FAQ’s

What is a Demo?

At Sit Means Sit Longmont-Firestone, we start our programs by meeting with you and your dog at our facility. Our demonstrations are completely free of charge. This is as an opportunity for you to evaluate our training, and for us to make an accurate assessment. We take detailed notes on your lifestyle and your dog’s specific needs, so that we can make a qualified recommendation for you to choose between our two different training modes.

The demonstration allows:

• Time for you to see the proficiency of our training with one of our trained dogs>
• Time for us to share all of the different types of training approaches to consider
• Time for you to ask us direct questions about the realistic expectations of training for your dog
• Time for us to demonstrate our training with your dog so you can see the potential with our training approach
• Time for us to make quality recommendations for one or both of our two training modes
• Time for you to make a qualified decision based on your personal experience seeing your dog in action

Bottom line, it’s a “Sit Means Sit Test Drive” that is a must anytime you are considering training your dog.

The FREE, no-obligation demonstration will last about a 60-minutes. In order for us to give you a fair and accurate price quote, we must fully understand your needs.  The amount of time we would expect to be working with you and your dog is key to selecting the right program to achieve your desired goals. The only investment required for the demo is your time. During the demo we will be able to develop a personalized training plan that best suits your dog’s temperament and your specific needs.

Keep in mind, that anyone who says that they can train your dog should be willing and able to show you their level of training with one of their dogs, and most importantly, show you how their training works with your dog. Naturally this should be without any investment or commitment on your part.

What type of training methods do you use?

The unique Sit Means Sit training model uses Attention-Based Training to modify behaviors and teach dogs new skills and proper manners. This approach to training allows our Sit Means Sit Longmont-Firestone trainers to use a variety of attention-based modalities such as leashes, flat collars, food, toys, and naturally our patented Sit Means Sit Collar. Just as in sports and academics, no one is ever punished into excellence. We teach with a healthy level of clear guidance, direction, and enthusiastic praise. Through repetition and proper progression, excellence and proficiency are then achieved. We are best known for our off leash results around distractions, both on and off the owner’s property. We address many different areas of training, some of which are listed below:

• Housebreaking
• Barking
• Aggression
• Basic Obedience
• Advanced Obedience
• Dog Sports
• Leash pulling
• Jumping
• Chewing

Our training is safe, free of confrontation, conflict and confusion. There is no yelling or punishment in our training progressions. The collar (as is the case with all other training modalities), does not train a specific skill such as “sit” or “down”. We, as trainers, teach the skill. The collar simply acts as a neutral attention aid, and once we have the dog’s attention, we begin shaping a skill by guiding and directing the dog. As you view our portfolio of dog training videos and pictures, we hope that you will pay close attention to the attitude of all the dogs trained by Sit Means Sit. We direct our focus on generating and maintaining a happy and relaxed attitude in all of our dogs. This is why we are committed to showcasing our training via the Internet in order to share our training options around the state of Colorado and around the world. Throughout the year we do a large number of public demonstrations (at indoor and outdoor expos and events) all around the country.

What type of training programs do you offer?

Sit Means Sit Longmont-Firestone offers two different types of training modes with programs available within each mode. Each program is tweaked to the specific needs of your dog, your family, and your circumstances.

Our training modes are:

• Private Lessons (We teach you to train your dog) – Ultimate and Basic, followed up with Group Classes (Real World Training)
• Trainer-Dog-Owner Programs (Our trainer trains your dog AND trains you to train your dog) – Boot Camp and Board & Train, again in conjunction with Private Lessons, followed up with access to our Group Classes (Real World Training)

Our Boot Camp program offers three FULL days of training over three weeks at our indoor training facility and out in the real world.  A private lesson ends each day when the owner comes to pick up their dog.  After the one-on-one lessons are complete, the program includes 6-months of unlimited Group Classes.

In the Board & Train program, your dog will stay at the Sit Means Sit facility. This time period is matched with your individual needs, your dog’s temperament, and your dog’s expected learning curve. We offer 5-Day, 10-Day and 15-Day Jump Start programs depending on your dog’s specific needs. At Sit Means Sit Longmont-Firestone, we like to train your dog in the real world around real world distractions and then teach you, with individual private lessons, to train your dog as you live your busy life. Your success is ensured with our results-oriented unlimited email and telephone follow up, and a series of Group Classes.

Can you help with housebreaking my puppy?

Puppy Preschool

Sit Means Sit Longmont-Firestone can help with every aspect of your dog’s training including healthy puppy containment, management, and housebreaking. Our Puppy Preschool program offers ground-level guidance and protocols for those individuals who are either bringing a puppy home for the first time, or simply need a little extra assistance in getting started with their young pup or rescue dog.

Contact us for details of our Puppy Preschool program.

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 it is often imperceptible 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 counterintuitive to the old school “correction /compulsion” approach. The “tap” is the cornerstone of teaching attention both in close proximity and long distance, 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 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 someone 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 versatility of the collar’s long range capacity, the weather and waterproof tolerances, and micro stim levels, allow a “training effect” 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.

Does this training work for small dogs?

Absolutely! Sit Means Sit Longmont-Firestone has successfully trained many small dogs. Small dogs and large dogs learn by the same basic principles of attention, through a motivated learning model. One general difference we have seen over the years, is the owner’s tendency to tolerate more extreme behaviors from their smaller dogs as opposed to their larger dogs. These behaviors include aggression, excessive barking, and even housebreaking or marking problems.

Our customized approach to training dogs of all sizes and temperaments, allows us to fine tune our training progressions to suit even the smallest of dogs, with the biggest of challenges.

Does my dog always have to wear the collar?

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 component for proficiency 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, just like with our kids and husbands. (SORRY, We do NOT train husbands, wives or kids!)

The good news is, that with proper progression and thorough training your dog will become increasingly more reliable. This translates into more freedom for the dog and less stress for the owner. Proofing your dog to be reliable without the 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: Teaching/Control Phase, Reinforcement Phase, Maintenance Phase. Sticking with your training and reinforcing your rules consistently, over a long enough period of time, will define your dog’s level of reliability in every case.

We advise all our clients to implement the use of the Sit Means Sit collar consistently and without hesitation for 6-months post-program completion. Our focus at this juncture is on generating the smallest deviation between commands given and commands 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 to solving this scenario is to go back to basics, and ensure you are following the protocols for progression.  Since all our programs offer unlimited support for your dog, we are happy to offer counsel over the phone or by email. We will even take it a step further and allow you to come to one of our group classes for follow up at no further expense.

Does your training work with aggressive dogs?

The answer is yes. Our training system is heralded among aggressive dog owners both here in Colorado and across the world, as “the program that saved my dog’s life”. Here, at Sit Means Sit Longmont-Firestone, we have successfully trained many aggressive dogs. We recommend checking out some of our dog training videos that feature aggressive dogs being trained by Sit Means Sit dog trainers. Due to the nature of aggression and prior to any attempts, it’s highly recommended that you contact a seasoned and successful professional trainer first. This is to ensure the highest degree of safety for both you and your dog, and to induce a positive change in an aggressive dog. All dogs can learn manners, it’s just about taking the time needed and having the skills to teach them.

Ready to Get Started?

If you would like to learn more and set up a FREE  consultation, you can contact us HERE.

How do I request Boarding, Daycare or Grooming?

Through Gingr. Once you have created a pet portal you can request grooming, daycare and boarding. https://sitmeanssitlongmont.portal.gingrapp.com/#/public/login