What type of training methods do you use?
Sit Means Sit uses a variety of training methods and tools to achieve the goals of both the client 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.
Do you train the dog or do we learn how to train our dog?
We offer both styles of training. With programs such as a Board & Train package, will jump-start your dog’s training for you through a residency program. With these programs, it is necessary for you to go through follow-up training with your dog to learn how to problem solve and maintain your dog’s training for his or her lifetime.
There is a common misconception that many people hold that once a dog is trained, they will robotically go through the motions every-time they are commanded to do so. Reality is that situations are unpredictable and reinforcement of commands periodically is necessary to create a lasting relationship with your dog and its new training.
This is not unlike learning to drive a car and obtaining your driver’s license. The license does not guarantee that you will never speed or ever make a mistake while driving; it simply states that you understand the rules of the road and are capable of driving safely. The police are still out everyday enforcing the rules of the road. This is why your own education is critical to the success of ANY dog training program.
Do you offer housebreaking?
Sit Means Sit can help with every aspect of your dog’s training, including puppy management and housebreaking. We train dogs of every age (including teaching those old dogs some new tricks), small dogs as well as big dogs. Contact us today to set up a free demonstration and consultation with your dog.
Do you only train with the Sit Means Sit Collar?
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 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.
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 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, you are taught how to condition your dog to the collar in a constructive and positive manner. By adjusting the level of the collar appropriately for your 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 they are at a distance from you greatly enhances the reliability you can achieve in a short period of time. It 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.
Is the Sit Means Sit Collar safe?
Yes, it is 100% safe. The digital technology built into the design of the collar prevents any harm from coming to your dog. The collar does not generate heat and it cannot burn a dog or person, even with misuse.
Does this training work for small dogs?
Absolutely. Sit Means Sit has succesfully trained thousands of small dogs across the nation. Small dogs and large dogs learn in very much the same capacity. The only difference is the owner’s tendency to tolerate more extreme behaviors from their small dogs such as 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 system to suit even small dogs.
I have a sensitive and fearful dog. How can your training help me?
Dogs that are sensitive or fearful (they may or may not display submissiveness or fear-based aggression) have unique circumstances that need to be addressed through clear and non-confrontational dog obedience training. Dog’s that display either introverted or extroverted behavior that is based on fear can be challenging to train without the proper guidance and coaching. The main goal in training dogs of this temperament type is to build confidence in the dog through obedience exercises and other learned behavior. The first step is gaining trust from the dog through communication using the Sit Means Sit dog training system. The second step in training is to rehabilitate the dog to create new default behavior. In cases of fear-aggression, confidence is key to teaching the dog how to become trustworthy. In cases of submissive or sensitive dogs, clarity and confidence is key.
The real advantage that Sit Means Sit offers is firstly a free demonstration with your dog to show you the effectiveness of our training, and how the Sit Means Sit dog training collar and proper training can be utilized to build your dog’s confidence. When dealing with high emotion dogs such as these, it is important to maintain clear communication, but without bringing confrontation into the mix. Confrontational training can only push a dog further into their protective ‘shell’. By teaching the dog how to focus their energy and attention on their obedience commands, it takes their mind off of the distractions that cause them to become fearful.
With a sensitive dog, we are able to combine physical touch to bring in the element of attention that is required to learn, but on a much more effective level than you could normally achieve with a leash. The adjustable nature of the Sit Means Sit dog training collar allows for the trainer to adjust the collar to a lower level than is even perceptible by most humans. This simply allows us to compensate for physically and emotionally sensitive dogs.
Seeing is believing.
Does the dog always have to wear the Sit Means Sit dog collar?
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 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 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 1, 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 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 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.