Dog Training Articles

I could not have asked for a better experience working with Nicole/Sit Happens RVA! My 5 year old dog has had issues with separation anxiety and reactivity since adopting him as a puppy. He was going through a particularly challenging time after moving to a new apartment and my work schedule changing. He was having a difficult time adjusting, so taking him on walks and leaving him home alone were pretty stressful for both of us. I have worked with trainers in the past, but they had more of a 'one size fits all' approach, which was not the case with Nicole because she tailored the training to fit our needs. She was super flexible with scheduling and very responsive with advice and feedback in between sessions. I'm so happy with how far we've come with his leash reactivity and how well-behaved he is for the dog walkers. Nicole gave really helpful recommendations for his separation anxiety, and it is a huge relief to finally have him relaxing at home while I'm at work. I would absolutely recommend Nicole for training!

Nicole was so great to work with! Our goldendoodle had some anxious tendencies and needed major help walking calmly on a leash. Nicole gave us the tools and knowledge we needed, and now we enjoy taking walks with our dog, or sitting outside on a restaurant patio with him. She has a ton of knowledge, and we now know what we need to do to reinforce the behaviors throughout the rest of his life. I’m so glad we reached out to Sit Happens!

Nicole's training was a gift to my husband and I, and to 'COCO'. We learned helpful techniques to train our puppy which we didn't know in spite of having had many dogs before. She answers emails promptly and I highly recommend her.

My husband and I reached out to Nicole when I was 5.5 months pregnant with our first child. Our rescued mini labradoodle, Benji, was becoming increasingly aggressive towards visitors that came into our home and was displaying very territorial behaviors. We knew that we needed a change before bringing the baby home. Nicole was absolutely amazing to work with and taught us so much about how to redirect/change Benji's behaviors while prepping him for the baby. We are so grateful for all of her help and see a huge change with Benji! We feel like we can finally welcome the baby into our homes without having the extra stress about how Benji will react. Thank you, Nicole!

Nicole was AMAZING to work with. I have a 2 year-old mini Australian Shepherd, so you can imagine how active he is. Well, he also started to become very territorial and leash-reactive (as Nicole later taught me!). He started to lurch at people and especially other dogs. Even though I thought I had trained him, it wasn't enough! I would have never known that without Nicole's help. We reinforced his 'sit, stay, come' commands, taught him new commands, like 'heel' or 'place,' and fully crate-trained him. Nicole had unique solutions to training and reinforcing these ideals. Now, my pup happily loose-leash walks with me, stays in his crate when sleeping or during the day, and completely ignores other people or pups walking near us! This service was worth every cent!

Our three year old doodle had some behavior issues we wanted to work out and we could not have had a better experience! Nicole was so knowledgeable and helpful when it came to understanding the root cause of the behaviors and helping us learn how to correct them appropriately. She is realistic and professional. Would absolutely recommend to anyone!

Nicole is the best! We got her puppy training package, and it was totally worth it. Our puppy had a ton of problems when she first saw him, and he has already improved so much! He was having multiple accidents a day, and now it has been weeks without an accident! When we first got him, we had to sleep on the floor because he couldn’t sleep in the crate. Now he sleeps in the crate for 8 hours every night and never whines! He has learned how to sit, stay, down, place, come, heel, and drop it! She is so knowledgeable about dog behavior and psychology. Our puppy has learned so much from her, and we will most definitely be getting dog training too! I cannot recommend her services enough. If you have a new puppy call her and schedule a consultation ASAP!! Thank you for everything, Nicole!

We are very pleased with the results we experienced with our dog Cooper through Sit Happens RVA. Cooper is a sweet dog but he was a handful and we were not having any success with getting him under any facet of control. We did not know what results to expect from Sit Happens RVA nor were we optimistic that Cooper could be controlled. We have been pleasantly surprised. Cooper came home a new dog. Nicole was an absolute pleasure to work with, she explained the process thoroughly, kept us updated daily on Cooper's progress and then walked us through the commands and steps on maintaining the program once Cooper came home. We were close to giving up on Cooper and Sit Happens RVA was probably Cooper's last chance. We are so happy that Nicole was able to work her magic and highly recommend Sit Happens RVA!! Lin and Bill Lynch Midlothian, VA

Nicole is the best! We got her puppy training package, and it was totally worth it. Our puppy had a ton of problems when she first saw him, and he has already improved so much! He was having multiple accidents a day, and now it has been weeks without an accident! When we first got him, we had to sleep on the floor because he couldn’t sleep in the crate. Now he sleeps in the crate for 8 hours every night and never whines! He has learned how to sit, stay, down, place, come, heel, and drop it! She is so knowledgeable about dog behavior and psychology. Our puppy has learned so much from her, and we will most definitely be getting dog training too! I cannot recommend her services enough. If you have a new puppy call her and schedule a consultation ASAP!! Thank you for everything, Nicole!

Had a great experience working with Nicole. She was patient, flexible and easy to communicate with. We noticed the behavioral changes in Harper after our very first session. We now have the tools and knowledge to continue to train and enjoy our puppy. I would highly recommend Nicole!

Our dog Clara was impossible to walk with other dogs around, we were desperate to get her out and about without issues. Nicole was amazing working with her and after a few sessions, we can finally take Clara on walks without her freaking out when a dog approaches. This has been a lifesaver as we love to take our dogs everywhere we go. We use to think Clara would always be the way she is because she’s 4 already but Nicole proved us wrong. Very happy that we went with this business and would recommend her to anyone needing to have a better handle of their pup.

Nicole was awesome! She worked around our schedule, and was quick to respond to any questions. Most importantly, she was very patient (both with Izzy and us). I highly recommend you hire Nicole to train your pup!!

My fiance and I got a shelter dog, Theo, who would pull and bark on his walks and would be mean to other humans and dogs. Nicole helped us learn the reasoning behind his behavior in order for us to fully understand the process of her training techniques. Now Theo is good at walks and listens to our commands- whether it be sit, stay, or come even when around other dogs or strangers. Nicole also was available by text or call whenever we came across a new question (e.g. how to introduce him to family dogs at Christmas) which showed us that she really cared about Theo's progress. We are now confident that we know how to take command in any situation when we take Theo outside or in public. My fiance, Theo, and I recommend Nicole for training!

Life with our puppy is so enjoyable and much happier after Nicole’s training. We were frustrated and living in chaos but everything Nicole taught us helped us get control of her behavior and maintain our discipline. We were so afraid she would wonder off and get lost and thought we’d have to keep her on a leash forever. Now she stays with us, listens to us and is leash free. We were especially happy that we were able to do this training and get these results while she was so young (8-12 months). Thank you!

Nicole took my sweet but mischievous hound dog for a week-long board and train and returned to me my same sweet, curious, loving baby but now with a lot more self-control and restraint! He is SO well behaved at home and on walks. I can now cook and eat dinner in peace:)

Nicole was great with our Stella! We can now eat dinner without guarding food from the dog. We also enjoy walks and playtime with Stella which was not possible before Nicole’s training program. I would highly recommend her services!

I could not be happier with this service. Nicole went above and beyond to work with my partner and I and our new rescue. She is so responsive and professional. She always clearly explained our dog's behavior, what to expect as we trained him, and would leave us with detailed instructions and tips so that we could keep up in between visits. Our dog loves her and I would recommend her to anyone.

Nicole is excellent! We were at a loss with our dog and now have confidence in her and that we are moving in the right direction. Nicole knows what she is doing and is great at communicating with us. Whenever we have a question, she responds to our email/text within the hour. We couldn't have picked a better trainer! We are so pleased with the progress we have made with our dog and couldn't have done it without Nicole!

Nicole is quite the dog whisperer! My pup took to her immediately and the results have been nothing short of amazing. I think I learned as much as Whylie did!

Nicole is fantastic. Best in RVA.