Rick and I adopted Ernie, a rescue dog, in December. We are unsure of his complete back ground. He was very afraid of people, other dogs, and any new situation. We could tell he was not socialized well. He displayed some aggressive tendencies, and we were unable to get him to listen to us.

We took Ernie to be evaluated at another dog training facility. They labeled him an aggressive dog, and a very BAD DOG. We did not see him that way, and so we continued searching. Rick got a referral to Alex and Sit Means Sit from someone who had experienced firsthand what could be done with the right training and the right tools.

Alex came out in June to evaluate Ernie and give us a demonstration. He worked patiently with Ernie and determined that he only has fear based aggression and is indeed a GOOD DOG. He needed guidance and leadership.

We have been so pleased with the outcome. We saw changes after the first session with Alex. People who knew how he was before say he is a totally different dog now. The change is amazing. Ernie is happier, more confident, more engaged with people, learning to ignore other dogs if he is not comfortable with them, and he actually listens to us now. Alex not only did an excellent job training Ernie, but he also had to train us to handle Ernie.

Thanks Alex and Sit Means Sit

I wanted to take a minute to write about a new product that Sit Means Sit is offering. It is called Steadfast Canine. Here is how the manufacturer describes Steadfast: “STEADFAST CANINE is more than a vitamin/mineral product, a joint health product, or a bone health product; it is a complete Structural Support System designed to support and maintain normal health, performance, and longevity of ALL components of your dog’s framework — including joints, bones, and other connective tissues. Each of these components may be impacted over time due to athletic performance, environmental conditions and aging. While many canine health products may be useful in addressing one component of your dog’s framework, STEADFAST CANINE takes a unique and multi-faceted approach in supporting your dog’s entire structural system”. I recently had the chance to test out Steadfast on one my favorite dogs in the world, Tucker. He has been suffering from a knee problem for almost a year now. This winter I was prepared to spend well over one thousand dollars to have surgery done on his knee. As a last resort I tried steadfast at the suggestion of another Sit Means Sit Trainer. I don’t think words can describe how happy I have been with the results. Since his injury Tuckers quality of life had decreased tremendously. He did not run, play, and there were times I had to carry him up the stairs. About two weeks into using Steadfast I started noticing he was getting more active, his eyes lit up again when I would ask him if he wanted to go to work, and he was getting a little pep in his step. At around week three he actually jumped on me when I cam home from work. Although that behavior is not encouraged, I was thrilled to see that kind of mobility again. Shortly after I found him chasing my Malinois around the yard! I was sold. It has been over two months since I started Tucker on Steadfast and today he actually caught a Frisbee again, something he has not done in a long time. My dog Tucker means the world to me and steadfast has made a huge difference in his life and mine. If you have an older dog, a breed prone to joint problems, or just want to improve your dogs health I can’t recommend Steadfast enough. You can find the web site at www.arenus.com

Cindy and I would like to thank you for all the great work you have done with our 1 1/2 year old English Bulldog Bruno. When we got Bruno we were expecting a laid back breed however Bruno turned out to have a high amount of energy and excitement. This is not a bad thing but his playfulness was very difficult to control. You gave us great tips/advice/understanding when working with us. Bruno has calmed down dramatically and now shows a greater level of obedience. I just want to let you know we appreciate the flexibility you provided in getting Bruno on the right track. Thanks again for everything and we would highly recommend you to anyone looking for dog training needs.

Paolo, Cindy, and Bruno

Here is some footage from a workshop we did a few weeks back. We had 16 different Sit Means Sit trainers from all over the country attend.

Here is some footage taken at Labrador Friends Of The South Christmas Party. In it my 18 month old Malinois is doing a series of jumps on the side of a busy road. The Sit Means Sit training system enables me to work with my dog both up close and at a distance around heavy distractions. Most importantly he and I are having a great time training. If you live in the North Georgia area to include Dawsonville, Cumming, Gainesville, Flowery Branch, Canton, Holly Springs, Suwanene, Johns Creek, and Dahlonega and you want a well trained happy dog call 706-265-8116.

This past week I had the pleasure of meeting with 16 other Sit Means Sit trainers from all over the east coast. We had trainers come from as far away as Boston to spend three days sharing ideas and most importantly, training dogs. We had dogs of all shapes and sizes attend. From Yorkies to Rotties it seemed like we had a little bit of everything. When we were not training out dogs we spent time discussing ways to better serve our clients and helped problem solve through issues that some trainers were having. I got the opportunity to begin my personal dog on retrieval work and continue to develop his protection skills. Over all it was an incredible three days and I feel extremely fortunate for being part of such an incredible network of trainers. Stay tuned for some exciting video footage from our event!

It seems that recently I have had more and more people contact me looking for training for their puppies. They want to know how old their puppy needs to be before it can begin training. It is my opinion that you can’t start too early. I prefer to start obedience training between three and four months of age. However, teaching your pup manners, potty training, and proper socialization begin the minute you bring your new pup into your home. Sit Means Sit founder Fred Hassen and trainer Tony Drugmand wrote and excellent article on puppy training. In the article they cover crate training and the introduction of the remote collar into your training. One of the greatest benifits of the Sit Means Sit method of training is that it is so gentle and non forceful that we can start obedience training with young dogs long before traditional training allows. I started my training my malinois puppy at 13 weeks. Just because your dog is a pup doesn’t mean it has to be unruly and disobedient. For more information on training your puppy feel free to call or email Sit Means Sit North Georgia.

This picture was taken at the beginning of my first lesson with Kaizer. Kaizer is a year and a half old great dane and weighs 202lbs. He has quite a list of accomplishments under his belt. They include dismantling the outside A/C unit, destroying $1500 worth of giant dog beds, tearing apart a gas grill, and uprooting half the sod in the yard. He also enjoys running away and being generally unruly. Kaizer took very well to the Sit Means Sit method of training. By the end of his first lesson Kaizer was recalling with out a lead and paying attention to his owner, which before was something he did on his terms only. The best part though was Kaizers goofy personality never changed; he just learned to pay attention. At Sit Means Sit North Georgia we pride our selves in producing happy, well behaved dogs that are a pleasure to be around. We proudly serve the following counties, Dawson, Hall, Cherokee, and Forsyth.
CALL OR EMAIL SIT MEANS SIT NORTH GEORGIA FOR A FREE DEMONSTRATION WITH YOUR DOG

HERE IS A PICTURE OF MY 8 MONTH OLD MALINOIS JACKSON PRACTICING HIS BASKET COMMAND. JACKSON HAS BEEN TRAINED USING THE SIT MEANS SIT DOG TRAINING SYSTEM SINCE HE WAS 13 WEEKS OLD.
CALL OR EMAIL SIT MEANS SIT NORTH GEORGIA FOR A FREE DEMONSTRATION WITH YOUR DOG