Chester

We welcomed our adorable Golden Retriever puppy, Chester to our home in November, 2009.  However, it wasn’t long before Chester was walking us down the street while biting our legs and putting everything in sight into his mouth; deciding when, how and if he would like to go into his crate and generally turning our house upside down.  We spoke to our veterinarian’s office and asked for a recommendation for a dog trainer. Thanks to their good advice, we invited Jeff from Sit Happens to come for a visit.We spoke to our veterinarian’s office and asked for a recommendation for a dog trainer.

I’m sure Jeff will never forget the scene when he arrived at our home to find Chester “running the show”.  In an effort to get some sleep at night we had moved a sleeping bag into the living room where Chester’s crate was kept  in the hopes that having one of us beside him during the night time  would help him (and us!) get some sleep.  Jeff very tactfully suggested that moving his crate into our bedroom while learning the command for going into his crate would quickly remedy the situation.
When Jeff politely asked how we got him to go into his crate, we very sheepishly explained it was by tossing a treat or piece of kibble in as far as we could and then shutting the door with utmost speed before he attempted to escape.  Again, Jeff very calmly assured us he could train Chester to go in when WE decided it was time.  If there was any doubt in Jeff’s mind that we needed help, it came to an abrupt end when he looked into the corner of his pen to see Chester madly scooping out the litter in his litter box all over the living room carpet.

 We suddenly went from a feeling of chaos to one of optimism.

It was then that Jeff suggested we go outside and observe him working with his dogs.  We suddenly went from a feeling of chaos to one of optimism.  His dogs listened to his commands all the while tails wagging.  We were sold!!  Sit Happens came to our home on a few occasions to teach us their approach to training and we followed up by taking him to the outdoor obedience classes that are arranged on a weekly basis.  It wasn’t long before Chester was heeling on walks, going into his crate on command and generally doing what we asked of him. 

He has become an integral part of our family and is a true joy to have around.We can’t thank Sit Happens enough for helping us help Chester learn how to behave in such a manner that we can now thoroughly enjoy him.  He has become an integral part of our family and is a true joy to have around.  Although Chester is now 18 months old, we still take him to obedience classes when we feel like he (or we!) needs a refresher and the staff always welcome us back with warmth and expertise.

We would highly recommend them to anybody looking for assistance training their dog so that they too can enjoy their dog to the fullest!!