Buffalo's Best Dog Trainer

Get a Free Evaluation

As Seen Training On

CNN USA Today NHL Animal Planet Outdoor Channel ESPN NBC Sports Sports Illustrated The Weather Channel MSN Mashable Barstool Sports Fox News Discovery Channel MLB Washington Post The Today Show People ABC Sporting News
    

Buffalo Dog Training Experts

Sit Means Sit Buffalo provides professional dog training services in Buffalo and its surrounding areas.

At Sit Means Sit Buffalo, our passion is providing training that will shape your dog into a more positive, confident, and obedient version of themselves. We work with you to create the perfect training program for you and your dog!

Our professional trainers can handle anything from small obedience issues to severe aggressive behavior. We have a variety of training programs, including private lessons and day camp programs tailored to fit all your training challenges and goals. Any dog, any age, any problem can be improved and cared for at Sit Means Sit Buffalo!

We would love to meet you and your furry family member. Contact us today for your free consultation!

Get Started

About Sit Means Sit Dog Training

Dog Training Programs

Any Dog Any Age Any Problem

Private Lessons

Private Lessons

Learn More About Our Private Dog Training

Our private lesson programs are designed for the family or individual who wants to be directly involved and personally responsible for the success of the dog’s training. With this option, you meet with your trainer for an hour long one-on-one session each week.

These sessions are held at our facility where we can recreate real world scenarios that you would experience in a variety of locations such as your home, a park, and almost any location where you want help with your dog’s behavior.

The trainer will teach you how to train your dog and how to specifically address the things that are important to you. Our lessons are customized to help ensure you can meet your specific and unique goals with your dog. We call this “lifestyle training”, where we help you incorporate the training of your dog into your day to day life.

Contact Us 
Day Camp

Day Camp

Like the idea of having someone initially train your dog like in a Board & Train, but don’t want to leave your dog overnight? This is what our Day Camp program is all about!

This is a once a week, all day training program where a professional trainer will train your dog throughout the day at vet offices, parks, pet stores, etc. Drop your dog off in the morning and pick him/her up the same day.

When you pick your dog up, your trainer will instruct you on how to work with your dog for the next week. Spend the week reinforcing what you and your dog learned. Then drop him/her off again the following two weeks. In addition, lifetime follow-up training is also included in this package, as many private lessons as you need for the remainder of your dog’s lifetime.

Contact Us 
Group Classes

Group Classes

Our group classes are designed to practice the skills you and your dog learned in individual settings with more distractions. We keep the classes upbeat and fun for you and your dog!

Contact Us 

FAQs

Get answers to some of our most commonly asked questions:

Each of our training programs is custom tailored to the specific situation. There are a number of factors that we evaluate prior to building a training package for you such as your dog’s age, temperament, previous training, as well as the desired goals of the owner. What will work for one dog and owner, won’t necessarily fit well with another. Because of these factors, we offer a free demonstration & consultation as an opportunity to meet with your family as well as your dog to gain insight into the unique circumstances that affect your dog’s training. During the demonstration we will evaluate the factors and develop a training plan for your dog and family. From the training plan we will be able to give you an accurate idea of cost to accomplish your goals. There is no cost or obligation associated with the free demonstration.

Sit Means Sit uses a variety of training methods and tools to achieve the goals of the customer and their dog.

The Sit Means Sit mission:

Revolutionizing the quality of life with happy, obedient, and confident dogs.

With this mission in-mind, we customize our training approach to meet with our customer's personality as well as what will result in the best possible training experience for both dog and owner. As you view our portfolio of dog training videos, we hope that you will pay close attention to the attitude of all the dogs trained by Sit Means Sit. We pride ourselves on being able to maintain a happy and relaxed attitude in our dogs.

Sit Means Sit specializes in a diversified approach to dog training. We use an attention-based dog training system developed by Founder and CEO, Fred Hassen. This approach utilizes a variety of training tools to enable our trainers to gain the dog’s attention even in distracting situations. One of the tools that we use often in our training program is our customized Sit Means Sit Collar (remote electronic dog training collar). The reason we choose to utilize technology in our training is obvious when you understand the advantages that technology allows us.

Firstly, Sit Means Sit firmly believes in safe dog training. The technology we employ is 100% safe for dogs and humans. The Sit Means Sit Collar uses state of the art digital technology to control the output from the collar to prevent it from harming your dog. The technology that is utilized in the construction of our collar is similar technology to “electronic muscle stimulators” and “TENS” units. You may be familiar with the use of these devices in the medical field (they are very common in the Chiropractic and Physical Therapy fields) or perhaps you’ve seen devices advertised on TV as “electronic muscle massagers”. These devices essentially use low-level, adjustable electronic stimulation to creating muscle contractions. In the medical field, they are used as tools to help alleviate pain, promote blood circulation and encourage healing.

In the dog training field, specifically Sit Means Sit, remote dog training collars are used as a tool to provide a remote controlled cue. The cue is designed to neither cause pain nor to disrupt the dog’s emotional state, but rather to function as an adjustable “tap”. The approach used by Sit Means Sit trainers is to treat the “tap” from the collar as a cue for the dog to pay attention. This is no different than tapping a person on the shoulder to gain their attention. The goal of tapping them on the shoulder is not to hurt them or cause emotional distress, but rather to let them know that you want to communicate something to them.

The “tap” delivered from the Sit Means Sit Collar is a highly adjustable sensation that can be set to levels that are often imperceptible to people. Obviously this adjustability is necessary because some dogs are sensitive, while others are quite tough. There is no way to determine what levels your dog will respond to until you begin to train them with a collar. Another reason why the collars are so adjustable is because distractions from the environment are never consistent. Relate this to training with a treat. How many times will that treat work perfectly indoors, but fails to maintain your dog’s attention when a cat is running by. Sit Means Sit has found that dogs can be taught to pay attention around extreme distractions very effectively.

During the fundamental Sit Means Sit training, the dogs and handlers are taught how to condition their dog to the collar in a constructive and positive manner. By adjusting the level of the collar appropriately for the dog and the situation, as well as linking the tap from the collar with an item of high value, we can effectively teach the dog that the “tap” from the collar is related to something of value. This approach to fundamentals allows for a smooth transition into distraction training and off leash control through attention to command.

You can relate the advantages that a Sit Means Sit Collar can provide you in dog training with the advantages that a state-of-the-art smartphone provides you. Cell phones these days are no longer just phones, but mini-computers with built-in cameras, internet access and applications. These tools enhance our communication with others, allow for a diversified means of gathering and sharing information as well it’s just flat out cool what can be done with them, provided you have the knowledge. You can still choose to use you old-fashioned wall-mount telephone in your kitchen if you like, but now you’re restricted to the the length of the cord, and it’s not exactly easy to send photos to your in-laws using that wall-mount phone. Effectively limiting what you can do while you’re talking on the phone. There’s nothing wrong with doing things that way, it’s just limiting. This same relationship can also be said of using a leash to train your dog. It’s just limiting. With a smartphone you can do it all from the convenience of wherever you want.

Building on the premise of safety, the use of a remote controlled cue allows for greater freedom of communication, and in turn more efficient training through the enhancement of near-instantaneous timing. Being able to re-direct your dog’s energy or attention while he is at a distance from you greatly enhances the reliability you can achieve in a short period of time. It's also allows for you to communicate with your dog without confrontation from yelling. Also, the uniqueness of the Sit Means Sit approach stands head and shoulders above other technology-based dog training systems because of our ability to establish a neutral communication system allowing for unprecedented problem solving abilities, and through our enhanced communication skills a truly politically correct training approach. We invite you to view our training first-hand by contacting us for a free demonstration with a local trainer.

Training with a remote dog training collar like the Sit Means Sit dog training collar is really no different than training your dog with a leash or with treats. Reinforcement in any form is a required and necessary part of your dog’s life. Even after they are trained, it will still be necessary to maintain your rules and boundaries. This is really no different than we encounter with people learning to drive a car. Obtaining your driver’s license only shows that you understand the rules of the road, and have demonstrated your ability to operate a car safely. It does not guarantee that you will stop at every stop sign, and drive the speed limit all the time. Obviously there are a lot of factors that change as you drive, and some drivers are more honest than others. The bottom line however is that there are police officers responsible for maintaining the law and enforcing the rules that we have agreed to.

When looking at dog training from this standpoint, it easy to see how reinforcement of rules will be inevitable at some point. Every dog is different though, and some dogs require more or less reinforcement than others.

The good news is that proper and thorough training will result in your dog being more reliable even without training equipment or training ‘aids’ as we call them. Training your dog to be reliable without a Sit Means Sit dog training collar on is a matter of transferring attention through conditioning. There are three broad phases of training that you will encounter as you train your dog. Sticking with the your training and reinforcing your rules consistently over a long enough period of time will get your dog as reliable as they can be. The phases of training are as follows:

Phase 1: The Teaching/Control Phase ~ 6-12+ weeks

During phase one, the goal is to achieve control over your dog, teach them the rules, boundaries and desired behaviors you want. It also the time to teach the dog to pay attention and perform these commands around distractions. This phase lasts between 6-12 weeks on average, however in certain situations it may take longer to gain the reliability needed before moving on to phase two. Once your dog is capable of performing commands quickly and reliably around a variety of distractions with minimal problem solving required, then your dog and you are ready to move on to phase two.

Phase 2: The Reinforcement Phase ~ 6-12+ weeks

During phase two, the goal is to begin phasing out your training aid (remote dog training collar). In phase one, we use the dog training collar on a regular basis to regain attention and maintain our rules. Now in phase two we begin to reduce our dependence on the dog training collar and introduce consistency via variable reinforcement. You may or may not need your dog training collar, but we want to teach the dog that you are still in control even if the perception of the dog is that you are not. This phase will last between 6 – 12 weeks on average, and will require you to stick with phase two for longer than average. It’s also not uncommon as dogs mature and age to have to revert back into phase one training again for several weeks depending on how your dog’s performance and behavior is. When your dog is capable of performing commands without the need for reinforcement for approximately 6 weeks, then your dog is very likely to be reliable without their training aid present. We are ultimately looking to have your dog learn how to filter our distractions entirely. When this is achieved, your dog is much less likely to act out in an unwanted manner because of distractions.

Phase 3: The Maintenance Phase ~ Ongoing

The third and final phase of training a dog is the maintenance phase. During this phase, you will likely be using your dog training collar or other dog training aid very little as your dog is capable of ignoring distraction. The catch however is that they are still capable of distraction (they are not robots). A smart trainer recognizes this and is ready to maintain their rules, commands and boundaries at anytime. It is not uncommon to have a dog who sense the lack of maintenance and begins to revert back in their behavior. The benefit of having done your dog training properly to begin with is that regression is easily minimized and dealt with by simply jumping back into training for a short time to remind the dog of the expectations.

Can't Find Your Question?

No problem. Contact us and we'll be happy to answer your questions.

(716)-320-1565 Contact Us

Trainers & Staff

Professional trainers. Attentive friendly staff.

Tom Longenecker

Tom LongeneckerOwner / Head Trainer

Tom is the owner and Head Trainer of Sit Means Sit Buffalo. His specialties include reactive and aggressive rehabilitation, off leash obedience, and behavior modification. Tom is a graduate of the Sit Means Sit School of Instruction, an AKC certified Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and has participated in countless seminars and certification programs since becoming a trainer. In 2021, Tom graduated from the UB School of Management, and has been featured locally on both WKBW and WIBV news stations, and is a featured author in “Dog Training Insights”

Tom began his Sit Means Sit journey in Houston, TX in 2014 with a stray dog that he rescued from the streets, Ellie. Ellie had her own ideas on how to be a dog, and Tom struggled to train her on his own, seeking out the expertise of Hamid Parvizian. After learning how to train his own dog, Tom quickly began to help friends and family and began his pursuit of a career in the dog training industry. After several years of experience under the tutelage of Hamid and Fred Hassen; Tom looked to build his own company and brought it to Buffalo, a city that he fell in love with while attending SUNY Fredonia.

Since starting Sit Means Sit Buffalo in 2017, Tom has built the business from one of house calls and working out of a van on his own to having a facility and a strong staff of like-minded people; who share his passion for dogs as well as helping clients enjoy their lives with the freedom of owning a well-trained dog. Tom has a knack for not only helping dogs but teaching their humans how to be advocates for their furry family. Tom is also passionate about community engagement, and provides bite prevention programs for doggy daycares, new adoptee puppy classes through local rescues, and helps to get local rescue dogs trained as they prepare for their forever homes.

When Tom isn’t working, he likes to cook for friends, play guitar and go on hikes. He can also be found competing with his Belgian Malinois, Freyja and Dutch Shepherd, Chunk.

Meg Hurlburt

Meg HurlburtOffice Manager

Meg is the Office Manager at Sit Means Sit Buffalo, specializing in Client Experience and Coordination. She has been with the organization since 2020, bringing over a decade of administrative experience as well as a degree in Business Management.

Like many of her colleagues, Meg’s journey with Sit Means Sit started as a client with her dog, Penny, who was adopted in 2015 as a puppy. As is the case with many first time dog owners, Meg and her partner were both clueless where to start with Penny, and soon found themselves with a 6 year old dog who only listened when she felt like it, and was incredibly leash reactive towards other dogs. Trying to walk Penny on a leash was like trying to wrangle a small alligator, and she was primed to attack whenever another dog entered her orbit; which was incredibly stressful for the family as time went on. During the pandemic, things only escalated and reached a breaking point when Penny injured herself in an attempt to reach another dog while out for a walk. Enter Sit Means Sit! After an initial consultation with Tom, Penny was signed up for Private Lessons and the work began for her, and the whole family.

Shortly, Meg and her partner were on the same page where Penny and her expectations were concerned, and Penny was not only walking calmly on a leash, but could also focus on her people in a group class full of other dogs without reaction. She has since successfully attended public events, more group classes, and family parties with no incidents and can happily go for a neighborhood walk where both Meg and Penny can enjoy it. Penny can even sometimes be found sleeping in the office under Meg’s desk, helping get ready for the day; living proof of how the Sit Means Sit training method can work with even the most stubborn and anxious of dogs.

Since being a part of Penny’s transformation, Meg has become passionate about building a community around clients in need of help with their dogs. Having experienced the isolation, embarrassment, and anxiety that can come with owning and loving a reactive dog, she has taken that experience and put it into every interaction she has with clients both current and future; helping to support them as they build consistent and long lasting routines that lead to the most fulfilling relationships possible with their dogs. The most important thing to Meg is that clients feel like they aren’t alone through the process, and that they have a team behind them every step of the way as they train.

Coleen Rausch

Coleen RauschTrainer

Coleen has been training with Sit Means Sit since 2021. She first was a client with her dog Cali and saw first hand how the attention based training could work wonders for dogs of all backgrounds and demeanors. Cali herself was incredibly anxious in most situations, and also extremely selective when it came to dogs; having bitten her sister Nola right before beginning training. Shortly into their program Coleen was hired as a Kennel Technician, and grew into her training position from there, climbing the ranks quickly.

Coleen brings with her a Master’s Degree in teaching and extensive experience working with special needs children and their families. Her background in teaching and communication has applied extremely well with dog training, especially when it comes to nervous dogs (and dog parents!) Coleen helps clients learn to apply the drills and skills taught during lessons to the specific needs of each dog, helping families to customize their programs to their day to day lives. Coleen is not only passionate about helping clients to have a well trained and happy dog; but also loves the community Sit Means Sit offers clients for support well after their training is over.

Service Areas

We proudly serve the following areas in Buffalo.

Counties

  • Erie County

Cities

  • Buffalo
  • Kenmore
  • Depew
  • West Seneca
  • Orchard Park
  • Lancaster
  • Amherst
  • Tonawanda
  • North Tonawanda

Zip Codes

  • 14226
  • 14217
  • 14223
  • 14216
  • 14221
  • 14043
  • 14224
  • 14218
  • 14127

Don't See Your Location?

Sit Means Sit has 157 locations across the US and Canada.

Find a Sit Means Sit Dog Trainer near you.

Find a Location

Dog Training Videos

Check out a few videos to see our dog trainers at work!

Private Lesson Experience

Yellow Lab Transformation

Daycamp Transformation for Macy

Órla learns the Fire Hydrant

5 Star Reviews

We love customers and their dogs. They love us.

Joe S.

Sit Means Sit Buffalo is amazing!! If you desire the best relationship with your dog take them to sit means sit. The best hands down!

Rosie V.

Tom trained our former street dog and worked miracles! Our dog started as highly dog reactive and could not look at another dog without losing her mind, and after her sessions with Tom, she is now in training for flyball and has her therapy dog certification. She can now stand in the flyball ring with…

Morgan N.

Sit means sit has worked wonders for my dog! The owner is amazing at what he does. Thank you sit means sit!

Jose S.

If you’re looking for first class dog training from someone who knows dogs and their quirks, look no further than Sit Means Sit and Tom! He can work wonders with even the most stubborn pups and not only does he train the dog but he’s also amazing at educating the owner so that we can…