Stamford Dog Owners You are one click away from the dog of your dreams

As Seen Training On

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The Only Guaranteed Dog Training Experts

Our Lifetime, No Haggle, No Fine Print, “Neil’s Shirt” Double Dog Training Guarantee:

 

If, at the end of the first day of any “Dream” program, you are not happy with the program, it’s not what you are looking for, even if you don’t like the color of the shirt I am wearing, let me know. I will return all your money, “bump elbows,” and even try to connect you with a trainer that meets your needs.

After the first day, we still guarantee the results of our programs. Should we not meet the agreed-upon goals by the end of the program or even years down the road, we will add more private lessons (and training days for our Lifetime clients) at no additional cost.

You can click here to schedule your no-cost, no-obligation consultation.

Or see what they are saying about us on Google and Facebook.

 

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About Sit Means Sit Dog Training

Dog Training Programs

Any Dog Any Age Any Problem

Puppies playing

Puppy Prep

We know how challenging puppy training can be, so we designed our Puppy Prep Program to get you off to a quick start. Our program is about giving you straight answers to the frequently asked questions about puppy training and helping you avoid the common mistakes that lead to problems. We’ll work with you to understand the importance of boundaries, management, and potty training.

Additionally, we show you the fundamental methods of puppy training: using food, praise, leashes, and toys to create an engaging relationship with your new puppy.

 

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Dream Puppy Training

The Dream Puppy Academy is designed for puppies from 4 to 11 months old and is specifically designed to give you the puppy of your dreams in 48-60 days, depending on the program and your goals. Rather than months or years, all without sending them away. To achieve this, we combine “full day” immersive training for your puppy with one of our certified trainers, daily private lessons for you and your family, video and written support materials, and lifetime group classes.

Sit Means Sit offers the most comprehensive one-on-one training for you and your puppy in Westchester. In other words, you no longer need to send them away for weeks to achieve long-lasting, great results. Our years of experience with hundreds of dogs, puppies, and owners, you have taught us that including the owners in every step of the process results in happy, confident, obedient puppies and happy, satisfied clients. Rather than catching up for weeks after your puppy is trained, we combine full-day immersive training with personalized private owner lessons and lifetime group classes to maximize your puppy’s training.

Puppy Training Program Design

Firstly, once per week, your puppy will spend the day with us at our 5000-square-foot training for four to six weeks. Everything here is part of ‘real-life’ training: distractions (dogs, people, agility equipment, even running on the treadmill), trips to local parks, and dog-friendly stores (pet food stores and home improvement are our favs), and working around our trained demo dogs.

Then, after each day, we meet for private lessons for you and your family. This allows us to review your puppy’s progress, smooth over any rough spots you had in a group class (or the previous week’s homework), and practice your homework. But don’t worry, we understand that home life can be hectic… so our assignments take 15 minutes, and only a couple of times per day. Many of the lessons are worked right into your daily routines.

Additionally, tying it all together, you and your puppy also get lifetime group obedience classes every Tuesday and Saturday. The group is the perfect place to practice your new skills with a trainer and around other puppies and dogs simultaneously in their learning journey. Thereupon, we can help you with any challenges in real-time. Furthermore, our trainers can strategize a plan to work through any issues when you come for training days.

Finally, it is all backed by Neil’s “No Quibble” Lifetime Training Guarantee. Lifetime results are our goal; we will work with you to maintain them for your puppy’s life.

Schedule your no-cost, no-obligation consultation

 

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Dream Dog Training

The Dream Dog Academy is dog training designed for dogs over 11 months old. It is designed to give you the dog of your dreams in 48-60 days, depending on your chosen program and your “dream.” Rather than months or years, all without sending them away. To achieve this, we combine “full day” immersive training for your dog, 1 or 2 times per week, with one of our certified trainers. Each day, when you pick up your dog, we will review your dog’s progress and go over your homework.

Each day’s lessons are specific to your dog and your needs. We are strong advocates for training the dog and the person before us. To support your training, all programs include lifetime group classes.

Sit Means Sit offers the most comprehensive one-on-one training for you and your dog in Westchester. In other words, you no longer need to send them away for weeks to achieve long-lasting, great results. Our years of experience with hundreds of dogs and puppies and years of training have taught us that including the owners in every step of the process results in happy, confident, obedient dogs and happy, satisfied clients. Rather than catching up for weeks after your dog was trained, we combine full-day immersive training with personalized private owner lessons and lifetime group classes….to get the most out of your dog’s training.

Program Design

Firstly, once per week, your dog will spend the day with us at our 5000-square-foot training facility in Valhalla, NY, for four to six weeks. Everything here is part of ‘real-life’ training: distractions (dogs, people, agility equipment, even running on the treadmill), trips to local parks, and dog-friendly stores (pet food stores and home improvement are our favs), and working around our trained demo dogs.

Then, after each day, we meet for private lessons for you and your family. This allows us to review your dog’s progress, smooth over any rough spots you may have had in group class (or with the previous week’s homework), and review your homework. But don’t worry, we understand that home life can be hectic… so our assignments take 15 minutes, and only a couple of times per day. Many of the lessons are worked right into your daily routines. And everything is also provided in video and written forms to support your journey.

Additionally, tying it all together, you and your dog also get lifetime group obedience classes every Tuesday and Saturday. The group is the perfect place to practice your new skills with a trainer and around other dogs and puppies at some point in their learning journey. Since then, we have been able to help you with any challenges in real-time. Furthermore, our trainers can strategize a plan to work through any issues when you come for training days.

Finally, it is all backed by Neil’s “Shirt of My Back” Lifetime Dog Training Guarantee. Lifetime results are our goal; we will work with you to maintain them for your dog’s life.

Schedule your no-cost, no-obligation consultation

 

Click Here to Find Out More 
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Special Needs Dog Training

Dog training designed for special needs dogs. Is your dog dealing with separation issues, anxiety, aggression, and other (physical, health, age) issues? We can design a program to meet the unique needs without sending them away for weeks. To achieve this, we combine “full day” immersive training for your dog with one of our certified trainers, daily private lessons for you and your family, video and written support materials, and lifetime group classes.

Sit Means Sit offers the most comprehensive one-on-one training for you and your dog in Westchester. In other words, you no longer need to send them away for weeks to achieve long-lasting, great results. Our years of experience with hundreds of dogs, puppies, and owners, you have taught us that including the owners in every step of the process results in happy, confident, obedient dogs and happy, satisfied clients. Rather than catching up for weeks after your dog was trained, we combine full-day immersive training with personalized private owner lessons and lifetime group classes….to get the most out of your dog’s training.

Dog Training Program Design

Firstly, your dog will spend one or more days training in our 5000-square-foot training facility in Valhalla, NY. Everything here is part of ‘real-life’ training: distractions (dogs, people, agility equipment, even running on the treadmill), trips to local parks, and dog-friendly stores (pet food stores and home improvement are our favs), and working around our trained demo dogs.

Then, after each day, we meet for private lessons for you and your family. This allows us to review your dog’s progress, smooth over any rough spots you may have had in group class (or with the previous week’s homework), and review your homework. But don’t worry, we understand that home life can be hectic… so our assignments take 15 minutes, and only a couple of times per day. Many of the lessons are worked right into your daily routines. And everything is also provided in video and written forms to support your journey.

Additionally, by tying it all together, you and your dog can get lifetime group obedience classes every Saturday. The group is the perfect place to practice your new skills with a trainer and around other dogs and puppies simultaneously in their learning journey. Thereupon, we can help you with any challenges in real-time. Furthermore, our trainers can strategize a plan to work through any issues when you come for training days.

Finally, it is all backed by Neil’s “No Quibble” Lifetime Dog Training Guarantee. Lifetime results are our goal; we will work with you to maintain them for your dog’s life.

Schedule your no-cost, no-obligation consultation

 

 

Click Here to Find Out More 
Therapy dog training

Therapy Dog Training

K9 Caring Angels Therapy Dog Training is part of our advanced training classes and is free to Sit Means Sit graduates who meet the requirements. All our handlers are volunteers dedicated to their canine companions and giving back to their community. Whether through a K9 Caring Angels event or other

opportunities they have sought on their own, our team is chosen because of their skills and commitment to helping the citizens of their communities.

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Group Class Instruction

Our Dream Dog Training Programs include lifetime group training classes on Tuesdays and Saturdays to practice and refine what your dog has been learning. Group class is an excellent place for you to practice under the guidance of a trainer under controlled distractions. Not only will you be with other dogs, but we will utilize agility and fitness equipment, novel distractions, and real-life scenarios to help you achieve your training goals.

Classes are geared to you and your dog’s stage of training, with options up to and including therapy dog certification(testing fees are additional).

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Potty Training Help

While potty training is challenging, we are here to help. Whether it’s your new puppy or an older rescue, all it takes is sticking to a good plan….and we have one for you. And, best of all, it’s free for the asking.

Click here to download

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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.

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Trainers & Staff

Professional trainers. Attentive friendly staff.

Dog Training Specialist - Neil Cohen with Habanero

Neil CohenOwner

Hello! I’m Neil Cohen, owner of Sit Means Sit in Valhalla, NY (serving Fairfield and Westchester Counties)

Like many in the Sit Means Sit family, I first came to the company as a dog owner seeking help with a “challenging” pet. At the time, I was hours from the nearest Sit Means Sit training center, so I learned what I could from videos and with guidance from Sit Means Sit trainers across the country.

I’d been a successful marketing consultant for years, but after a Sit Means Sit franchise opened less than an hour’s drive from home, I took a part-time position there to enhance my training skills and help other dog owners reach their goals.

Later, when the franchisee told me he was moving to Los Angeles, I asked about taking over the business. So, I sold my share of a marketing firm to my partner, bought my Sit Means Sit location, and moved to Nevada for a month to become a fully certified professional dog trainer—and I couldn’t be happier. (Indeed, a change in my personal life, combined with my love of everything dogs, made it one of the easiest and best decisions I’ve ever made!)

Sit Means Sit’s unique approach to training, combined with the most innovative training collar on the market, makes success simple. My education started by moving to Nevada and logging over 200 hours of hands-on training, working at the Sit Means Sit Headquarters in Las Vegas and the Henderson Animal Shelter. Additionally, I spend over 80 hours on continuing education with some of the best trainers and educators each year. We fully re-certify every three years. (there isn’t a dog training company in the world that invests in continuing education like Sit Means Sit does.)

When I’m not training other people’s dogs, I spend time with my wife Jamie,  my two kids, and our pups: Eddie (four-year-old Border Collie mix), Sarge (ten-year-old Cattle Dog mix), Pepper (our eight-year-old Border Collie) and Habanero (Pepper’s four-year-old son.). I’d love to show you how well they’ve taken to the Sit Means Sit program—and how your dog will, too!

Lexi Newson with Ollie - Dog Training Specialist

Lexi NewsonTrainer/Training Consultant

Chris Pennella with Perry - Dog Training Specialist

Chris PennellaApprentice Trainer

Chris is Perry and Maple’s dad. He started as a client, with his mom, Charlotte, in January of 2021. If you have met Perry and Maple, you instantly know how great of a trainer he is. While both dogs had challenges when they started, they are poster pups for obedience.

Alexa Maizes with Toby - Dog Training Specialist

Alexa MaizesApprentice Trainer/Training Consultant

Danielle MarisTraining Consultant

Dog Training Specialist - Samantha Calkins, MS with Ollie - Program Director

Samantha Calkins, MSProgram Director

Hi all! I’m Samantha Calkins, Program Director and Trainer at Sit Means Sit in Valhalla, NY.

I was first introduced to Neil and Sit Means Sit through a client I was dog walking for. They asked me to meet with their dog trainer to make my life easier with their 60-miles-an-hour-pulling-on-the-leash Vizsla puppy. After a brief introduction lesson to the Sit Means Sit method, Neil asked if I had any interest in dog training, and so my career began! I have now been training dogs with Sit Means Sit for three years.

When we first met, Neil was running a mobile business that I would tag along with to learn the ropes. I spent years watching him change the lives of these dogs and their families all from a mobile van. Now, we have a 5,000-square-foot facility that we train in. Being able to witness and take part in the growth of this business has meant the world to me. My passion for dog training builds with each new client I meet, and it truly brings me joy to help you and your dog have the best life possible. 

I recently completed my Master’s in Animal Behavior and Conservation at Hunter College in NYC. This has expanded my understanding of canine behavior, allowing me to apply theory in behavior to dog training. 

My animal behavior and conservation research has taken me across the globe to Kenya, where I’ve studied baboon behavior, and to Madagascar, where I studied ring-tailed lemurs. My roots in primatology have a surprising number of parallels to canine behavior. If you meet me in a group class, you’ll probably hear a nerdy dog/primate comparison or two!

Outside of working with your dogs, I spend time with my partner, Nick, and our border collie, Oliver. You can find us at the dog park, hiking, or catching up on the latest Marvel movie! Ollie is currently working on his obedience skills and toward his therapy dog certification with the Sit Means Sit method and is loving every second of it. We’d love to share our progress and learn more about your dog!

Cheers!

Sam

 

Service Areas

We proudly serve the following areas in The Only Guaranteed.

Counties

  • Fairfield County

Cities

  • Stamford
  • Greenwich
  • Weston
  • Wilton
  • Darien
  • Norwalk
  • and surrounding areas

Zip Codes

Areas serviced:
  • 06801
  • 06804
  • 06807
  • 06810
  • 06811
  • 06812
  • 06817
  • 06820
  • 06824
  • 06825
  • 06828
  • 06830
  • 06831
  • 06840
  • 06850
  • 06851
  • 06853
  • 06854
  • 06855
  • 06856
  • 06860
  • 06870
  • 06877
  • 06878
  • 06879
  • 06880
  • 06883
  • 06890
  • 06896
  • 06897
  • 06901
  • 06902
  • 06903
  • 06904
  • 06905
  • 06906
  • 06907
  • 06912

Don't See Your Location?

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!

Meg and Myla from Cortland Manor

Jo and Roscoe from Stamford

Rich and Patches From Croton

Marc and Sasha from White Plains

5 Star Reviews

We love customers and their dogs. They love us.

Megan and Maple

Neil at Sit Means Sit is amazing! We adopted a 4 year old Lab mix with a lot of energy. She has transformed: we’ve been able to bring her to a baseball game, a pet fair, and Oktoberfest and she’s great! She stays by our side, listens to commands, and loves meeting new people. We…

Kate B.

Neil has been incredible! He is extremely patient and our dog loves to go to training! We can now have an enjoyable walk with our dog with no pulling or jumping. He also makes himself available for any questions or concerns outside of scheduled sessions. Highly recommend!

Mark S.

I cannot overly state how much Neil from SitMeansSit helped me. I adopted a pitbull on death row, was told she was fine with other animals, and maybe she was in the shelter, but definitely not once at home. She attempted to maul my female pitbull, and I was helpless to change this behavior, and…

Alison and Charm

I searched far and wide for the perfect trainer for me and My service animal Charm. I could not of been luckier to have found Neil at sit means sit. He truly understands dogs and the way they learn and how to make them succeed. I could not be happier with the progress help and…