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Why live with a dog that’s driving you nuts– just because of the coronavirus? While the media blabbers on and on about COVID 19, you’ve probably noticed one piece of advice that the talking heads tend to gloss over:   It’s Okay To Go Outside (Especially With Your Dog!)   According to Dr. Ruth Berggren,…

Winter months present unique challenges to dog owners, and one of the most difficult ones is getting dogs to eliminate in cold, snowy conditions. Madison get its share of snow, and if your dog has trouble eliminating in the cold, it’s probably been a long winter for the both of you. At Sit Means Sit,…

In our last blog, we discussed that dogs have troubles with snow because they aren’t used to eliminating on it and they dislike the cold. We also discussed one strategy for helping your canine friend – going outside with it. Many times, companionship is all the encouragement your dog will need, and we think braving…

Even though it is March, Wisconsin will still see some more weeks of winter weather. Now, some dogs love snow and others don’t, but when it comes to eliminating wastes, it is very common for dogs to have problems. If your dog has troubles eliminating in snow, you’ve come to the right blog! Dog usually…

Winter can be a magical time for you and your dog, especially if you know how to handle it. Playing in the snow, being cozy inside – the possibilities are endless. At Sit Means Sit, we want you and your dog to have the best winter ever. That is why we are dispelling common myths…

We are still in the thick of winter, and keeping yourself and your dog healthy can be a challenge! That is why we are taking some time to dispel some major myths about dogs during winter. Being able to steer around these misconceptions will give you and your dog the ability to make this the…

  Dogs Name: Moose City: Madison Zip Code: 53707 Breed: Lab/German Shorthaired Pointer/Pitbull Where did you get your baby: Dog Rescue Likes: Hiking adventures, swimming, and playing with other four-legged creatures! Pet Peeves Not enough personal space, vacuums, men Favorite toy: Tire with a rope or anything fuzzy and squeaky! Favorite treat: Salmon jerky Best…

Keeping your dog healthy and happy all winter long can be a challenge, especially if you get a lot of snow. However, you can make it easier on the both of you by reading through the myths about dogs in winter that we are going to share in the following three blogs! MYTH: Dogs don’t…

Some dogs absolutely love winter; others can barely be persuaded to get outside to take care of business. Whichever part of the spectrum your dog claims, winter can be dangerous to dogs, and there are simple things that you can do to prevent bad situations. At Sit Means Sit, we are the best of all the…

Dogs Name: Frank the Tank City: Middleton Zip Code: 53719 Breed: American Bull Dog Mix Where did you get your baby: Dog Rescue – FETCH Likes: He likes to snuggle, sleep and tear apart toys. Pet Peves Favorite toy: Deflated soccer ball Favorite treat: Turkey Bacon Best Trick: Snoring Why did you come to SMS…

Don’t let winter get you and your dog down. Get some helpful tips from our blog and make an appointment with our Wisconsin dog obedience school today! Winter can be hard on dogs and humans alike! While we know how to handle winter for ourselves, sometimes we neglect to note what makes winter easier on…

Well, we’re fully into winter now, and Wisconsin winters are nothing to sneeze at. Winter can be challenging for dogs and their owners, because it brings a set of challenges that range from annoying to dangerous. In our next few blogs, our dog trainers are going to give you some great tips for getting your…

Does your dog have a lot of trouble when you leave it alone? We have been exploring separation anxiety in dogs – you can read about it in our first and second blogs on the topic. As Madison’s premier dog training school, we have a lot of experience with canine separation anxiety. When we do…

In our last blog, we explored the common symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs. Our canine friends generally do not like it when we leave them alone, but if your dog cannot handle it without taking drastic measures, something is going on. Though we have focused on separation anxiety, we wanted to touch on boredom,…

 Milo Moses City: Boscobel Breed: Labrador Retriever Where did you get your dogs: Breeder Likes: Moses, to be with people Milo, play with tennis balls Pet Peeves: Moses, nothing bothers him except people or dogs by our property. He is fine after meeting them. Milo, dislikes all other animals. Hates anyone coming to the door….

When you leave your home, does your dog show signs of distress? Does he whine, drool, or ignore his food? And when you return, has he been chewing the windowsills and defecating all over? These are general symptoms of separation anxiety, a common issue for dog owners. Here at our Madison, WI area dog training…

Jordy City: Fitchburg Breed: Lab Mix Where did you get your baby: Dog Rescue Favorite toy: Anything that squeaks Favorite treat: Anything Best Trick: Shakes

The first step to dealing with your dog’s aggression is to find out what is causing it.  Most dogs aren’t aggressive, and that right there should tell you that aggression isn’t a behavior that naturally comes to dogs. If your dog is aggressive, then there’s a reason for it, and to deal with that aggression,…

Dogs Name: Cooper City: Sauk City Breed: Golden Retriever Where did you get your baby: Breeder Favorite toy: Stuffed Animal Favorite treat: Life’s Abundance Peanut Butter Cookie Treats Best Trick: Heel  

Understanding what’s causing your dog’s aggression is a great way to start to deal with it. It’s scary to have an aggressive dog, even if their aggression is never directed at you. However, aggression doesn’t mean that your dog is somehow bad. Their aggression could be motivated by many different things, and when you can pinpoint…

Training your dog is beneficial in many ways! When people think of dog training, they often think about teaching their dog to sit and speak, but there is so much more to it than that. There are many reasons to train your dog through out dog training school in Wisconsin, but we’ve put together a list…

At Sit Means Sit, we work very hard to stay on the cutting edge of healthy canine training techniques. The concept that dogs are descended from wolves and their training should be based on how wolf packs interact is a myth. Whether dogs descended from wolves or not is irrelevant: your dog is not a…

As clients learn about our training methods, we sometimes get people who question the use of food as a reward. They want the dog to perform correctly without the motivation of food – isn’t that true good behavior? With that perspective, we can understand why they think that using food during training is bribery. However,…

Dogs Name:  Duncan Breed:  Great Dane Mix Likes:  Fetch, pull ropes, walking, playing with other dogs, running Favorite Toy:  Ball or pull rope Favorite Treat:  Meat and liver treats Best Trick:  Wearing things girls put on him (Head bands, glasses, etc.) Arrival Story:  I saw his adorable face on Green County Humane Society website and had…

At Sit Means Sit in Madison, we often deal with dogs that have been deemed unable to learn certain behaviors. Indeed, owners bring their dogs to us because of this. In many of our conversations, we have heard owners wonder if their dogs are stubborn, stupid, dominant, or a combination of the three. And when…

Dogs Name: Winston Breed: Cardigan Welsh Corgi Likes: Running and Playing Favorite Toy: Bone Favorite Treat: Any Best Trick: None Why Sit Means Sit:  So Winston would have manners and would be nice to our other Corgi!

Dogs Name: Greta Breed: Doberman Likes: Treats, running and playing, wrestling, belly rubs Pet Peeves: Being home alone Favorite Toy: Frisbee or ball Favorite Treat: Dry dog treats Best Trick: Sit Arrival Story:  We found Greta thru the Illinois Doberman Rescue. She was found as a stray in Iowa, though she obviously was well cared…

At our dog training school in Madison, Wisconsin, we sometimes encounter owners who believe that positive reinforcement works on smaller, regular, happy dogs, and that some dogs are so large, stubborn, and obstinate that positive reinforcement will no longer work. Many of these owners have been discouraged by their own dogs. We at Sit Means…

Have you been told to not train your puppy until it is six months old? This is bad advice. It is based on the old way of training dogs – a way that involved heavy collar corrections and punishment. It advises to hold off on training until your dog is old enough to withstand the…

Many of our clients explain to us that their dog’s bad behavior is a result of him being “dominant.” In fact, we’ve seen just about every inappropriate dog behavior blamed on dominance – from pulling on leashes to jumping up to laying on the couch. Is this correct? It is not correct. Dominance is not…