The story Violet and Sit Means Sit: Most people know that Pitbulls are some of the most gentle, loving, fun, and all around biggest babies you could imagine. What people don't know, however, is that there's a little something known among the bully breeds as "The Pittie Screams." For those who have never heard this obnoxious sound (i.e. the majority of the population), it's kind of like a mix between a metalcore vocalist and a toddler throwing a hissy fit. It's loud. It's embarrassing. It makes people on the street cower in terror and hide their children. It makes your neighbors look out of their windows because they think someone is getting murdered. Which brings me to my adorable baby girl, Violet. I rescued her in September of 2017, so I really have no idea what she went through prior to being in the shelter. She's a phenomenal dog that loves literally everyone and is very obedient, but I learned fairly quickly that she is NOT a fan of other dogs (or bunnies). The pulling, lunging, barking, screaming, and other aggressive behaviors she exhibits when we encounter animals, made it so difficult to bring her outside that I had to walk her behind the townhouses we live in (shared backyards without separating fences). Thanks to Tony and Mikey, I'm no longer afraid to take Violet for walks ON THE SIDEWALK, like NORMAL pets get to do! Violet spent 11 days doing a Board and Train with them last fall and has progressed phenomenally. They really have done an amazing job with her! They're responsive to any questions and concerns, and the initial training cost includes individual follow-up and group training sessions for the rest of Violet's life. *That being said, it's super important for people to realize that dog training is just as much about training yourself as it is about training the pet. IT'S NOT MAGIC!!! You don't send your dog to a board and train or puppy class and expect them to come home being perfect, obedient angels. Just like human children, your dog is eventually going to be a brat, and you, as the adult, need to learn to lead them and mold their behaviors in a positive way. Sit means Sit has provided both me and Violet with the tools and support we need to continue to overcome her issues with other animals, and we are SO very thankful! Just last week Violet actually let another dog LICK HER FACE. It was amazing and I couldn't be more proud :) Unfortunately, Violet and I will be moving across the country in a few months, but Mikey and Tony will continue to support us and have even offered to help us ease into another Sit Means Sit location. Seriously worth every penny and I recommend them to everyone! read more

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I've never owned a dog in my life, and somehow I ended up rescuing a cattle dog mix. Needless to say she is a handful and I was really struggling with finding a balance in life because she thought she ruled the world and wouldn't listen. I had problems with her barking and growling at men, barking at loud noises, pulling on leash - you name it, I had a problem. I was very nervous about investing in training since it's a big investment, and I was worried the training wouldn't transfer to me. Investing in Tony at Sit Means Sit was the best money I have ever spent in my entire life. Not only did my dog come back a completely different dog, but I also have an ongoing support system. It's been a year and a half since I got my first dog back and a few months since I got my youngest dog back and Tony is just as responsive now as he was in the beginning. He isn't just there to help, you can tell he cares about helping. He is so passionate about all these dogs....it's amazing. I don't know what I'd do without Tony. My life is so different now that I have two well-behaved dogs that listen! I have never seen anybody understand dogs the way he does. You will not regret your investment into this team. Trust me. read more

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We are so grateful to have found Tony and Sit Means Sit! My husband and I rescued our corgi mix, Crackers, and he was quite the handful. He had aggression and anxiety that made me nervous to even walk him around our neighborhood. We did a 2 week board and train and got a new Crackers back; Crackers 2.0. Tony worked with Crackers and ever since his training, we can take Crackers outside and around other dogs without even worrying! Crackers has come such a long way and it feels so great to now have a dog we can trust. Tony taught Crackers and us to be calm and in control in what would have been high-anxiety situations in the past. We continue to attend group classes with Tony, Mikey, and Sit Means Sit and these classes are key to keeping us and Crackers on track. These group classes provide a great community atmosphere where we feel comfortable and empowered to continue our training. We also brought our new corgi puppy, CJ, to puppy class and he's on his way to being well trained like his big brother. I can't say enough good things about Sit Means Sit and Tony and Mikey. They make us feel so comfortable and welcome with both of our dogs and you can tell that they really care about them and their progress. If you are considering training with Sit Means Sit, do it! You won't regret it :) read more

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Great place!!! I have three dogs and they did great with my my dogs training. I highly recommend Sit Mean Sit. read more

Sit Means Sit - Schaumburg - Pet Training Near Me

By far the best training that we could have gotten. Mikey and the sit means sit team breaks down the training and explains the background of why we do the training. Prior to the training I had a ill mannered dog on the leash and not very confident in her self. In just the matter of 3 weeks I had a strong confident dog that walked with a great heel! read more

Tony and Mikey are absolutely among the best trainers in the state if not the country. Their training turned life around for my adopted shelter dog at a time when I didn't know if I would be able to keep him. My dog was in the shelter for 2 years labeled as frantic, high-energy, and prone to nipping even requiring 2 separate volunteers to walk him with 2 leashes and collars at once. Even months after I took him home, my dog was uncontrollable and unpredictable for me even as an experienced dog owner, so I called Tony out of desperation. After a board and train (for less money than several other trainers I looked at who used treats and painful shock collars, neither of which are good training methods) my pup came back a different dog! He is controllable, calm, predictable, and most importantly trustable in an apartment environment. I love my dog now and we work together to have fun and experience things, I no longer have to feel like I have to shut my dog away or desperately keep him from acting uncontrollably. Tony and Mikey are good people and amazing trainers who have a wealth of experience, use painless vibrating collars which I love, and are honest about what your dog needs and what they are capable of. I trust them with my dog and I owe them so much, the lifetime free training sessions are wonderful and so fun, and because of their training I have a dog I'm so proud of and I love and trust. I think they're the only trainers who could have accomplished that. read more

We sent our Cock-a-Poo Danny to Tony for a 10 day board and train after he was having some possession aggression issues. After his stay, and some individual lessons with Tony, we now can control him, and get compliments on his behavior every time we take him out. Having the tools and skills to work with our dog has made a world of difference and made Danny a good citizen. Also, as a bonus, Mikey is a great groomer and we won't take Danny anywhere else. I have recommended Tony and Sit Means Sit to many of our friends. read more

I cannot express enough how grateful we are to have found Sit Means Sit. Tony and Mikey have been absolutely amazing. We rescued a our beagle mix at 9 weeks and little did we know we had a wild child. He wouldn't walk on a leash without choking himself. He would bite.... oohhh the biting was horrible even after his teething phase. He would Jump all over the furniture and bark at every dog and child he would see. We took him to the puppy classes to learn the basics and were quickly impressed by Tony. He is passionate about dogs and wants us all to succeed. After class concluded, he suggested additional training which clearly was needed. We were hesitant at first because of our lack of knowledge. After months of going back and fourth, we decided to do the 10 days board and training package. IT WAS WORTH Every cent we paid. Tony and Mikey transformed our dog, he is so well behaved and can walk at a heal (no more choking!). The weekly group classes are a necessity, I can't stress this enough. If you want your dog to succeed, you have to put the work in. Mikey and Tony are there to guide you very step of the way. They pass down their knowledge to you so you can learn and make daily improvements. We are customers for life, every dog we have and will have will be trained by them! Thank you Tony and Mikey! Without you guys, we would never be where we are today with our pup. Keep up the great work you're doing! read more

Won't ever use this place again Tony took my dog (puppy) and when I got him back he was scared took a long time to get his confidence back NEVER AGAIN read more

Indy came to me in 2014 a friendly, trained, well-behaved former show dog; so why did I need Tony and Sit Means Sit? As Indy grew more comfortable in his new home he started developing some bad habits that I could not break. He became very vocal and barked at EVERYTHING. It was nearly impossible to watch TV in peace and quiet. We couldn't even go for walks anymore because he would go absolutely crazy if we saw another dog. He wasn't aggressive, he just wants to play; but I wasn't convinced his loud yapping was always interpreted that way. I finally started looking for someone to help me as I felt I could not fix this on my own. I was referred to Sit Means Sit in May 2017, set up a consultation with Tony and started training shortly after which was the best thing I ever could have done for Indy. Tony was immediately able to pinpoint the issues and taught me how to work with him. It wasn't long before I was the one back in control and had a happy (and quiet) dog again! Indy seems to thrive on having a "job" working on his behavior and learning new things. Going to group class is the highlight of the week; he absolutely loves to see Tony and has even made some doggie friends that he now interacts with quietly. I absolutely recommend Tony and Sit Means Sit! read more

Sit Means Sit - Schaumburg - Indy conquering the basket challenge - Pet Training Near Me

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Unfortunately this training got us nowhere. We initially called because our dog is food and resource aggressive. We adopted him as a stray from a shelter so we never knew his history. He showed no other signs of aggression toward my husband nor I or our other dog. It seemed like he had a fear of his surroundings. We also knew we needed to work on things such as basic obedience and trust. He is a strong dog (82 lbs) and would pull toward and bark at all bikes, most cars, and anybody walking nearby. This training did help gain trust and his overall behavior in the house and leash behavior improved but they were so restricted that we weren't exposed to any of these triggers during training. It was suggested we attend group classes about 40 minutes away since there weren't any close to us. Our dog would eventually calm down around the other dogs and was successful in the group setting although he would still bark at people walking in and out of the store. Food aggression was never fully addressed. There was no request to even witness the extent of the aggression to know what approach to use to help it. We requested Alexa visit our home, since she is supposed to be an expert, and she basically told us to ignore it and manage our behavior rather than our dog. After a couple months, Tony told us we should euthanize our dog. Yes, he has behavioral issues but he had not crossed a point where he should be euthanized. He still barks at everything he sees as a threat and has food aggression, which we continue to work on but he is a very loving and loyal dog that loves to be goofy and play when we have company. I agree they can assist with very expensive basic obedience but I wouldn't bother calling for anything else. Instead of admitting our problem was out of their comfort zone they happily took our money and left us with the same problems. read more

We could not be more happy with Sit Means Sit. Tony and Mike were great to work with. We have a 3 year old pit mix. We rescued her at 8 months old. She has always been horrible with her food. We basically were on the fence of rehoming her when we found Sit Means Sit. We were very apprehensive that anything could help us as the issues have been happening for almost 2 years. So this was our last try. Tony and Mike took Rebel for 2 weeks and when she came back we couldn't believe what we saw. A new dog that will be with us forever. Not only did they stop her aggression with food but they also showed us how to enjoy our baby girl again. We are able to go out and about with the confidence that she will stay right with us every step of the way. These guys were so patient with us every step of the way. Giving us all the knowledge we needed to keep this big girl going strong. It may have been expensive but it was something I would do over again in a heartbeat. We can't thank Tony and Mike enough read more