The Best Dog Training in Akron

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Akron and Canton Dog Training Experts

Your trusted professional dog training solution serving all of northeast Ohio. Get reliable results and off leash control, no matter the distraction. Train your dog once with Sit Means Sit Cleveland-Akron and see how you can enjoy the benefits of a happy, confident, and obedient dog. Call today for a free consultation!

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About Sit Means Sit Dog Training

Dog Training Programs

Any Dog Any Age Any Problem

Day Train at Sit Means Sit Cleveland-Akron

Day Training Programs

Would you like to take advantage of the benefits of all-day professional immersion training experience? Give us the opportunity to help you work more quickly toward your goals with Day Training!

Our Day Training programs consist of weekly training sessions where you drop your dog off in the morning for training and pick up later in the day.

We work with your dog for 4-6 hours a day each week. You’ll meet with a trainer at pickup for a lesson to learn everything your dog has learned and to answer any questions you may have before going home. These programs also include private instruction after training for support and to address individual training opportunities as they present themselves and group classes to proof and fine-tune training in a controlled environment.

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Private Lessons at Sit Means Sit Cleveland-Akron

Private Lessons

Ready to work closely with trainers to develop a better relationship with your dog? Are you invested in making the time to dedicate to your dog’s training? Private Lessons may be for you!

Private Lesson programs provide individual attention through weekly instruction and support, either at home or at one of our training facilities. They also include group classes after graduation to ensure your dog’s obedience is distraction proof.

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Puppy Training at Sit Means Sit Cleveland-Akron

Puppy Class Program

Is your puppy between the ages of 8 weeks and 4 months? Do you want to help your puppy get a paw up on growing into the dog you know they can be? We can help with our Puppy Class Program!

Puppy Classes are just $199 for a four-week educational and interactive puppy management program with experienced Sit Means Sit trainers on Saturday mornings at both of our training facilities.

Topics Include:

  • FUN-damentals of obedience
  • Basic dog care and maintenance
  • Crate training and housebreaking
  • Socialization with dogs and people
  • Preparation for vet and groomer trips

Requirements:

  • Age appropriate vaccinations
  • Negative fecal exam
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Group Classes at Sit Means Sit Cleveland-Akron

Group Classes

After completing one of our individualized training programs, you and your dog can participate in our group classes.

Group classes are designed to help you and your dog fine tune obedience skills around distractions in a fun and educational group setting.

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Lunch and Lean at Sit Means Sit Cleveland-Akron

Lunch & Learn

Are you a veterinarian, vet tech, groomer, boarder, doggy day care staff member, or any other pet professional?

Sit Means Sit offers an educational lunch and learn program! We will provide lunch and introduce you and your staff to our company and our proven dog training method.

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Seminars at Sit Means Sit Cleveland-Akron

Seminars

For seminars, we cover a wide array of topics! These include the importance of dog training, understanding dog body language, bite prevention, traveling with your dog, family planning, and more! If your organization is looking for the best in education contact us to schedule your seminar today!

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Therapy Dog Certification

Would you like to provide service, therapy, and comfort to our community with your dog by your side? Therapy Dog Certification may be the right path for you and your pup! We work with K-9 Caring Angels, a nation-wide nonprofit whose mission is to provide service through many channels.

Teams of therapy dogs and their handlers work at assisted living facilities, children’s organizations, schools, libraries, funeral services, hospitals, and more!

We also provide AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification, a prerequisite for any therapy dog program.

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Grooming Services

Sit Means Sit is proud to offer grooming services for every, age, size, and temperament of dogs! All bathing services even come with a complimentary nail trim and ear cleaning and we can provide custom trims or cuts for all breeds. All grooming services are offered at our Copley training facility.

To schedule grooming or to get an estimate for grooming costs, please contact our groomer, Jeni Cox, at (330) 515-6609 (text is best!) or via email at smsjenicox@gmail.com.

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Trainers & Staff

Professional trainers. Attentive friendly staff.

Paul Pollock

Paul PollockOwner, Training Director

I learned about Sit Means Sit dog training while I was living in Denver, Colorado. I was looking for a dog trainer and was referred to Sit Means Sit by a man I met in a dog park. I was so impressed with the free demonstration they showed me. As amazing as it was, I was unsure that they would be able to get my dog under control.

My Australian Cattle dog had a ton of energy and he liked to run! He never came when I called him and would jump on people, grab food off the table and had numerous other bad habits. The trainer did a demonstration with my dog and within a few minutes had my dog totally under control and making eye contact with him. I immediately signed up for the training. Within three weeks of training, I had off leash control of my dog and he listened to me even around distractions. When I saw the results, I knew this company was something special.

Since I graduated from The Sit Means Sit School of remote collar dog training in November of 2007 I have worked with thousands of dogs and have continued educating myself and following my passion to be one the best dog trainers I can be.

Here is a list of some of my training accomplishments:

  • Certified remote collar specialist of the Sit Means Sit School of Remote Collar Training
  • Attended the Sit Means Sit Annual ‘Main Event’ from 2009-2016 where I obtained numerous certifications in advanced training skill
  • Invited Speaker for the 2012-2016 Sit Means Sit Annual Main Event Conference

Completed the following seminars and classes:

  • “Animal Acting” with Ashton Fitz-Gerald
  • “Frisbee Disc” with 2008 & 2010 World Frisbee Dog Champion Lawrence Frederick
  • “Trained retrieve”
  • “Advanced obedience training”
  • ”Building drive in your dog”
  • “Protection training”
  • “Trick training”
  • “Building a dog’s confidence”
  • “Working with Aggressive Dogs”
  • Certified AKC “Canine Good Citizen” Evaluator
  • Certified Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dog Evaluator
  • My dogs have been featured in film, television, magazines, and American Greetings cards.
  • Volunteer at numerous facilities, including assisted living homes and schools, my two Bright & Beautiful Certified Therapy Dogs
  • Trained “Goose Patrol” dog to assist in the constant upkeep and cleanliness of city parks, golf courses, and city center. Dog was trained in full off leash obedience, directional work, and the ability to follow obedience commands in any setting.
  • Work with numerous animal shelters and dog rescues to help with challenging dogs, including fostering and working them through behavioral issues, to increase adoption readiness.
Rachel Blose

Rachel BloseDirector of Operations

I joined the Sit Means Sit team in the fall of 2010. As the proud owner of two St. Bernard/Rottweiler mixes, I was eager to get my dogs into training shortly after I started my career with the company. My dogs would jump on everyone and everything they could! They counter surfed, dug through the trash, and pulled so hard on the leash that I had fallen more than once!

My husband and I did private lessons at our home and we couldn’t believe the difference! In just a few short lessons, my out-of-control maniacs were well behaved, listened to us under any circumstance, and stopped pulling on the leash! Knowing what Sit Means Sit has done for my dogs alone, had made me a believer in the program! I’ve been lucky enough to work with the best trainers in the business and clients who are second to none. Being able to talk to satisfied clients whose dogs started out with behavioral challenges and listening to the proud dog moms and dads as they share their success stories has shown me that I am right where I belong!

In my career with Sit Means Sit, I have attended six annual Sit Means Sit Main Event corporate conferences to continue my education in customer service and communication, management, website optimization, and software integration. I was an invited speaker at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Main Event conferences and recipient of the Administrative Excellence Award in 2017.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Kent State University and studied for three years at the University of Akron working towards a Master’s Degree. I also spent seven years on the Board of Directors for the National Super Kids Classic, a national soap box derby for children with special needs. I also spent time as a volunteer at the Humane Society of Greater Akron, where I was blessed to work with amazing animals, that against most odds, were a pleasure to be around and eventually adopted into forever homes!

Jim Yuhas

Jim YuhasTraining Manager

My time with Sit Means Sit began as a client.  I had a pit mix named Samus who was a little wild and destructive.  I needed help with her!  She liked to jump on people, mouth for attention, choked herself when walking (pulling to say hi to every person and dog!), and worst of all was her chewing in my house.  She chewed base boards, window sills, the china cabinet, put a hole in

my dining room wall, and my final straw was when she chewed the desk my dad had given me!   After watching a YouTube video of a trainer doing amazing things in their backyard with their dog, I found Sit Means Sit online and promptly scheduled an appointment to meet with a trainer to do a free consultation.

After seeing what could be done first hand, I knew I had found the people for the job. It was amazing to watch my dog change over the course of the training sessions. Much to my surprise, she even became more affectionate through the course of her training! By the end, the ‘monster’ that I had on my hands had transformed into a well-behaved, attentive, happy member of the family.

I then found out Paul was looking for someone part time and started training in February of 2012, moving to full time that November.  Since then, I have attended numerous training seminars to continually educate myself, to ensure that I’m always providing our clients with the best education that I can for their pups!  I am an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, have done multiple Safety Town classes on dog safety, competed in dock diving, done therapy dog work, and my dog, Chainsaw, has been in a couple of movies.  

It’s been so amazing over the years getting to help clients with their furry family members, whether it be clients in a similar situation to what mine was, clients with happy puppies who just want them to listen better, clients having issues with aggression in and outside of the home, or dogs who come from a shelter who need some confidence building.  I never get tired of hearing happy clients sharing their tales of their successes!!

Colleen Duschen

Colleen DuschenAssistant Training Manager

My journey with Sit Means Sit started as a client. After seeing one of the trainer’s dogs in action, I knew that this was the type of training that I wanted to learn! I signed up for private lessons with my dogs, and when I learned firsthand how quickly and effectively the Sit Means Sit program worked, I was blown away. I’d had four years previous experience working in a boarding

kennel and dog daycare, and was at a time in my life where I was looking for a new path upon which to learn and grow. This path led me to Sit Means Sit when the owner of the Akron-Cleveland facility Paul Pollock called me back after learning I was interested in a position. I knew I wanted to learn how to train dogs, but I wanted to learn from the best. I saw the transformation of my own dogs who have two very different personalities: Buffy, an American Bully, who had typical crazy puppy behavior, and my Siberian Husky whom I previously never believed I could control off leash. Seeing how much the trainers loved all the dogs and how down to earth everyone was, I knew that I had to be a part of the Sit Means Sit family.

Alexa Wasosky

Alexa WasoskyTrainer

I joined the Sit Means Sit team in the fall of 2022. I have always known that I wanted a career in caring for and spending time with animals. What better than to be able to teach dogs and their people? I have grown up with many breeds of dogs. Animals in general have always been a huge part of my life and will forever hold a soft place in my heart. I am more than blessed to be able to bring my love for dogs to training, and the Sit Means Sit family!

Douglas Knapp

Douglas KnappTrainer

I joined the Sit Means Sit team in the summer of 2023. I joined shortly after graduating from Kent State University with a Bachelors Degree in Zoology. I have loved animals all of my life, big ones and small ones! With that, I knew that I wanted a career that gets me hands-on with animals in some regard. In college I began to pursue other routes of working with animals, it wasn’t until

after I graduated that I heard about Sit Means Sit and their high quality of training, and I knew instantly that I wanted to be a part of the team. I love helping others and spending time with animals so Sit Means Sit is the perfect place for me! I get to spend time with dogs every day while training them and I get to help people every day by helping their dogs to be better behaved and well trained.

Jennifer Okoye

Jennifer OkoyeFacilities Administrator

I began working with Sit Means Sit in the fall of 2015. After just three months of employment, I knew that I needed to get my oldest dog, Sergio, into training. Sergio is an American Staffordshire terrier who used to jump up on people, destructively dig up my yard, and chew everything, including the wiring to my central air conditioning unit!

After just three lessons, I saw a huge difference. Sergio now has a solid foundation of obedience and has learned to control his wild energy! I also have two other dogs in my home, Bella a pit bull mix, and Shalimar, a Yorkshire terrier. Bella loves to be front and center to get attention and Shalimar is guilty of being way too cute!

I am raising my family right here in Copley, Ohio. I have two children in the Copley Fairlawn Middle School, and a son who just graduated high school and daughter that is in her senior year at Copley High School and enlisting in the marines after graduation.

I have worked in customer service all of my life.
When I was young, my ultimate dream was to work at the zoo and feed the animals. I am very happy to be working in a position where I get to combine my love of working with great clients and my passion for animals. I look forward to a long and rewarding career with Sit Means Sit!

Jennette Cox

Jeni CoxGroomer & K9 Caring Angels Therapy Dog Evaluator

Jennette Cox (Jeni) is a full time Practice Administrator for a group of Internal Medicine Physicians. In the dog world, Jeni is a Pet Tech Certified First Aid Instructor; Canine Good Citizen Evaluator; Pet Photographer, K9 Caring Angels Therapy Dog Evaluator and a Certified Dog Groomer, and a member of the SMS family since we opened.

When not at her “day job”, she loves to play and work with her dogs, take photographs, teach pottery class one night a week, and works with horses at her friend’s barn. When there is time, she also writes a blog for the Pet Section of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Her biggest wish is that there could be about 4 extra hours in the day that didn’t require sleeping in order to get even MORE done!

Jackie Arvay

Jackie ArvayK9 Caring Angels Therapy Dog Evaluator & Volunteer Coordinator

For 28 years I was a head high school cheerleading coach. When I left coaching, my journey with Sit Means Sit began. I knew when I resigned I wanted to start volunteering at hospice facilities to help bring comfort to families in need.

At the time of resignation, I had a 7-month-old Great Dane named Trigger. He was wonderful, loving, yet also a very energetic puppy that definitely needed training. I contacted Sit Means Sit to help this soon-to-be big boy learn manners and become obedient.

During his journey, Trigger became a well-trained gentle dog. He obtained his CGC certification and went through the therapy program that Sit Means Sit offered. Trigger and I volunteered at many facilities including Hospice, nursing homes, assisted living, and numerous schools. My love for volunteering and helping others during times of need has led me to become one of the K9 Caring Angels Evaluators for Sit Means Sit.

I am also a full-time, self-employed Nail technician and reside in Wadsworth, Ohio with my husband. We have two grown children, one granddaughter, and another grandchild on the way. I now have a new dog, Sasha. She is a mini Bernedoodle who is now in training for the therapy dog program to continue Trigger’s Legacy.

Service Areas

We proudly serve the following areas in Akron and Canton.

Cities

  • Akron
  • Cuyahoga Falls
  • Macedonia
  • Parma
  • Aurora
  • Eastlake
  • Maple Heights
  • Sagamore Hills
  • Bath
  • Garfield Heights
  • Massillon
  • Solon
  • Beachwood
  • Gates Mills
  • Medina
  • Stow
  • Brecksville
  • Green
  • Mentor
  • Streetsboro
  • Broadview Heights
  • Hudson
  • Moreland Hills
  • Strongsville
  • Brunswick
  • Hunting Valley
  • North Canton
  • Twinsburg
  • Canton
  • Independence
  • North Royalton
  • Wadsworth
  • Chagrin Falls
  • Jackson
  • Northfield
  • Willoughby
  • Cleveland
  • Kent
  • Painesville
  • Willowick

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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!

Puppy Class Introduction!

Gunner is on Santa’s good list this year!

Max goes to Brandywine!

Betty White is a Sit Means Sit treasure!

5 Star Reviews

We love customers and their dogs. They love us.

Julianne D.

Everyone was very nice and professional. Our large 95 lb puppy learned so much in five weeks. We look forward to continuing his training in group classes. We highly recommend Sit Means Sit Dog Training.

Katy K.

We brought our 1 year old Cane Corso to sit means sit for the 10 day training. He is a lovable big lug but he was having issues with listening and he didn’t do well around men and other dogs. The trainers here were wonderful and helped us tremendously with being able to manage our…

Tami W.

We train both our Great Danes through Sit Means Sit… It is absolutely the best money we have ever spent. The trainers are so very helpful, knowledgeable and caring. You will not regret taking your dog(s) here.

Steve O.

Paul and the whole SMS group are wonderful! They saved our house from destruction. It is such a relief when you get to know your dog so well and know exactly how they will react in a situation, and how to handle it. We never imagined we would have a dog this well trained! They…