Shortly thereafter I called Cathy and asked for help. We were so frustrated with her that my husband actually wanted to return her which I would never do, but it was getting very stressful. She was constantly jumping us on us and I had footprints on my chest at most times as she bounced off of me regularly!
After one class with Cathy she started to calm down and after two classes I was confident enough to let her be off leash during our wilderness walks. She was staying with us with no problem and was happy doing it. She understands what I am asking her to do and she does it willingly.
Suffice to say all the training the usual easy stuff sit, stay and down were hard for this dog, who no one had ever taken the time to do with her so this method absolutely was the right one for her.
I cannot tell how pleased I am with her, I just took her into the vet’s office where two dogs were absolutely out of control and she was perfect sitting quietly while I waited and was completely in control.
I could have wept! It is such a transformation! I highly recommend this method of training to anyone especially rescue dogs that have many issues due to the lack of care they receive. It has made her life better and certainly has made ours as well.
“Well done” Sit Means Sit and especially Cathy Pote for her calm quiet approach that has helped me so much. I did not even realize I was raising my voice! Her instruction was so effective and helpful.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely
Wendy and Piper Fortin

We moved to a mature area of Oakville with towering trees. Our backyard looks like the Muskoka area. We were elated to move into our new home. The yard was a dream for our two dogs to run around. However, along with the mature trees and lush gardens came rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks. . . and then barking, howling and jumping on furniture, scratching at doors and windows.

I had to cover some furniture for protection . . . apply brown wrapping paper to every single garden door and pull down all the blinds so that the dogs couldn’t see out to eliminate the barking. Our dream house had become a nightmare as the dogs barked at everything, whether it was passerbys with or without dogs. Needless to say, we were absolutely beside ourselves given mostly Nikki’s wild and unmanageable disposition. When Nikki started with her barking, I couldn’t even get her attention.

After only a few weeks with Sit Means Sit training, my blinds are now open. The brown paper is removed from all windows. It is a pleasure to look out our windows into the back and side yard again, and it’s a pleasure to see the dogs sitting at the garden door looking out without sounding like they were being tortured – that’s exactly what Nikki sounded like when she saw the squirrels.

Nikki now walks right by my left side, no more pulling. When we meet other pets, there is no tugging, barking or irrational behavior. She is controlled. It is an absolute joy now to go out for walks with both dogs, we find ourselves walking more frequently. It’s a win win situation!

We were hesitant to agree to this method of training and concerned that Nikki would loose her sweet personality (when she wasn’t barking). She is sweeter, and even more adorable. People stop me as we walk by with both my dogs by each side well mannered and well behaved.

If there is anyone that is hesitant to pursue training with Sit Means Sit, never hesitate to provide my name and number. I had tried so many other training schools with Nikki and was unsuccessful. We were even asked to leave one of the dog training classes I enrolled in with Nikki.

Thank you so much for all your guidance, assistance and professional training. You have gone beyond your duty as a trainer with Nikki. Your passion for dogs and Sit Means Sit dog training is a direct reflection in the success with training our dogs.

Thank you again for giving us back the pleasure of having two dogs.

Lynn MacWillie

Last weekend, I was invited to attend Fred Hassen’s “Sit Means Sit”
yearly alumni seminar.  I got to meet some great dog trainers.
Some who were absolutely outstanding include: Dave Skoletsky, Toni
Drummond, Alfredo Rivera, Lianne Hassen, Luciano Aguilar and many,
many others.  (I’m probably butchering  their  names, too!)

I’ve been around a lot of dog people and a lot of dog clubs in my
time, and I have to say that this is a great bunch of trainers,
from around the country.  They are friendly and open.  And  most
importantly, they seem to leave their ego at the door and instead
let their dog training do the talking.

I saw dogs doing very complicated training exercises. 

You know… it’s one thing to see a good AKC obedience trainer who
works with a dog that knows the obedience pattern  and what’s
coming next.  But it’s quite another thing to see somebody invent
an exercise that the trainer has never seen before, and then watch
almost magically as that dog trainer gets her dog to do the
behavior in a matter of seconds.  And really advanced stuff, too–
like getting a dog to retrieve a toy from a bucket of water, at a
distance of 20 feet… while other dogs were standing around!!

It was an exercise that one dog trainer thought up, and challenged
the others, to do.  Trust me when I say that it’s not simply
dropping a toy into a bucket of water and telling the dog to go
pick it up.  The exercise involved: A directed send-away, a fetch
command, a return/recall command, and the dog having enough trust
in the owner to stick his head into a bucket of dirty water and
retrieve a toy. 

Probably not what the average pet owner will ever need  to teach
their dog to do– but impressive, nonetheless.

I saw many other  incredibly high levels of training.  And I’ll be
sharing more, in weeks to come.

If you’re looking into hiring a local dog trainer to help with your
dog, I think it would be wise to contact a  Sit Means Sit dog
trainer in your area and have them at least come out and give you a
demonstration.  I can guarantee you’ll be impressed.

For more information, see:
http://www.sitmeanssit.com

(By the way… I have no financial interest in recommending Sit
Means Sit.  Fred Hassen, the owner, bought me a couple of dinners,
and that’s not nearly enough to buy my recommendation). 

A Mercedes would be, though.

Enjoy your dog,
- Adam Katz
Dogproblems.com

http://www.dogproblems.com/public/main.cfm
 

This question is asked to us at Sit Means Sit dog training quite often. In fact, it is asked often enough that we usually do our demonstration for the people both with, and without the Sit Means Sit dog collar on.

Over the years, Sit Means Sit dog training has attracted a number of competitive dog handlers, police dog trainers, and people in the field of Search and Rescue a long with handlers of other dog related activities because of the reliability in dog training that the Sit Means Sit dog training system brings. Sit Means Sit dog training does not in any way recruit competitive dog people, nor is it a requirement in any way for people to compete. However, any one looking for an edge in dog training, whether it be competitive, or to make their pet dog more reliable, and trained in a faster, more efficient manner, these people will inevitably come across the Sit Means Sit dog training system. A lot of dog training systems that are out there, do not attract competitive people at the highest levels, and do not also have successful pet dog business trainers as well, basically because their systems may be limiting in the type of dog, or the training that they do. Sit Means Sit dog training rises to whatever the occasion might be. In many dog trials and tests for dog performances, the handlers are not allowed to use any sort of training aid during the testing of the dog. This is a great policy, and most certainly is a factor in how reliably a dog will listen and perform. It also makes the selection of the right type of dog a big factor in these tests and trials, which will only further dog breeding and dog temperaments. The cream will always rise.

Dog Training Aids - What exactly is a dog training aid?

Many things are used as dog training aids to assist a dog in learning a specific, or many specific types of behaviors. There are common aids such as toys or food, which can assist in the learning, or also referred to as motivators. There are also other sorts of aids such as using a hand placement on the back side to aid or assist a dog into a sit position. Groomers use tables, as do many dog trainers, to aid or assist in keeping the dog stable when grooming. Many dog trainers use a stake tie out, to aid and assist the dog in learning to stay put when teaching a stationary command. We are all familiar with choke chains, prong collars, halti’s and other aids or devices to help in the learning process of many commands. Agility competitors use wires as aids in teaching a dog to go through weave poles. In it’s simplest form, all dog trainers use leashes to aid a dog in learning to a certain degree. A leash is an aid, and for the most part a restrictive device, and is put on a dog to prohibit him from being out of control for the most part. I have personally never seen a person that claims to use nothing but positive methods, be able to take a roomful of random dogs and control them without using aids such as leashes to restrict the dog in some manner. If we just let dogs do whatever they wanted to do, without restrictions, we would not be able to do something as simple as eating our dinner in front of our dog.

On the other hand, when a statement is made such as: Will the dog work without the collar on? People are referring to the dog working without a particular aid, or aids that has been used in training the dog. In this case, they are referring to an electronic dog collar, but we could replace that with ANY aid, or aids that have been used, because they are usually not allowed at most trials and tests for dogs, as it should be. You are not allowed to use a leash in an off-leash trial on the day of the trial, but most people use their leash constantly to build, and maintain building their reliability, up to, and including the day and moment right before the trial. The same with cookies and treats, barriers, your hands or any other sort of aid that is at your fingertips. I can also give numerous examples, where aids are ALLOWED in the training, and it still does not matter because they are still dogs. A lot of trials have ‘on leash’ obedience, where in this instance the handler is actually ALLOWED to bring his aid into the ring, which in this case would be the leash itself. However, we still see most dogs far from performing perfectly even though the leash is on the dog, and they are employing it to a certain degree. We also see many instances of a dog having it’s highest score 2 years into the training, even though the individual may compete the dog for 5, 6, 7 years or more! The dog obviously has more training the more time that he has into it, but things don’t always go as planned because of a variety of factors, one of which is the fact that they are living, breathing creatures that things constantly change with, and that is the main reason why aids are used so much in training, on a continual basis, and rightly so.

Obviously, from an emotional standpoint, people do have a tendency to look at a remote dog training e collar as some sort of different aid because of their lack of understanding, and lack of education on our training process, and of the tool itself. This is very normal and to be expected. When you look at the fact that very few professional dog trainers are familiar with successful remote dog training in general, it is not unusual that the average layman would not have much knowledge either, and we thoroughly understand our position as an educational source in the scheme of things, and we understand that we need to educate people by showing them. Talk is cheap, we show you.

In the above video, Ashton Fitz-Gerald from our Las Vegas dog training office is seen doing a demonstration and he has just been asked to take his collar off for the demonstration. I’m sure trainers are also asked to put the cookies away, and the leash away and whatever else the aid might be. We all strive to have the dogs the best they can be with or without training aids, and we are very strong believers in that our Sit Means Sit dog collar is the best training aid available to have the dog the most reliable, and in the shortest amount of time, with or without any aid available in the end.

Remote Collar Training - A Report - by Roger Hild
Does a “remote trainer” or e-collar have any place in a dog trainers toolbox? Are there any new techniques, that can be used with this tool, that enable a trainer to work more effectively and efficiently with a dog? These were just a couple questions I hoped to get answers to when early in April of this year I took the opportunity to attend a three day “No Limitations,” seminar on “remote collar training.” Two of my students (one with many years training experience and one with very little training experience) came with me to observe and learn.

The seminar was held just outside Toronto in a spacious horse riding arena. Despite the freezing rain on the first day, it was well attended with participants coming from many parts of southern Ontario and quite a large number from the USA as well. The featured speakers were Fred Hassen and Behesha Grist.

As the participants arrived, I noticed it was a very typical group of dogs and their owners. A few dogs had some training already and were well behaved while some were clearly not trained at all. Some dogs were lunging at other dogs and were needing to be restrained by their struggling owners. Some dogs were wearing remote trainers, some regular collars and some had head-halters on. There were at least two dogs present that had very serious aggression issues and both were muzzled and crated.

Before collering any of the dogs all participants were given the experience of feeling the collar. It was set at the lowest setting and the levels were gradually increased until the participant first noticed it and then increased a couple levels above that. Everyone agreed that the “stim” (stimulation) was not untoward and felt rather like the “TENS” unit one might experience at a chiropractors or physiotherapists office.

Any dogs started on the collar were put through a similar process. The collar was set at the lowest level and gradually increased until the dog first noticed it (usually evidenced by an ear twitch or sideways glance in the direction of the collar). This process was used to establish the working range/levels for each dog.

What was most fascinating was the application of the “stim” and the role it played. It was not used, as some might suppose, as an aversive (though, as was explained, it could be if necessary). The approach was not corrective or punishing but rather motivational and the first thing the dog learned was “the language of the collar.” The dog (guided by a long line) learned to move toward the handler at the “touch” of the collar. Once the dog learned to move with the touch, the commands were given at the same time as the stim. The command/stim combination could be repeated, if the behavior was not performed, until it was performed. Sometimes the stim was applied in the midst of the performance in a prodding or encouraging manner (similar to “motivational leash pops”) that seemed to increase alertness and desire. At this point there was no evidence of any distress noted, indeed the dogs seemed quite relaxed.

What blew everyone away was when Fred worked with the aggressive dogs that I referred to earlier. The first aggressive dog was a mature GSD male. I had talked to the owner who confirmed this dog was very aggressive toward people as well as other dogs. Even with the muzzle on, the fiery temperament of the dog was evident. Fred couldn’t get close enough to the dog to put on the collar and therefore had the owner put it on. In addition to the long line, he had a second leash dragging from the collar in case the owner had to assist.

Fred got the dog moving with him using the collar (as described above) and praised the dog when ever he was in close. Within two minutes he had the dog walking calmly with him and after another five minutes or so, everyone was shocked to see Fred reach down and remove the muzzle. The dog performed perfectly and acted like Fred was his best friend. The dog was worked in this way for quite some time and then remuzzled and worked closely around the other dogs and people. He performed flawlessly and by the second day he no longer required a muzzle and worked all the exercises in the group along side everyone else.

Almost an identical story with the second dog - a two year old male Rotti. This dog had several bites under his belt and this was to be his last chance - the vet had been contacted to put the dog down if Fred couldn’t help. The dog had to be managed on two leashes and was also muzzled. The work was much the same but it took abit longer - somewhere between 15 minutes and a half hour. The dog also had to be kept muzzled longer and wasn’t working in close proximity with the other dogs until midway through the second day and for parts of the third day.

Both Fred and Behesha worked these dogs and have worked literally hundreds of dogs just like them. The results are a matter of public record - both work with all kinds of dogs in the local pounds and shelters. Both have ample references from these places of the results they have achieved. Aside from the astonishing results that everyone saw for themselves, was the fact that even the pure novice trainer was able to quickly catch onto the technique and work confidently and well with their own dogs.

What follows is the experience as reported by one of the participants and reprinted with his permission:

“Aside from the awful location and increment weather the seminar was an immeasurable success for both me ___ and my dog ______. If you recall, our dog was the Yellow Lab who jumped, mouthed and whined the first day (I was COVERED in sand!) and was running through the mini-agility course (on command) by the third (day of seminar).

“This was not ______ first class. As a puppy he went to puppy school (socialization et. al) and then basic obedience (non e-collar, standard leash and cookie training). He was top-of-the-class, learning quicker than other dog; that is, UNTIL he turned about 5-6 months old at which time he became both stubborn and damn STRONG (too strong for his own good and mine, more on that later). It was not that he forgot the commands and boundaries he had learned but he seemed to give us the doggy middle-finger whenever we “asked him” to do something.

“As he grew, he became both much stronger and much more bold in his rebellion. As a result, he lost our trust and slowly began to lose “freedoms” he previously had. Because we could not trust him and could not devote every waking moment to him, he began to spend more and more time confined to his crate. His walks also became less regular as my mother became fearful of walking him. As a full-time student I do not always have time to accompany my mother on the walks and I thought it absurd to have to act as a “strong arm insurance policy,” during what were supposed to be “leisurely strolls” for both human and canine. One time, when my mother walked without me, my mother lost grip of the dog. ______ jumped up (with all his might) to kiss a child and ended up hurting him (long story short - he needed an emergency dental appointment).

“It was never a matter of a bad attitude, it was just a fact that ______ was a very energetic, loving and naturally dominant dog. This is what made confining him troublesome to everyone in our household. We wanted him to be a part of the family. We wanted the crate to be his bed and den during the working day, not a tool to keep him from running around with the kitchen knife in his mouth (something he loved to do, he would grab the biggest, baddest knife from the counter and then encouraged us to play “catch me if you can” with him).

“In just three days, _____ has rejoined our household. My sister and mother can now supervise and even walk him without my accompaniment. We can watch a movie with _____ at our feet rather than having to drag him to the crate.

“I am now equipped with an answer to anyone who might frown at the e-collar: IN 3 DAYS THE COLLAR RAISED THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THIS DOG IMMEASURABLY. Whereas he was once crate-bound, constantly scolded and always followed by an apprehensive eye he now has freedom in the house, will enjoy longer, more free walks and will even be allowed to resume swimming in the water he once loved as a tiny (harmless) 2 month old (another privilege he lost after I had to “swim in” to retrieve my unruly retriever). Most importantly: This was NOT a dog that was neglected or left unsocialized as a puppy. He DID get properly socialized, he DID do obedience training, he DID get A LOT of practice using the leash and cookie method. The bottom line was that he was smart enough to figure out that he was faster and stronger than most and knew what he could get away with. As soon as the leash was in the hands of a weak individual or as soon as he was within distance to escape, he would. The e-collar puts control BACK in our hands.

“I’ve met a whole bunch of other people with dogs in the neighborhood who have failed the e-collar. I walked into this guy that had a pretty well behaved brown lab; I quote: “we tried the e-collars but they did not work for her” Compared to our pre-e-collar dog his dog was almost well-trained when well anchored by a leash. I know this would have been our experience had we not been taught how to use it first. I shudder thinking the many people who have purchased these off-shelf, without training, to use as a strictly punishment device (+ the people like us, who would have given-in to our dogs manipulative nature).”

Bottom line is this piece of equipment, like any piece of equipment, must be used properly. When it is used properly, the results are very impressive. Is there a place for it in a dog trainers toolbox? I leave that question for you to decide - I found room in my toolbox for mine. Regards, Roger Hild

 This was Spencers first summer at the cottage. Here he is focusing on “placing” in the canoe so we both stay afloat! Next year he’ll learn the “paddle” command!