Archive for the ‘Featured Videos’ Category
Dog Training Article: The Facts About Modern Electronic Training Devices
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010“We recognize that older products were often unreliable and difficult to use humanely. But we feel that new technology employed by responsible manufacturers has led to products that can be and are being used safely and effectively to preserve the safety and well-being of many dogs and strengthen the bond with their human companions.”
– Randall Lockwood, PhD Vice President for Research and Educational Outreach The Humane Society of the United States
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Today’s technology is surprisingly subtle, more effective
In the 30 years since the first “shock collars” became widely available in the United States, these increasingly popular behavioral training products have been refined to produce more effective results in ways that have proven not only to be humane, but also—in fact—gentle.
While the technology behind modern electronic training devices has come a long way, some veterinarians and consumers harbor misconceptions about these products and their effect on dogs based upon their impressions of older, crudely designed devices. To the contrary, clinical studies in recent years offer conclusive evidence that the proper use of modern electronic training devices does not lead to adverse physiological effects on dogs.
This paper presents case studies, conclusions and informed opinions on risks versus benefits from researchers at the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, international canine behavior experts, practicing veterinarians, animal welfare organizations, professional dog trainers, sport dog enthusiasts and others who have tested and observed the effects of electronic training devices on dogs in shelters and laboratories, on farms and in other real-world settings.
As you will gather from reviewing the current literature, a wide range of credible experts believe that the average dog owner with basic knowledge of training techniques can effectively and humanely use electronic training devices for behavioral modification, obedience training and containment needs.
This paper dispels a number of myths about electronic training devices. As evidence of the evolving body of knowledge about today’s technology, conclusions about the safety and effectiveness of modern electronic training devices are supported by The Humane Society of the United States, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the International Association of Canine Professionals, among others.
Because dog owners frequently ask veterinarians how to address common behavioral issues, professionals have an opportunity to impart credible, proactive and vital information that can greatly increase the likelihood of a dog’s acceptance into the family. This paper’s purpose is to help you become more familiar with credible research into and objective facts about today’s products so as to be conversant when discussing behavioral solutions with dog owners.
Myths About Electronic Training Devices
Evidence exists that almost all veterinarians are concerned about the alarming rise in shelter populations and euthanasia statistics—many of which are attributable to behavioral issues. Because veterinarians are in a unique and credible position to proactively educate dog owners about behavioral health, it is helpful to be aware of the latest tools that dog owners may employ to help their pets succeed as valued and permanent members of the family.
This paper will dispel many myths about electronic training devices, including that:
- They make dogs aggressive;
Or, conversely . . .
- . . . The devices only work on aggressive dogs
- They “shock” the dog
- Electronic collars can cause burns
- Dog owners have to be … [read the full article for FREE, simply register for our newsletter below to gain instant access!]
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Leash Walking Your Dogs
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010One of the most common dog problems that we encounter with our clients are dogs that pull on the leash. Many times, even well behaved dogs are terrible when they are on a leash. Some people choose to simply take their dogs off leash, but let’s be realistic. Are you willing to risk getting a citation for having your dog illegally off leash in public?
The challenges faced with teaching a dog to walk politely on a leash without pulling are numerous. They can ultimately be broken down into two broad categories:
- The distractions and prospects of the outdoor world are numerous
- Dogs have a naturally occurring opposition reflex
Distractions
When you leave your house, suddenly and automatically the distraction level that you have to contend with spikes. Dramatically. With this increase in the distraction, many times it means your dog’s level of attention to command drops dramatically too. The challenge is of course, that with all the prospects of new smells and new things to explore, each step you take validates your dog’s desire to pull. Every step he takes brings in new smells and new things to explore, thus rewarding your dog for pulling.
Opposition what?
An ‘opposition reflex’ is just a fancy way of saying that your dog does the opposite of whatever physical guidance you may provide. Basically the dog has a tendency to pull away from leash tension. A common technique people use to try to control a dog who pulls on the leash is to shorten and tighten the leash in their hand into a super-tight vice grip. This actually does the opposite of what the trainer wants, as it typically encourages the dog to pull more, and harder. How many times have you seen a dog on a choke-chain dragging their owner around, all the while restricting their breathing and potentially hurting themselves in the process. Common-sense would dictate that if something is choking you, you do what is necessary to remove the tension. In dog-language, common sense is to pull away from the choking sensation. Obviously, that doesn’t work.
The challenges faced with walking multiple dogs at once are the same, but doubled. There is also that competitive factor between the two dogs to get where they want to go first. Factor in the issue of dogs feeding of each others energy (basic pack mentality) and you’ve got some very difficult situations to deal with. As professional trainers, we recommend getting control over each dog individually to begin with, and then bringing the two (or three dogs) together as distractions for each other to proof the exercise.
The beautiful thing about training multiple dogs with a Sit Means Sit Dog Collar is the ability to control two or three dogs from one remote control. There is no need to fumble with multiple remote controls. The Sit Means Sit dog training collar features a programmable remote control allowing you to switch from single dog operation to multi-dog operation in the field and on the fly.
The video below features a Sit Means Sit dog training client from Las Vegas who was hesitant to call Sit Means Sit at first, however after only two lessons was more than pleased she did. She can now walk both her excitable golden retrievers at the same time without them pulling on the leash and dragging her around. More importantly, she has gained confidence in her ability to maintain her dogs’ training. Don’t take our word for it, check out the video from her second lesson below.
Check out our dog training client from Colorado training her three dogs off leash. We’d love to hear your feedback. Feel free to leave a comment and share your dog training tips.
Remote Dog Training Collars- linking food
Saturday, December 5th, 2009
Believe it or not, there are actually dog trainers out there that believe that there is no way that a remote dog training collar could ever have any sort of positive connotation.
Now I know that in this day and age of technology, that’s pretty hard to believe that those people still exist. Especially when you consider the fact that I wrote an article on it 10 years ago, so it’s not like Sit Means Sit dog training just started this yesterday.
It’s easy to understand though how someone not familiar with us, and has never been a client or has never even been around a successful remote dog training
program such as ours could think such a thing. Then again, that’s why Sit Means Sit is always on the cutting edge of training. So can a remote be linked with food?
Of course, and like always we will show you.
Here is another example with a 3 1/2 month old puppy.
Dog Training Tip: Don’t say ‘Stay’
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009Sit Means Sit CEO/Owner/Founder Fred Hassen explains why ‘Sit Means Sit’ and the faults in using extra commands like ’stay’ and the problems it brings.
Have an email question for Fred Hassen? Send it to info@SitMeansSit.com and you may just find your answer in video form!
Sit Means Sit Dog Training at DockDogs World Championships 2009
Monday, August 3rd, 2009Watch the event on the Outdoor Channel!
Alfredo Rivera with Puma, Fred Hassen with Rex and Lisa Weber with Tractor….competing at the Stihl Dogs & Logs DockDogs World Championships in Stillwater MN 2009.
Stopping aggression with remote training
Sunday, May 17th, 2009Sit Means Sit Dog Training has had much documented success of dealing with all kinds of aggression, in using the Sit Means Sit Dog Training system, in accordance with our Sit Means Sit dog collar.
In this video, you see Dave Skoletsky change a very dog aggressive dog around in a few minutes. These types of things are a regular occurrence with the Sit Means Sit dog training system. Remote training collars do not cause aggression, people do.
Read this article about a Sit Means Sit seminar that refers to aggression, the Sit Means Sit dog training system, and remote collar training.
Also see this video with an EXTREMELY aggressive dog
Getting aggression under control with Sit Means Sit Training.
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Police K9 Scent detection and Bitework combined
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009Sit Means Sit dog trainers demonstrate using the SMS system to have the ability to combine scentwork, with even the most severe of distractions. Sgt. Jerry Turning, Fred Hassen, Alfredo Rivera, and Ashton Fitz-Gerald are in this video. This demonstration was at the 2009 Invictus law dog event in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Watch Sgt. Turning also do this demonstration at the HITS demo day show in Louisville, Kentucky.
Make a career out of dog training, and open your Sit Means Sit Franchise today!
Sit Means Sit Police K9 School
Thursday, November 6th, 2008Sit Means Sit dog trainers Fred Hassen and Ashton Fitz-Gerald recently presented a Police and Protection K9 dog training seminar in Sonoma County California.
There were a multitude of K9 dog handlers from Santa Rosa as well as the rest of Sonoma County at the seminar. Over the course of the two day seminar, many of the dog handlers gained a lot more confidence in their ability to control their K9s around heavy real-world training scenarios.
This video highlights one K9 team who previous to our seminar were unable to perform advanced K9 training scenarios such as call offs and directional casting during protection work. The necessity of having off leash control over a K9 is quite apparent when you get into situations where a task is needed to be performed but there is strong distraction to contend with.
Giving control back to the handler to make decisions about when and where it is appropriate for a K9 to bite is crucial in the effective use of a K9 as a police tool. Real control without the sacrifice of desire is what has made the Sit Means Sit Police K9 School program so effective for active duty K9 handlers.
For more information about the Sit Means Sit Police K9 School visit: http://www.SitMeansSit.com/
Dog Training with a Pack of Pit Bulls
Monday, October 13th, 2008Anthony Sanchez, a Sit Means Sit dog training client from the Las Vegas Sit Means Sit dog training location, is seen here with his pack of Pit Bulls showing great control of all four of his dogs simultaneously, in the face of a group class, with the distraction of other dogs around. Sit Means Sit dog training teaches control of your dog in distracting environments to give your dog more freedom and places to go with you. You will also see Anthony stop all four Pit Bulls at once, and have them sit to a whistle.
Looking to get your dogs under control? Find a Sit Means Sit Dog Trainer near you!
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House Breaking Your Puppy
Sunday, August 24th, 2008
DOG-ON-IT! dog ‘Stuff’ goes “pee”
on command!
By Fred Hassen & Toni Drugmand
Believe it or not, house training is one of the easiest things to teach a dog because dogs are clean by nature and don’t like to soil their den area. Using this concept, begin by always supervising your puppy when he/she is not in her den-crate environment. The largest reason people fail with house training is that they give the puppy more freedom than the pup or dog is capable of handling. An un-supervised pup or dog is bound to make mistakes.
Use a Crate to Replicate the Den
If you can utilize a crate to replicate the “den” environment that dogs need and feel secure in it will shorthand the process. If the puppy or dog is given the opportunity to get out of his crate when necessary, it can aid your house training efforts enormously. As the puppy is let out from the dog crate, take him out on a leash to the spot you will want him to eliminate. If he goes, praise him. If not, put him back into his crate and try again in about 15 minutes or so. Continue with this cycle until you and your dog have a routine going. Success earns the pup freedom for twenty minutes or so. Gradually extend the time as he grows older and more reliable. Remember a seven-week-old pup does not have a great deal of bladder control. Don’t expect him to go more than a few hours without having to eliminate, and don’t expect him to wait once he is out of his crate to eliminate.
Use an Elimination Word
Begin the first time you take your puppy out to give a word to associate elimination with. In the beginning the puppy won’t understand the word, but if each time you take him out you say to your puppy, “hurry up”, or “go potty” and continue to repeat the phrase until he goes, praising when it happens, your puppy will learn to associate these words with the action. Later when traveling or out in public it can be a cue word to get your dog to relieve himself in quick time, without having to wait in the scorching sun, or freezing rain.
Sit Means Sit dogs ‘Sonic’ and ‘Beck’
taking a bathroom break!
All-in-One Management System
An even easier system for house training is to do crate training with a dog door and an enclosed dog run on the other side of the dog door. The dog crate goes up to the dog door. The dog door in the beginning may need to be taped or otherwise rigged up so the puppy can comfortably go through the dog door. The outside of the dog crate should be enclosed somehow to prevent the puppy from getting into any harm, or harm finding him!
Supervise your Pup or New Dog
When the pup isn’t in his crate, you have to use constant supervision to keep him from making mistakes. The easiest way to do this is to literally tie or tether the pup to your waist with a leash or line, or tether him to a piece of furniture where he has no more than three feet of freedom in any direction. Remember that a pup tethered to furniture should be watched carefully or he may chew it. Crating, supervising and tethering are examples of a management system used to support the dog until he is trained. With the crate set up to the dog door system, your puppy learns quickly to let himself out of his containment area to relieve himself. It also helps him develop some independence from always having you to hold his hand, thus increasing the need for the puppy to feel that he needs someone to take him out, he can’t possibly go by himself.
Preventing Separation – Anxiety
Because dogs are inherently pack animals, they prefer to be with us, than be alone. Most cases of adult “separation- anxiety” would never develop if the dog as a puppy had been trained in the crate/dog- door/dog -run management system just described. Early on the puppy would learn to deal with being alone and without the opportunity to dig, chew or destroy things left available. One important thing to consider with this system is that when you first let your puppy out of his crate you would still want to take your dog immediately to the outside area you are encouraging him to go relieve himself in. Even though your crate has access to the outside, puppy may have been resting and not recently “emptied out.” It won’t take much movement on the dogs part to feel the strong urge or need to “go.” We don’t want mistakes that could have been prevented. These are some of the first essentials for a good start with your new puppy. Enjoy him and give him a good start with safe and secure boundaries in your home!
All three dogs in the pictures and in the video are Sit Means Sit trained dogs. They are trained to do fun things which help us educate the public. You can learn more about puppy training and housebreaking rules.
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Perfect score in Dog Training competition – again!
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008Lianne Hassen is seen here getting another perfect score at the Rally Excellent level. Both of Lianne’s attempts at her title at this ‘Excellent’ level resulted in 100 perfect scores. Very difficult to achieve, and especially at the highest level. Here is a video clip of her first perfect score as well.
For more exciting info on Lianne Hassen, visit her blog
.
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Try to distract this dog!
Friday, May 2nd, 2008Lianne Hassen, Ashton Fitz-Gerald and Dave Skoletsky bring their dogs through the crowd at Rolex 2008 Kentucky for a tough challenge. This challenge was all in fun and if one of the spectators Distracts ‘Tank’, ‘Pharoah’ or ‘Beck’, they got to win a ‘Sit Means Sit’ Dog Training prize of a T-shirt or gift certificate. Kids and adults both had fun with this. This Rolex 3 day event brought people from literally all over the world, and Sit Means Sit dog training did some entertaining of the people. Sit Means Sit dog training is the largest U.S. based dog training company in the history of the United States, and has locations all over the U.S. and abroad. Sit Means Sit franchise owners come through the Dog Training School located at the home office in Las Vegas, Nevada, and go on to open their own Sit Means Sit dog training businesses and begin a fantastic career. Sit Means Sit always shows the quality of the product that they have by showing their dog’s training
.
Police K9 Muzzle fighting with control.
Saturday, March 1st, 2008Teaching K-9’s and Police K-9 handlers how to control their dogs, but yet maintain desire in it’s highest form is something that the Sit Means Sit police K-9 division does best. With the advent of modern technology, Sit Means Sit dog training is making it easier for Police departments to have the highest caliber of police dog, but yet maintain control to it’s highest level as well.
Sit Means Sit dog training believes that a police K-9 should be the most highly training dog around, and the general public holds them to that standard as well. The old days of yelling and screaming at dogs are behind us with the Sit Means Sit dog training system. For liability reasons, and to have handlers trained to the highest of standards, more and more police departments are turning to Sit Means Sit dog training. This video shows just some of the many reasons why. This video is also a very clear picture that while many people tout that a remote collar would cause more aggression, it’s very clear here, that through the proper Sit Means Sit dog training system, this is nothing but a fallacy.
We train little dogs also. Video with Shih tzu
Sunday, November 18th, 2007Ashton Fitz-Gerald goes through some training with Shih tzu in this video. Sit Means Sit dog training trains all kinds of dogs from big to small. Sit Means Sit also trains all sorts of owners to use our Sit Means Sit dog collar very effectively.
Proofing the Down command
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007Sit Means Sit dog trainers and their dogs, show some proofing of the ‘down’ command in this video. Having a dog reliable under distractions comes in handy whether you have a pet dog, a police dog, or a competitive dog. Getting imaginative in your training, is a training approach that is instilled in any well-trained dog. Having a reliable dog, is also very valuable to the dog’s safety in many situations that can come up when you step outside your house in whatever arena that you are in. You cannot control the outside environment, so it is important to train in situations that are imaginative when you can control it, so when the situation arises, you will be prepared.
In this video, Ashton Fitz-Gerald provides some of the distractions with his dogs, while other Sit Means Sit dogs lie in place. The dogs in this video range from 8 months old, which is the Australian Shepherd that is owned by Ashley Starling from our Sit Means Sit Bay Area California location, 9 month old German Shepherd from our South Jersey location, and all the way up to 4 1/2 years of age. One of the black labs is a dog that Bobby Pablico (Sit Means Sit Las Vegas) rescued from a shelter. All dogs can learn reliability, no matter what their background. You will also see balls being used as a distraction, and everyone of the dogs in this video loves to chase balls. You will also see some of the dogs released to go play in the pool on command. When they are released to play in the pool, they actually run right by all of the balls, because it is still even another command with distraction. That command is ‘in the water’. This is also a big distraction for the other dogs, because of the fast moving breaking of the individual dogs. Would you like to have your dog reliable, or maybe you are interested in becoming a dog trainer and a part of our team? Give the Sit Means Sit office a call at 866-748-6748.
How to train your dog with severe distraction
Saturday, August 4th, 2007Obedience around loose dogs. Fred Hassen with his dog “Bubba” showing some high level distraction training inside of a public dog park.
