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Scott Sanchez, Head Trainer
Rhonda Sanchez, Trainer
Leonard Letoto, Trainer
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Category Archives: Articles
How To Communicate With Your Dog
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While it can be argued that English is the common language used throughout the world among humans, such is not the case with our dogs. Not only does your dog not speak English, it does not speak any other verbal language either. Therefore, when we bring a new member into our family, the responsibility is on our shoulders to lay the foundation for healthy communication.
The purpose of this short article is to create a paradigm shift of our understanding in how we can best communicate with, and teach our dogs to produce desired results. To make it simple, consider that our dogs have the capacity to be multi-lingual. The following, but not limited to, can all be considered languages of communication, Body, Verbal, Food, Toy, Collar, Whistle and Leash. To attempt teaching, using all these languages at the same time, sets up confusion not only for the dog, but more importantly, the owner. At Sit Means Sit Hawaii, we initiate teaching communication without using any verbal commands. We use our body, integrating our SMS collar and then the leash as needed, to guide and create a desired physical movement. For most, this approach is counter intuitive, since generally folks assume the dogs speaks English, and then they start throwing out commands louder and faster, sending the dog into confusion all while yanking on the leash. The classic, “yell at the dog until he figures it out,” is the shortest route to confusion and the direct route to inconsistent compliance. This scenario is no different than someone yelling at you in a foreign language. Confusion and frustration show up quickly, followed by fear. This does not set a healthy stage for learning to take place for either you or your dog. Teaching your dog a skill starts with gaining your dog’s attention. With our Sit Means Sit program there is no yelling, screaming or otherwise “hissy fits” involved to get your dog to learn. We build a line of communication in a planned progressive protocol. The progression is based on each dog’s capacity to demonstrate a level of comprehension to pay attention to the owner. Once the dog understands what is expected to pay attention, then we begin with teaching a defined skill, followed by verbal marking. The initial skill set includes the commands “come” “sit” “place” and “free.” We can teach all these skills without a single word being spoken. Our deaf dog clients are the easiest to grasp this approach. By refreshing the importance of clear communication, it is our intention to shift your paradigm to the language of mutual understanding, so you can continue to teach your dog new skills. We would like to encourage all of you to check your communication style, and if need be, refresh your approach down to a whisper and go back to Sit Means Sit basics. Go ahead and dust off the place board, pull out the long leash and challenge yourself and your dog, to go through the corner stone drill of Come-Place-Free drill. Then progressively, add duration, distance and distractions, do all this to enhance your relationship and level of communication with your best four legged pal.
Sit Means Sit Hawai 808-283-DOGS http://www.sitmeanssithawaii.com
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Incorporating Treats/Food In Your Training
Treats/Food can be used to both shape behavior patterns and reward behavior patterns. When using treats to shape new skills, we use the food as a lure to create the movement pattern desired. Normally we break down the desired skill into progressive stages to instill a “success builds success” type of environment.
Once the dog has followed the lure through the initial stage of the movement pattern, food is then released to the dog. Then progressively, we connect the stages while delaying the release of the food until the entire skill is completed. It is important during the learning progressions that the food be released with predictability to the dog. When the skill has been completed 30-40 times in its entirety, the food can now take on the form of a reward.
Studies show that once the skill has been learned, that the speed of execution of the skill, can be better enhanced by random release of the food. This means, that there should not be any predictability in the dispensing of the food reward. This has been documented to increase the working drive AKA enthusiasm, of the dog to complete the skill on demand. Make sure, that you maintain the common goal, that your dog will learn to execute the skill without any food once it matures through it’s learning and proofing stages. Everybody has a dog that does tricks in the kitchen but only for a treat. Through proper balanced training, you and your dog will not only do tricks without food, but do them well outside the boundaries of your home.
Scott Sanchez
Sit Means Sit Hawaii
808-283-DOGS
http://www.sitmeanssithawaii.com
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Tagged 96706, 96779, Aggressive dogs, Dog Trainer, Dog training, Ewa Beach, Leonard Letoto, maui, Oahu, Paia, Rhonda Sanchez, Scott Sanchez, Sit Means Sit Hawaii
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House Breaking Your Puppy or Dog
Believe it or not, house training is one of the easiest things to teach a dog because dogs are clean by nature and don’t like to soil their den area. Using this concept, begin by always supervising your puppy when he/she is not in her den-crate environment. The largest reason people fail with house training is that they give the puppy more freedom than the pup or dog is capable of handling. An un-supervised pup or dog is bound to make mistakes.
Use a Crate to Replicate the Den
If you can utilize a crate to replicate the “den” environment that dogs need and feel secure in it will shorthand the process. If the puppy or dog is given the opportunity to get out of his crate when necessary, it can aid your house training efforts enormously. As the puppy is let out from the dog crate, take him out on a leash to the spot you will want him to eliminate. If he goes, praise him. If not, put him back into his crate and try again in about 15 minutes or so. Continue with this cycle until you and your dog have a routine going. Success earns the pup freedom for twenty minutes or so. Gradually extend the time as he grows older and more reliable. Remember a seven-week-old pup does not have a great deal of bladder control. Don’t expect him to go more than a few hours without having to eliminate, and don’t expect him to wait once he is out of his crate to eliminate.
Use an Elimination Word
Begin the first time you take your puppy out to give a word to associate elimination with. In the beginning the puppy won’t understand the word, but if each time you take him out you say to your puppy, “hurry up”, or “go potty” and continue to repeat the phrase until he goes, praising when it happens, your puppy will learn to associate these words with the action. Later when traveling or out in public it can be a cue word to get your dog to relieve himself in quick time, without having to wait in the scorching sun, or freezing rain.
All-in-One Management System
An even easier system for house training is using a crate with a dog door and an enclosed dog run on the other side of the dog door. The dog crate goes up to the dog door. The dog door in the beginning may need to be taped or otherwise rigged up so the puppy can comfortably go through the dog door. The outside of the dog crate should be enclosed somehow to prevent the puppy from getting into any harm, or harm finding him!
Supervise your Pup or New Dog
When the pup isn’t in his crate, you have to use constant supervision to keep him from making mistakes. The easiest way to do this is to literally tie or tether the pup to your waist with a leash or line, or tether him to a piece of furniture where he has no more than three feet of freedom in any direction. Remember that a pup tethered to furniture should be watched carefully or he may chew it. Crating, supervising and tethering are examples of a management system used to support the dog until he is trained. With the crate set up to the dog door system, your puppy learns quickly to let himself out of his containment area to relieve himself. It also helps him develop some independence from always having you to hold his hand, thus increasing the need for the puppy to feel that he needs someone to take him out, he can’t possibly go by himself.
Preventing Separation – Anxiety
Because dogs are inherently pack animals, they prefer to be with us, than be alone. Most cases of adult “separation- anxiety” would never develop if the dog as a puppy had been trained in the crate/dog- door/dog -run management system just described. Early on the puppy would learn to deal with being alone and without the opportunity to dig, chew or destroy things left available. One important thing to consider with this system is that when you first let your puppy out of his crate you would still want to take your dog immediately to the outside area you are encouraging him to go relieve himself in. Even though your crate has access to the outside, puppy may have been resting and not recently “emptied out.” It won’t take much movement on the dogs part to feel the strong urge or need to “go.” We don’t want mistakes that could have been prevented. These are some of the first essentials for a good start with your new puppy. Enjoy him and give him a good start with safe and secure boundaries in your home!
All three dogs are Sit Means Sit trained dogs. They are trained to do fun things which help us educate the public. “Stuff” Sit Means Sit Phoenix, Toni Drugmand “Beck” Sit Means Sit Denver, Dave Skoletsky “Sonic” Sit Means Sit Atlanta, Darin Shepherd
By Fred Hassen & Toni Drugmand
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Tagged 96706, 96779, Aggressive dogs, Dog Trainer, Dog training, Ewa Beach, house breaking, Leonard Letoto, maui, Oahu, Paia, Potty Training, Rhonda Sanchez, Scott Sanchez, Sit Means Sit Hawaii
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What is the Sit Means Sit Collar?
The Sit Means Sit collar is a micro stim modality, that is very similar to those micro stim units used in the medical and athletic fields. These micro stim units essentially use low-level, adjustable electronic stimulation to create a muscle contraction. In the medical field, they are used as aids to help alleviate pain, promote blood circulation and induce healing. For our SMS collar, an adjustable micro stim signal is manually sent from a remote, that translates into a “tap” delivered to the Sit Means Sit Collar. This tap starts at such a low level, that they are often imperceptive to people. This signal from the Sit Means Sit collar is also adjustable in the same way that your voice is, and is completely controlled by you, the handler.
Sit Means Sit uses an attention-based dog training model developed by Founder and CEO, Fred Hassen. This approach utilizes a variety of training modalities that enable our trainers to gain the dog’s attention, even in some of the most distracting environments. The Sit Means Sit Collar allows us to use this medical technology in a way that is counter intuitive to the old school “correction /compulsion” approach. The “tap” is the corner stone of teaching attention both in close and long distant proximities, as well as distracting environments. Our ability to generate consistent quality levels of attention, allows us to induce a steeper learning curve for the dog than any other training model.
The technology we employ is 100% safe for dogs and humans (download our free report on the facts about modern electronic dog training.) Our Sit Means Sit programs that incorporate our collar as a training aid, use it simply to establish a connection between a tap and the owner, that we then teach and define as attention. A common key for success in any training method, is found in timing and consistency in all communications with the dog. Once the dog is proficient in the language of the collar, all kinds of new levels of proficiency are attained.
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 get their attention. The goal of tapping them on the shoulder is not to surprise or intimidate them, but rather to let them know that you want to communicate something to them. Adjustability in the tap levels is necessary because, while some dogs are “in tune,” so to speak, others can be less so. There is no way to determine what levels your dog will respond to, until we begin to interact and teach them with our collar. The versitilty of the collar’s long range capacity, the weather and water proof tolerances, and micro stim levels, allow a “training affect” to move into areas of high distraction and new environments. The integration of our collar will also significantly shorten the time period spent training, simply because a major challenge in teaching has always been about gaining and maintaining the dog’s attention.
Keep in mind that the typical results attained from a Sit Means Sit program include the consistent use of a calm voice (which paints the clearest picture for your dog), and includes the use of things such a leash, flat collar, food, toys, and enthusiastic affection. The advantage of using multiple training aids in the process compared to a single aid approach is as follows. While treats may work perfectly well in the kitchen, generally the treat fails to hold the same attention value when it comes to working outdoors with distractions. For example when the dog sees a cat or another dog, the dynamics change quickly. Sit Means Sit has found that dogs can be taught to pay attention around extreme distractions very effectively. We invite you to view our training first-hand by contacting us for a FREE demonstration with one our Sit Means Sit Hawaii trainers. During all our public and private demonstrations we encourage everyone in the audience and family to feel our Sit Means Sit collar prior to ever putting it on a dog.
Sit Means Sit is the only company to provide a REAL LIFETIME warranty with our product. There is no fine print to read or glitches that will catch you when you really need it. Sit Means Sit provides a hassle-free exchange warranty so that if ANYTHING ever happens to your dog training collar, it is covered. Don’t worry if your dog chews it up, or if your pet elephant accidentally steps on it and smashes it. Simply contact our Sit Means Sit Hawaii office, 808-283- DOGS (3647), and we’ll take care of the rest. Next week, next year, or 6 years from now. It’s the first and last dog training collar you will ever own! The Sit Means Sit collar and Remote are 100% fresh and salt water proof. The digital technology that is built into the design of the collar eliminates any possibility for you to accidentally harm your dog. The collar is safe, does not generate heat and it cannot burn a dog or person, even with human error or misuse. (You can also download our free report on the facts about modern electronic dog training devices).
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Using the Three Phases of Training to Generate Success
Training with the Sit Means Sit collar implements the same principles of any learning program that uses a variety of teaching aids. Reinforcement, in any and every form, is a required proficiency component and a necessary part of your dog’s life. Even after they are trained, it will still be necessary to maintain your rules and boundaries both in and out of the home.
The good news is that proper progression and thorough training, will result in your dog becoming increasingly reliable. This translates into more freedom for the dog, and less stress for the owner. Proofing your dog to be reliable without use of the Sit Means Sit dog training collar 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 your training and reinforcing your rules consistently over a long enough period of time, will define your dogs level of reliability in every case.
We advise all our clients, 90 days post-program completion, to implement the use of the Sit Means Sit collar consistently and without hesitation. Our focus at this juncture is on generating the smallest deviation between commands given and command executed. Translation: if you are having to repeat your command 5-7 times, it’s not because your dog can’t hear you, it’s because he doesn’t understand the skill in that particular working arena and current level of drive. The answer for solving this scenario is to go back to basics, and ensure you are following the protocols for progression given to you in your homework sheet after each and every class with your trainer. Since all our programs offer support for the lifetime of the dog, we are happy to offer counsel over the phone. We will even take it a step further and come out to work with you in person, at no further expense other than your time.
The three phases of training are as follows:
Phase 1: The Teaching/Control Phase
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 number 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 number two.
Phase 2: The Reinforcement Phase
During phase number two we begin to reduce our dependence on the dog training collar and introduce consistency via variable reinforcement. This phase will last between 6 – 12 weeks on average, and again some situations will require you to stick with phase number two for longer than average. It’s also not uncommon as dogs mature and age 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 out distractions entirely. When this is achieved, your dog is much less likely to act out in an unwanted manner in the presence 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. We have a number dog training videos that showcase dogs trained by Sit Means Sit working in environments event without a dog training collar on. Remember, the goal is to have the dog’s learn to perform through constant reinforcement to condition them.
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What Do You Think About Pit Bulls?
Sit Means Sit Hawaii 808-283-DOGS http://www.sitmeanssithawaii.com
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Tagged 96706, 96779, Aggressive dogs, Dog Trainer, Dog training, Ewa Beach, Leonard Letoto, maui, Oahu, Paia, Pit Bulls, Sit Means Sit Hawaii
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Example of High level control and awareness.
This is a clip of Sit Means Sit Creator and Ceo, Fred Hassen’s young dog Rex. Here Fred once again reinforces the value of solid foundational control of the dogs desire and the dogs ability to be aware of his body related to the handler and later the decoy. While this dog is young and has low volumes of bitework, he is advanced in many other areas of his work as you can imagine form this clip.
This just shows the very beginnings of having a dog both steady, but yet biting and barking with desire. This will transition into a solid bark and hold from anywhere, and stopping out of movement away from decoys, and going right into a bark and hold. All barks in this video are on command, as he already knows that.
We want him to bark when we tell him to, but we do not want him going crazy and just barking anytime he sees a bitesuit, or in a police situation where he has to be quiet as well. Having the dog aware of his body and confident in all of his movements, brings all of the energy forward into what you want the behavior to be, or a chain of behaviors in succession. This dog is a little over a year and a half, and has very little bitework, as he has been just a competitive dockdog (www.dockdogs.com) thus far.
While this clips looks simple enough, the reality of the difficulty is when you begin trying it out, be patient the rewards are great!
Aloha,
Scott
Sit Means Sit Hawaii
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Tagged control, Dog Trainer, Dog training, Dog training Hawaii, Dog Training Maui, Fred Hassen, Rex, Scott Sanchez, sit means sit, Team MPG
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Small Dogs: Potty Training and Barking
As a Las Vegas dog trainer I get calls to work with and train clients that have small dogs as pets and companions. Every dog is an individual and some small dogs can be fearful, while other small dogs can be aggressive, and others are over-the-top friendly. Many different personalities and many different problems. Some small dogs run away, some small dogs bark excessively, some small dogs like to pee in the house. Despite the type of behavioural problem that our clients are experiencing, there is hope. Even for those dogs you might consider untrainable. In fact the commonly carried thought on training small dogs is that either the dog cannot be trained effectively because he is so small, or in the majority of cases the dog owner doesn’t consider the behavioural problem to be too serious because the dog is small and can’t really do too much damage.
Many small dog owners keep their dogs indoors. Dog training for an indoor dog has it’s merits for a couple of reasons. Firstly, many little dogs, puppies in particular have issues with peeing or eliminating in the house. Potty training is probably the number one dog problem that our clients with small dogs have. Potty training is not a complicated process, but because of the freedom given to the small dog with sense of leadership or structure, the dog will easily sneak out of sight and potty in the house without the owners realizing. Having basic control over a small dog enables the dog owner to provide guidance and structure which in turn enables the owner to teach the dog to eliminate in a desired area, whether it’s on a potty pad or outside in a designated area.
Another VERY common problem for the indoor small dog as well as small dogs who travel with their owners outdoors is that of excessive barking. Small dogs were originally bred as companion dogs and for pest control and to this day they still fulfill the role of companion dog. What many people don’t realize is that the companion dogs in antiquity were selected based on their loyalty and territorial nature. In essence the dogs that were most willing to alert when someone or something trespassed were often the ones chosen to be bred. This means that over the centuries little dogs have been selectively bred to be good guard dogs. Regardless of whether a small dog owner wants a guard dog or not, they very often get an exceptional one. More often than not, these dogs take it upon themselves to bark at everything that is new to them and often without stopping. More often than not this barking is considered nuisance barking.
Small dogs are often welcome in apartment and condominium units because physically they are unobtrusive, however their nature to be territorial guard dogs gets in the way of peaceful living. Excessive barking is actually a very easy to control problem, and the key to teaching your dog to quiet on command is a two step process.
The first step is teaching the dog to pay attention to you by teaching them to do a specific task. The task or obedience command that I teach my clients who own small dogs is how to “place” on command. This basically requires the dog to go to a mat or dog bed on command and stay there. The more challenging the object is to place on, the more effective it will be to teach the dog how to stop barking. The principle here is 
channelling the small dog’s energy and attention he is putting into barking into another task. Keeping him busy takes his attention off of what is causing him to bark.
When the dog will reliably go to “Place” on command around distractions, then the dog will stop barking. This is where step two comes into play. Teaching the dog to be “Quiet” on command involves using the “Place” command to create the understanding in the dog’s mind between the word “Quiet” and the action of stopping barking. When the dog begins to bark the pattern to use involves telling the dog “Quiet” once or twice, and if he continues to bark, sending him to his “Place” and then repeating the command “Quiet” when the dog is on his place. In time the dog will realize that the word “Quiet” equates to going to his “Place” and stopping barking.
One dog in particular we worked with was a a Shih-Tzu named “Brodie”. His owner was looking to learn to calm Brodie down when people would come over. In only two lessons Brodie was a completely different dog. He learned how to kennel on command as well as come back when called. We also taught Brodie to sit on a stool around some very tough distraction. He did amazing! Brodie’s owner wants him to be a companion and a lap dog. Brodie is allowed to jump on people as well Brodie is allowed on the couch and sleeps with his owner in her bed. Even though Brodie is allowed to jump and say hello to visitors, not every person we meet likes dog jumping on them, so Brodie’s owner taught him to stay in his kennel on command.
By Ashton Fitzgerald
Sit Means Sit Las Vegags
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Tagged Dog training, Hawaii dog training, house breaking, obedience, Small dogs
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How and when to integrate play with learning obedience skills
We often see dogs that although being cooed over, petted or fed treats, still seem miserable while being “trained.” Positive motivation can be a tricky thing.
Dog training (dog learning) should not take on the flavor of a boring chore for the dog or handler. Some trainers will tell you to train early in the morning before you feed them, while others will tell you to train your dog only for 10-15 minutes maximum. The reasoning behind those approaches has to do primarily with ones ability to attain and hold the dogs attention more than anything else.
This video displays a Sit Means Sit Client and her 5 month old German Shepherd
At Sit Means Sit Hawaii we are teaching and reinforcing commands to our dogs around the clock. We teach (train) as we live, just like raising children. As parents we could not possibly take three 20 minute sessions a day to raise them, although some of us might like that program, but at that rate we might be raising them well into their 30′s and there goes retirement fun. Sure there are times when we focus on just learning one skill, but the most impacting agenda is for the dog to be comprehensive in the Sit Means Sit Language.
We teach them a whole new language of communication that will enable you as the handler to have control of your dog at distances. This in turn, gives your dog more freedom. It is simple math in that proper repetition, breeds consistent behavior patterns. We aim to use every opportunity to mark a behavior, even for example if it is only for two seconds in a “place” for a puppy, or an advanced skill, like a remote down.
The main goal for any training method is to attain and hold the dog’s attention. Whether it is food, leash and collar, flat, prong, choke or remote collar, we all are using tools to obtain results. We use our Sit Means Sit collar because it gives the ability to communicate, teach and control attention at a distance. While all methods are all on an even playing field, ours is an exception to the rule since we can communicate and control our dog’s at distances. It should be noted that any punishment and intimidation comes from the handler, not the tool.
Like anything in life, no single person or dog for that matter, is ever punished into excellence. Our goal is to generate a happy well mannered dog. With that in mind, we strive for beginning and ending interactions on a high note.
You can give your dog treats and “good boy’s” all day long, but if your voice is flat and your body language is stiff, then within a matter minutes of interacting with your dog, there is a high probability of your dog mirroring that tone you have set, making the learning arena, less than exciting for the dog. There is tremendous value in tuning into your dogs drive levels. For example very high energy toy motivated dogs, need to be toned down a bit and flat dogs need a bigger dose of the handlers upbeat attitude. The handler should always be engaged and having fun, but at the same time, keenly aware to keep things in balance. Below you will see a good visual example, of integrating play and learning progressions to create an up beat attitude for learning obedience skills.
At Sit Means Sit Hawaii, we believe that playful interaction, mixed with intervals of teaching a new skill in progressions, can be very impacting to the success of our dog learning a skill. While this holds true, there is a window of “feel” and “timing” involved in implementing this approach. On occasion we will separate work and play until the dog completely understands the elements we expect in his actions, with this completed, we’ll incorporate the play and training. There are cases, especially with really high drive dogs, that it is imperative to teach them to be correct first and then incorporate the toy. On the other side of the coin, be prepared, because some dogs can get flat when you teach them something new and will not play with toys even if they love them. Once there is comprehension of the desired behavior, the dog then “loosens up” and then we start to integrate training and play as one.
We define success by having a balanced well mannered dog that looks for interaction with you as their leader. Further more defined for example by modifying and changing their unwanted behavior patterns, controlling them around other dogs, accepting touch from strangers, not peeing anytime someone approaches him or running away.
Once you are able to read your dogs drive level, you can selectively choose your timing to integrate training time and play time to be one in the same. To do this, we generally have a ball or a tug toy close by and we offer frequent intervals of “play” with those toys, so we can maintain an upbeat attitude for learning new skills with increased levels of distractions.
It is important to remember that the toy alone does not induce learning, but it creates an appetite to work towards getting a reward for the dog. It is important to create a safe and professionally supervised environment that is conducive for achieving success. We must be mindful to set the tone for incremental learning to take place.
We consider, the environment a contributing factor for our ability to teach clearly and for the dog to learn successfully. Safety is our first priority. We must consider containment, being away from stray dogs, moving vehicles and other unforeseen moving distractions, these elements are all very important in the initial learning phases of any skill. Additionally, we place an emphasis on our own animation and creativity, to induce an upbeat attitude for the dog. In simple terms, a stiff statue type posture, barking firm commands and throwing a ball or tossing a treat, is generally not going produce a happy dog that performs more than the very basics.
Different things motivate each and every dog. It’s pretty obvious what “cranks the scooter” for one, may put the other to sleep. So if it is affection that makes your dog happy, then after it proficiently performs a skill, you should be so outgoing with your affection, that you will be embarrassed if anyone sees you. The key is knowing what brings their attitude up and weaving that element into all your interactions of teaching your dog.
Regardless of what you use to reward your dog, remember to keep the excitement focused on you and in balance with what is expected regarding the dog’s skill and age level. Too much control placed on a young dog, can easily generate a flat and submissive behavior early on in life. Like wise, too much out of control crazy play time, for a high energy, high drive dog, can lead to someone getting hurt and it’s rarely ever the dog.
At Sit Means Sit Hawaii we firmly believe that we are responsible for the levels of success that each dog enjoys. Bottom line, every dog no matter what breed, age or size, has pure potential just waiting to be realized. The more healthy interaction we have with our dogs, the more fun we can have teaching them new skills. We encourage every dog owner, no matter what the situation is, there is always a way to have more fun!
Scott Sanchez
Vice President of
Research & Development
www.SitMeansSit.com
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Tagged Add new tag, Dog training Hawaii, German Shepherd, GSD, maui, Maui Dog trainng, Obedience training, Puppy, Puppy training, Remote Collar, Scott Sanchez, Team MPG
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Keeping It Neutral
One of the hardest concepts for any of us to grasp is that our Sit Means Sit collar is a “neutral” training aid. What this means is we de-emphasize the presence of the SMS collar to the dog while still utilizing it during training. But why is this so important?
The goal of most dog obedience programs is to
build the relationship with your dog to the point where training aids are no longer needed. Eventually, your dog will respond to your commands (verbal or otherwise) because of the bond that was created through the progression of the training exercises performed in conjunction with the trainer’s communication aid of choice. These aids need to be looked at as only a part of the training regimen; the aids are not the regimen. To use an analogy:
When I was first learning how to ride a bicycle, I rode one that had training wheels. During the learning process, however, the training wheels were never really emphasized. The principles that were stressed to me were safety, balance, turning and the rules of the road. As a result, when the training wheels were removed, I barely noticed that they were gone as I rode around enjoying my new found mobility. In my mind, they had never been a large factor in learning to ride so I never gave it a second thought when they weren’t there anymore. Now imagine if my father had made a big deal of the fact that the bicycle on which I was learning had training wheels. I’d probably look for them every time I got on the bicycle and I might have been too scared to ride without them.
Now take this same thought process and apply it to training our dogs with the SMS collar and its role in the learning process. If we make a big fuss about putting on the collar and purposely display the remote to the dog every time we use it, we would be setting ourselves up (along with our dogs) to fall into a trap. With the press of a button we are able to communicate with the dog at both short and long range distances. The delivery of this communication does not require overt gesturing with the remote or your body. I’ve personally witnessed a few incidents in which the remote was pointed at the dog much like one points the remote control at the television when changing channels. Doing this presents a visual picture that is more complicated , unnecessary and can be detrimental to the training process and its results.
INCORRECT CORRECT
When used properly, the SMS collar teaches the dog to listen to the owner by increasing the dog’s focus on its owner’s commands, not the tap or presence of the SMS collar. When the SMS collar is implemented correctly, in concert with keeping the training exercises at the forefront, you will find that the SMS collar blends into the foundation of your relationship with your dog. Additionally, we always emphasize the value of repetition to our clients and advocate using the SMS Collar consistently for a period of 12 weeks. This volume of repetition behind you allows the language of our Sit Means Sit program to solidify in a way that produces comprehension of your commands in almost any situation. The outcome is a happy, obedient dog that listens to you anywhere, anytime!
Leonard Letoto
Sit Means Sit Hawaii
283 3647 (DOGS)
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Tagged 96706, 96779, Aggressive dogs, Dog Trainer, Dog training, Ewa Beach, Leonard Letoto, maui, Oahu, Paia, Rhonda Sanchez, Scott Sanchez, Sit Means Sit Hawaii
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