Sit Means Sit Dog Training Pittsburgh North

Kelpie is our third Labrador, but our first Lab that was not treat motivated OR praise motivated. This made it very difficult to take him outside without a leash as he’d rather go explore in the woods instead of coming back to us when we called him. As a result, we always had to walk him on a leash and that didn’t even put a dent in his endless puppy energy. Our other Lab could run loose outside, play in the creek, etc. but not Kelpie. And our shoulders were hurting from him pulling on the leash because he wanted to run and be free! We knew we needed to do something for everyone’s sake! Enter Matt and Sit Means Sit Pittsburgh North… Kelpie was about 9 months old when we first started our lessons with Matt. I was hesitant using a stimulation (stim) collar of ANY sort because I had no experience with them and I was convinced all e-collars “shock” and scare dogs into submission. That is not the case. In the early stages of training you actually use the collar to give stimulation when he’s being good, listening, and doing the correct thing! The stim actually feels like a tens unit for physical therapy…it’s not a buzz or a shock…but a cadence of stimulation for a muscle, and it doesn’t hurt. Once *I* got over that part, we were smooth sailing. Matt’s on-site training showed results with our stubborn Kelpie the day we showed up! At first, Matt taught us how to properly use the stim collar for basic commands while on a leash. Our “homework” between on-site sessions was to work with Kelpie, on a leash at home, practicing sit/come/place using the stim collar just a few times a day for 15 minute mini sessions. Easy, and totally manageable with life’s busy schedule. Every lesson saw a bit more growth towards our goal of being off-leash outside. Still not quite there, during our third session with Matt, we asked for some advice for walking on a leash (to save our shoulders) and we worked outside of Matt’s facility using Matt’s dogs, a tennis ball, etc. for distraction while Kelpie walked nicely beside us. I was totally amazed. Just knowing how to properly direct Kelpie’s energy, using commands and stim, made all the difference. Between sessions, Matt was always available via text and email for questions and he was always quick with a response. His goal was to get Kelpie where we wanted him to be, and his guidance and training was getting us there. Fast forward just 3 or 4 training sessions later and Kelpie is an off-leash, outside running, creek splashing, deer-poo sniffing, stick and ball chasing machine! Our final goal is to be outside without Kelpie wearing a stim collar at all, and I think we’re getting there. All in all, I’m pleased with Matt’s training and would recommend him!

Matt at "Sit Means Sit" in Rochester, PA is fantastic! He has a very no-nonsense and direct approach, that is efficient, logical, and most importantly, effective. He was able to help us understand and change the behaviors of our often times very headstrong dog (an 8yr old Blue Heeler/Australian Shepherd mix). There was nearly an immediate transformation in our dog's behavior and we couldn't be happier nor could we promote Matt any higher. He's fantastic! Go see him, both you and your dog will be happy you did.