My experience here could not have been better. I did loads of research on trainers prior to making my decision, as I had specific issues I needed to work on with my dog, Gus. I wanted to be involved in the training along the way because part of my struggle had been establishing dominance/ taking the lead. I wanted to be working on that dynamic from the beginning, not just trying to take over once someone else trained him. Sit Means Sit was the perfect blend of introducing concepts to both me and my dog, setting the foundations with repetition (took some of the legwork off my plate), and then after each session practicing with both me and my dog to assure we were understanding. My at home lesson was invaluable. Talking through our issues in the space where they are occurring was crucial for customized tips. Some concepts are difficult to implement in certain setups, and Lisa was genius at thinking of alternatives. It can also be hard to describe what's going on without seeing it. The at home lesson gave that opportunity and Lisa was able to understand my dog's excitement and not only better explain his actions to me, but also she was able to suggest more creative ways to work with him in our unique space. Before training, Gus was next to impossible to walk. I'd spend 30 minutes standing in one spot waiting for him to calm down and give me attention. He pulled me so hard once going after another dog, he completely took me down. After training we are able to enjoy walks at my pace (not a constant sprint ). That's just one highlight of the improvement Sit Means Sit accomplished with my big ball of pure energy. I had such a wonderful experience with all the trainers I worked with. Christina had a great sense of humor that I looked forward to during our sessions with Gus. Someone who can laugh with you about how awkward you look and feel learning new concepts is a gem. Evan was like an accidental therapist who you don't mean to spill your guts to, but you do because his energy is so calm and understanding. THESE are the types of people you want working with your family pet, and with YOU. I can get tense training my dog, but they put me at ease the entire time. Additionally, Alicia was remarkably accommodating to my insane schedule and always able to promptly connect with me and figure out how to get me in. I'm a sucker for customer service and Alicia's bubbly personality is a perfect fit. I was so impressed with SMS, I signed up for puppy class, too. I know training can be an expensive investment and you want to be sure it's worth it-- this is worth it. Don't waste money doing multiple other trainings that don't quite click because they are more affordable. Do it right the first time here! read more

Sit Means Sit Pittsburgh Pennsylvania - Pet Training Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Our dog, Penny, is a rescued pitbull and the sweetest dog in the entire world to us, guests and strangers on the street. She did however have a terrible habit of pulling (think of a sleigh dog. That's what she looked like while pulling us, ugh) Enough was enough. Eventually we would have gotten hurt or she could have gotten lose & hurt herself / another dog. She also showed aggression towards other dogs and growls, barks and pulled even harder than normal. Inside she was a princess and outside she looked like a mean evil pitbull. It made us as dog owners look bad. Plus, we couldn't enjoy our summer with an uncontrollable dog. We decided to head to a free consultation. We were referred here by the owners husband. After the consultation they said most likely she won't need a harness anymore, only a leash. I laughed on inside. Guess what.... They were right. Since training, we've only needed a collar.. No more harness! We did the 3 day training program which meant penny would get dropped off here and spend 8 hours with a trainer 1 on 1. It also includes 1 day at home which was very helpful & 3 months of group classes which are 2x a week. They took videos of her training and sent them to us. In the videos they explained what they were doing and why it worked. We can always look back on those videos if needed. That's very helpful! The price seemed steep at first but essentially you are getting 3+ months of training for the price. Peace of mind knowing my dog is safe is priceless. Linda and Bridget did an excellent job. Penny Is more controllable now and doesn't pull on the leash. Group classes will really benefit her and I can't wait to start. I'm thankful for sit means sit. I used to dread walks and we couldn't even do fun stuff like the parks or camping. Now, we can finally have fun with our dog. Most importantly, she is much more safe since we can control her. read more

Sit Means Sit Pittsburgh Pennsylvania - Pet Training Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Highly recommend! Remy is 5 months old and we noticed an improvement in his behavior after one class. The puppy training class was a really great experience for myself and him! Remy will be continuing his school with Sit Means Sit. The staff are great, know how to handle all different breed and personalities of dogs and helped ease our anxieties about having a puppy for the first time in my life and the first time in 30 years for my parents! Definite 5 stars! read more

I am at a camping rally this week and I cannot thank Linda and all of the trainers at Sit Means Sit, enough for the work they have put in with Rocky and help they have given me to help him gain confidence and focus. Before we left, I had some concerns that he still would have a hard time with all of the people and the tons of dogs we would encounter but he has done better, here, than I have seen him do anywhere. He has rocked it going off leash, to the point I am not sure he has had the leash on since we arrived. He has been social (yes, actually social) with both people and dogs and when he gets nervous, he has been mostly, automatically looking right at me for direction. These are exactly the results I was hoping to see. He has been one of everyone's favorite dogs at the camping rally and I have had several folks ask where I took him for training. I cannot tell you how much fun he is having, here...and how he will miss his life, here in the country. Thanks, again, for the work you have poured into him! read more

My wife and I reached out to Sit Means Sit in February of 2017. Our Mini Australian Shepherd was behaving aggressively towards our newborn daughter. We tried to follow online suggestions for successfully introducing a dog to a newborn, but it did not work for our dog Opal. She would bark (almost violently) at our daughter and run around the house like a maniac, even charging at us if we were holding our newborn. We were desperate for help. I called and explained our situation to Sit Means Sit and after a short meet-and-greet at their facility, a trainer came over our house on February 4th to observe the behavior and make suggestions. We were hesitant to use an E-collar at first, as Linda, our trainer suggested, but within SECONDS the effects on Opal were visible and clearly not painful or uncomfortable. As Linda explained to us, the E-collar is like tapping on a distracted person's shoulder to get their attention. Redirection and behavior-shaping, not punishment. Though some effects were immediate, true behavior change in our dog and acclimation to our daughter took a lot of work on our part. We spent about 15 minutes each day training her with direction from Sit Means Sit, but by the first week of March, Opal was able to be in the same room as our daughter. In time, with continued training, Opal has become a great friend to our daughter Adelaide. Sit Means Sit has helped us create our family. We are so extremely grateful. read more

I would highly recommend this training business to anyone looking to have a better behaved dog.

Sit Means Sit was a game changer for our dog Belle. When we first rescued her, she had a lot of anxious fear and bad house manners due to never having lived inside. She would lunge at most strange men and would try to bite on occasion. We couldn't take her around other dogs because it was hit or miss if she would react. We had an incident at the dog park because Belle is so tennis ball obsessed that she swallowed one to keep other pups from getting it. It was really difficult because we live such an active and social lifestyle that we wanted her to be a part of. We tried regular obedience training but it just wasn't working with Belle. After we started working with Linda, we saw an almost immediate improvement in our walks where she would pay more attention to us and stopped pulling. Within a couple months we were able to start taking her in the dog park and on our adventures! We have now been working with Sit Means Sit for over a year and the biggest thing we learned is that this process is not overnight but a continual reinforcement of training. We are now more confident dog owners which makes Belle a happier dog all thanks to Sit Means Sit. read more

I BEYOND highly recommend Lisa and her entire Sit Means Sit crew. They changed my dog and I's life. Seriously. If you are interested, here is my story: I rescued Gryffin when he was about one year old (now he's three). Shortly after that, I took him to a dog park and he was attacked - pretty badly. After that, he became extremely leash reactive to other dogs. I lived in Shadyside so this was a HUGE issue (dogs are everywhere, all the time). There was nothing I could do to prevent him from going from a 1 to a 10. Once he was up to a level 10, I could not get him out of it. Gryffin is about 60 pounds and it was scary to have that kind of power at the end of a leash. I stopped wanting to take him for walks during "normal" hours and I felt like I couldn't bring him anywhere. I even started hiding behind cars to avoid other dogs! It was devastating because I loved him so much and wanted a dog that I could trust in public. I saw a different trainer at first (it was cheaper) and it actually got worst. He ended up "redirecting" on me and bit my leg on two separate occasions. I tell you this just so you know how bad it was... but there's a happy ending... I promise! I did a bunch of research on different dog training companies around Pittsburgh and I met with a couple, but Sit Means Sit was who I ultimately went with. After many tears (on my end), Lisa made me feel extremely comfortable and that there was hope for my dog. I chose to do private lessons and a 5 day board and train and it was the best thing I could have done for Gryffin and I. Lisa and the crew were there for me whenever I had questions and were a constant support (I still talk to them and ask them the occasional question to this day and I now live in Boston). I absolutely loved my experience and would not change it for the world. Gryffin actually got pretty attached to Lisa and would "bee-line" for her whenever he saw her. It warmed my heart and I knew he was in good hands. But, I will say, just because you do a board and train, doesn't mean that it is going to eliminate the work on your end. They will lay the foundation, and teach your dog the "collar language", but it is up to you to continue to work with your dog (with coaching from Sit Means Sit, of course). It's not a magic "quick fix". It requires dedication on your part, but for me, it's worth it. I now have a happy, almost perfect dog. He will always be a work-in-progress, and I'm okay with that. The training is definitely life long for him, but I am SO happy with his journey and how far we've come. I can now confidently walk Gryffin at any time in public and I know I have complete control over him. Yes, there is still the occasional 10 pound terror we cross paths with and he'll VERY occasionally get a little distracted... but can you blame him? And no more out bursts. Ever. I get so many compliments on how well-behaved he is, how well he "heels" on/off leash without being asked, and that he comes immediately when I call him no matter what. It's one of the best feeling in the world. We go for off leash hikes all the time and my friends can't believe how good he is. ALL THAT BEING SAID... if you are still questioning doing this, please don't. It will change you and your dog's life. You'll be happier and your dog will DEFINITELY be happier. Good luck!!!! read more

We are so fortunate that we met Lisa before we brought our puppy home. Her guidance kept us going through the good and bad stages of having a puppy. Her experience, knowledge and demeanor has made her an absolute pleasure to work with. She is always available, always responsive and has given us the support we have needed throughout our training program. Her personality separates her from the other trainers we have worked with. She is composed, kind and patient. Our toy poodle loves her as much as we do! She always brings a calming presence to stressful situations which we all need. We couldn't do this without her! read more

We met Lisa at the Pittsburgh Home Show in 2013. My husband and I had just gotten a golden doodle puppy, Rugsby, a few months before stumbling across the Sit Means Sit booth. My husband and I did not set out that day to find a dog trainer, but fate had other plans. Our puppy was not so poorly behaved, but had great difficulty walking on leash without pulling. After a few minutes talking with Lisa we agreed to the FREE demo, what did we have to lose? It was FREE. After Lisa spent just 5 minutes with Rugsby, she had him walking/heeling next to her on the leash! It seemed a miracle! We continued on with private lessons and group classes and Rugsby became a model canine citizen and passed his canine good citizen test on the first go. The socialization environment provided by Sit Means Sit classes is invaluable to the development of a well behaved dog in all situations. We worked on and off with Lisa for the last 3 years until sadly this year our poor Rugsby got sick with cancer at way too young of an age, and we had to end his suffering. Not only was Lisa there as a trainer for the last 3 years but also a friend in our sadness. We definitely recommend Sit Means Sit Pittsburgh for the amazing work and the compassion Lisa and Linda show to the dogs and their humans. We will definitely be back when we welcome home a new puppy to our family. read more

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I highly recommend them. They are very knowledgeable trainers. They met with me and figured out my training goals and I am very happy and satisfied. I would also like to thank them for accommodating my work schedule. Otis, my beagle, gives them a four paws up ! read more

Sit Means Sit Pittsburgh Pennsylvania - Otis - Pet Training Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Awesome training! After the first visit my dog changed her whole perception. She listens better than she did before and quit pulling on walks just after one training. We now have a second dog getting trained by Lisa and he is learning so fast. I would recommend Lisa to anyone. The previous reviewer must have the wrong Sit Means Sit business. There is one north of the city but that isn't this business. read more

I own 3 jack Russell terriers one of whom is a rescue several months into our rescue being with us they all starting fighting and the fighting was escalating. We decided to use a trainer 3 to be exact. None of them seem to be helping then Lisa from sit means sit came along. She made it makes sense to us and showed us how to use positive reinforcement, individual and training with all three together. We have nothing but a positive outcome from her experience. She does offer the use of shock collars this is a personal choice and was presented to us as a LAST resort. (I feel the use of these is no different then smacking a child's hand to keep them from harm). We did the work and found them unnecessary. Lisa was patient kept in touch with our progress. I highly recommend their services. read more

When Ian and I adopted Murphy in October of 2015, he was absolutely out of control. Picked up as an emaciated stray, it was clear he had not been socialized properly and had never experienced order in his life. He wouldn't listen to a word we said, he had no house manners, he pulled on his leash, he was afraid of strangers, he tried to attack every dog we saw, and he was constantly biting both of us. After just 2 weeks, I was ready to give up. However, after our first demo with Lisa, my hope was renewed. After 3 in-home sessions and 6 months of group classes, we have a pretty awesome dog. Murphy goes to the dog park every day and gets along with everyone. He's so well behaved that he comes with me to the local brewery for trivia night, to Home Depot, and pretty much anywhere that will allow dogs. He walks nicely on his leash and behaves himself in the house. He has also become much more confident and accepting of strangers. Lisa and Linda are miracle workers and we can't thank them enough. Murphy has become a cherished member of our family, and it's all thanks to Sit Means Sit Pittsburgh! read more

I have a bloodhound that can play with other dogs, off lead!!!! Need i say more? Lisa and Linda are the best. Highly recommend.