Hobo’s Story

Hobo is a four year old Shepard-Doberman mix (about 75 pounds). Hobo was adopted at 10 weeks old and when to puppy school when he was about five months. He learned basic commands (sit, down, stay, leave it, etc.), but we could never get him beyond that on our own. We thought he was an aggressive dog, jumping at people entering our home, grapping their wrists with their mouth. He would lunge and growl at other dogs when walking. And he started to completely ignore our commands when in the backyard off leash.

After Lisa’s initial evaluation of Hobo, we found that what we thought was aggression, in fact, was playfulness. And within 10 minutes of working with him, he was following Lisa’s commands. There was hope for the dog we through untrainable!

Turns out Hobo’s owners also needed some training. With Lisa’s guidance through the first couple sessions at home and lots of practice, Hobo was following commands and was much calmer. The first couple group sessions were difficult, but he gradually started to behave better around other dogs.

We can now take our morning and evening walks through our neighborhood without other dog walkers turning the other way to avoid us. He no longer jumps on guests, but sits and waits to be acknowledged and greeted. We have had many neighbors comment on how well behaved and calmer he has become. I tell everyone that comments about the change in Hobo that it is due to his (and mine) training through Sit Means Sit.

Sit Means Sit is not just dog training, it’s owner training as well. Lisa is very alert to each dog’s personality and how the owners are handling their dogs. She works with the owners to address their specific problems. I am confident Hobo will only get better as we continue group sessions.

– Barb and Tom, Baldwin Borough