Sit, stay ... home
Trainer gathers 19 dogs, people for outdoor work
Nineteen tail-wagging dogs walked nicely on their leashes along the riverwalk on the North Shore last Sunday. None pulled or lunged at other dogs, and their people all stayed 6 feet apart. During the pandemic, social distancing is always a good idea. But it’s really hard when a large group of dogs come together for an outdoor training class.
The pack included French bulldogs, pit bulls, golden retrievers, doodles and other mixed-breed dogs, a boxer, a Labrador retriever, a Weimaraner, and a cane corso. The dogs were clearly having so much fun that they didn’t seem to realize they were also “working” with Vinnie Somma, owner of Say It Once Dog Training.
“Pepper has never been around so many dogs,” said Kristen Turner of Upper St. Clair.
She and her children, Charlie, 8, and Bennett, 6, watched and marveled as Pepper behaved well and walked with their father, Chris. The family took Pepper to Say It Once because the dog is what trainers call “reactive.”
If you’ve ever walked a dog, you’ve probably run into a reactive dog or two. They lunge at other dogs, barking and sometimes growling and snarling. Some reactive dogs are actually fearful of other dogs. The help of a professional trainer is usually needed.
Pepper and the other dogs at the outdoor class started their training in their homes with one-on-one sessions with Mr. Somma. The two-hour sessions cost $250-$300, and a follow-up session is sometimes needed. The
group classes are $35 and “homework” is assigned to owners and dogs.
After one at-home session with Mr. Somma, Pepper and three other dogs considered reactive were behaving nicely last Sunday.
Mr. Somma, 28, is younger than the other dog trainers I know. I liked everything I saw in that class, including Mr. Somma’s firm but friendly approach to dogs as well as people. He started his New Kensingtonbased training business in 2012; he also has a boarding kennel in Lower Burrell. He has 11 employees.
His own dogs are an English mastiff named Trigger, Xena, a St. Bernard, and a special coonhound. Several years ago, Mr. Somma heard about a dog tied to a stop sign, so he picked him up and named him Thurman. Coonhounds are sweet and loving, but they are generally considered very difficult to train in obedience exercises. Mr. Somma proudly shows a video of Thurman walking and working off leash.
After walking on the river walk Sunday, the dogs and people took a water break. Then the training continued, with dogs and people 6 feet apart as they practiced the commands “sit, “down,” “stay” and “come.”
“Getting them to learn to do something around 19 dogs is priceless,” Mr. Somma said.
There was also a questionand-answer session. An always-popular question for trainers is: “How do I stop my dog from jumping up when people come to the door?”
“Don’t pet them when they jump,” Mr. Somma said. “Get them to sit or [stay] down instead of jumping.”
For dogs that get kind of wild when visitors arrive, “use the leash in the house to regain control,” he said.
Two 1-year-old French bulldogs named Finn and Mac seemed to enjoy the outing. Kevin and Caylen Dooley of Mount Washington got the dogs, who are brothers, last April from a rescue group. During the pandemic, the couple have been working from home and training the dogs. The training is going well, they said.
Outdoor training classes are sometimes held at the South Side Dog Park. For more information, call 412427-7507 or go to www.sayitoncedogtraining.com or the Say It Once Dog Training Facebook page.