We’ve been getting lessons with Dave from SMS since October 2023 when we rescued a 2 1/2 year old Blue Heeler. Dave has done a fantastic job training the dog on issues such as general obedience, mouthing/nipping and live stock and dog aggression.

Not only does Dave train the dog, but he trains us as well making sure we understand the training concepts. This gives us the opportunity to apply what we’ve learned so we can continue to progress in between lessons.

Based on the solid results with our Blue Heeler I would definitely recommend lessons with Dave at Sit Means Sit.

We picked up our puppy Sadie yesterday after two week of boarding and training, we are amazed at the difference in her. Dave the trainer that worked with her the two weeks was great. Our Sadie is deaf and we were having a hard time getting her to stop jumping on us and biting us, Since she couldn’t hear us. They started training right away and insured us that they had worked with deaf dogs before. The whole time she was with them Dave kept us informed on her progress and sent us videos of her in training. We were very nervous about leaving her that long but were reassured everyday that she was fine and improving. When we picked her up Dave spent as much time as we needed in training us the hand signals and her Sit Means Sit Collar they use and sent home with us. We will go back in a week for a refresher course and am looking forward to showing Dave the progress we made.

Thank you to Dave and the staff, Ryne & Ricki

Great trainers, training and environment. They are great at helping you with your specific needs and will help you wherever your dog might need help. They do boarding as well as grooming which is also awesome! I highly recommend this training, especially because of group sessions where you can take your dog around other trained dogs and continue to enforce the training you received. Group classes are weekly and if you can’t go during the week they offer a weekend training Saturday as well.

We cannot speak more highly of Sit Means Sit and our trainer, Dave, in particular. Dave worked with our two dogs, Banjo and Dolly, for a 3 week board and train program. He and the SMS team appeared to care deeply about our dogs, provided regular updates, and took care of them well. Both of our dogs have pretty severe anxiety which presented in different ways. Banjo would become so scared that he could not follow any commands and Dolly was becoming reactive and showed signs of aggression to the point that no one other than her owners could touch her. By the end of the program Dave was able to touch, handle, and control Dolly and Banjo has become much more confident and calm. Our dogs certainly have a long way to go with many hours of training ahead of us, but for the first time we feel optimistic about their future. We feel supported with the SMS lifetime care and look forward to attending group classes to solidify the skills they learned. Thank you SMS and Dave!

We sent our almost 2 year old labradoodle Archer to Sit Means Sit recently. We had tried other training methods and were at our wits end with his out of control behavior. Happy to report, Sit Mean Sit was a success story for our dog! Archer listens to commands now and I’m even able to keep him off leash around other dogs during the training maintenance classes. Thank you to the fabulous trainer Caity for her hard work with Archer! We were very happy with the results.

Sit Means Sit was amazing to our little fur baby Appa! His trainer Marcos and the rest of the team at Sit Means Sit helped us reach our training goals with the Board and Train package. I love that they offer lifetime lessons with the B&T because it ensures we keep consistent with Appa’s training. Appa is almost 3 years old and was super stubborn, but we know that he’s smart – too smart for his own good – so we finally decided to look into training! We looked around at different options and decided to go with Sit Means Sit because of their training methods, how the facility looks, and how professional the team and trainers are. They have social media platforms that allowed me to gauge whether I liked how they trained dogs and how they handle them. I loved that they were easy to communicate with every day while Appa was away, and also very informative during the initial start of the process. I would definitely recommend Sit Means Sit to anyone that needs to train their dog, whether it’s a young puppy or adult dog, they will make sure to give you the best training possible.

Thank you Sit Means Sit Modesto team for everything! Appa is super happy and misses everyone on your team already!

I cant say enough good things about Sit Means Sit and all the trainers at this facility!

My dog Otis was very reactive (bark, lunge, pull) towards other dogs prior to sit means sit. We did a board and train with them and his obedience improved significantly. Otis still had reactivity after the board and train but I had to learn how to work him and manage his reactivity around his triggers.

Sit means sit has done several one on one sessions with me and Otis after his board and train to continue to work on his reactivity.

Now, I can proudly say that Otis’s reactivity is much more manageable and i have the confidence to take Otis places where there will be “triggers” because the trainers have taught me the tools to manage his reactivity.

We continue to attend their group classes which have taught Otis to be neutral around other dogs. It’s also a good opportunity for Otis to make dog friends with other like-minded dog owners.

• Otis obedience has also improved significantly:
• no more leash pulling. He heels to my left when we walk and run.
• he is great off-leash!
• good “off”command
• good “place” commend
• good attention

Thanks, to sit means sit I’m living the life I had envisioned with Otis.

I would highly recommend them because they will continue to work with you to achieve the goals you want with your dog!

Also, Otis loves all the trainers he gets so excited to see them and you can tell they truly love working with dogs

I did my fair research of dog training programs in the East Bay/Pleasanton/San Ramon area, and I chose SMS for a variety of reasons.

1. Their response time after my inquiry was next to nothing. I didn’t hear back from other training programs until at least 2 weeks later.

2. You get to talk with an SMS rep on the phone to get a more in-depth explanation and conversation of their program options for your pup. Trust me, I wouldn’t skip this step and just try to look up their options on their site. The rep calls to ask you about your lifestyle, your dog’s current behaviors, and what you’re looking for in terms of results. In this phone call method, they are able to really recommend a program suitable for YOU as a dog-parent, and your pup.

3. GOOD QUALITY dog training will never run cheap. But I remember my highest quote being upwards of $8,000. SMS does run way less than that depending on the program you choose…I found SMS specifically worth it because the “Board and Train” included a lifetime membership access to training at NO ADDITIONAL cost. So, you invest a good amount at first, but to have access to more classes moving forward for nothing more in my opinion… is an amazing investment.

4. With my Board and Train, the process was so easy! They had pick-up and drop-off super close to our home, and the teach-back lesson at the end of the program is included! The staff is amazing at what they do! I had CAITY for a majority of my communications and training with my pup during her board, and I received plenty of updates, videos, and pictures. 10/10 would recommend her for her outgoing and welcoming personality, professionalism, and patience with me and my Kenai! A HUGE shoutout also to the trainers MARCOS and FATIMA for assisting in training my pup as well!!! Shoutout to CRAIG for being my phone rep and getting me set up with my invoices and program, NANCY, and SIERRA for all their assistance in this program too! We appreciate each of you!

Kenai (GSD Mix) is our first pup whom we adopted at a shelter when she was just 4 months old. She was rescued from the streets of Central Valley and truly was the most anxious and shy dog. Prior to SMS, she really struggled with basic commands and opening up to the world around her! Since getting her back, we’ve definitely seen SUCH an improvement, and she seems like such a new pup. She’s such a baby still, but with this start – she’s on track to be such a smart fur baby.

Overall, my biggest advice with SMS is going into this understanding that dog training – especially for pups requires tons of time and patience! DO NOT expect a complete robotic change in your dog after getting them back from a Board and Train, and DO NOT expect the change to be day and night! It is an improvement that took time, patience, and consistency!!! As a dog mom, I definitely have tons of homework to do after receiving my pup back from training, and it’s up to us as their paw-rents to maintain what they learned and stay consistent with SMS’s training methods every day. We are so excited for our lifetime classes moving forward, and to meet other families in the SMS community. Thank you guys so much!