Sit Means Sit Dog Training Chicago - Chicago, Illinois

valerie K.

I'm shocked! My puppy came to us out of a bad situation and would not listen to most commands and was a terror on walks. We worked with Tony initially with a consultation and he recommended 4 days of the day and train program. We pretty much saw immediate results. After each day they have a take home lesson which they essentially teach you how to keep up with the training. During the program we received pictures, videos, and even some reading content for questions I asked during the take home sessions. We've been keeping up with his training and now 2 weeks after the program we went on a full PLEASANT walk! He is still a puppy and has his crazy puppy days but I want to cry with joy that we can now enjoy having him in our family. Would i do this again? 110% YES!! Thank you, Tony and Mikey!

David A. F.

We reached out to Sit Means Sit to train with our dog that had issues with leash reactivity, barking at guests in our home, and general responsiveness. Tony provided a consultation which laid out their whole program and recommended which of their options seemed best fit for our dog. She was enrolled into four sessions over two weeks where she worked with them the entire day and an additional hour with us at the very end of each day. Tony and Mikey gave great training to both our dog and to us. We saw great improvements right away and continue to see the benefits of the program after its conclusion as we continue the lessons we learned at home. They are also extremely responsive to any follow up questions we have. Overall, I would definitely recommend working with them for your dog training needs.

Wendy I.

I signed up for the SMS Ten Day "send away" camp for my Toy Australian Shepherd (Piper) in September of 2019. Piper stayed with the SMS crew and received daily training, exercise, play time and pack play, among other enriching activities. It was the best money I've ever spent on a dog. We continued with advanced group classes which they're still holding during COVID when it's safe to do so. They take COVID seriously and have several precautions in place. I feel safe working with them in person even during this time.

The change in my dog has been dramatic. She used to be a sassy, dog aggressive, unruly, destructive, ball of adorableness. Today, while not 100% perfect (that's not realistic) she is a totally different pup. While still totally sassy and still her very playful energetic self, she listens, she pays attention to me and follows commands. We have 99% recall success rate when needed. She is more confident in herself and in me, which makes for a much happier dog over all.

The trainers are thoughtful, kind and very helpful. They have a pack of dogs of their own who are all amazingly well trained. You can tell they really love what they do and are passionate about their work.

You get what you put in with a dog, so I plan to continue my training journey with Sit Means Sit Chicago for Piper's lifetime and with any future dog I may have the privilege of owning.

Emily S.

I can’t say enough about the team at Sit Means Sit. They have been the best support system for us with our 1.5 year old Rottweiler, June. She is a very headstrong dog to say the least. From the initial day and train program, to group classes, to individual reinforcement lessons, SMS has been able to immediately help with every problem we have come across. The trainers at SMS have changed our lives (and June’s) for the better and we would recommend them to anyone, no matter how big or small the problem is. Thank you all so much for your continued support!

Danielle F.

Sit Means Sit collar caused wounds and hair loss to our dog.

Late last year, my husband and I brought our 4 year old poodle mix, Stout, to Sit mens Sit to help with his leash anxiety and aggression. We signed up for a $3000, 3 week program with 6 in house stays at the recommendation of the lead trainer/owner Tony. The training method relies heavily on an electronic collar that sends an electric current via 2 prongs into the dogs neck. We were skeptical, but were assured many times that these collars were safe and would not cause harm to our dog.

Fast forward a couple weeks; We were noticing some improvements to Stout's behavior but were concerned by growing irritation around his neck where the Sit means Sit collar rests. After bringing this to the trainers attention, we were told the skin will toughen up over time, and to make sure the collar was tight and rotated every couple hours. We were then suggested a bungee collar (Which they offer for and additional $25) that uses a tension lock. We were told that you “Can’t over tighten it” as it will release to the proper tension on its own. We were reluctant at this point but wanted to give the training method a chance due to the price and time investment.

I should preface this next part by telling you our dog has black shaggy fur around 2 inches long. After completing our dogs daily training regiment and noticed some angry red marks on our dogs neck. We were horrified to discover what is pictured below. Multiple red wounds and hair loss around the areas where the sit means sit collar would rest.

We did what any concerned dog parent would do and consulted our veterinarian of 10+ years. She confirmed with us the hard truth: The sit means sit collar was causing the wounds and hair loss, and this form of training was negative reinforcement and only adding to Stout's anxieties. We felt terrible and ashamed. The last thing we ever wanted was to causes our pup pain and discomfort. Not only had our vet confirmed this, but Stout himself would run and hide in fear every time we would grab for the collar, which he did not do at the beginning of this training.

At this point we felt we could no longer use the sit means sit training method as it relies on the constant use of said e-collar. We informed sit means sit that, unfortunately, we would no longer be able to use their training method due to the physical trauma it was causing to our dog and requested a partial refund ($2000 of the original $3000 which we felt was more than fair all things considered) as we would no longer be able to use the training methods and lifetime classes that were offered with the package.

Tony proceeded to send us a wall of an email accusing us of not following their instructions and using the collar properly. He told us our dog was hurt by “user error” and that they had informed us multiple times that Stout's collar wasn’t tight enough, even though according to them, the bungee collar would adjust on its own after tightened. Tony then went on to tell us that he did not agree with my veterinarian's diagnosis, and there was no way the collar caused the neck trauma. He denied our requested refund stating that we did not follow his instructions on the collar multiple times which in itself is a complete lie.

I am not here to debate the facts. You can look at the photos and decide for yourself. I just find it sad and insulting that this company cannot take any responsibility for my dogs injuries and dismiss us and our concerns so easily.

Akiba H.

Highly recommend this organization. Very honest, professional and caring. Tony and Mikey are all about you and your dog's success in class and IRL. ADDED BONUS, I lost 4% body fat training with Mikey.

Started classes 4 weeks ago when my 85 lb rottie performed swan lake on my window sills trying to get at a dog walking outside.

I worked with Mikey Thomas primarily. Both Mikey and Tony are very patient with pet parents. They go over the process or desired goal as often as needed for you and your fur baby to be successful.

At lesson 2 Mikey wanted us to walk the dog walk. I told him he was mad. He talked and walked me through the process multiple times, taking time to explain dog thinking. Low and behold, my puppy walked the dog walk several times after he made sure I was confident with the process.

Sit Means Sit offers a variety of packages. I went with the Ultimate Private Training Package.

I plan on continuing with additional types of training with Sit Means Sit Chicago and looking forward to joining them for group classes in the coming weeks.

Mackenzie D.

We have worked with a lot of trainers for our two dogs and Mikey and Tony at Sit Means Sit are absolutely the best. Right away they took the time to get to know our dogs and learn what we wanted to get out of the training. We have been really happy with the training methods and the e-collars. Our dogs are both so much more responsive and attentive to us now. Keeping up with your own dog training is a lot of work and it is great to know that SMS is there to help when you need it.

Dan V.

We recently brought our 2 year old rescue Doberman Pinscher Max in for training to help with some problem areas such as leash manners and recall along with tips and tricks to reinforce his basic training. Max graduated class this past Wednesday and the transformation is amazing.

Walking Max now is work in progress, but is so much more manageable and fun leading to both a positive experience for Max and us his parents.

We are very happy with the the work and training that Mikey, Tony, and Erin (the trainers) put in to help us make a better and more stable home for Max and our family.

We highly recommend Sit Means Sit and it trainers to anyone looking to reach the next level whatever that level may be from basic to advanced training.