Sit Means Sit

I never had a dog growing up, so the dog training world is new to me. I am thankful for Sit Means Sit, the wonderful Aberle family and the trainers who willingly give extra time and expertise whenever asked — no question is a silly one!
Years ago, I got my first puppy, a snippy Pekinese our family loved. Unfortunately she was a «runner» which we didn’t know how to correct. She disappeared about 8 years ago at the age of 14 and our hearts were broken. I believe a coyote may have gotten her on her last run. Had Sit Means Sit been a part of our lives at that time, I am confident we wouldn’t have lost her.
Almost a year ago after retiring from teaching, I took my time deciding on a new companion and Sky our Toy Fox Terrier joined us. I was determined that this dog would be trained so as not to have the same fate as my previous angel. However, his independent spirit, curiosity, intelligence, distractibility and love of everything in the world made me question my ability to train him. I wanted a dog that would be safe, would come when called and be polite among people and other dogs.
Sit Means Sit trainers came to our house once a week soon after Sky came home until he was old enough to join the training classes. He likes going and positively interacts with dogs and people alike. I have also gained confidence as his trainer. This fun loving little terrier has far surpassed all that I previously thought he could do. He just turned 1 yr. old, has passed the Canine Good Citizen test and has been going to a new Sit Means Sit advanced trick and skill class. I can take him anywhere dogs are allowed and can count on his good behavior.
Sky is a happy, confident, loving little guy with impressive obedience skills. He even knows some fun tricks and enjoys learning new ones. I know that in the past year I have received more than my money’s worth in quality training with people who care about my dog and me. Thanks to Sit Means Sit, my little Sky is a rock star!

Tustin, California: Mackenzie and Zack
We purchased a darling 8 week old German Shepard/​Border Collie mix. By the time she was 12 weeks, we knew we had a problem. She was already snarling and snapping at visitors and was not friendly to our many guests. Her second set of shots at the vet ended up with her in a muzzle and a very stern warning from the vet (whom we also adore) to get this puppy some help.
We paid for a behaviorist in Tustin ($ 50/​hr) to come and help us. He spent and hour and 15 minutes talking about himself and showing us YouTube videos of dogs sitting. We were glad to show his important self to the front door.
Then we got in contact with a trainer who wouldn’t listen to what I was telling them. We left extremely disappointed and feeling that we would have to give our very loved dog up.
2 weeks later the owner of our puppies brother brought us a card from a company called Sit-​Means-​Sit. I Immediately called them and they offed to come out for a free consultation.
I immediately liked how they watched our dog and listened to what we had been through.
Mackenzie is quiet but extremely knowledgeable. Not only was she describing our dogs behavior and the situations it occurred in, she gave us very useful information on how to begin working with her right away. Zack chimed in with things he noted about Kiko and things we could do to help her.
They stayed over an hour working with our dog and seeing how she responded. Both of them were so helpful during our first meeting to make me feel like our dog was worth saving. I felt for the first time since owning her (now 2 months) that there was hope.
We signed up for the boarding/​training option which at first appeared expensive. Since then and considering: all of their dedication and follow up and responses to my texts and the weekly lessons on Saturday, and coming with me to the vet to make sure I was handling her correctly, AND offering to train my vet and all of her staff on how to work with aggressive dogs (FOR FREE) I would say that the money we spent was more then well worth it.
Our little girl isn’t perfect and sometimes we need to go back a few steps in training to make sure she is maintaining the level of obedience that Zack and Mackenzie established.
The biggest part of what Mackenzie and Zack did for all of us was to give us the knowledge, the training and the confidence to deal with our dog and her behaviors. I see them most Saturdays and they always check in with me and Kiko. They ask how she is doing, do I need help with anything and remind me that I can always (for the life of the dog!) have them come back to help us if we are having problems.
I have no problem recommending them to anyone with any dog or behavior problem.
I do have 2 things to mention that aren’t 100%. When they were boarding Kiko I wanted updates and pictures every hour of every day I missed her so much. So I would bug them both for photos or updates. I know they were busy and I was being a maniac, but the pictures and texts helped alleviate my anxiety. I wished that they would send the updates without me bugging them so I didn’t feel bad about bugging them.
The second not 100% thing I have to share about Mackenzie and Zack is that I love them like family now. I wish they were still coming to our house and hanging out with us, but we don’t have any reason to have them over. I am so thankful to them for helping us that I feel like they are part of our family.
One last thing. I recommended them to a friend that had two dogs that were running the household. She called Mackenzie and Zack and they have made a world of difference in all of their lives. We now love to talk about Mackenzie and Zack and how much we love them and their wonderful help. You will not be sorry and I would specifically ask for Mackenzie and Zack. I have met the other trainers and they are wonderful and helpful… but Mackenzie and Zack have a permanent place in my heart and I hope they will in yours too!

Although the address is in Colorado, that’s just the main office. They have trainers who live locally in the Orange County, CA area.
They start off with private lessons. Once they feel your pet has progressed enough, you will start going to the group training sessions. You can always request additional private classes if you wish.
They worked wonders with my dog, a large Doberman Pinscher. When walking him he used to pull quite a bit. Now, he walks nicely on the leash right beside me.
I highly recommend Sit Means Sit.

Couldn’t be happier. The care we have received regarding our puppy is very educational. We started at 8 weeks old. He was potty trained quickly and has basic commands down. Whenever we are around other dogs or aggressively enthusiastic people we give him a command and he stays focused on us. Highly recommended Sit Means Sit

Alright, so technically we haven’t started training yet, but initial perceptions have been great. Phil visited us for our initial demonstration. Our pup is already really well behaved, but we want her to be a happy and obedient dog under all circumstances. Our goal is eventually to make her a therapy dog because she loves everything and everyone. I’ll update this post after a couple training sessions, but I felt little pressure from Phil and wish we had gone with Sit means Sit from the start of our pup’s training. Unlimited training for about $ 1000 and that includes the collar with lifetime warranty. Sold. Contact me so I can refer you!

If you want to train your dog with a e-​collar or a shock collar go with this place. But be careful with them as if you don’t like there services they will give u the run around… I personally will never use them.