Sit Means Sit Dog Training - Phoenix

Benny / Boston Terrier

dogonitmaster — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:22:38 +0000

Benny has good behavior and can go everywhere now!

Name: Benny

Owner: Doug S.

City: Tempe, Arizona

Breed: Boston Terrier

Likes/Dislikes: Benny likes to EAT (not necessarily food).

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: He loves the dog park!

Best Tricks: Benny’s best “trick” is looking cute, especially when he’s in trouble.

Arrival Story/Bio:

First a little about the owner: I am originally from the Great Lake State of Michigan. After high school I joined and spent six years in the Air Force. I spent all six years stationed at Minot AFB, North Dakota. I was a medic on flying status and did search and rescues when needed. I have one save under my belt. Because of my flying status I had the opportunity to go through survival training in Spokane Washington and underwater survival in Florida. After my six years I returned home and spent nine years at McDonalds and two years with Aramark at Central Michigan University dining services. In 1994 I was diagnosed with depression, bipolar, and dysthemia (permanent, untreatable low grade depression). Now classified as a disabled vet I decided to get out of cloudy Michigan and here I am in sunny Arizona.

The dog: Benny came to me from a breeder in Missouri. I picked him out from a website and fell in love with his brindle coat. I was so happy when he arrived because I was sure what exactly what would show up if at all and what condition he would be in. Thank goodness we was in perfect health. When I decided to get a dog I did all the research to get the best match for me. Boston Terriers, easy to care for, smart and easy to train, moderate walks. Benny didn’t read the same books I did, ha ha. We started with Petsmart puppy classes where he received a sympathy certificate because he wouldn’t lay down. The moderate walks were added to daily park times, and he still was on the go non stop. Then we tried a day camp training place that resulted in no result. With one last try and reviewing all the internet sites, Sit Means Sit came to the rescue. Training went great for the most part understanding that Benny likes to put his own little twist to the commands. We got to the end of the beginner classes and we had to demonstrate the manual down position. Benny was not going to have anything to with that. Two months later I won the battle and we continued on. I am now 100% confident with him off leash and getting his CGC has been icing on the cake.

Benny plays such a big role in my life. If it wasn’t for him, I might not get out of bed some days. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

Doug and Boston Terrier, Benny

dogonitmaster — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:23:20 +0000

Benny has good behavior and can go everywhere now!

The Entire Sit Means Sit Gang:

Benny and myself would just like to say thanks for all the help, training, and guidance that you have provided us in the past six months or so. Benny’s behavior and command of obedience has done an 180 turn around. He is more enjoyable than ever to be around now. We are planing on taking a few weeks off then do an occasional class here and there to keep up on our skills.

Keep the news letters coming. We wouldn’t want to miss a hike.

Thanks again and see ya soon

Doug and Benny

Lynn and Rockie

dogonitmaster — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:12:23 +0000

Rockie the Aussie

Hi Toni

I just wanted to thank you and Elsa for all your help and to let you know that my mom and brother are here to visit for a few days and that we had very little “stranger danger” barking! It only lasted for a few minutes, which is much better than the whole visit and only needed a couple small reminders from the collar.

Rockie made friends with them both very quickly and was his regular fun self as the evening wore on.

Thank you again,
Lynn L.

Ori / Papillion

tdomf_87d35 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:08:04 +0000

ORI the Papillion

Name: ORI

Owner: Carol K.

City: Scottsdale, Arizona

Breed: Papillion

Likes & Dislikes: Loves treats and dislikes birds in the backyard!

Favorite Toy, Treat and Walk: Sweaky Mailmail,Rollover Lamb,Fatman Loop trail in Flagstaff

Best Trick: SKAKE PAWS AND ROLLOVER

Arrival Story/Bio:

Purchased ORI FROM A LOCAL BREEDER AFTER A LOT OF SEARCHING AND ATTENDING DOG SHOWS. FIRST SAW A PAPILLON AS THE BEST OF SHOW AT WESTMINSTER. JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH THE LOOK AND DISPOSITION. WE WENT THROUGH PUPPY CLASS AND LEARNED ABOUT HOW GOOD “PAPPY’S” WERE AT AGILTY. WE ENROLLED IN THE AGILITY FOUNDATION CLASS WITH JUMPING CHOLLAS AGIITY DOG CLUB AND WE ARE NOW ENTERED IN OUR FIRST “TRIAL” IN APRIL.

EARLY ON WE FOUND THAT ORI WOULD SHUT DOWN OR BECOME DISINTERESTED AND START SNIFFING INSTEAD OF PAYING ATTENTION TO MY HUSBAND KEN IN CLASS. HE WOULD OFTEN RUN AWAY TO SNIFF AND LOOK FOR DROPPED TREATS. IT BECAME SO BAD THAT WE CONSIDERED GETTING OUT OF AGILITY. GIVING A LAST DITCH ATTEMPT, WE ASKED ONE OF THE TOP AGILITY TRAINERS AND JUDGES IN THE COUNTRY, ROGER COOR, TO HELP US. HE RUNS PAPILLONS AS HIS DOG OF CHOICE IN AGILITY SO THAT REALLY HELPED BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE BREED INTIMATELY. AFTER A FEWER SESSIONS, HE RECOMMENDED THAT WE SEE TONI AND GET ORI INTO THE SIT MEANS SIT PROGRAM TO LEARN HOW TO FOCUS.

WELL, THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL. IN FACT, WE HAVE NOW ADVANCED TO THE 3RD LEVEL OF CLASSES AND IN ONE OF OUR CURRENT CLASSES WE “RAN” A SAMPLE TRIAL AND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS OUR DOG BUT HADN’T SEEN HIM SINCE WE STARTED WITH TONI SAID, ” WOW, IS THAT THE SAME ORI I DON’T RECOGNIZE HIM ANYMORE”. THAT WAS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT WE’VE EVER HAD AND WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL TO ROGER AND TONI FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK WITH US.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT STEPS AND EVERYONE IS ENJOYING OUR NEW VENTURE INTO AGILITY TRIALS.

Hannah/Staffordshire Pitt Bull Terrier

tdomf_87d35 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:51:09 +0000

Name: Hannah

Owner: Debbie

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Breed: Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier

Likes: Meeting people and playing with other dogs

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: Orange bouncyball

Best Tricks: Crawling under a Limbo Stick!

Arrival Story/Bio:

I adopted “Hannah” while volunteering at the AZ Humane Society-Sunnyslope location on 7/17/11….She is a beautiful, smart and loving dog. It is a shame the view that the public has about pit bulls. They are the ones left behind in the shelters. I urge anyone that is thinking about adopting a dog to research this breed, I would not have chosen any other type of dog for a companion.

Socializing Your New Puppy

dogonitmaster — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:48:20 +0000

The Social Dog

Studies show the best time to wean a puppy is at 7 weeks. This is considered the most optimum time for the bond to form with humans and yet, still be capable of healthy bonding with others of his kind.

Even though your pup may be eating solid food as early as 4-5 weeks, to remove him from his litter too early can create an imbalance of how well he can relate to others of his kind. Also, if he is left too long with his litter or mom the pup can have a difficult time dealing with human interaction. Usually this won’t be obvious with his actual owner, but is evident when friends come to visit; he may act fearful or shy and even aggressive in place of being over the moon with enthusiasm to greet guests.

At 5-7 weeks it will become obvious that mom is beginning to spend less and less time with her pups as they need her less; it is a very important time for your puppy to learn how to act like a dog in a family environment as he interacts with his littermates. He will be exposed to all of the body language postures of adult dogs; this is a learning experience for your puppy where his hunting and prey drive is displayed as is dominance and submission as he and his littermates “play act” out their roles with each other.

A well balanced dog is a social dog. This means your dog is comfortable in social environments that our society presents. This will allow your pooch to be the best companion possible because he is able to adjust to the things in a busy, active and normal environment.

Things to do to help socialize your puppy or dog:

Your dog is a social animal. He wants and needs to be with others of his kind. When you remove him from his litter, you become the surrogate and now his greatest need is to be with you and part of your social structure. This social structure in the dog world is referred to as the “pack”.

Your dog now looks to you to fulfill his social needs. He needs time to be with you and the family, but he will also need to learn to be comfortable being without you. You can’t babysit your dog 24-7 yet he would prefer that you do. The remarkable thing about our dog is that he is so adaptable and incredibly trainable. Once we understand how the dog naturally responds, we can utilize this understanding to help us build a balanced and healthy relationship that meets both his needs and ours at the same time.

It will be important that you establish yourself as the social leader in your dog’s world or you will see your dog confused and stressed by feeling the need to fill the empty role of leadership that all packs naturally have. Your training should provide these needed boundaries for your dog.

New experiences for your puppy should happen early so that he learns to adjust and thinks these occurrences are normal and standard in his world.

Learning to stand on a surfboard for the 1st time!

How early should these new experiences begin? At 8-12 weeks of age studies show that the ability to accept new things is optimal. Show your puppy all the things at this early age that you will want him to be comfortable around when he is an adult. This includes people, children (very important), noises, animals, car rides, objects and different footing. The more stimuli your young friend is exposed to the more he will be relaxed when exposed later in life to new things.

Ask for help from your friends.

Take your puppy as many places as you can early on so that he begins to get exposure to the world you will want him to be a part of. Give him the opportunity to meet as many friends as possible and try to expose him daily to small children if possible.

Some veterinarians encourage that your puppy go places early to get healthy exposure and other veterinarians are very cautious about taking your pup out until all vaccinations have been given, which is generally at about 4 months of age.

Rover on his cot at an outside cafe

The problem with the latter is that a 4 month old puppy that has never been out of your home or back yard could be compared to a 13 year old teenager who has never left the house. The pup grows up much more quickly than a human child does and early socialization is very important to healthy development for him. If your veterinarian does not encourage your puppy to be out in public until fully vaccinated try to find alternatives to giving him good healthy exposure to the world. It is a good idea to stay away from the dog park, pet stores like Petsmart, and active parks that dogs frequent in large numbers. Getting in the car and going places with you daily will help your pup with one type of good socialization; learning to be comfortable in the car and with the sounds of traffic and other everyday noises. Taking your pup places like Home Depot and letting him ride in the cart should be good exposure. Also, going places like coffee shops is a good idea but keep your pup on your lap to eliminate contact with germs on the ground from other dogs.

Other dogs, noises, obstacles and ground exposure.

Puppy socialization classes are one way to expose your puppy to new experiences, but be careful that the exposure is the right kind of exposure for your puppy. For instance, if your pup thinks it’s social hour every time he encounters another of his kind, but the other dog he is encountering is not as keen about playing, your dog could be an overly social dog that creates problems around other dogs instead of dealing well with the exposure. This could cause him to create a conflict or aggressive move by another dog if they don’t like the way your dog is acting. In other words your dog should be able to handle being around other dogs, but not so wild or excited that he loses self control and gets himself into trouble.

Handle your puppy everywhere.

This is another important part of socialization. While a pup, get him used to having his ears looked at, his feet touched and his toenails messed with. Look into his mouth and overall make every part of his body a positive when you touch these areas. Use food to help your pup if he seems uncomfortable. Reward for allowing you to touch and area that is not comfortable for your pup.

Socialization plays such an important role in your dog’s life that if he misses out on it you may find some serious and unwanted behaviors are the result.

Top 10 Reasons Remote Collar Training Can Be Helpful to Dog and Handler in Agility

dogonitmaster — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:46:53 +0000

By Toni Drugmand

The remote collar training method used at Sit Means Sit focuses on having the remote ability to communicate with our dogs. This helps get the dog’s attention in the face of high excitement and distraction and it also offers a constructive ability to make our training goals more clearly defined to our dogs.

In Arizona, where I live, we have all levels of agility enthusiasts from the novice pet owner all the way to national top competitors, including two world competitors that I can think of. There are many schools and clubs in the Valley that offer training techniques and different styles of handling to meet just about everyone’s tastes and needs.

Talon Works the Weave Poles

By far the most prevalent unwanted dog behaviors that handlers in the agility community come to me for help with are:

1. The dog won’t come reliably when he’s called or he runs off and forgets his job. The handler can’t compete with his dog or has been asked to not come back to class until the problem has been fixed.

2. The dog gets over stimulated by the activity and commotion of the other dogs and acts inappropriately out of play or aggression AND he wont’ come when he’s called. The handler can’t compete with his dog or has been asked to not come back to class until the problem is fixed.

In reality these two behaviors stem down to one thing; The Art of Attention as I like to call it. It is essentially the most important element to training in general. The dog that can’t put his attention on what the handler asks is bound to get into trouble somewhere. The sport of agility requires the dog to have an extremely high level of attention and competency off leash. Remember agility IS off leash and the dog IS running free! After all, what can be better than that? If all that freedom is controllable of course!

With the over stimulated dog and the dog that doesn’t come back when called (sometimes referred to as “ ZOOMIES), both behaviors are our focal point for the agility handler seeking help from us by using the remote collar training method. Some of our “agility” clients are thrilled after only a few sessions of working on the Art of Attention and these clients are happy to focus their time into maintaining excellent attention and find that they have met most of their main goals with the foundational skills we teach them. Others in the program take advantage of the “Full Monty” and these clients are able to gain further versatility by learning to direct their dogs from a distance and keep obstacle focus and handler focus in balance.

Stuff Flies Through the Agility Course

A great example comes to mind with my dog Stuff when he was being run for the first time at a trial by World Competitor Elicia Calhoun of Waltzing Paws Agility. Although I had been a student of Elicia’s with Stuff and Stuff was familiar with the handling techniques and Elicia’s agility training methods, he had never run a course with Elicia. At most he had done one or two obstacles for her in demonstration at a lesson. I was unable to be at this show so Elicia, who is a more experienced and competent handler than I am (she ran on the World Team for 5 years!), agreed to handle Stuff for me. I happened to stop by the show grounds just at the time she was running into the ring with Stuff. Elicia had just finished running her own four dogs and in the excitement she forgot the course!

Because of her experience, however, she quickly recovered and remembered the course but not before Stuff was running where Elicia had sent him….in the wrong direction! So she hollered out to him, “Sit!” and he gave her a quick and snappy sit and she redirected him and they finished the course nearly perfectly!. I have this clip on video and I was very proud of my dog that in the midst of all the excitement that agility runs bring on and with a new handler, his remote training was strong enough to carry him through. And just to note, almost never do you stop a dog in agility when they are on the fly like that….you just don’t see it, so for the spectators who were watching Elicia run it was quite exciting to witness.

Stetson Over the Jump

Below are the top ten ways that I use Sit Means Sit remote training to aid in agility training:

1. Working at a Distance

In agility it is important for the dog to learn to work toward the obstacle he is directed to and to work at a distance. Very quickly we can teach our dogs that our cues mean the same thing when we are close by and we can wean more quickly to the goal of the same behavior at distance.

2. Keep the Dog Focused on His Job

Since not all dogs are as motivated as we would often like, we can help keep focus more easily and at distances with the cue of our training aid.

3. Recall with Reliability

In agility teaching the dog to come towards you is used to change the dog’s direction from the obstacle in front of him. A reliable “come” or “here” will redirect the dog to look in the handler’s direction at which time the handler can show the dog the new direction he wants him to take.

4. Directing Through Excitement

Distractions in the training environment can be anything from noise, fast movement, an enticing smell, a judge wearing a hat, discriminating between an obvious obstacle to a less obvious one, food dropped on the training floor, a favorite toy or even stress. All of these distractions can cause the dog’s focus to vanish from the job at hand. With our communication we can calmly talk to the dog and help keep him on track through distractions so that he learns to be more capable of handling distractions with less and less aid until he can do his job reliably without the aids.

5. Sits and Down Stays Away from the Handler

The Pause Table can be tough for some dogs. Fast moving dogs probably think it’s rude to ask them to stop when they have four on the floor in high gear! Shy dogs can get de-motivated by being asked to slow down. Smooth and thin coated dogs such as Italian greyhounds may not find the surface very comfy. Fast dogs with high drive can benefit from learning to control themselves while shy and slower dogs can have their confidence and speed encouraged thereby enhancing their performance without the handler having to yell or hyperventilate while trying to motivate performance. It is amazing what gyrations a handler might try when on the competition field trying to get their dog to do the task at hand.

6. Start Lines Allowing the Handler to Lead Out on the Course

It is usually a disadvantage if the handler can’t take a lead out on the start line, if he so chooses, because the dog can’t hold a stay until he is told to go. Teaching our dogs a remote stay is one of the first things our clients learn. Even the dogs with high drive that shake at the start line with their muscles quivering in anticipation for the release to move, can get better at holding a stationary position on the start line.

7. Contacts as Boundaries are More Clearly Defined

There are many schools of thought on teaching contacts. Teaching running contacts can be broken down to teaching a contextual surface while on the move. Cueing the dog to learn to touch a smaller area breaks down to teaching a clear boundary. The remote collar again gives us remote directability once the behavior has been taught close in to the dog.

Teaching the contact as two-on/two-off, or a rock back down on the edge of the contact is a more simplified version of teaching the dog to touch and stay put in a certain position using a contextual surface. Although there are many other things to consider when teaching contacts, specifically head position, we can utilize a remote cue to help make our picture clearer to our dogs.

8. Obstacle Discrimination

The more clear and timely both physical and verbal cues are to the dog the more quickly he can get the information on direction away from the obvious obstacle to the less obvious obstacle. The remote collar gives us the ability to remotely add a physical cue to the timing of both and to give the dog a preparatory cue.

9. Aggressive Tendencies

Aggression and tendencies to be aggressive have many triggers with motion, fast movement and chaotic energy being a top contender for set offs. Using the remote collar cue to help gain and maintain focus in the height of distractions has proven helpful to keep the dog’s attention when in a stimulated state.

10. Aids in Weaning Away from Other Training Aids Such as Toys and Treats

The end goal to teaching an agility dog is of course, to do all the behaviors without any training aids. The remote collar as an aid will have to be phased out as well. Using the remote collar you can more quickly phase from some early aids such as food and toys until you have set your patterns well enough and long enough that they become habits and patterns. At this point the remote collar would begin to be phased out as well.

Stuff Through Weave Poles

Although no one tool can create the perfect dog and we certainly don’t want robots, most agree that both the handler and the dog have more fun together when the dog is listening and as a pair the two can work together. We feel that training with the Sit Means Sit’s remote training program we can help clarify information and help get the dog to the stage of working off leash with a high level of success in a shorter amount of time. Shorter not because we are taking shortcuts on the dog, but because his information was clearer to him more quickly so why hold your dog back if he can learn more quickly?

Kyro/German Shepherd Dog

dogonitmaster — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:15:07 +0000

Kyro and His Pumpkin

Name: Kyro

Owner: Sarah

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Breed:Purebred German Shepherd

Likes: Peanut Butter

Favorite Toy: Kyro’s favorite toy is any cardboard box!

Best Trick: I taught him to “place” on the plastic meter covers at the park.

Arrival Story/Bio:

When I first got him he pulled a lot but now he heels right by my side thanks to Sit Means Sit.

Lure Course, Herding and Dock Diving Fun!

dogonitmaster — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:18:23 +0000

You can do almost anything or go anywhere if you have a well-trained dog. In this video we have dogs enjoying fun stuff like dock diving, herding and the lure course. All of these events are available for everyone to try at the Paws for a Wish event every January.

Why Crate Training?

dogonitmaster — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:50:34 +0000

Crate training is a safe way to contain your puppy or dog.
Some people have an adverse opinion of a crate and the general reason is usually because they believe it is not comfortable for the dog. When you think like a dog, however; and not like a human, the crate becomes a favorable place because the crate replicates a natural den environment. Despite some opinions to the contrary, the crate is really a humane way to safely contain your pup or dog.

Why does crate training work?
It works because dogs have an innate den instinct and like to sleep in a small, confined space. The crate serves as a safe place for the dog to go to when he is tired or anxious. It provides a sense of security and it is a familiar place to your pet if his environment changes during travel or a move. The crate can be transported with you and give your pet added stability to keep something familiar in his world during a confusing time for him. Crate training is also a valuable tool for house training and for helping to teach him to be calm. Crating your pet prevents him from engaging in negative behaviors like chewing or digging or other destructive behavior patterns which can occur when you are not available to supervise.

When do you teach crate training?
The answer is anytime it is a necessary tool in your tool box. Although, it is easiest to introduce a crate to a young puppy it is never too late to train your dog to use a crate.

What kind of crate do you get?
There are many styles of crates to consider for your needs. There is the plastic airline crate most commonly used for shipping but it can be used just as easily in your home; the wire open-air style is popular and this model comes in collapsible versions for easy fold up, or the soft-sided crate which is lightweight and quickly put up. Because of its ease of assembly and light weight, the soft-sided crate is popular with dog handlers who travel to competitions like agility and obedience. This is not a crate to begin training a new puppy with, however, because the soft material sides could be chewed.

What size crate do you get?
Your crate should be large enough for your dog or pup to stand up and turn around in. If you are trying to house train a young puppy, use a crate that will be large enough when your dog is full grown but has a divider to give the pup just enough room for his current size. Most dogs are clean by nature and will try not to urinate or defecate in the area that they sleep in. If the crate is too large your puppy may go to the other side of the crate to relieve himself in place of attempting to hold it.

Wire Crate Just the Right Size

What do you do when your pup is crying in his crate?
You may have to weather initial moans, cries, screams and maybe an outright temper tantrum because your pup generally will not be happy the first time he is introduced to his crate. Especially if he has just been separated from his litter he will be very unhappy and may even panic the first time. It is important however that you do not give in thereby rewarding the act of becoming hysterical. If you feel sorry for him and get him out before he settles down, he will quickly learn that the more he cries it will eventually bring him what he wants….OUT!

What do you do if you are not sure your puppy has to go potty when he is crying in his crate?
It will be important to quickly get a schedule on your new puppy so that you can get him out of his containment area in time so he can learn to relieve himself outside. The schedule should start out with short sessions with your dog in his crate for about two hours before letting him out. His feeding will be a part of the schedule. Once your puppy has eaten and you have seen him relieve himself outside, then it should be safe to put him into his crate. With a schedule in place, time and duration in the crate can quickly be extended. If he is going out every two hours and you are hoping to sleep longer during the night, let him stay crated for a longer period of time; if he begins to cry and it has been three or four hours then you must get him out and give him the chance to relieve himself. You will learn how long he can hold it and you will not be in danger of rewarding the wrong behavior of barking. Once the first few days have passed your dog’s schedule will begin to form.

Soft Sided Collapsible Crate

What kinds of things will make your puppy like his crate better?
A helpful hint for going into the crate is to give the puppy a good outlet first which will help tire him out. A short walk or playing in the yard or with the kids can be a good way to get him a bit tired before sending him to his quiet, safe place to relax. Toys that cannot be chewed up and ingested are okay to keep in the crate. Also, safe chewing bones are a good idea. A Kong stuffed with peanut butter can keep your pup happy for hours. Feeding your puppy in the crate can be helpful and giving him a treat when he goes into the crate initially are ways to help get a new dog accustomed to his new crate.

The more you use your crate for constructive confinement and training, which means that your puppy has had enough time to be out and part of the family with your supervision before being crated, the more comfortable and safe his crate will feel to him. Just like your bedroom and bed may be a welcome sight at the end of your day, your dog will view his crate in much the same way. It’s all about how you train and use your crate.