Since the latter part of 2010 Sit Means Sit has been working with some very driven ladies at the Humane Society of Charles County in Waldorf. Lance has been helping with the “Junior Volunteers” giving simple leash and collar training, dog behavior, and dog safety instructions. Lance has also went to visit Piccowaxen Middle School, in Newburg, MD with Leigha Messick (Humaine Society Coordinator) to talk with the kids about dog training with his dog Sioux.
By GRETCHEN PHILLIPS
Staff Writer
One-man operation: One local dog trainer is dedicated and trained to work with any breed, any problem.
Lance Nogosek of Waldorf has been training dogs since 2003. For a good portion of that time, he trained dogs for the military while he was serving in the U.S. Air Force.
Through a friend’s recommendation, he took a training course with Sit Means Sit Dog Training, a nationally recognized training program, and opened up a branch of the program for the Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia area.
Nogosek runs a one-man operation for his business and said he works with as many dogs as he can handle. Currently, he trains about 20 dogs. Most of the dogs he trains are trained at individual owner’s homes.
Lessons to be learned: The main lessons dogs get from Nogosek are to “come,” “sit,” “lie down” and “place.”
Nogosek builds on the “stay” command during the training as he said the dog should stay while being asked to perform each command. Directional training, such as “heel,” also is taught through his program.
Included in Nogosek’s training sessions are potty training and stopping bad behaviors such as aggression to humans and/or other dogs.
Nogosek said he specializes in problem-solving problem dogs.
He said there are thousands of training books on the market, DVDs and shows about dog training that can be very confusing.
His method is to work with the owner and create a training program appropriate for the dog.
While he is accustomed to and prefers remote collar training, which he said is a positive training method unlike what many believe, Nogosek said he also is trained in other methods such as treat training, click training and leash and collar training.
For remote collar training, the remote collars Nogosek uses, according to the Sit Means Sit website, “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.”
Any breed, large or small: Nogosek will train any breed, small and large. What he likes is the challenge, “problem-solving it out.”
Training sessions run from 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the dog’s stamina, and training packages vary on the number of sessions.
The trick to his training ability is simple, he never tells a dog “no” unless the dog happens to bite.
By using negative behaviors with dogs, Nogosek said the dog’s energy gets squelched.
“If you squelch out energy, you limit the dog’s potential.”
Nogosek rewards positive behavior with positive remarks, play time with toys such as a ball and physical praise.
“No, no, no, is a bad thing,” he said.
Dog owners get lessons, too: “I teach [owners] about dog behavior instead of how to overpower the dog,” he said.
Nogosek said he teaches owners how to read what a dog is doing and how to understand how the dog reacts to what the owner does.
Dog behavior, he said, is essentially a way to teach the dog and the owner how to read each other.
Nogosek has training times available anywhere from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Standing by his SUV with the company’s logo on it, he said his business is based out of wherever he is needed.
On a snowy afternoon at White Plains Regional Park, Nogosek demonstrated a few of the commands he trains dogs to know with his own dog, Sioux.
Sioux, a 7-month old Belgian malinois, was all smiles and wagged her tail swiftly after each command, waiting for the next one. Sioux even got the opportunity to show a reporter how skilled she was at sliding down a sliding board.
Sioux remained focused on Nogosek, not minding a reporter and photographer intruding on her play time.
Nogosek said teaching a dog to be focused on its owner instead of others is also part of his training methods.
Sioux received a lot of praise including hugs, positive remarks and time to play with one of her favorite balls as a reward.
When it comes to being a one-man shop and training dogs all daylong, Nogosek said, “It’s hard, it’s a lot of work, but I like it because it keeps me busy.”
I just want to thank everyone out there that has hired me as a trainer and I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season.
This is Sioux the little black Mal that I got about 3 months ago, I am a little slow with posting but things have been hectic to say the least. He is a perfect fit for what I need, he is a very happy, agile, and motivated puppy that loves affection and other dogs. He is bigger than that now and is doing well, we are doing tracking and some obedience basics, but mostly having fun with development and environmentals.
I finally started my dog with some light grip work last week with some pillows and some light wraps. It went pretty well the dog did well but there is much to improve on. I can’t thank Keith Robishaw enough for coming out and helping me with some decoy work. We will be at it again soon. Eddie still has some maturing to do but he will be great, just have to give him some time.
While I was out and about today I saw a pet grooming place and I have been really looking for one to refer customers to, so I stopped in and talked with Genevieve who was very friendly, showed me around and they have a lot to offer besides grooming which is nice. Kind of a one stop shop, with hard to find food, toys, grooming equipment and everything that you need. The place is called “The Groom Room” and is located in La Plata MD. The website is www.thegroomroomlaplata.com. I must also say the pricing was very affordable as well. Check them out.
Well only 1 more month left in the military and I will be out so it is a lot of work and trying to get everything online so I can give the best dog training services to my customers. I will be using my blog a lot from now on so if you are a customer or just have a question I will be very engaged and appreciate the comments or criticism that I can get to be better. I must add that there was a post on my blog from long ago from Sharon whom dedicates her life to supporting deployed military members that are fighting abroad and she supported me throughout my deployments and I must give her my deepest appreciation. Well I have to run I have some bulldogs to contend with.
Charles County Maryland Dog Training by Sit Means Sit, will be open full time and running at 100 percent. Thanks to everyone for all of your help and support and may it be a prosperous year.
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