Lisa Pierce

Monday nights during November and December will be all about tricks. What tricks, you wonder? It will depend a little on your dog…but… Around. Backpack. Bang. Beg. Bounce. Bucket. Circle. Crawl. Fire hydrant. Handstand. Push. Reverse. Roll.  Speak. Spin. “Spider”. Spread ’em. Touch. Twist. Under. And MORE.   The fine (ok, bold) print: Classes will be…

It’s summer in the ‘Burgh. That means it can get H-O-T! This should go without saying, but, we’ll say it anyway… Make sure you don’t leave pets or children in parked vehicles with only windows cracked. If you can’t or are unwilling to leave your car runnig with the AC on, if you can’t provide cool…

Did you know that veterinary behaviorists identify the critical socialization period for puppies as 3 – 14 weeks old? The first several weeks of socialization comes with their littermates and mother, until they are sold to their new homes. Responsible breeders will not sell puppies prior to 8 – 10 weeks of age. But, not all puppies…

Downward Dog It’s not just a Yoga pose anymore. Its a new sitcom on ABC. And Copper, our talented,  “houndsome” Bloodhound is in the Pilot episode. Be sure to watch it. It will air on Wednesday, May 17 at 9:30p. If you can’t catch it live, DVR it (is that still a thing?), 0r watch…

Pittsburghers, we live in an area of the country with a high tick population and the very mild winters of the last two years mean that they are out early. Last year I pulled one off of myself after a search & rescue practice. I had the dreaded “bullseye” for months – but (thankfully) never…

The weather is supposed to be nice in the ‘Burgh this weekend. Be sure to enjoy it. But DON’T miss the Pittsburgh International Auto Show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Check out 2017 models from all the major car manufacturers, drool over the newest luxury brands like Mercedes, Bentley and BMW, see exotics…

Finn is making great progress! Compare this video from the one below – he’s quiet, less jumpy, more focused and more relaxed. We were able to work closer to a dog than before, and his barking was nearly non-existent during his third lesson. Stay tuned for more updates!

“Finn” is a dog-reactive Pit Bull. Before training with Sit Means Sit Pittsburgh he was visually stimulated to the point of no return at distances of up to 50 yards. He had been to several trianers over the last couple of years before coming to us. Nothing helped. This is his second lesson with Sit…

This is a huge topic and one that could be an 8 week class, but here are some helpful tips to get you thinking along the correct lines for how much your life is going to change for your dog when you have a baby in the house. Let’s start with locations: ·         Will your dog…

One of the most common but misunderstood behaviors in our pet companions is destructive behavior, specifically chewing. If your pet is a puppy, it is understood they are teething and are using chewing as an outlet to soothe the pain and keep themselves entertained.  But if your dog is older and suddenly starts to have a…

We added Kammy as a part of our family 2 years ago. When she first came home, she had been abused and she was afraid of everything. It took us 9 hours to get her from our kitchen to our living room. Then it took us a week to get her to even climb our steps to…

  My wife and I attended the Home Show and saw you and your well behaved dogs at the Sit Means Sit booth.  I told my wife right then, “This is how I want our dog Chief to act.” So we contacted Lisa and started on our path with Sit Means Sit private lessons and…

              We know the signs all too well…the school buses are in full swing, the temperatures begin to dip, and darkness fills the sky earlier and earlier – it is FALL. Fall can be a great time to start longer walks with your pups, as well as longer play…

There are lots of ways we can communicate with our dogs that make them happy and loved and help them know that they are important to us.  However there are some things that dogs would rather we did not make them endure.  I am not just talking about funny outfits for Halloween or asking them not to…