Meet your team
Dog training isn’t just about ‘fixing’ a problem—it’s about building a true partnership between you and your dog. At Sit Happens, we help you step into the role of confident team leader so you can enjoy the real world together. Let’s work side by side to make that happen.
Sit Happens is a small Husband & Wife ran business who's helpers are our furry 4 legged family members.
We’re here for people who simply want to enjoy life with their dogs. We’re here for those who have struggled to create the relationship they dreamed of.
We’re not about creating “robot dogs.” We don’t rely solely on obedience or constant engagement. Instead, we teach dogs how to just be—how to relax, how to feel safe, and how to enjoy being dogs (yes, that means keeping all the cheekiness too!).
We also teach humans how to step into their role as leaders, so their dogs no longer carry the stress of leading the way.
At the heart of everything we do: calm, happy dogs—and happy humans too.
Before you learn about us, let's dive into Matt's Training Style
At Sit Happens, we believe that life is all about balance—there’s a "yes" and a "no" in both the human world and the dog world.
When it comes to training, we take a balanced approach that reflects this philosophy. You’ll hear countless debates over different training methods, but we like to keep things simple. We don’t rely solely on treats, nor do we believe in soley using punishment. Instead, we focus on finding the right balance that works for both you and your dog.
We work with a variety of tools and equipment, teaching you how to use each one correctly and responsibly, as we do not have a one size fits all approach we tailor make our equipment and teaching to you and your dogs needs. Whether it’s positive reinforcement or telling our dogs no, our goal is to guide you in building a trusting, respectful relationship with your dog where you can handle every day life together. Training is about understanding the full picture—your dog’s behavior, your own approach, and how the two of you can work together harmoniously.
At Sit Happens, we see you and your dog as a team, and our balanced training approach is designed to strengthen that connection in a way that feels safe, supportive, and fun!
Sit Happens, it's team and it's community is a safe space and we are highly protective of every single one of our humans and dogs.
If you wish to learn more about our training style and us as trainers we recommend heading over to Sit Happens Dog Training's Social Media where you can get a feel for us and our approach. You can use the social media icons below or if you wish to discuss our training further and how we can help you and your furry family member please do contact us.
Whip and I started our 6 day (2 hours per day) ecollar training journey with Matt a couple of weeks ago and ‘WOW’ what a journey it’s been!!
I was finding walking my reactive dog so challenging before Matt’s visits and I was so anxious it just wasn’t a pleasure. Whip’s prey drive is really high and he will chase/react to squirrels, birds etc too. We rescued Whip at 4 months old and initially he wasn’t reactive, it just developed and I spent lots of money and time with other trainers and used different techniques but these were unsuccessful. There was no real change until I met Matt. Prior to the ecollar training Matt has helped me with heel work, time off and reactivity and we revisited this during the ecollar training. I can’t praise Matt enough for his patience, consistency and professional approach. The pace of the program is gentle and slow but so effective and positive especially for the dog. On the first day he spent time explaining how to use the ecollar humanely and effectively to communicate clearly and consistently with Whip. Matt is so in tune with both the dog and owner. He adjusted the pace and broke down the steps perfectly each session so I could succeed and Whip maintained his interest and drive to learn. He kept me on my toes each day reminding me of my bad habits creeping in and exchanging them for the techniques that actually worked . I can honestly say that I’m loving continuing the training and can hear Matt’s voice in my head as I walk and train Whip in my local area. My confidence has gone through the roof and best of all I now have a lovely relationship with Whip. His behaviour both inside the house and on our walks/training sessions is so much better. I know we’ve got a long way to go and many more hours of training but I’m looking forward to it as Matt left us with a clear step by step approach to follow and Whip will finally have the freedom of being off lead that he deserves. If you’re looking for a skilled, compassionate and committed trainer who truly understands both dogs and people, look no further. This experience has truly changed our lives for the better.
Adele & Whip
Pontefract
Meet your Humans
You've met your human trainers, now meet our dogs who you will work with!
Neil is Matt’s right-hand man.
Neil is our working-line, high-drive German Shepherd—and one of the most empathetic dogs we’ve ever met. He truly feels what other dogs feel, and all he wants to do is help. Neil is the dog who will help both you and your dog grow in confidence.
He’s also very special to Matt. Neil was the first puppy Matt ever raised—before that, he had always rescued. When Matt lost his “ride-or-die,” Ricky, he knew he had a big decision to make. He chose to hand-select a puppy and raise him from day one to help others. Neil was carefully brought up for this purpose, and he really is one of a kind.
We also made sure his personality stayed intact as he grew. Neil is cheeky, excitable, and loves to work just as much as he loves cuddles. He’s mischievous, full of love, and always himself.
When working with your dog, Neil knows when to give a gentle push and when to step back. He’ll even help teach manners—because Neil does not tolerate rudeness from other dogs! As a perfectly balanced dog, he sets the best example, making sure your dog learns how to be calm, respectful, and neutral.
Sully, our big beautiful Great Dane (also known as Beans), came to us just before his first birthday. His previous owners, who were clients of Matt’s, loved him dearly and only wanted the best for him—but Sully’s temperament required a more specialist approach. What he really needed was Matt as his dad.
When we first adopted him, Sully struggled with some serious challenges. He would resource guard, he had fear aggression, and he could be a bully with other dogs—sometimes even biting. Fast forward to now, and he has transformed into the sweetest, happiest, most gentle dog you could imagine.
We never set out for Sully to become a working dog, but he absolutely loves it. He has flourished in this role, and nothing makes him happier than helping other dogs thrive. His favorites are the little ones, though he’s always glad to help the big dogs too.
Sully is the calm, steady presence who builds other dogs up. Unlike Neil, he’s not the one to teach manners—so that’s where Matt steps in to back him up, otherwise Sully would probably let dogs push him around!
He’s living proof that there’s hope for every dog, no matter their past.
Dotty, our sassy little princess, is a Chinese Crested Powderpuff (yes, you read that right!). She’s tiny, clever, and absolutely has her big brothers wrapped around her little paws.
Dotty struggles with what we call proactive nervous aggression—which means that if something startles her, she reacts out of pure fear. She’s extremely intelligent but also nervous and a bit scatty, so we’ve had to work hard with her to manage those big emotions when she feels scared.
She was first rescued by Emily and lived a wonderful life with her, but Emily couldn’t quite help her overcome her reactivity. That’s when Matt stepped in. Fast forward to today, and Dotty has blossomed into one of our incredible stooge dogs. She’s gone from reactive to confident—and still delightfully sassy—while helping other dogs on their own journeys.
Because some dogs react differently depending on the size of the dog they meet, having Dotty alongside her big brothers means we’ve got every size covered! Her temperament and lively energy also make her an amazing “real-world” helper, preparing dogs (and their humans) for the kinds of unpredictable characters they’re likely to meet out and about.
Rupert, our golden oldie!
Rupert is the oldest of our pack and is now in retirement! Rupert will only come out to work if he wants to and if your dog would really benefit, when you reach a certain age you have earn the right to decide if you want to work or not haha!
Rupert is a Chinese Crested like Dotty, however Rupert is that rare dream dog. The dog who is completely dog neutral, perfect recal and walks like a dream - zero training needed! He is truly one of a kind and Em's soul mate!
