The Best Dog Training in Broadview Heights, OH

My Australian Cattle dog had a ton of energy and he liked to run! He never came when I called him and would jump on people, grab food off the table and had numerous other bad habits. The trainer did a demonstration with my dog and within a few minutes had my dog totally under control and making eye contact with him. I immediately signed up for the training. Within three weeks of training, I had off leash control of my dog and he listened to me even around distractions. When I saw the results, I knew this company was something special.

Since I graduated from The Sit Means Sit School of remote collar dog training in November of 2007 I have worked with thousands of dogs and have continued educating myself and following my passion to be one the best dog trainers I can be.

Here is a list of some of my training accomplishments:

• Certified remote collar specialist of the Sit Means Sit School of Remote Collar Training
• Attended the Sit Means Sit Annual ‘Main Event’ from 2009-2016 where I obtained numerous certifications in advanced training skill
• Invited Speaker for the 2012-2016 Sit Means Sit Annual Main Event Conference

Completed the following seminars and classes:

• “Animal Acting” with Ashton Fitz-Gerald
• “Frisbee Disc” with 2008 & 2010 World Frisbee Dog Champion Lawrence Frederick
• “Trained retrieve”
• “Advanced obedience training”
• ”Building drive in your dog”
• “Protection training”
• “Trick training”
• “Building a dog’s confidence”
• “Working with Aggressive Dogs”
• Certified AKC “Canine Good Citizen” Evaluator
• Certified Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dog Evaluator
• My dogs have been featured in film, television, magazines, and American Greetings cards.
• Volunteer at numerous facilities, including assisted living homes and schools, my two Bright & Beautiful Certified Therapy Dogs
• Trained “Goose Patrol” dog to assist in the constant upkeep and cleanliness of city parks, golf courses, and city center. Dog was trained in full off leash obedience, directional work, and the ability to follow obedience commands in any setting.
• Work with numerous animal shelters and dog rescues to help with challenging dogs, including fostering and working them through behavioral issues, to increase adoption readiness.

My husband and I did private lessons at our home and we couldn’t believe the difference! In just a few short lessons, my out-of-control maniacs were well behaved, listened to us under any circumstance, and stopped pulling on the leash! Knowing what Sit Means Sit has done for my dogs alone, had made me a believer in the program! I’ve been lucky enough to work with the best trainers in the business and clients who are second to none. Being able to talk to satisfied clients whose dogs started out with behavioral challenges and listening to the proud dog moms and dads as they share their success stories has shown me that I am right where I belong!

In my career with Sit Means Sit, I have attended six annual Sit Means Sit Main Event corporate conferences to continue my education in customer service and communication, management, website optimization, and software integration. I was an invited speaker at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Main Event conferences and recipient of the Administrative Excellence Award in 2017.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Kent State University and studied for three years at the University of Akron working towards a Master’s Degree. I also spent seven years on the Board of Directors for the National Super Kids Classic, a national soap box derby for children with special needs. I also spent time as a volunteer at the Humane Society of Greater Akron, where I was blessed to work with amazing animals, that against most odds, were a pleasure to be around and eventually adopted into forever homes!

I knew that I’ve always wanted to pursue a career with animals, then my journey with Sit Means Sit began in 2022! Since then, I have worked with many breeds of dogs! Herding breeds, protective breeds, sporting/working, toy/little, etc. Some of my favorites to train are mals, labs, aussies, and beagles (being a beagle owner myself.) I also have worked with dogs with different behaviors ranging from puppy energy to fear aggression. I have worked with all ages of dogs as young as 3 months to as old as 14 years. In my experience at Sit Means Sit, I have gotten to learn many new things about different breeds/behaviors and how to work with each & every one.

I have always had a passion for working with animals & enjoy what I do! Can’t wait to meet your furry friend!

my mind.

In May of 2018, I finally got a dog of my own! Chase, a border collie-Australian shepherd mix, became my absolute best friend. He was 4 1/2 months old when he came home with me, and I started training him as soon as he got comfortable in the new environment. By the time he was about 7 months old, he knew over 90 commands—tricks AND obedience! Thankfully, I got lucky with him and could always trust him off leash and never worry about him not listening to me. But then came the other dogs I added to my fur family: Zoro, Aspen, and Wren. The three of them are somewhat well-behaved dogs but needed work, and I soon realized that I got extremely lucky with Chase and needed a little more education when it came to dog training to get the other three under better control. I started looking into dog training-related jobs and came across Sit Means Sit!

After an interview with Paul and Rachel, I shadowed Jim and finally got a full understanding of what the training was all about. I fell in love with it! Now I can better educate myself and know what to do better when training dogs on top of training my own!

After just three lessons, I saw a huge difference. Sergio now has a solid foundation of obedience and has learned to control his wild energy! I also have two other dogs in my home, Bella a pit bull mix, and Shalimar, a Yorkshire terrier. Bella loves to be front and center to get attention and Shalimar is guilty of being way too cute!

I am raising my family right here in Copley, Ohio. I have two children in the Copley Fairlawn Middle School, and a son who just graduated high school and daughter that is in her senior year at Copley High School and enlisting in the marines after graduation.

I have worked in customer service all of my life.
When I was young, my ultimate dream was to work at the zoo and feed the animals. I am very happy to be working in a position where I get to combine my love of working with great clients and my passion for animals. I look forward to a long and rewarding career with Sit Means Sit!

I took a gap to work at a doggy daycare in the spring/fall and a clinic in the summer before classes. At work, I grew intrigued with the body language of dogs I watched in a daycare/pack setting, vs dogs in a more “scary” environment like a clinic. I was fascinated with behavior, especially when met with aggression/anxiety. But it was during one of those 2 hr long vet tech lectures (that I already zoned out in) when I had THE epiphany. I asked myself; is it really the physical need of dogs I want to treat, or the behavioral one?

….given the fact that you’re reading my bio, I bet you can guess what I chose! I dropped my tech courses and went straight to job searching, hoping to find some kind of avenue into behavior. And there I found Sit Means Sit, so I took my shot and haven’t looked back since! 🙂 Here I find a dual love and passion for correcting behavior while building the confidence of each dog and owner I get the joy of helping!

When not at her “day job”, she loves to play and work with her dogs, take photographs, teach pottery class one night a week, and works with horses at her friend’s barn. When there is time, she also writes a blog for the Pet Section of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Her biggest wish is that there could be about 4 extra hours in the day that didn’t require sleeping in order to get even MORE done!

At the time of resignation, I had a 7-month-old Great Dane named Trigger. He was wonderful, loving, yet also a very energetic puppy that definitely needed training. I contacted Sit Means Sit to help this soon-to-be big boy learn manners and become obedient.

During his journey, Trigger became a well-trained gentle dog. He obtained his CGC certification and went through the therapy program that Sit Means Sit offered. Trigger and I volunteered at many facilities including Hospice, nursing homes, assisted living, and numerous schools. My love for volunteering and helping others during times of need has led me to become one of the K9 Caring Angels Evaluators for Sit Means Sit.

I am also a full-time, self-employed Nail technician and reside in Wadsworth, Ohio with my husband. We have two grown children, one granddaughter, and another grandchild on the way. I now have a new dog, Sasha. She is a mini Bernedoodle who is now in training for the therapy dog program to continue Trigger’s Legacy.

Email: jvharvay@gmail.com