Sit Happens K-9 Academy LLC

23/08/2024

Muzzled dogs are good dogs.
Muzzling your dog is not abuse. If you believe a muzzle is abusive, you are part of the problem. Muzzling dogs keep not only themselves safe, but in some cases everyone around them safe too.

There are many reasons to muzzle a dog: stranger danger, redirection onto handler, dog-selective behavior, dog aggression, dogs that butt heads, high prey drive, leash biting, eating things they shouldn’t, uncertainty around cats, vet and groomer visits, and more.

This is something I have talked about before, but I’m seeing more and more posts and content by uneducated people about muzzles being “abusive” or making dogs “aggressive.” If you think a muzzle is cruelty, go work abuse cases with local animal control and get back to me. I’ll wait...

Peanut is extremely dog-selective and honestly doesn’t care to interact with other dogs. He just wants to do his own thing. His first reaction when meeting a new dog is to assert himself by growling, and if they don’t listen, he reacts. So, in order for him to coexist with the other dogs in my home and also learn that that behavior is unacceptable, I muzzle trained him. It was a simple fix so that he could be the dog he is now.

Peanut also has an extremely high prey drive, so to get him used to the farm animals and keep the cats at the vet safe, I chose to muzzle him.

If I did not muzzle him, the safety of him and the other animals in my home would be in question. That’s not a risk I was willing to take. He likes his muzzle because it was conditioned with food. He can eat, drink, pant, bark, and growl, but he cannot bite. Therefore, he cannot rehearse aggressive behavior.

23/08/2024

Nico graduated today !
We went to south Abington park to work on his reactivity with other dogs and also his recall in a highly distracting environment. He did great ! We saw about 10 or so dogs and he was easy to redirect and some he didn’t even care about . He was also neutral around people , where he used to be over excited to see them. The two pictures below are him relaxing after the training session just watching people and dogs go by. Doing nothing and soaking in the environment is super important for reactive dogs, it’s a part of the behavioral modification process.
Great job Nico and family !

22/08/2024

The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again expecting different results .

If you have been through multiple dog trainers that’s are super similar in training styles/methods: consider switching up ideology and techniques . Be open minded. You may get the results you wanted from the beginning.

22/08/2024

Don’t forget , August is dog appreciation month ! Consultations are only $50 !!
Anywhere from basic obedience to behavioral modification.

Contact me (570) 468-2293 to book your consult !

22/08/2024

Congratulations to my first ever group class for graduating! Thanks to Cory and John Clawson and Clawson’s K-9s with Class for helping me out ! Shout out to Lana and steel for being the helper dogs ! Huge improvement made by Fez and his mom. They won most improved ! Everyone did super well and I’m proud of them all! I got the go ahead to do more classes there any time so stay tuned for more class announcements!

16/08/2024

Happy started his training yesterday ! He is in fact a happy boy. Starting from scratch with him he knows nothing . He was running the streets for about two years . We taught him sit , introduced leash , started down, and started stay with him. He’s a great dog ! Just a big ole meat head 💕

13/08/2024

Just reminding everyone I will be unavailable for a much needed mini vacation Friday August 16th- Sunday August 18th . I will get back to you when I can 🥰

13/08/2024

Sharing this again just in case anybody needs it 🥰

11/08/2024

Are you a dog owner who is struggling with some unwanted behaviors ?

Take advantage of this months offers

August is National dog month! 🐶

Now until August 30th I will be offering a few discounts ‼️‼️

All consultations will be just $50 ‼️ consultations are important to help be better understand you and your dog ! They also allow me to see issues we may be dealing with in person before training starts. This gives me the opportunity to come up with the best plan since every dog and every situation is different.

All e collar sessions for previous clients wishing to e collar train their dogs (minimum of 3 e collar sessions) will also be 20% off ‼️

Don’t miss out on these deals ‼️‼️

09/08/2024

Last night I had a great conversation with someone. The circumstances that caused the conversation, weren’t great but the conversation itself had some great points.

At one point I said that I firmly believe every dog is here to teach you a lesson. If the lesson is bad , or good. They agreed, and that got me thinking about my dogs, current , past, and foster :about what lessons they taught me.

Peanut 🥜

Peanut taught me the difference between personality and behavior.
I can’t make him like other dogs or want to play with them, but I can teach him how to live a peaceful life and coexist with them.
He doesn’t have to like them , or play with them , or even interact if he doesn’t want to. That’s his personality . The only thing I can change is his behavior towards the other dogs in my home. He can’t be lunging , barking , growling , trying to crate or fence fight. That’s all behavior that can and has been modified.
I can’t make his prey drive go away but I can curb it , manage it , and outlet it in a healthy way.
I can’t take his resource guarding away , but I can manage it and lessen the value of the things he wants to possess.

Koda 🐻‍❄️

Koda taught me an unbelievable amount of patience. I’m not a patient person when it comes to the human world like traffic , long lines , screaming children etc

1 full year later Koda can function. He can be left alone without panicking . He’s out side guarding my farm animals like he should be. He’s not non stop barking anymore. He’s not being destructive. I really had to put myself in his shoes and have an unbelievable amount of empathy and patience to train him. He just simply didn’t know how to dog. It was for sure frustrating but frustration with dogs gets you nowhere. Being patient with him has ultimately made me more patient in my everyday life.

Rosie 🦛

Rosie taught me to just let a dog be a dog.
She came from ACCT Philly and was mostly likely used in breeding and dog fighting. She’s got scars , horribly cropped ears and has had litter after litter. She’s around 7 years old and clearly was never in a loving home other than her foster home.
When we first got her I tried to do obedience with her but she is extremely puppy like and quite frankly emotionally immature. I truly think this stems from having what are supposed to be the best years of her life ripped from her. All she wants to do is play tug and get treats . instead of trying to force obedience her and leash walking , which she absolutely hates , I just decided to let her be a dog. We play tug with her every day , I still ask her basic structure ,sit , down ,place crate and thresholds , but that’s about it. She can function ,she’s happy and she’s healthy.

Every dog teaches you how to be a better handler, dog owner and ultimately a better human.

07/08/2024

I absolutely love this dog. I met him the other day. He is so spunky and he absolutely loves food. 

Sq**rt needs a home! ❤️

Sq**rt is a 7 year young Chihuahua mix. He has not had the easiest life, Blue Chip is now his 4th home. His life has lacked stability and has caused him to be fearful of new humans and environments. He takes time to trust humans, preferring to be left alone until he feels safe enough to trust you. He is very well crate trained and LOVES having a crate as his safe space. He seems to be house trained as well. He listens very well and also travels well. He is vocal, so an apartment setting would not be ideal. He does well is with most other dogs, he seems to prefer small calm dogs. He does well with cats and needs an adult only home. Sq**rt now trusts our volunteers and is showing them his true loving, playful, and goofy personality. All this boy needs is a forever family that understands his needs and will love him forever!

Apply: www.bcfanimalrefuge.org

06/08/2024

Set your dog up for success. Don’t wait until something happens and “all of a sudden” you need training . Most of the time those instances could have been prevented with proper structure and obedience in the first place . My phrase that I say constantly is “keeping dogs with their families and out of shelters “ and I stand by that . Shelters are over flowing with dogs that have simple behavioral issues that can be addressed and fixed in no time .

To those contemplating the rehoming of a pet, this is not intended to cause shame or guilt, but rather to encourage thoughtful consideration.

It is essential to recognize that there is no ideal home where individuals magically acquire more time or resources. Similarly, there is no farmer in need of an untrained dog, nor is there a rescue organization with unlimited resources and time to devote to every dog.

The reality is that many well-behaved and loving dogs languish in shelters and foster care for extended periods, sometimes exceeding a year, without receiving any adoption applications.

Before resorting to rehoming, it is crucial to exhaust all available options and make every effort to ensure a successful and fulfilling life for your pet. This may involve seeking professional training, exploring alternative care arrangements, or addressing any behavioral challenges.

Remember, rehoming should only be considered as a last resort, and every effort should be made to find a suitable and loving home for your pet.

06/08/2024

August is National dog month! 🐶

Now until August 30th I will be offering a few discounts ‼️‼️

All consultations will be just $50 ‼️ consultations are important to help be better understand you and your dog ! They also allow me to see issues we may be dealing with in person before training starts. This gives me the opportunity to come up with the best plan since every dog and every situation is different.

All e collar sessions for previous clients wishing to e collar train their dogs (minimum of 3 e collar sessions) will also be 20% off ‼️

Don’t miss out on these deals ‼️‼️

05/08/2024

Lola had her second session today. We introduced place as a decompression spot for after play or a walk and also a spot other than the couch to hang out with her family.

Lola struggles with over stimulation and bullies her family. If she doesn’t want to do it she fights and does anything to get out of doing what she has been told. Our main goal is to outlet her through play and impulse control. We are working on setting clear cut boundaries with 0 negotiation to set the tone of the relationship.
Shes absolutely adorable so I think this is where she got the idea that she’s in charge 🤣

02/08/2024

We need to learn to allow our dogs to work through stress. Sometimes training can be quite stressful, but stress is a part of life. If we coddle and make the situation bigger than it actually is, we are simply denying the dog the ability to self-regulate and actually enjoy life without being constantly stressed and in a state of panic.

I will give an example in the human world for context; Let’s say you’re driving along, and all of a sudden, a deer jumps out in front of you. Thankfully, you miss the deer, but it obviously startles you and stresses you out. What do you do? You don’t just pull over and say, “That’s it, I’m done driving,” and never drive again. You would never get to where you wanted to go. That’s insane. You keep driving, calm yourself down, and work through that stressful situation. Maybe the deer will teach you to pay more attention, put your phone down, wear your glasses—whatever the case may be. The point is that this stressful situation has now made you pay more attention to your surroundings and ultimately may make you a better driver.

This is the same for dogs. That “deer” in the dog world could be a correction for bad behavior, being crated at night or during the day, not being allowed to jump at people, or simply whatever your dog perceives as stressful.

It’s necessary for a dog's long-term success to be able to assess a stressful situation, work through it, and make better choices.

If you have an anxious dog, a reactive dog, a dog that attention barks, or a dog that has separation crate anxiety, take a big zoom out on your dog’s life and ask yourself if you’re allowing them to work through stress or if you’re giving in to the bad behavior because you feel bad. This may be the thing affecting you and your dog’s relationship.

29/07/2024

If you’re going through training or shopping around for training here’s something important to look out for .

If the trainer is using severe punishment right off the rip with the prong collar or e collar (any tool ) without conditioning first
that’s a huge red flag.
FIND ANOTHER TRAINER

If they tell you to start implementing corrections on your dog with the e collar on very high stimulation or a very high output collar every time your dog does something “bad” but the dog has never worn the e collar before , or has never been conditioned

WALK AWAY.

Improper use of these tools can make things such as resource guarding , reactivity , dog aggression etc
MUCH WORSE .

Conditioning of the e collar can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks depending on the dog and frequency of training. The dog needs to understand the “pressure “ and how to turn it off in a very non aversive manner first before corrections can be implemented.
In cases like reactivity and resource guarding , if a severe correction is placed on the dog it’s going to add more confusion and can cause the dog to potentially redirect since they do not understand where it is coming from.

There should be no grey areas when it comes to communication with your dog. We want the dog to have a clear understanding of what we are asking them to do.

The e collar and prong collar are not a fix all in fact no tool is a fix all and this is not how these tools are Intended to be used.

25/07/2024

Obi started his training today 🥰

24/07/2024

In home one on one dog training designed to keep dogs with their families and out of shelters.

Message me for more information or to book your consultation ❕

(570) 468-2293

15/07/2024

Still offering free training for Mardi . I love her and she’s one of the sweetest for sure !

Meet Mardi Gras! She came to us in April 2021. Mardi Gras is a 5 year old Terrier mix. Mardi Gras is the sweetest girl and we can't understand how she keeps being overlooked! 3 years is a terribly long time for such an amazing dog to wait for a home. She is a very good girl who will do anything you ask her to for some snacks. Mardi would have to be your only pet but she LOVES all people. Because of her large side and playful nature, older children are strongly suggested. Mardi loves to play with her tennis balls and go for walks on the trail. The She is up to date on vaccines, spayed and microchipped. The shelter life is hard for all animals but it has been particularly hard on Mardi Gras. Mardi deserves more than anything this year to find her forever home. If that could be you please submit an application.
https://www.cognitoforms.com/TrueFriendsAnimalWelfareCenter1/Applications?fbclid=IwAR0jZ3iVdlGxJn22xqpask_PSsFyPo0EvEn6lp82fQxfY9xltufIH7Jy1z0
True Friends AWC
16332 SR 706
Montrose PA 18801
Kennel License # 7284

12/07/2024

Nico started his training today!
We are working on his leash reactivity , over all communication clarity and his off leash reliability. He did great for his first session !

11/07/2024

Week 1 of my first ever group class !
All the dogs and handlers did a fantastic job!
seeing some of these dogs previously reactive to being able to be around other dogs is truly amazing! Huge thank you to John Clawson with Clawson’s K-9s with Class for helping me out and step in when needed it’s much appreciated !

08/07/2024

Happy graduation day Bailey and Gracie !
I’m just 4 sessions these two have come leaps and bounds since I first met them! They are completely off leash trained as well! Every dog deserves that freedom !
Great job Bailey , Gracie and Fam !

06/07/2024

03/07/2024

My boy Dexter can be a pretty wild guy, but believe it or not he has pretty severe phobia of fireworks. I've learned not to force the issue, but to proactively manage it to keep him safe and happy. Below are some simple safety tips for the 4 of July!

✔️Try to exercise your dog before the action starts. This will help aid in relaxation for later.

✔️Keep your dog on a leash if you don't have fenced in area, it just isn't worth the risk of them running off.

✔️Get your dog a safe room or crate. I personally have his crate in a dark, quiet area that somewhat isolates the noise.

✔️Use other sounds to keep them from hearing the noise. (Calming music, television, etc.)

✔️Get enrichment prepped ahead of time so they can enjoy being in their safe area. (Filled Kongs, Marrow Bones, Stuffed Beef Trachs, etc.)

✔️Make sure your dog has their collar secure with their tags attached that has all of your necessary information.

For puppies, I recommend playing firework sounds and other noises on Bluetooth speaker to help desensitize. Initially begin at low volumes and begin to up the volume as they do well. 🐾