group classes included with this training program.

Training equipment included with this plan: 15 ft long leash, Small (demo size) or Standard Place Cot

Your trainer will discuss any additional required training equipment with you individually.

 

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Behavior Management

Behavior Management

Behavior Modification is a program designed for dogs that have some very specific needs.  These lessons are most typically done in your home or an area the dog is struggling.  

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Group Training

Group Classes

Basics Group Class – Start off on the right foot by attending weekly group classes.  Your group class membership gives you the option to choose as many classes that you are able to attend each week

Advanced Group Class – Take your dog to the next level of training by increasing their off-leash control around distractions

Elite Group Class – The sky is the limit on what you can achieve with your dog!

Different Locations depending on Class

 

Belton Classes

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Belton Event Calendar

Waco Classes

“Miss Nellie’s Place”, View Larger Map

Waco Event Calendar

Killeen Classes

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Killeen Event Calendar

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Go Team Therapy Dog/Service Dog Training

The Go Team are therapy/crisis response dogs who go through more intensive training than your typical therapy dog.

To become certified, they visit and train at local fire departments, libraries, and other public places in which a good crisis response dog needs to be comfortable.

Our Central Texas team is involved in many activities, spanning all kinds of groups of people. Children, seniors, college kids, and many other in-need and at-risk groups have all benefited from the gentle, happy spirits of our dogs.

Being a part of this exceptional group of dog and handler teams is a special gift, not only to our communities, but for the team members as well.

We hold testing for these special dogs twice per year.

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FAQs

Get answers to some of our most commonly asked questions:

Each of our training programs is custom tailored to the specific situation. There are a number of factors that we evaluate prior to building a training package for you such as your dog’s age, temperament, previous training, as well as the desired goals of the owner. What will work for one dog and owner, won’t necessarily fit well with another. Because of these factors, we offer a free demonstration & consultation as an opportunity to meet with your family as well as your dog to gain insight into the unique circumstances that affect your dog’s training. During the demonstration we will evaluate the factors and develop a training plan for your dog and family. From the training plan we will be able to give you an accurate idea of cost to accomplish your goals. There is no cost or obligation associated with the free demonstration.

Sit Means Sit uses a variety of training methods and tools to achieve the goals of the customer and their dog.

The Sit Means Sit mission:

Revolutionizing the quality of life with happy, obedient, and confident dogs.

With this mission in-mind, we customize our training approach to meet with our customer's personality as well as what will result in the best possible training experience for both dog and owner. As you view our portfolio of dog training videos, we hope that you will pay close attention to the attitude of all the dogs trained by Sit Means Sit. We pride ourselves on being able to maintain a happy and relaxed attitude in our dogs.

Sit Means Sit specializes in a diversified approach to dog training. We use an attention-based dog training system developed by Founder and CEO, Fred Hassen. This approach utilizes a variety of training tools to enable our trainers to gain the dog’s attention even in distracting situations. One of the tools that we use often in our training program is our customized Sit Means Sit Collar (remote electronic dog training collar). The reason we choose to utilize technology in our training is obvious when you understand the advantages that technology allows us.

Firstly, Sit Means Sit firmly believes in safe dog training. The technology we employ is 100% safe for dogs and humans. The Sit Means Sit Collar uses state of the art digital technology to control the output from the collar to prevent it from harming your dog. The technology that is utilized in the construction of our collar is similar technology to “electronic muscle stimulators” and “TENS” units. You may be familiar with the use of these devices in the medical field (they are very common in the Chiropractic and Physical Therapy fields) or perhaps you’ve seen devices advertised on TV as “electronic muscle massagers”. These devices essentially use low-level, adjustable electronic stimulation to creating muscle contractions. In the medical field, they are used as tools to help alleviate pain, promote blood circulation and encourage healing.

In the dog training field, specifically Sit Means Sit, remote dog training collars are used as a tool to provide a remote controlled cue. The cue is designed to neither cause pain nor to disrupt the dog’s emotional state, but rather to function as an adjustable “tap”. The approach used by Sit Means Sit trainers is to treat the “tap” from the collar as a cue for the dog to pay attention. This is no different than tapping a person on the shoulder to gain their attention. The goal of tapping them on the shoulder is not to hurt them or cause emotional distress, but rather to let them know that you want to communicate something to them.

The “tap” delivered from the Sit Means Sit Collar is a highly adjustable sensation that can be set to levels that are often imperceptible to people. Obviously this adjustability is necessary because some dogs are sensitive, while others are quite tough. There is no way to determine what levels your dog will respond to until you begin to train them with a collar. Another reason why the collars are so adjustable is because distractions from the environment are never consistent. Relate this to training with a treat. How many times will that treat work perfectly indoors, but fails to maintain your dog’s attention when a cat is running by. Sit Means Sit has found that dogs can be taught to pay attention around extreme distractions very effectively.

During the fundamental Sit Means Sit training, the dogs and handlers are taught how to condition their dog to the collar in a constructive and positive manner. By adjusting the level of the collar appropriately for the dog and the situation, as well as linking the tap from the collar with an item of high value, we can effectively teach the dog that the “tap” from the collar is related to something of value. This approach to fundamentals allows for a smooth transition into distraction training and off leash control through attention to command.

You can relate the advantages that a Sit Means Sit Collar can provide you in dog training with the advantages that a state-of-the-art smartphone provides you. Cell phones these days are no longer just phones, but mini-computers with built-in cameras, internet access and applications. These tools enhance our communication with others, allow for a diversified means of gathering and sharing information as well it’s just flat out cool what can be done with them, provided you have the knowledge. You can still choose to use you old-fashioned wall-mount telephone in your kitchen if you like, but now you’re restricted to the the length of the cord, and it’s not exactly easy to send photos to your in-laws using that wall-mount phone. Effectively limiting what you can do while you’re talking on the phone. There’s nothing wrong with doing things that way, it’s just limiting. This same relationship can also be said of using a leash to train your dog. It’s just limiting. With a smartphone you can do it all from the convenience of wherever you want.

Building on the premise of safety, the use of a remote controlled cue allows for greater freedom of communication, and in turn more efficient training through the enhancement of near-instantaneous timing. Being able to re-direct your dog’s energy or attention while he is at a distance from you greatly enhances the reliability you can achieve in a short period of time. It's also allows for you to communicate with your dog without confrontation from yelling. Also, the uniqueness of the Sit Means Sit approach stands head and shoulders above other technology-based dog training systems because of our ability to establish a neutral communication system allowing for unprecedented problem solving abilities, and through our enhanced communication skills a truly politically correct training approach. We invite you to view our training first-hand by contacting us for a free demonstration with a local trainer.

Training with a remote dog training collar like the Sit Means Sit dog training collar is really no different than training your dog with a leash or with treats. Reinforcement in any form is a required and necessary part of your dog’s life. Even after they are trained, it will still be necessary to maintain your rules and boundaries. This is really no different than we encounter with people learning to drive a car. Obtaining your driver’s license only shows that you understand the rules of the road, and have demonstrated your ability to operate a car safely. It does not guarantee that you will stop at every stop sign, and drive the speed limit all the time. Obviously there are a lot of factors that change as you drive, and some drivers are more honest than others. The bottom line however is that there are police officers responsible for maintaining the law and enforcing the rules that we have agreed to.

When looking at dog training from this standpoint, it easy to see how reinforcement of rules will be inevitable at some point. Every dog is different though, and some dogs require more or less reinforcement than others.

The good news is that proper and thorough training will result in your dog being more reliable even without training equipment or training ‘aids’ as we call them. Training your dog to be reliable without a Sit Means Sit dog training collar on is a matter of transferring attention through conditioning. There are three broad phases of training that you will encounter as you train your dog. Sticking with the your training and reinforcing your rules consistently over a long enough period of time will get your dog as reliable as they can be. The phases of training are as follows:

Phase 1: The Teaching/Control Phase ~ 6-12+ weeks

During phase one, the goal is to achieve control over your dog, teach them the rules, boundaries and desired behaviors you want. It also the time to teach the dog to pay attention and perform these commands around distractions. This phase lasts between 6-12 weeks on average, however in certain situations it may take longer to gain the reliability needed before moving on to phase two. Once your dog is capable of performing commands quickly and reliably around a variety of distractions with minimal problem solving required, then your dog and you are ready to move on to phase two.

Phase 2: The Reinforcement Phase ~ 6-12+ weeks

During phase two, the goal is to begin phasing out your training aid (remote dog training collar). In phase one, we use the dog training collar on a regular basis to regain attention and maintain our rules. Now in phase two we begin to reduce our dependence on the dog training collar and introduce consistency via variable reinforcement. You may or may not need your dog training collar, but we want to teach the dog that you are still in control even if the perception of the dog is that you are not. This phase will last between 6 – 12 weeks on average, and will require you to stick with phase two for longer than average. It’s also not uncommon as dogs mature and age to have to revert back into phase one training again for several weeks depending on how your dog’s performance and behavior is. When your dog is capable of performing commands without the need for reinforcement for approximately 6 weeks, then your dog is very likely to be reliable without their training aid present. We are ultimately looking to have your dog learn how to filter our distractions entirely. When this is achieved, your dog is much less likely to act out in an unwanted manner because of distractions.

Phase 3: The Maintenance Phase ~ Ongoing

The third and final phase of training a dog is the maintenance phase. During this phase, you will likely be using your dog training collar or other dog training aid very little as your dog is capable of ignoring distraction. The catch however is that they are still capable of distraction (they are not robots). A smart trainer recognizes this and is ready to maintain their rules, commands and boundaries at anytime. It is not uncommon to have a dog who sense the lack of maintenance and begins to revert back in their behavior. The benefit of having done your dog training properly to begin with is that regression is easily minimized and dealt with by simply jumping back into training for a short time to remind the dog of the expectations.

Can't Find Your Question?

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Trainers & Staff

Professional trainers. Attentive friendly staff.

Robin WebsterFranchise Owner & Head Trainer

Robin Webster is the franchise owner of the Central Texas Sit Means Sit Franchise, which includes Waco, Temple, Killeen, Georgetown and surrounding areas. She looks forward to meeting you and discussing your dog training needs. She has been working with dogs all of her life and has trained AKC obedience, Rally, Agility and Conformation.

For years she has bred and raised Rottweilers and has learned much over the years of this smart and powerful breed. She is currently working and training with her Belgian Malinois, Turbo.

Robin is an AKC certified evaluator who teaches the AKC Puppy Star classes as well as testing for Canine Good Citizen (CGC), AKC Community Canine (CGCA), and Urban Canine Good Citizen (CGCU). Sit Means Sit trainers are experts in solving aggression issues, anxiety issues, and obedience issues, just to name a few. They have worked with a countless number of dogs, resulting in happy, confident, and obedient dogs, as well as happy, confident, and satisfied owners!

Taylor Austin

Taylor AustonTrainer

Taylor was born and raised in Central Texas and always had dogs in her life. In March of 2016 she came to Sit Means Sit with 2 dogs that were struggling with dog aggression. In August she attended the Sit Means Sit franchisers school in Las Vegas.

She has 2 black labs named Philly and Denver. Philly has passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen, Community Caine, Urban Caine, Novice and Intermediate Tricks Tests. Taylor and Philly are also members of The Go Team and has plans to add Denver to the team.

When she’s not training she enjoys taking her dogs on hikes and training with her cat Nashville. Being a previous client herself, Taylor knows the other side of training and wants her clients to truly enjoy their time with their dogs. She can’t wait to see you and your dog in class.

Service Areas

We proudly serve the following areas in Central Texas.

Counties

Bell

Cities

  • Belton
  • Temple
  • Killeen
  • Fort Hood
  • Copperas Cove
  • Harker Heights
  • Troy
  • Bruceville Eddy
  • Gatesville
  • Salado
  • Rogers
  • Lampasas
  • Waco
  • Hewitt
  • Lacy Lakeview
  • Woodway
  • Holland
  • Nolanville
  • Jarrell
  • Georgetown
  • Liberty Hill
  • Leander

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Sit Means Sit has 157 locations across the US and Canada.

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Dog Training Videos

Check out a few videos to see our dog trainers at work!

Protection Training

Heel Up and Down The Stairs

Gambit – One Year Old Havanese

Sit Means Sit Commercial

5 Star Reviews

We love customers and their dogs. They love us.

Juan C.

Staff is very nice and helpful. Best place to train your dog. All thought methods and classes work great! You really see results with the behavior of your Dog. Would recommend it.

Shannon H.

We took our two pitbulls to Sit Means Sit for training. Sit Means Sit did a wonderful job training our dogs. Kileaux was always easily distracted and Nikita was a rambunctious puppy. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful in teaching us how to work with our dogs on continued training. It is hard to…

Marie B.

I am so pleased and impressed with Sit Means Sit in general. My Aussie puppy did a three week board-and-train since my work schedule limited my ability to go to group classes. They were very understanding and did an excellent job of explaining every aspect of their training methods, their e-collar, and were very open…

Ryan G.

The Sit Means Sit program enabled me to take my two dogs Gaea and Dayzee on mountain hikes without worrying about them chasing wildlife. It’s great to hike with my dogs and not worry about spooking the wildlife, thank you!