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Sit Happens K-9 Academy LLC In home one on one dog training designed to keep dogs with their families and out of shelters

09/29/2026

“What level do I set the e-collar at if my dog takes off after a deer, a bike, or a rabbit?”

There isn’t one number I can give you. The level your dog notices while standing in the yard may be very different from what they respond to when they’re running full speed after something.

In this video, Finley ran full force into a rock. He hit it hard enough that hair and some skin were left on it, and he barely flinched. That’s what adrenaline can look like. Will he feel it after the hike? Absolutely.

I’ve seen hunting dogs keep running after ripping off a nail or getting impaled by a stick. When a dog is that worked up, they can tune out things they would normally react to.

That’s why I can’t give every dog the same “chasing a deer” level. What matters is whether your dog responds in that moment. And that response comes from teaching recall and practicing with the collar before you ever need it in a high-distraction situation.

Every dog is different.

Here’s something I haven’t covered yet: the COVID excuse.I hear it all the time: “My dog is like this because of COVID.”...
09/29/2026

Here’s something I haven’t covered yet: the COVID excuse.

I hear it all the time: “My dog is like this because of COVID.”

I understand that restrictions made some things harder. But I brought Peanut, Steel, and several foster dogs into my life during “COVID times,” before I was even a dog trainer. I still found ways to socialize and train them. If you couldn’t go out , your neighbor hood , your house , and your yard were ALL access points to training.

And at this point, it’s been six years. Restrictions were lifted years ago. If your dog is still struggling with people, dogs, new places, or basic life skills, blaming COVID isn’t helping them move forward.

Tell me what your dog struggles with now. We can work from there. But we have to stop treating COVID as a permanent explanation for behavior we can still address. The longer you wait the harder it gets to undo.

Before bed place exercises with buddy
09/28/2026

Before bed place exercises with buddy

Does breed still matter in a mixed-breed dog?Absolutely—but it isn’t a perfect recipe.A DNA test cannot guarantee exactl...
09/28/2026

Does breed still matter in a mixed-breed dog?

Absolutely—but it isn’t a perfect recipe.

A DNA test cannot guarantee exactly which behaviors a dog will display. Genetics are inherited in combinations, not neatly divided according to the percentages on a screen. Two puppies from the same litter can inherit different physical and behavioral traits despite having the same parents.

However, breed still matters because breeds were selectively developed for specific purposes. Herding, hunting, guarding, retrieving, controlling vermin, and working required different drives, instincts, physical abilities, and temperaments.

When breeds are mixed, those genetics do not simply disappear. You may see traits from the largest percentage, smaller traces from several breeds, or a surprisingly strong characteristic from a breed that makes up only a small portion of the dog’s ancestry.

Peanut is a perfect example. His DNA results are:

• 58% American Pit Bull Terrier
• 22% American Staffordshire Terrier
• 5% Boxer
• 4% Labrador Retriever
• 3% Rottweiler
• 3% Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• 2% Bulldog
• 2% Bullmastiff
• 1% Doberman Pinscher

That makes Peanut overwhelmingly a bully-breed dog, and many of his natural characteristics reflect that.

He is extremely intelligent, athletic, strong, determined, prey-driven, and naturally prone to resource guarding. He loves people when he feels like it, but most of the time he is fairly indifferent toward them. He also absolutely loves the water—maybe that little bit of Labrador Retriever decided to show itself there.

Interestingly, Peanut doesn’t really care about playing with toys. His favorite activity is obedience. He genuinely enjoys working and becomes a completely different dog when we train. Outside of work, he may perform a command as half-assedly as possible while practically rolling his eyes at me.

Peanut is also extremely dog-selective and is not safe with small dogs. Training has allowed him to be successfully introduced to several appropriate dogs of different ages, breeds, sizes, and genders without a muzzle, but that does not mean he should interact with every dog. It also doesn’t mean his genetics or natural tendencies disappeared.

Training taught him how to control himself, make better decisions, and coexist successfully under clear expectations. It did not transform him into a dog-park dog—and that was never the goal.

Not every pit bull-type dog will display the same traits Peanut does. Genetics, early development, previous experiences, environment, training, and reinforcement history all contribute to the individual dog standing in front of you.

That is the important distinction: genetics can influence behavior, but they do not eliminate a dog’s ability to learn.

Breed gives us useful information about what a dog may be naturally inclined to do, what outlets may fulfill them, what challenges could appear, and which behaviors an owner should be prepared to manage.

The individual dog still matters most—but pretending breed is irrelevant does dogs and owners a huge disservice.

Breed is not a guarantee, an excuse, or a life sentence. It is one important piece of the entire dog.

09/27/2026

Training update on Buddy!
I had to cut the video into segments or we would be sitting here watching a
Minute long video

Today we brought out the long line and let it drag while Buddy worked. That’s one step closer to off-leash freedom!
He’s doing great with recall and “let’s go “ which means follow me as you can see in the video.
He’s doing great with tug. Now that he understands the expectations of the game, I can start fine-tuning his “drop.” I used the e-collar once in this video when he didn’t release the toy. We’re working toward a smoother response that will also help if he picks up something he shouldn’t have.

“Down” has been tougher for Buddy in other situations, so I’ve started asking for it during play, where he understands what we’re doing. Once it’s solid there, we can practice it in other settings.

We tried something new today, too: I asked Buddy to sit, then tossed the toy. Even with something exciting flying past him, the expectation to sit still applies. That’s a skill he’ll need when real-life distractions show up.

We introduced “place” yesterday and are building better house manners every day. He’s almost ready to join walks with the pack. Next up is the boring stuff , leash walking and public manners!

09/27/2026

What a nice quiet peaceful relaxing morning with atlas

I think we as a society as a whole Stop labeling every fearful, reactive, uncomfortable, or shelter dog as “abused.”I he...
09/27/2026

I think we as a society as a whole Stop labeling every fearful, reactive, uncomfortable, or shelter dog as “abused.”

I hear it constantly:

“He must have been abused.”

“She’s scared of men, so a man must have hit her.”

“He ducks when I reach over him, so someone definitely beat him.”

“She reacts on leash, so something terrible must have happened.”

Could abuse be part of a dog’s history? Absolutely. Abuse is real, and some dogs including my own have survived horrible situations. But unless we have factual information about that dog’s past, we do not actually know. I myself in the past was very very guilty of this

Fearful or reactive behavior can be influenced by many things:

* Genetics and natural temperament
* Poor breeding
* Lack of early socialization
* Limited exposure to everyday environments
* Pain or an underlying medical condition
* A naturally low threshold for stress
* Learned or reinforced behavior
* Previous frightening experiences that were not abuse
* Overwhelming environments
* Frustration or overarousal
* Long-term shelter stress
* A sudden change in routine or living situation

A dog can be afraid of men without ever being hit by a man. Men may be taller, have deeper voices, move differently, wear hats, or simply be less familiar to that dog.

A dog may duck when someone reaches over its head because that movement feels threatening—not because someone used to beat it. They may run from a broom because broom so scary . When I first brought out a broom in front of Draco he RAN most would think “oh wow someone hit him with this “ never have I ever . I counter conditioned the broom with food now he’s cool.

A shelter dog may appear shut down because it has been removed from everything familiar and placed in a loud, stressful environment. Another may bark, lunge, pace, spin, or bite at the leash because it is overstimulated and frustrated. Neither automatically proves abuse.

The problem with creating a traumatic story is that people begin handling the story instead of handling the dog standing in front of them.

They feel sorry for the dog, avoid setting boundaries, excuse dangerous behavior, walk on eggshells, and become afraid to communicate clearly. Every unwanted behavior gets blamed on an unknown past, and the dog never receives the structure, training, accountability, confidence-building, or medical evaluation it actually needs.

Compassion and expectations can exist at the same time. Focusing on a dogs maybe or maybe not past only inhibits their ability to move forward and succeed

We can acknowledge that a dog is struggling without inventing a history for it. We can move slowly without allowing unsafe behavior. We can respect fear without letting fear control the entire household. We can give a dog time to decompress while still creating structure and clear routines.

A possible explanation is not a confirmed history.

Does AKC registered mean well-bred?Absolutely not.AKC registration means a dog’s parents were registered with the Americ...
09/26/2026

Does AKC registered mean well-bred?

Absolutely not.

AKC registration means a dog’s parents were registered with the American Kennel Club and that the puppy is eligible to be registered. It documents lineage, but it does not automatically mean:

* The parents were physically healthy.
* Breed-specific health testing was completed.
* The dogs had stable temperaments.
* The parents were structurally sound.
* The breeder selected an appropriate pairing.
* The puppies were raised or socialized properly.
* The dogs were kept in good living conditions.
* The breeder will support that puppy throughout its life.

It is paperwork—not a quality guarantee.

Websites such as Lancaster Puppies, Greenfield Puppies, and Puppies. Com are marketplaces where breeders and sellers can advertise puppies. A professional-looking listing, an “AKC registered” label, cute photographs, delivery options, or a health certificate does not prove that someone is an ethical breeder.

The same applies to pet stores. Being able to walk into a store, choose a puppy, finance it, and leave that day tells you very little about how that puppy was produced, why its parents were paired, or what physical and behavioral traits exist in its bloodline. Most of these dogs are puppy mill dogs.

That does not mean every single breeder using a listing website is automatically identical. It means the website and registration cannot do your research for you.

A responsible breeder should be able to provide:

* Verifiable breed-specific health testing on both parents—not simply a basic veterinary exam or DNA breed test
* Information about the health, structure, temperament, and working ability of the bloodline
* An explanation of why that particular breeding was chosen
* Opportunities to meet the mother and, when possible, learn about the father
* Honest information about the breed’s difficult traits—not just why it makes a “perfect family pet”
* A written contract and health guarantee
* A requirement that the dog be returned to them if the owner can no longer keep it
* Ongoing support after the puppy goes home
* Evidence that puppies are being raised, handled, exposed, and socialized appropriately
* Questions for the buyer, because a good breeder cares where every puppy goes

A good breeder usually has questions for you, too. If the only requirement is your payment, that should tell you something.

Also, “vet checked” is not the same as genetically and structurally health tested. A veterinarian saying a puppy appears healthy today does not replace OFA evaluations, breed-specific genetic testing, cardiac testing, eye examinations, hip and elbow testing, or other screenings recommended for that particular breed.

Plenty of poorly bred dogs come with AKC papers, and plenty of registered dogs still develop serious health problems, unstable temperaments, or predictable genetic behaviors that careless breeding helped produce.

There is nothing wrong with wanting a purebred dog. There is something wrong with believing registration papers automatically make the person producing that dog responsible.

AKC registered tells you that the dog has a recorded pedigree. Well-bred tells you that someone thoughtfully considered health, temperament, structure, purpose, and the future of every puppy they produced.

Those are not the same thing.

Kiss the fat baby until 8pm at Stately Pet Supply in Clark’s summit !
09/25/2026

Kiss the fat baby until 8pm at Stately Pet Supply in Clark’s summit !

09/25/2026

If you guys had any idea of how many bloopers I have to try and do this 😭 he is THICCC
RIP my back

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