About Sit Means Sit

What this location is

Sit Means Sit Utica-Rome is the local franchise of a national dog-training company, operating from a training facility at 4550 NY-233 in Clinton. The head trainer and owner is Tom Bryant, who the site says is a native of New Hartford; he began training independently in 2013, certified with Sit Means Sit, and relaunched the business to represent the company in the Mohawk Valley in April 2016.

Programs

Puppy Training is written for puppies under 16 weeks and covers socializing, crate training, housebreaking and the beginnings of obedience. Basic Marker Training is a short run of private lessons for owners who want help with timing and clear communication rather than a full program. The Foundations Training Program is the starting point for the Sit Means Sit system itself. The site describes an accelerated option in which trainers see the dog on a daily or weekly basis, and says that program is "essential for dealing with high stakes cases involving fear, anxiety or aggression".

Method

The site sets out training in three phases. The first builds the association between the collar and something of value, which it says "allows for a smooth transition into distraction training and off leash control through attention to command". The second phase proofs the dog against distraction. The third is maintenance, where the site says the training aid is used very little and the owner's job is to keep the rules and boundaries consistent.

Service area

The location lists Oneida County and the cities of Utica, Rome, Herkimer, Clinton, Whitesboro, New Hartford, Sauquoit, Mohawk, Marcy and Westmoreland, along with a long list of Mohawk Valley ZIP codes. Protection training appears among the demonstration videos published on the site.