Dog Training in Auburn, NY
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Dog Training Experts In Auburn
Sit Means Sit is about equal opportunity for all dogs. We accept your furry friends of all ages, breeds, temperaments, and situations. Does your old, family dog need their manners brushed up? Are you adding a puppy to the family dynamic that you want to have unshakable foundations of obedience, control, and social skills? Are you rescuing a new dog that’s never had pet training and has a lack of basic skills? We handle all these situations and more with the utmost attention to each individual.
We believe that obedience training should be approached from the perspective of giving a dog its best chance at a happy, healthy life with connections to its owners that run deep and last forever. This is why you won’t see us turn a dog away. Even court-ordered cases for aggressive dogs, we take on with as much care as any other animal.
Our variety of programs allows you to tailor the training to your schedule and your dog’s needs. A dog that struggles with separation anxiety might not do as well with Board and Train (a program that allows owners to drop off their pets for several days at a time) as another pet. We have Day Training programs, agility training, and more.
There are hands-on options and there are distance options, but all of the programs teach your dog new skills and perfect manners so that they’re well-equipped for every situation our wide world can throw at them.
To learn more about our fantastic programs you can call or click to schedule a FREE consultation, or keep reading!
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Dog Training Classes
Any Dog Any Age Any Problem
Day Training
The program mentioned above, Day Training, is our most popular option because it works perfectly with work schedules. You drop your pet off at the training center in the morning, leave them for 6-8 hours, then pick them up at the end of the day. When you arrive, there is a 1-hour session with the professional trainer that will allow you, the owner, to feel confident in your abilities to maintain and reinforce all the training your dog learned throughout the day.
The course is three weeks, one day a week. It’s easy to fit this training into your work life, while many other options may seem too intensive and draining after a long day at the office.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are sold in packages of 4, and they are customizable. You get to set the times, locations, and the people involved. If you want a family member to attend with you, they are welcome to attend! If you notice a particular struggle with your dog’s behavior at a certain location, you might want to have a lesson there to allow your trainers to see for themselves. This setup is all about you and your pet.
The lessons are one hour, and they occur weekly. They’re designed to morph to your needs, so don’t be afraid to reach out!
Group Classes
Group classes are perfect for training good behavior that will last a lifetime and endure every situation. The sessions expose your dog to unfamiliar sights, sounds, and environments, as well as strange people and dogs, which can sometimes be the most exciting. The distractions to not take away from your dog’s experience, in fact, they ensure your dog will be adaptable.
The world is a wide, bustling place full of things that could take your dog’s brain off your commands and onto other things that seem much more pressing in the moment. By the end of your attendance in group lessons, your dog will be obedient no matter where you go or what you’re doing.
Board and Train Programs
Board and Train is the exact program you need if you’re going on a trip. Instead of hiring your neighbor for pet sitting, drop your dog off with our attentive staff at Sit Means Sit for meticulous, 24-hour care on top of their training that will encompass parks, pet stores, and the entire training facility.
Our Team
Professional trainers. Attentive friendly staff.
Dave is the owner and head trainer. Although Dave is originally from the Central New York area, he has been training with the Sit Means Sit system since 2009 with Anthony Bracciante in Denver.
While living in Denver, Dave rescued his chocolate lab Maddi. After obtaining mediocre results with other obedience training systems and frustrated that Maddi could not be trusted off leash or around other dogs, he knew there must be an answer to his “problems.” Although Maddi had been labeled by other dog trainers as “unsociable” and was told she should be kept away from other dogs, Dave’s answer came with a FREE demonstration with Anthony and the Sit Means Sit system.
Within minutes, Maddi was off leash and under control around multiple dogs and other distractions. Not only was Maddi under control around severe distractions, but her confidence went through the roof. Maddi went from a timid, and at times, fear aggressive dog, to a happy, confident, and trustworthy dog. “After training with Sit Means Sit, I was able to realize Maddi’s as well as my full potential. She was able to go hiking, snowshoeing, boating, and much more with me! The only frustration I have with the Sit Means Sit system is that I didn’t start earlier.”
Since the demo in 2009, Dave and Maddi haven’t looked back.
Justin is one of our trainers. Growing up right here in Cicero, dogs have always been a huge part of his life. Justin came to Sit Means Sit initially as a client. He is a proud owner of a high energy Weimaraner named Remi.
Remi was trained in basic obedience but Justin wanted more. He was looking for training that would allow quick results with off leash reliability. That’s when he came upon Sit Means Sit.
Quickly falling in love with the Sit Means Sit training process and the fast results Justin didn’t think twice when the opportunity arose to become a part of our family.
Jordan is one of our trainers. Growing up right here in Cicero, she’s grown up with a love of all animals. She has had dogs all her life, along with horses. Currently she owns a German shepherd, Salem.
Jordan joined our team because she wants dogs to have the best possible quality of life and enjoys giving the owners knowledge to help the challenging dogs that most people wouldn’t give the chance.
McKenzie is one of our trainers. McKenzie proudly serve as both an AKC evaluator and a co-evaluator for K-9 Caring Angels, a national therapy and service dog organization. She works with therapy and service dog teams throughout the Syracuse area—and lives with four incredible dogs of her own, including two certified therapy dogs, one service dog, and one spirited pup in training.
With experience ranging from basic obedience to public access work, she’s all about creating confident, well-mannered dogs and building strong relationships between dogs and their people. She believes training should be clear, fun, and tailored to fit your dog’s unique personality.
Whether you’re looking to improve behavior at home, prepare for therapy work, or just strengthen the bond with your dog—she’s here to help you and your pup succeed, one sit at a time!
Jo has grown up with dogs her entire life and currently shares her home with three dogs—Pete, Rosie, and Mac. Rescuing Rosie in 2020 sparked her passion for animal rescue and led her to work hands-on in the rescue world for the past two years, including enrichment work at the Jefferson County SPCA. There, she discovered a deep love for training and helping dogs thrive both mentally and physically.
Jo’s training style is balanced, intentional, and calm, with a strong focus on clarity, timing, and meeting each dog where they are. She enjoys working with higher-energy dogs and believes starting training early is key to preventing behavioral challenges. Jo is especially passionate about foundational skills like place, recall, and engagement, and she loves helping owners feel confident and supported through clear guidance and teamwork. Seeing progress—both in dogs and their families—is her favorite part of being a trainer.
Cam is one of our trainers. He grew up right here in Cicero. No matter how big or small, Cam has always been fascinated by animals. He always had family pets; dogs, cats, and even a tortoise!
He would always watch dog training shows on tv and would try to train his family dog Rudie; So when he saw an opportunity to join Sit Means Sit, he didn’t look back! He quickly saw how fast and reliable the training system worked, and applied it to training Rudie. Now Cam and Rudie go on off leash hikes all over New York State!
As a trainer, Cameron enjoys being able to educate families on how to work with their dog. He loves being able to give every client fast and reliable results!
Isabel is one of our trainers. She was born and raised in central New York. She has been surrounded by animals her entire life. Growing up with both dogs and horses; her passion for animals led her to become a horse instructor and trainer. Initially, she started her career as a dog groomer, but her desire to address dog aggression and anxiety rather than just work around it prompted her to explore further training methods. This journey brought her to the “Sit Means Sit” training philosophy, which she has successfully applied to her own pets. Her rescue, Mille, who struggles with reactive tendencies and her jack Russell mix, Zara, have both shown tremendous improvement under the “Sit Means Sit” training methods. Isabel can’t wait to see where this journey leads her to!
Service Areas
We proudly serve the following areas in Syracuse.
Cities
- Auburn
- Baldwinsville
- Bayberry
- Brewerton
- Bridgeport
- Camillus
- Cato
- Cayuga
- Cazenovia
- Central Square
- Chittenango
- Cicero
- Clay
- Cleveland
- Cortland
- Constantia
- CNY
- East Syracuse
- Fairmount
- Fayetteville
- Fulton
- Jamesville
- Lakeport
- Lafayette
- Liverpool
- Lyncourt
- Manlius
- Mallory
- Meridan
- North Bay
- Oswego
- Pennellville
- Phoenix
- Salina
- Skaneateles
- Tully
- Woodward
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Dog Barking Issues
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5 Dogs Off-Leash
Rookie Timid Dog Transformation
Dog Owners Reviews
We love customers and their dogs. They love us.
We had so many people tell us that “you’ll never be able to have a Boxer off leash”, I’m thrilled to say they are very wrong! Zoey is having a blast at the beach being off leash, you can tell she knows it’s a privilege, and is behaving so well. I just had to share!
Amazing! Only 1 week in and my dog has improved leaps and bounds. The transformation is beyond what we would have thought for only week 1. He now can listen and his accidents have decreased ten fold!! Dave is awesome!
I believe you guys have helped me with Honey so much, I can’t praise you enough. Without Sit Means Sit, I’m not sure what I would have done!
I wanted my Pugs to be able to walk loose leash, stay in distracting situations, and come to me when called. We had tried various other training methods and were especially concerned with our dog who would chase cars. With SMS, those goals were mastered with in a couple months. The Pugs have since passed…