When Callie turned two and Coby turned one, our dogs became different dogs. To say the least, they were out of control. I'm not sure exactly what caused it (was it adolescence, jealousy, the long winter that gave them cabin fever?), but we definitely needed help. The dogs were a lot more aggressive with each other and also with other people outside our home. People they knew before and didn't have problems with. The doorbell would ring and all heck would break loose, I could barely open the door not fearing they would do something harmful. They were also crazy leash aggressive. They would pull us down the street for a walk and charge at all people and other dogs in our neighborhood. It was so embarrassing that we clearly had no control whatsoever. Even my 9 year old daughter couldn't walk them out of fear. We lived in a great friendly neighborhood with other dogs and kids. We needed our dogs to behave. We didn't want kids being afraid of them. As full time working parents, our dogs went to a local doggie daycare 1-2 days a week. For some reason or another, Callie soon started acting out and being very aggressive with other dogs. Dogs that she played with weekly for months!! We were told that she could not come back. We couldn't understand why the sudden change of aggressive behavior at a daycare that we thought she loved. We took her to the vet for a check up to be sure all was ok. At that visit, the vet recommended training. There was a board and train program close by, and he had even sent his own dog there. So we made the call to Dave at Sit Mean Sit for help. Our initial consultation went great. Dave could see all the behaviors the dogs needed help with. He recommended the 10 day board and train program. We signed them both up for the same 10 days. What we really liked is that they would be trained together which I think was key in their relationship with each other. The key to this training was constant consistency. The dogs were trained 12 hours a day for a consecutive 10 days. That was time that we didn't have to spend training them. It was 10 days that would change all of our lives dramatically. After their 10 days, my doggies came home, and they were no longer out of control. During that time they learned how to listen, focus, relax, compose, and release whatever was keeping them from being well behaved dogs. It's been about a month now. My daughter walks them every day. They go to a new doggie daycare. We let them walk next to us without a leash on walks some days. We sit outside with them and they stay next to us without running off or even barking. People come up to them and they wag their tails and let them pet them. When we say "Quiet", they listen... When we say "Off", they listen. They are no longer reactive. The doorbell rings, and they don't run to attack anyone. They stay in their "Place". Today they are the best dogs we could have ever asked for. We are truly enjoying our newly trained pups! We are so grateful for the services of Sit Means Sit.. Thank you!! read more

I have no idea even where to begin other than saying Sit Means Sit has changed our lives (and it has only been 2 days since we picked Bear up from the Board and Train Program). Our 1.5 year old rescue, who is a Chihuahua/terrier mix, was an absolute terror (despite being the cutest thing we have ever seen). Since we adopted him in April, we quickly realized that we were going to have to change our lifestyles solely because we knew we could not trust taking Bear into any sort of foreign situation without having to leave immediately. He showed aggression towards strangers, but especially other dogs. After having him for about 5 months and experiencing countless times of complete frustration, we finally bit the bullet and sought out help. Sit Means Sit was a recommendation from a friend so we scheduled a consultation with Dave. About 10 seconds after meeting with Dave, we immediately knew we were in good hands. Not only is he obviously an amazing trainer and runs an outstanding organization, but he has a personality/demeanor that you would want your dog to be with. He sat us down and let us explain our situation and then he suggested what he thought was best for Bear and how they would approach it. After our convo, Dave took bear outside for a "demonstration" with his Shepard so we could see how he would approach the training. After 5 minutes, I was sold and knew right away that this was the place for Bear. We decided to go with the 1 week board & train program. They posted a photo of him after his first day and then a couple of videos in between on their FB page so we could follow his progress. Once we went to pick him up, the Sit Means Sit team took the time to train us on how to train Bear and made us feel completely comfortable/confident that we could keep up the training ourselves. In addition, they "train for life" meaning they are more than happy to schedule follow up's after the training program is over to ensure everything is going smoothly. Dave even called me the night we picked him up to see how our first day went and if there were any problems. They truly are in it for the dogs best interest. 2 days after picking him up, we have been able to do the unimaginable. Yesterday, we took him to Castle Island where he encountered multiple dogs walking by and did not make a peep nor act out. Today, I was able to take him to pet smart and walk around without having to look over my shoulder every 2 seconds to see if there was a dog near by. He saw multiple dogs, big and small, and was an absolute gentleman. When I say this is something that I absolutely thought would NEVER happen, I mean it. I am in complete awe. I would highly recommend Sit Means Sit to anyone who like myself, felt completely hopeless. No matter what your dog's problems are, Sit Means Sit can help. Thank you, Sit Means Sit, for everything. read more

SitMeansSit changed everything for our dog and our family. We have a 1 1/2 year old Great Pyrenees, Ruthie. We have 3 children and all of us absolutely adore her. Unfortunately, she has proven to be incredibly true to the reputation of her breed and is incredibly stubborn. Despite very effective and disciplined training as a puppy, she was once tempted out of the electric fence of our yard and that was all it took to end her trained behaviors. From that moment forward, we were never able to contain her within our electric fenced yard. We had to build an entirely new physical fence around our 2-acre yard to try and safely enclose her. Yet, every opportunity she would get to break out, she did. She would run for a busy main road and somehow escaped multiple close calls with cars. Every walk we took her on, had to be on a tight leash and with that she had grown into such a large dog, that we were barely able to hold her back when something caught her attention. We couldn't control her any longer. We knew that we both couldn't reliably keep her safe nor ourselves when we were out in the world with her. It had gotten to the point that we decided we either had to regretfully let her go to a different home or find some sort of miracle training. That is what led us to SitMeansSit...all it took was one week and everything changed! She is one hundred percent still the snuggly, goofy and lovably dog our family adores. However, without any doubt, we can now take her anywhere, off leash completely, and she will come to our side if we ask her to. She run offs chasing deer if we allow it and then with one "come" request and push of the correctional remote-control button (which we have set on one of the lowest possible vibrating settings) she stops, turns and runs happily back to our side. It is amazing. We can now live and enjoy a life, out and about in the world anywhere we go, with our dog with us. In addition, we can even leave Ruthie out in the yard and trust that she won't disturbingly bark at our neighbors. If she does start to bark at a time and/or in a way we think is inappropriate, all we have to do is give her one "quiet" command and push the correctional button and she calmly moves on to something else in the yard. We are just so grateful and in awe of the change that happened through Ruthie's time with Will, our trainer at SitMeansSit, and all who helped with our Ruthie. We can't say enough about what a great decision it was to trust and invest in SitMeansSit. They truly gave us back a life we never thought possible, with our loved dog, Ruthie. read more

It has now been two weeks post-SMS training, and I must say that it's one of the best decisions I've made. First and foremost, I did it for my dog's safety. We do a lot of hiking in very remote areas, so immediate recall is critical. Now, there is no hesitation on his part and he runs back immediately when I call for him. I am diligent about practicing what I've learned, and, like anything else, you have to keep practicing for long term results. For those who are considering SMS, I've come to understand two important lessons since the training. 1) Dogs are truly happier when they have a training structure and a clear form of communication, which are what this program provides. This is especially true with Vizslas, who respond very well to training. 2) Most importantly, my relationship with my dog has changed for the better because I no longer get frustrated, raise my voice, or have the need to physically remove something from his mouth or chase him around when he doesn't come. The training has given me the confidence to be calm around him, and as a result, my energy and focus shifts to giving him love and affection, and enjoying my time with him. Prior to starting the program, I had two major concerns. 1) Will his personality change? I didn't want a dog that behaves like a robot. 2) Was he too young? He's only 8 months old. In regards to my first concern, he is still the same lovable pup. In fact, he seems happier because we have established a clear form of communication between us and a clear set of boundaries. When it's time to "go play," he's still as much of a clown as ever. I should also mention that I take him with me everywhere now because he's so well-behaved, which makes him even happier. As to being too young for the program, I now believe that whether or not a dog is of age for training depends on the dog itself. For us, he was of the perfect age because he was starting to go through his "rebellious teenage phase" and I didn't want him to adopt any bad habits. And like I said, the primary concern was his safety on the trails and that gave me the extra push to do it early. Dave, Chris, Terry and Anthony are a solid team and they are all very good at what they do. I'm beyond grateful to them for taking such good care of my boy. Bottom line: it's a great program and I encourage everyone to do it. read more

This review has been a long time coming. Our rescue dachshund, Marty, came to us in 2012 with severe separation anxiety and fear of men and dogs. We did some in-home and outside training with a well-respected trainer, and the separation anxiety improved, but Marty was never good around anyone except family. When we needed work done on our home, we would have to send Marty to our parents' for the day/week, which was a major hassle. Once we had nephews and then our own son, Marty became territorial and aggressive enough that no longer was his behavior an annoyance, but a fear. We moved from the city to the suburbs last year, and our awesome new vet, Dr. Liz at South Shore Animal Health in Weymouth, recommended we contact Dave at Sit Means Sit. From our first meeting with Dave, and after seeing the "demo" he did with Marty and his dog Yeager, we knew we had to make this investment for us, for our son, for our other family members, and mostly, for Marty. We left Marty with Dave and his team of trainers for 10 days in August of 2017. I was skeptical of the results we would have. Dave sent us photos during his training and made it clear that Marty was a stubborn dog but that he was trainable. Since the day Marty returned home, our lives have been infinitely better! Marty's poor behavior around children and his inability to welcome guests into our home was the main stress in our lives, and that has completely gone away since he spent time at Sit Means Sit. Our friends who come over can't believe how Marty behaves around them now...sitting on their lap, silent, nice to be around. While we still use the training collar and always make sure that one of us is in control of Marty, he is obedient, he comes when called, he has had a better appetite, and he's been able to come off of his anti-anxiety medication. While he still isn't willing to befriend other dogs, that's OK with us, and we may work with Dave again to try to improve upon that. Thank you Dave and everyone on your team! We look forward to a refresher course soon! read more

We went BIG with our first family dog, Eiffel! Eiffel is an 8 month old Great Dane puppy who quickly grew from a cute little pup, into a cute very large pup, that's still growing! Right from the start, we tried in-home training, as well as a few puppy classes with him, but it was a challenge for our family of five to juggle our busy lives trying to put in the hours and consistency required to train our dog properly. We turned to the dog training experts at Sit Means Sit and entrusted them with a very important member of our family, Eiffel. The team at Sit Means Sit made us feel extremely comfortable from the very start about their process and approach to dog training. We felt they would do a great job AND take amazing care of our oh so special puppy, who we had grown to love. During the boarding training period, we received plenty of updates with videos/pics of Eiffel's progress. He went from a nervous dog that couldn't walk down our stairs, or easily hop into our cars, to being brave enough to do the SMS obstacle courses. He went from us begging and trying to coax him to please get up off the floor at night to go outside for one more potty run before bed, to a one command, up and out the door with ZERO stubbornness. Dave, Terry, Chris, and ALL the trainers were fabulous! We knew Eiffel was well loved by all, AND came home such a smart boy! The trainers at Sit Means Sit did an awesome job on pick-up day to help train our family on the commands and how to reinforce the training lessons at home successfully. The results were night-and-day for our family with Eiffel and the training has been simple to maintain on our own. We are incredibly thankful for the help and TLC our whole family received, and even more so for the love we know Eiffel got during his time at what we call, "Manners Camp". THANK YOU!!!!!! Cassi and Michael Belmarsh read more

The day I made the decision to call up Sit Means Sit dog training I was at a complete lost with my one year old Aussie Hatrick, she had become so fear aggressive towards people and new situations that I was unable to take her anywhere without her acting out so our world just consisted on taking walks around the apartment complex in areas where I knew we wouldn't run into many people. Anytime she would see a stranger she would lung, bark, and growl at them until they were out of her sight. I was unable to have company over in fear that she was going to bite someone. When I did call up Sit Means Sit I spoke to Lori and she was extremely friendly and helpful in scheduling a demo within a few days of the call. The day of demo Dave arrived on time and the second Dave entered my home Hatrick definitely didn't hold back. She barked, growled and lunged and had to put in the bed room in order for us to talk about the program. Dave was excellent in explaining the whole programs and options and what to expect with the program and how to get the best results. After the demo with Yeager and a quick demo with Hatrick I knew that this program was the one for us. By the second lesson with Dave, Hatrick was able to walk around bass pro shops staying at my side with the leash dragging behind her and having no reaction towards the people in the store. It has been four months since we trained with Dave and Sit Means Sit and I couldn't be happier with my decision to contact Sit means Sit dog training. Hatrick now has tons of confidence when facing any new situation and meeting new people and was able to successfully complete six weeks of beginner agility which required her to run a course of obstacles while being off leash with other dogs and people in the area. I would recommend this program to anyone who is looking for training for their dog. read more

After struggling to teach our dog basic commands, we were at the end of our rope. Our 20 month old labradoodle is all hugs and loves to play like most dogs, which is ok but playing became aggravating after awhile, as she did not know the difference between play and stop playing. She also, chewed everything in sight, pulled on her leach while walking, became overly excited with strangers and other dogs. In other word's, she was disobedient! A friend told us about Sit Means Sit and at first I was skeptical about e-collars and having to leave my baby for two weeks (optional). It was just as hard as sending my child off to college, and like that decision, one of the best. Sit means Sit has given us the training we needed in order to live in harmony with our dog. We were fully educated on how to use the e-collar as well as what universal language works in combination. It has been two days now since we've picked her up, and even though we have to keep enforcing training at home, at least she listens. Today I was able to let her off leash (leaving on e-collar) in the park, where she played with other dogs. She came without hesitation when called and when it was time to leave she sat so I could put her other leash on. I seriously had joyful tears! Some of the perks I like about this program is that it's a lifetime - this means, a "refresher" training incase things get out of hand after the original training. Apart from the board and train option, they can come to your house and do training there if desired. We are very happy with the decision we made in taking our dog to Sit Means Sit - Dave and his staff was (((AMAZING))) and they took good care of our baby :). read more

Our review is long overdue as there is so much we'd like to share about our pups training with Sit Means Sit, here is just a piece of our story. Vinnie and Viva are rescued siblings, and attended the SMS one-week board and train program at just a year old. We had huge success here with their help in obedience, addressing behavioral and social interactions. Our pups are now trained and their poor behaviors are limited to none. They are now social around people and other dogs. They listen when their names are called and follow our commands well. We are able to walk them comfortably without being tugged around which was a huge concern of mine, and now I can walk them both together by myself with no trouble. Taking a car-ride was a problem because we had to pick them up (currently 40 -50 lbs each and growing) and struggle to keep them in while closing the door, now they hop right in! We had an extremely serious matter that needed to be addressed and this situation happened when Vinnie and Viva were first adopted, my 13yr old daughter was home and they started to bark at her and jump on her, they were highly excited and then began to bite her. What began as "play" turned to what we believe was dominance/aggressive behavior. Our roles changed drastically in our household due to this incident, however after sending them to SMS, my 13yr old feels confident and is in control and can play and spend quality time with our pups and take care of them, most importantly our trust has been gained again. Communication with SMS has been effortless. We can certainly say that we highly recommend Sit Means Sit to anyone who is having minor or major difficulties with their pet. read more

My dog is an 8 year old rescue dog of collie-ish origin. In the 3 years I have owned him, I have watched him decay from Mr. Mellow when outside to an anxious lunging growling mess first at aggressive dogs (OK, understandable), than at any dog (uh oh) and finally to people (oh no!). His experience outside was limited to the same neighborhood once around, so I could anticipate any stimuli and manage his behavior by muscling him off the path. So it was with great relief to me that within his first lesson with Eric Smith, he quietly remained in "sit" while his arch-nemesis "Sunny" sauntered by his property. Third lesson, he frisked about with other dogs, all strangers to him, at a dog park. "Sit means sit" is an electronic collar system which may not fit everyone's training philosophy. Frankly, if I thought this system bought obedience at the price of my pet's happiness, it wouldn't be the choice for me. However, Murphy wags his tail and ducks his head when I put the collar on because he knows we have the freedom now to explore the big bad world with the security that he "will do a good job" with his leader in charge. His personality outside continues to approach the happy, sweet marshmallow personality he displays inside. Instrumental to the success of the program is the compassionate, dog intuitive instruction you recieve at your home. Eric Smith's lessons extended waaaaaaaaaaay past the hour and he was open to simulating challenges such as the dog park visit and the "stranger at the door". Please pardon the length of this post, dear yelpers, but this is my first review and my dog means the world to me. read more

I took my 4 month old Golden Retriever Cooper to the board and train program and even though I missed him to pieces this has to be the best investment I have ever made!!! He is still the same old pup only with A LOT better manners! I have only been home with him for an hour and already have my best friend. I honestly am so beyond thankful for Sit means Sit it has shown me to be more confident with myself and my puppy and together we will be a great team. Before the program I would try and walk Cooper...notice how I said "try"...this pup would PULL me..and for a 30 pound pup he would still pull me all over the road and when another person or another dog would come by...Lord help me because he went insane....all 4 paws would be off the ground and he would go for it and drag me with him to go say hello, I would have to hold his collar and harness at the same time and he still managed to jump all around the other people and dogs. Now when I took him out even for a short walk just having him walk right beside me was unreal. I felt so much more calm and actually happy to go for a walk with him rather than internally crying when I had to walk him before hand. It is going to be so amazing to learn with my puppy and have myself learn as well...I purchased the training collar so working with that will be a life changer! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to ANYONE thinking of this program....this will be the best investment for you and your best friend...the staff is beyond amazing and I will be forever grateful for them!!!! read more

Our Lucy was a tough cookie, part honey-badger, part jackass in a body that looks like a sweet 20 pound Jack Russel mix. Upon her adoption into our home, Lucy had endured four foster families from Tennessee to Boston. She'd most recently been living with three small chihuahuas and had certainly taken on their unruly behavior of jabbing at people with all teeth bared. She was loud and afraid of all humans and animals. We couldn't have company without hiding her away in her crate. Her behavior was so unruly outside that when she had something that she shouldn't, and was told to come, she simply laughingly ran laps around us in the yard; making it impossible to snatch her. She was the kind of dog that was soon to be returned. Then we met Dave who whisked her away and whipped her right into shape. She is still our goofy, playful dog who has no limit to playing fetch. While she might still give a bit of a bark and growl when first meeting someone, she is quite lovable once she meets friends a few times. She's not yet standing on a fire hydrant, but is so much kinder to others. We are always working on her small dog aggressiveness utilizing the tools that Dave introduced to us, and it has already quickly shown rewards. Worth every penny! Looking forward to follow up training. Thank you Sit Means Sit! read more

I am an Air Force Wounded Warrior that got a dog donated to me from a fellow Navy Sailor Care Office. Cairo was trained in Virginia and I needed to get myself updated on the proper procedures on training. I researched and found Sit Means Sit and from the minute the staff picked up the phone I knew we were going to be taken care of as training is crucial to both of us at this time. I got reminders and phone calls from the staff to ensure I was comfortable with the visit and knew the location. I have to tell you in my recovery journey from PTSD God has put people and organizations in our paths. Sit Means Sit has definitely been a blessing not only to me and Cairo, but to our Family. Dave and the staff made us feel at home and took care of us from the minute we set foot in. Cairo remembered all of his training and I got adjusted and trained to become the perfect team. We will be traveling to an Air Force Wounded Warrior event and this process was crucial to a successful trip with my fellow Air Force Wounded Warrior Family. Dave went above and beyond and even provided me with this number in case I needed extra support and to keep him posted on our progress. God Bless you all on being part of our journey!!!!!! #AFW2. We are forever grateful!!!!! read more

Our lab mix has been a very scared and timid dog since the day we brought her home at 8 months. After a year of living with us Abby gave us the scare of a lifetime when she ran away on a freezing cold December night. After that incident I knew serious training was the only thing that would make me feel comfortable with taking her out of the house again. I contacted SMS and spoke with Laurie, who has been absolutely amazing through the entire scheduling process. Will the trainer came to our house to do a information session and we signed up that day. Abby went to a week long board and train with Dave and the other amazing trainers at SMS. Dave was able to pick and drop off Abby out our house, making scheduling SO easy!!! When Dave dropped Abby off he completed a 1.5 hour training session in my home and will schedule refresher classes as needed. Although Abby is still nervous, she has become a better listener, and knows commands that will help her overcome that things that scare her. Dave only left a Short while ago and I can already say that I see a HUGE difference in how Abby listens and reacts, even around distractions. Thank you to your amazing team! read more

I am currently the very happy owner of a funny, goofy, but more importantly, obedient chocolate lab named Murphy. The same could not be said two and a half years ago. Murphy was a stubborn, rambunctious, hard headed alpha 10 month old who was completely out of control. He had attended 3 group behavior classes where he caused mayhem, even in puppy kindergarten. He was about 2 days from being returned to his breeder when we discovered Sit Means Sit. Murphy spent a week in the Board and Train program and returned to us a brand new dog. More importantly, he now realized that he was not in charge but that we were. We continued with follow up lessons and life got easier and easier. Needless to say, Murphy would not be living the good life with us without the help of Dave and Sit Means Sit. As Murphy gets older, we still need helpful hints to continue moving forward with him and we never hesitate to call and ask for help. It means a lot to us that even after our formal training was completed, the staff of Sit Means Sit was available and willing to still work with us. We consider Dave and Sit Means Sit friends of the family and highly recommend them to anyone! read more

I took my 1.5 year old wheaten terrier named Bruno to Sit Means Sit after encountering a dog politely walking off leash in the park beside his owner. I asked the owner how he managed to teach his dog such impeccable manners. He told me that his dog was the same age as mine and went through training at Sit Means Sit. After finding this out, I had to learn how to do this myself! I did 3 private lessons with Sit Means Sit with Bruno. I had previously done 4 obedience courses with Bruno at a local pet store and they had led me to believe that he was incapable of being calm off leash and recalling in all situations. I was told that a terrier isn't to be trusted off leash, ever. Dave from Sit Means Sit proved to me that this is nonsense talk in just 3 lessons. I took all of the training very seriously and in a matter of two months I was able to get Bruno fully trained to recall off leash in all situations, with all degrees of distractions. We now enjoy off leash hikes multiple times per week together! It has been a complete life changer. I recommend Sit Means Sit and Dave especially to all dog owners looking to invest in their dog's quality of life! read more

I was in need of help with my 4 year old pit bull/lab mix Leyla, who was good but not great. She would freak out with excitement whenever meeting someone new, or seeing a dog or God forbid a squirrel! She also pulled on the leash during walks and jumped all over people. I finally did some research and found Dave and Sit means Sit dog training. He came out and immediately impressed me during the free evaluation and I decided to do the board and train program for a week. She just came back yesterday and I couldn't be happier with the results and her success!! She is now able to walk beside me without pulling on the leash, she doesn't jump and she is even doing much better with the two cats we live with who she was constantly interested in. The best part is she's still the happy, snuggling ham who left here 7 days ago she just is 100 times better with listening and it will only get better from here! I'm so happy I went through with the training. Dave and his team did an amazing job and were so kind. They post videos to keep you updated and show off to friends! Haha. If you're in need of dog training they're the people I would recommend every time! read more

We have had a wonderful experience with everyone at Sit Means Sit. I looked up so many different trainers in the Boston area but am relieved we ended up having him go here! Our 2yr old pup, Ziggy, learned to control his leash reactivity during his one week board & train. You can tell that all the trainers genuinely care about the dogs and that they are in great hands, but the best part is that they continue to provide refresher training sessions so we can all continue to make progress. I knew Zig was a happy costumer when we went back for a refresher and he couldn't stop wagging as soon as he saw some of his favorite trainers. I also was hesitant about the e-collars and had tried positive reinforcement training but once we felt it for ourselves and we saw how well behaved our boy was with it, I had a different view of them. I'd much rather he wear the collar confidently and in good control, then have him accidentally nip at a dog or human because he's too overwhelmed/over stimulated. Thank you everyone at Sit Means Sit! read more

Dave and his team have surpassed our expectations. My boyfriend and I have two dogs that are aggressive towards each other. We've each trained our dogs separately with some improvements but nothing to write home about. The program at Sit Means Sit has provided us with a way to manage the two dogs together. We now have a structured toolbox that will allow us to keep the two dogs respectful of each other and allow us to live together. Maggie and Sally at the beginning couldn't even look at each other without wanting to be very aggressive towards each other. We can now have them on the same mat in the place command while keeping them in a calm demeanor. I'll definitely use this program as a first option for any future dogs, and I highly recommend it to others. The one on one time spent with each dog and with my boyfriend and me to ensure proper carryover of training was high class. Thank you to Dave and his staff from the bottom of our hearts!! read more