Sit Means Sit Dog Training – San Jose

Thanks to Tuhai, our stubborn little Frenchie, Bowser, is on the right path to being a happy and obedient puppy. We adopted Bowser when he was 6 months and he was a wild one. He had no issues with aggression and was probably too young to have picked up any major bad habits; however, we wanted to ensure that he got the proper training.
We put Bowser in the one week board and training program and upon completion he was transformed, but in a perfectly good way. Prior to the program, Tuhai came to our home to give us a thorough consultation and put us at ease (especially with the use of the e-​collar). We trusted that Bowser would be in good hands and we were so excited each time there was a progress video update. Within a week, Tuhai managed to tackle all the basics (e.g. sit, come, house, place) that were on our list. After the program, Tuhai sat down and showed us in detail how to practice and maintain Bowser’s new skills. He had us understand that the critical part of Bowser’s progress, will be us practicing with him. He did the hard part in setting up the important foundation, but the rest is up to us! It’s been 3 months now and everything has been great so far. We have been attending weekly classes (came with the program), which have been very helpful in freshening Bowser up. Highly recommend!

TuHai is great! He’s been working with my Shiba Inu puppy with my husband and I and we have already seen vast improvements to his behavior. TuHai also has expertise with Shibas which is especially helpful because Shibas are notoriously a difficult to train. With his help, I know we can train our pup to be the best pup he can be. Highly recommend this service!

TuHai has done an outstanding job helping us with our Shiba Inu puppy. His knowledge and expertise are invaluable to us! We’ve only done puppy training with him so far, and in the 3 weeks we’ve been working with him, we’ve noticed dramatic improvements in our puppy! Can’t recommend him enough!

After meeting with Ryan (Tu-​Hai) in our home and seeing him interact with our (then) 7 month old mini schnauzer puppy name TedE, we knew that Sit Means Sit was the dog training program for our family. Keep in mind, that tedE is not our first dog either — we previously had an 11 year old chocolate lab and a 9 year old rescue retriever mix who both previously passed from cancer. Despite our prior experiences with well behaved dogs, our puppy was proving to be a challenge especially since it had many years since we had a puppy. During that first meeting, Ryan showed us immediately how to fix the ‘jumping up on hind legs’ to greet whenever we or someone else came into our home. He also showed us immediately how to fix the «I want to play but wont give up the toy» issue. Ryan is so great with dogs and people! I was ‘worried” during that week that tedE went to stay with Ryan in early November 2015 but videos were consistently sent thru the week so that we could see how TedE was learning and becoming a better canine citizen. We were amazed at the transformation in TedE — he was definitely still our cute little spunky guy but he was just so well behaved. We do attend the weekly group training session held on the weekend, its great socialization for TedE and quite frankly, great training for us and our kids. We ABSOLUTELY HIGHLY RECOMMEND Sit Means Sit Training … but just know that if you want a well behaved dog, its not just the dog that needs work/​consistency, you as the owner have to be committed as well. Sit Means Sit is an investment well worth it!

After sitting with Ryan (Tu-​Hai) for about an hour consultation, I knew he’d be the right guy for my pup. I have a year old Pit Bull named Luna whom I found at a shelter in Oakland. She was already house broken, but showed signs of anxiety toward being left alone, especially when she was in her crate. Luna managed to bend the wire crate apart and escape more than once. She also showed signs of being abused and at some point she had a litter of puppies (but the shelter didn’t know anything about that…)
Luna had zero training before I adopted her, she didn’t understand command and was super aggressive whenever she wanted to play. After about 3 weeks of having her in my home I thought I would need to surrender her back to the shelter because her aggression was becoming too hard to manage. I had bruises all over my forearms and calves from her nipping and jumping on me. I knew Luna was able to be a sweet dog, that all she needed was some training, but I also knew I had no idea how to train her myself.
Hiring Ryan was the best investment I could have done for Luna and myself. Luna boarded with Ryan for 1 week and not only did he train her to relax in her crate (no more Houdini acts) he also taught her to understand to not be aggressive, ever. She is much more calm and mindful; she’s a completely different dog than when I first had her in my home. We’re still working on some things though, like to not run into the street after a cat. But Luna is progressively getting better and better each week (and as of today 12−2−15 I’ve had her back home for 1 month.)
Ryan went beyond just training Luna, he trained me as well. And whenever I have a concern or question about Luna — it can be anything from getting her to stop tugging on her leash at walks, or help with a recall command — Ryan will talk me through the steps (by phone or by email) to continue my training at home. His weekend group classes have been hugely beneficial for the both of us, too. It’s a chance to socialize Luna with a great group of dogs, where she learns good habits and continues to train for the better.
In a very short amount of time, Ryan has been able to train a dog that a lot of people would have given up on. I was ready to give up on her! I’m so glad I didn’t, she’s stealing my heart.

Tuhai and his team are amazing. I initially worked with one of their other amazing partners (Brian) but when he moved out of state I was again in need to not only find a ‘good and reputable’ trainer, but a trainer who could continue positive training, showed support and love for my two rescue dogs — Shepard mixes with a rough history.
Although a bit of a drive, we attended weekend group training in San Jose and the dogs quickly took a liking to Tuhai. The group training proved to be beneficial from both a training and social aspect. He later provided a ‘refresher’ course w/​boarding while our family was in Europe and after a month we, including family and friends commented, «Wow, the dogs have come a long way». Tuhai provides a very positive, safe and welcoming environment for all his students. I would highly recommend him and his team for all types of dog training needs — typically I would say «soup to nuts», but his training never ends. He provides ongoing training sessions with a variety of classes to keep both the students and their parents alert and interested. Tuhai takes his role seriously and continually increases his knowledge and skills by attending various seminars and maintains his continued education. He is always sharing what he has learned and keeps us informed on the latest news and various health updates.
Tuhai and his team are a pleasure to work with and look forward to continued training sessions.

Tu-​Hai took in our 9 month old rescued pup, Aston Martin, under his wing for a 1 week board and train program in July.
During our in-​home consultation, my boyfriend and I weren’t quite sure what to expect considering this was our first time looking into a professional dog training program. Tu-​Hai introduced himself and told us a little about how the program worked and what it had to offer. He asked us what we were hoping to achieve for Aston and gave us a lot of great insight on what he would be able to accomplish with our little pup. He gave us a quick demonstration on how to get our pup to sit properly and we were amazed on how fast he was able to get Aston to sit on command. You see before meeting Tu-​Hai, Aston would only sit when he felt like it and or if a treat was involved. Tu-​Hai also went over with us in full detail on the training tool he uses and made sure we were comfortable with his training methods. He even did demos on us using the tool so that we can see for ourselves what it would «feel» like to go through the training. We really appreciated the fact that he took the time to do this with us because sometimes using «ecollars» gets a bad rep but when used properly, it can really be a very productive training tool.
During the 1 week board and train, Tu-​Hai sent us a couple of progress videos, which helped put me in ease knowing that I had a glance of how Aston was doing during this whole time away from home. I definitely looked forward to receiving a message while on vacation and seen the impressive progress that Tu Hai was making with Aston. It’s no joke that I was going to be coming home to a changed dog, but definitely in a good way.
When it was time to bring Aston home, Tu-​Hai took the time to go over with me how things went for the week, what he was able to accomplish, what I needed to maintain to keep the structure that he built for Aston, how to properly use the remote/​training ecollar, and to ensure I felt 100% with Aston’s progress and the training he provided. He even went as far as training me on what to do in certain scenarios that may happen to Aston in the future such as if Aston decided to misbehave and or try to meet a new dog without permission, etc. In other words, those «oh-$hit» moments in any pet owners life and what to do when I run into those situations myself with Aston.
One of our biggest goals for Aston was to have him be able to be off-​leash and recall on command. The reason why is because my boyfriend and I live on a very busy public street and we wanted to reduce the risk of something happening in case Aston somehow got out of the house and decided to run outside. This training was perfect for Aston because he was taught to sit (with an implied stay) and «come» on command when recalled. Tu-​Hai helped me practice this in front of the very busy street we were once afraid of but after testing out the training Aston went through, I felt comfortable knowing that I had control of Aston and that Aston would feel safe following my commands.
Overall, the experience with Tu-​Hai and the program he runs using Sit Means Sit training was more than a godsend for our little boy, Aston. I would highly recommend his service to any pet owner who would like some professional help in shaping their dog to the best dog they can be. Not to mention Tu Hai offers group classes every week for his clients to keep the training going for the dogs which ultimately is worth the money already since it truly feels like you have support for a lifetime, which I can say for sure not many dog training programs actually offer.

My Shiba Inu, Jacob and I work with Ryan (Tu-​Hai) Ngo because Jacob believes or believed that listening to me was something that was done when he felt like it. We’d go to the dog park and trying to get him to recall on a consistent basis and when he wanted to play for another two hours was a trial. Shibas are stubborn, independent, usually not treat, toy or attention focused and naturally a little skittish, plus I love my dog, so was extremely picky on who I wanted to help me train my dog, plus how I wanted him trained. There are trainers out there that will train your dog and your dog would listen to you, but he or she would listen out of fear and that’s not what I wanted for my dog. I wanted my dog to listen, but not turn into a fearful, skittish dog and it’s a hard balance when you have a dog that’s stubborn, independent and isn’t consistently motivated by food, toys or praise. Jacob loves Ryan and I will tell you that I can count on one hand the people Jake loves enough to get super excited to see and greet! What I love about Ryan’s training is that it’s neutral based, rather than negative reinforcement. This is a combination of e-​collar training, plus treats, praise, along with human consistency and follow up. I also tested the e-​collar on myself to make sure it was something I’d feel comfortable using on my dog. I did have to switch to a comfort adapter as my dog has sensitive skin, so the normal collar attachment bothered his skin as he’d have to wear it loose and then he’d swing it around (because he’s a Shiba) and it would scrape his neck. I have had zero problems with that though since I switched to the comfort adapter and it doesn’t irritate his skin at all. I won’t say he likes it, as he likes it about as much as a teenager likes being tapped on the shoulder and reminded to clean their room, because they’ve got music in their ears and aren’t listening to you. The way Ryan trains you to use the collar (and I absolutely recommend working with Ryan instead of just buying something off the internet) is so rather than it being a negative association, it’s a neutral, ‘hey, pay attention to me now’ tap, where unless I’m at the dog park with massive distractions or the stupid squirrel is running the fence, the tap is at a level so low, I couldn’t even feel it at all, so I don’t know how Jake does! Anyone one who’s interested should come to group class as well, because they’d see that Jake and the other dogs there are still happy and in Jake’s case, curly tailed, without any personality changes. Ryan’s training also does not rely solely on the collar as it’s also a combination of treats and praise and my dog listens more often than not even without the collar and I have no doubt, he’d eventually get to the point, where it won’t be required. Last week we walked off the leash in an unfenced park, performed a remote sit with my dog waiting to come when called and honestly, there’s no way we would have reached the point we are without Ryan and his training. We still have work to do and part of the delay is me not being as 100% consistent as I should, but now we can finally explore places off-​leash with me knowing I can trust Jake not to run into a street or up to a strange dog and come back when I call.

Looking for dog training? Look no further! Sit Means Sit is the place I’d recommend for dog training.
Bella was 9 weeks old German Shepherd when we got her and we had no prior experience with a larger breed. We were looking for basic training for our puppy, but most places wouldn’t take her until she was at least 16 weeks old with her shots completed. Our case was wanting training her the sooner the better and Ryan (Tu-​Hai) was able to train Bella. We contacted Ryan and scheduled an appointment with Ryan for a consultation — free of charge. Other dog training businesses would require a consultation fee. Ryan evaluated Bella’s behavior to determine which program works best for her, so he suggested to start her off as a puppy package.
The puppy package is 4 weeks, once a week visits for about 1 – 2 hours. From the very first visit, Ryan seemed to have the magic touch to have Bella learned quickly to not be jumpy. He explains to you the meaning of a dog’s behavior and shows you how to manage. Bella was able to learn how to sit and come on command. She was able to know when «no» is «no» without verbally telling her. Bella also learned how to walk with us without us being pulled. The more time you spend with your pet with the homework Ryan provides, the better you will build a relationship with your pet. Even though I have never handled a large breed before, Ryan encouraged me to have confidence and I’m gradually making my way there.
Ryan is very flexible with our schedules and he comes over as a private one on one training which is convenient for us. He’s very friendly and helpful in terms of answering any questions and offer us resourceful guidelines to provide the best care for our dog. He can help train dog owners from kids to adults, since it was my family and not just me. He owns two German Shepherds and never minded at all when I asked him to bring them along to show us how well his dogs were trained. I would definitely recommend Sit Means Sit with Ryan because his service is not only affordable, but it is flexible and easy to work with. Ryan has a huge heart for pets and you can tell from his knowledge. Bella and Aden will miss your weekly visits, Ryan. Thanks again!

Saw Ryan’s car logo around the block and decided to give him a call. Just recently purchased a Alaskan malamute very nice but stubborn n needs to be taught potty training. We’re doing foundation and boot came with Ryan the owner for our dog bleu. So far so good. The tips and tricks to our first private lesson is going well and making progress. Had a problem with bleu the other day gave Ryan a call and he came over to help me fix bleu’s resource guarding bad habits right away. Can’t wait until he goes to boot camp and graduate sit means sit!

We have a 4 month old Corgi now, but when we first had him at 9 weeks we had him meet Tuhai for consultation and WOW! He gave us valuable feedback and what to look out for demonstrating his high knowledge on puppy wellness. What was really striking was how he was able to teach our 9 week old puppy commands (sit & down) during their first meeting. We also watched his very well-​trained dogs (2 German Shepherds and a Beagle) interact with our puppy and they were so playful/​happy and gentle with our pup. Just by how his dogs interact with each other and to other dogs I am confident my puppy will grow up like them under Tuhai’s guidance.
Base on his suggestion we won’t be coming to him until he’s at least 5 – 6 months old so he can enjoy being a puppy. In the meantime, with Tuhai’s tips we are able to at least minimize our puppy’s high energy until he gets his formal training done. Until then, we look forward bringing our pup in for training, will follow up this post in a couple of weeks.
Update: ⁸⁄₂₄
Wanted to follow up my experience with Tuhai (Ryan) Sit Mean’s Sit. We took our puppy, Louie to Tuhai about 2 weeks ago for a 7 day on-​board and train option and let me tell you Louie 2.0 is great! Before he barked uncontrollably, bit everything he can get his paws on and did not listen what-​so-​ever. Louie 2.0 now is able to recall, WALK OFF LEASH, stops barking on command, PEES on command, and over all a well rounded puppy. Before he was always stuck in an area, but now that he’s so well behaved he has full range of the house (under supervision of course).
We actually went to the vet yesterday and Louie was completely friendly to other dogs, calm, and did not bark. For the first time since we had him, it was not his fault for being to rowdy. Even if he did, we can easily recall him and get his attention again. We got compliments left and right on how well-​behaved he is. With the training we are able take Louie out to places and enjoy him more
Overall the customer experience was great, Tuhai is readily able to answer any questions and is clear in his instructions. On top of that our pup absolutely ADORES him.
Going to Tuhai’s Sit Means Sit has proven to be the best investment we’ve ever made for our dog and you should too!

Before boarding my labradoodle, Felix, he was a handful. Some of the issues he had were recalling, pulling while on walks, and dashing out the door/​garage — just to name a few. Felix spent 2 weeks training with Thu and came back a different dog. Felix doesn’t pull and stays right by my side on walks and he sits and stays while the garage door is open until I tell him to come. He even walks off leash which I did not expect to ever happen… especially with only 2 weeks of training. He’s not perfect and still needs a lot of work but it’s amazing what Thu has done with Felix. Definitely would recommend Sit Means Sit Training for all your doggie issues!

Tu Hi (Ryan) has done an amazing job with our puppy Biscuit. Biscuit was an anxious puppy, biting humans and furniture and totally chaotic whenever the doorbell rang or we had to take her for a walk. Well after we came back from our 11 day vacation Biscuit was a NEW DOG. No biting, walking patiently (not tugging) and has generally calmed down a lot. She is still playful and loves a good chase but when called she comes. Ryan came back for the one week post training review and he brought his dogs along. Biscuit was so happy to see him and the dogs that she jumped right back into his van. You know that your precious puppy has been well taken care off when you see that from your dog. Ryan takes his time to explain all details about the training purpose and also helps train you once the puppy comes home. We were updated frequently with videos while on vacation about Biscuit’s progress. Ryan also helped us in choosing good food and snacks for our dog. We boarded Biscuit and had her trained. The pricing was reasonable and she was both picked up and dropped off. So if you are looking to bring up a calm and happy dog who follows your commands, I would recommend Ryan with Sit Means Sit Dog training.
Smriti Koodanjeri, San Jose CA

We rescued an older dog and needed some help with the training. She was pretty scared of everything and liked to hide a lot. We hired Tu Hai to take her for a week of full in house training. When we got her back she was following commands and listening so much better. Then Tu Hai spent the time needed to train us. This part is key in keeping the training on-​going. We recommend and will continue to use Tu-Hai’s services for training, check-​ins and dog-​sitting.

Tuhai is very knowledgeable with dogs. Ive had many dogs in the past so my knowledge of dog behavior is ok. I have a 6 month old american akita that was very stubborn, until i got my free consultation with Tuhai. He provided me with just enough to help me conquer some of my dog issues. I also have boarded my dog with Tuhai twice now and it was a great experience for both human and dog. We were updated with videos and pictures throughout his stay. My dog now see’s Tuhai at the dog park and is immediately excited! Highly recommended to new dog owners and old dog owners.

My mom and I rescued our Penny, and four and a half years later (at five years old), she was a mess! Very disobedient and trying to call the shots, we decided it was time to have her trained up. Thu took on this task and he is amazing! We are not long into our training and we are seeing a completely different Penny. I am very satisfied, and would recommend Thu and Sit Means Sit without a second thought!

Tu Hai with Sit Means Sit, San Jose was like a breath of fresh air for us new dog owners (who had no idea what to expect or what we were doing!) We were considering multiple places for dog training but after our consultation with Tu Hai, we knew his philosophy and training techniques were best suited for our high energy puppy. He was very personable and professional. We signed up for one week of training and it was nice to see progress videos shared throughout the week, we already could see a drastic change in our pup. One week training was followed up with one-​on-​one owner training at our home and Saturday group sessions help to reinforce his training. In just a week, Dexter learned the «place», «sit», «come», «heel», and «break» commands as well as learned boundary training (so he wouldn’t be in our bedroom or areas he wasn’t allowed in) and to leave certain things alone such as shoes or towels, which we had great difficulty with prior to training. Dexter came home more focused and overall a better trained dog, we no longer had to stress about him getting into things or running off. He isn’t perfect, but it’s up to us to keep at it with the training and what Tu Hai has taught all of us. It’s reassuring to know that Sit Means Sit will always be there for us, whenever and wherever we go. I would highly recommend Sit Mean Sit to family and friends if they want more out of their dogs and an overall more enjoyable dog.

Contacted Thu about my crazy little chihuahua mix. She’s come really far and is listening so well now. She used to be really rowdy and would jump everywhere and chew everything she sees. Now she will sit and stay sitting even if I walk away. She comes when I call her and walks right with me! Sit Means Sit not only trained Daisy but me as well. I’m always looking forward to taking her out with me now :)
Thank you Thu for all your help!

This is a great service for anyone thinking about getting a dog but worried about not being able to train one well. You can have Thu, the owner of «Sit means sit» train your dog for you! The best of both worlds!
You can see that Thu really enjoys what he does and is very passionate about his work. After a few training sessions, you can really see the improvement in your dog’s behavior! I was skeptical at first, but after seeing the improvements with my own eyes, i’m a believer. He even comes to meet you at your place. This service is perfect for someone that has room in their heart for a dog, but not the time it takes initially to train one!

Sit Means Sit! «Sorry, we don’t train husbands or wives!»
Love their name and slogan!
But my experience working with Sit Means Sit goes beyond the name and slogan.
Sit Means Sit offers a really great pet training experience.
Owners, you do have to work on the training exercises with your doggies too (after the sessions), but it is completely worth it because you will get to bond with your dog!
Thu was incredible to work with. You can definitely see his passion for dogs, helping myself as a client, and getting my dog to listen to me! I chose to do the boarding instead of the sessions, as I felt my dog can benefit from having the day-​to-​day exposure of a certified trainer.
You don’t even have to fully commit until you get to see what Sit Means Sit can do for your dog. The demo is FREE and he travels to wherever you want to meet. It’s hard to believe that someone that my dog just met can listen and follow commands just like that (within the first 5 mins). So you can def see what Sit Means Sit can do for your dog. The price may be a lil’ off-​putting at first, but after I saw what it can do for my dog and the level of service my dog and I would be getting — it is def worth it! It’s faster and more effective than other training programs I’ve seen.
Plus, I can get continued support. If I have trouble with a certain command, Thu is very easy to reach and he offers advice and various techniques for success.
I highly recommend Sit Means Sit and working with Thu. Doesn’t get any easier than «Sit Means Sit!» :)