Sit Means Sit Dog Training - Kokomo

I've had 6 puppy classes and 3 private classes with e-collar with my 4 month old puppy. My experience has been amazing. My puppy follows comands better than any dog I've ever owned. At a campground with lots of distraction she amazing. The staff All have been with me and helping through every part of this. I've been explained and shown how to handle different situations. They all make sure to see if I have questions or concerns. I can't wait for next class to show them the improvement we have made in a week. My wife and I have 2 dog enrolled and the experience has been helping with our 7 year old and the puppy.

My recommendations to anyone considering Sit Means Sit: (1) Do not be swayed by their predatory marketing. If you're going to give them your money, be sure it's because YOU WANT to. (2) Ask to observe a group class before committing. If they say no, ask yourself why. (3) Consider whether this method will truly address your and your dog's needs. Do you really want to have an e-collar on your dog forever, even when you're just chilling at home? SMS will ask you to sign a contract saying you will commit to this. I signed my dog up last November as a last-ditch effort. At the time, he was 7.5 months old, and we were struggling with basic obedience, chasing cats, reactivity, chewing, biting, and getting into everything in the house. He is an extremely high-energy, intelligent dog who needs an outlet. I hoped structured, professional training would help resolve his behavioral issues and provide a constructive outlet. I was impressed by social media posts of other dogs going through SMS training, despite mixed reviews and recommendations to avoid the program. We had tried obedience training with another company and had been training at home using online resources, but were not seeing results. I was at a loss and did not want to consider rehoming him. Desperately, I gave Sit Means Sit a try and deeply regret it. From the initial phone consultation, I felt uneasy. They urged me to get my dog into training immediately and abandon other training programs. I was told to pay $2,000 upfront to secure a spot, and only after payment did I receive the contract, stating a 50% non-refundable deposit. This lack of transparency was a red flag. We proceeded with the training, which involved 3 full days at their facility, where our dog stayed for 8-11 hours. One day, he was there from 8 am to 7 pm. We provided his dinner, but when we picked him up, the trainer claimed he didn't eat it, which was unusual for our always-hungry, highly food motivated dog. This made me suspect dishonesty or severe discomfort from the training methods. Initially, results seemed impressive. The training manual outlined a three-phase process with the goal of eliminating the e-collar (side note - I later learned our dog wasn't allowed on the property without his e-collar on and charged). Our dog was learning new tricks and focusing better, and our relationship seemed to improve. However, by late December, he began showing signs of aggression—growling, showing his teeth, and nipping at our hands when we used the e-collar remote. When we asked our trainer for advice, she suggested adding a second e-collar unit to increase the shock, claiming some dogs need more stimulation. This contraindicated their promise that the e-collar was solely for communication, not punishment. We refused to get an additional e-collar. They regularly asked us to increase the collar's level if our dog wasn't focused, often maxing it out. This was alarming and painful to watch as my dog's neck visibly spasmed. Eventually, we were asked to stop attending group classes and return to private lessons due to our dog's "regression." During these sessions, the owner interrupted and patronized us about our lack of progress. After 3 private lessons, we were released back to group class. We attended one group class in February and promptly decided to leave the program, regardless of the refund policy (spoiler: there is none, and customer satisfaction is not a guarantee). Since stopping the e-collar, our dog's behavior and our relationship with him have improved significantly. A certified behaviorist confirmed many former e-collar users experienced similar issues of aggression and fear, and has paved the way for positive, force-free training. It became clear our dog wasn't truly being trained but was reacting to being shocked. Now, nearly 4 months later, he listens and responds without discomfort or fear, and the aggression has ceased. We've learned tools to help him confront triggers with confidence, and how to have fun learning. I just wish I had listened to my gut.

Since the owner wants to act like they have done nothing wrong, let me explain: In the YouTube video they linked, the trainer had us rehearse our dog's actions several times, restarting the video to get the best shot. The trainer also instructed us on what to say. While we seemed happy, it was only our second session and we were still hopeful. They guarantee only the "best" footage by not allowing owners to record their own dogs during training, skewing the reality of what happens. Additionally, there was an incident where my dog barked at another dog wanting to play. Our trainer—not the owner—told us not to pull on the leash and to "stay on the button," indicating to use the e-collar to correct our dog. Then, the owner, from across the room, came over and picked my dog up off the ground by the slip leash, choking him while holding him suspended in the air, all while telling us we didn’t have control over our dog even though we were following the trainer's instructions. Check your camera feed on January 23 between 5:30 and 6. Please post that video to YouTube and share the link. I wish we could have met for the consultation in person instead of over the phone. The difference is significant. They never mentioned the six-month package, only the lifetime package. I would like to be refunded to at least the six-month package. However, due to the lack of professionalism in your communications with us in person and over email regarding the refund, I believe a full refund is warranted. Again, the lack of a refund policy or any customer satisfaction guarantee shows they don't stand behind their training. It seems they are mostly in it for the money. We weren't even offered an apology.