Sadly my experience with Sit Means Sit was not a positive one. Rachel and D'Awna came out to my house and did a demonstration and I was very impressed with how well behaved Rachel's dog was but I was very concerned about using a "Shock Collar" on my dog. I specifically asked them if it was a shock collar and they insisted that it wasn't but that it "was just going to deliver a very mild massaging type" feeling to my dog. Rachel had me place it against my finger and she used the device on the lowest setting possible. Seemed reasonable to me at that time but after further research I realized how wrong I was. I feel horrible that I ever subjected my dog to this type of training as I discovered the following things after researching them.
There is not a vibration, it is a painful jolt
It is inhumane to subject a dog to this kind of pain
Can cause burns to the dogs skin and fur
Causes increased stress in the dog
Dogs live in a constant state of fear anticipating the next shock
When a dog associates people with the feeling of pain they can become more aggressive towards people.
Dogs learn to mistrust their owners
Shock collars should only be used as a last resort and not in day to day training
Studies have shown that training with a shock collar is no more effective than without a collar so why subject your dog this kind of treatment?
Thankfully after learning all of this and also consulting my vet regarding these collars I stopped going after a few training sessions but the corporate office has refused to refund my money. I emailed them repeatedly regarding what went on at some of the classes with D'Awana and they still wouldn't return my money.
I had an issue in my class where I felt that my dog was in danger because there was an out of control pitt bull in one class who seemed hell bent in going after my dog in particular. He tracked her movements the entire class at one point lunging at her while her owner had little to no control over her own dog. When I asked D'wana what I should do she said "I can't tell you what your'e supposed to do"
Really? Aren't you the trainer in charge of this class? If she doesn't know what to do then who does?
Clearly this was without question one of the biggest mistakes I have made and a costly one as well. Run, don't walk as far away from this company and these dog trainers as you possibly can. Save your time and money and find a reputable dog trainer who doesn't resort to using a shock collar.