Scooter’s School of Sit and Stay

Dog obedience school with unusual name opens in Dansville

DDogs in Danville and surrounding areas can now enroll in school.
Darlene Koza has been tossing around the idea of having her own dog obedience school for years With the elbowing of her fiance, she has recently made the leap from trainer to business woman.
“At first, he’s like, “Oh my goodness, you have three dogs!” Now he’s like, They ‘re really good dogs” He’s become a believer, too. I didn’t want to work weekends the rest of my life He was the one who said I should go for it.
“We brainstormed and he helped me come up with the name.”
After tossing around a few possibilies, Koza ended up with “Scooter’s School of Sit and Stay.” She ran it by several of her friends. just to make sure the name fit.
“My one friend didn’t like it,” Koza admitted. “She was afraid people might accidentally swear. But, When we came up with it, that was the name it had to be – and Scooter is one of my dogs.”

With an unusual, but unforgettable name, Scooter’s School of Sit and Stay is offering dog owners a practical way to train their four-legged friends with out blowing a tank of gas to get to Rochester.
“I have been a dog trainer for quite a few years,” Koza said. “I volunteered at Lollipop Farms and worked as a pet trainer at PetSmart.”
Originally from Rochester, Koza moved to the area about a year ago
“I saw that in Dansville there wasn’t really any dog training,” she explained. “A lot of my students live in and around the surrounding area. I thought it would be better for them so they wouldn’t have to travel as far.”
Bringing good dog training to the area means even more than saving folks gas and travel time. Koza is advocating for dogs and giving their owners a helping hand as well.
Most people who are having obedience problems don’t know how to correct them, she said. Educating people about their dog, its breed, how it communicates, and proper, humane tactics to turn most frustrating pooches into cohesive members of the family is what Koza aims to bring her clients.
“The people that are the disbelievers are the people I like to turn around the most,” she said with confidence. “Those are the people that end up being my biggest supporters.”
First, she asks the owner a lot of questions like: What are they doing to correct a problem? What is the dog’s background? What is the dog’s routine? Is this a puppy or an adult dog?
“It’s usually not the dog,” Koza said. “It’s what the owner’s doing. A lot of people don’t have any idea. You have to know the dog’s needs.”
Once she has gathered information about the animal, she can begin helping. Positive reinforcement is one of Koza’s hallmarks.
“I don’t use any choke collars,” she said. “I use the Gentle Leader instead which is more productive. I don’t use negative things that hurt the animals.”
Training a dog, especially one who has been in an unhealthy or unproductive routine, could take some time. For the majority of folks, putting in the time is what gets results, according to Koza.
“There’s not an overtuight miracle,” she explained. “Patience is very important. “I don’t make guarantees. There are some dogs who have issues like those who have been abused. If the person is willing to put in the time they should have success and results. Housebreakiog problems can be turned around fairly quickly with crate training and supervision.”
Koza hopes to build her client base over the next few years and looks forward to adding another trainer in the future. As the business yrows, she would like to add “Doggy Daycare,” and offer grooming and “have it be a one stop shop kind of a place.” For those who have multiple dogs, Koza is offering to make house calls.
“I love dogs,” Koza said as apparent by the affection she gives Scooter. “Actually, I love all animals. It’s rewarding to see a dog turn around especially when people are considering putting them in a shelter.”
For more information on Scooter’s School of Sit and Stay check out www.sitandştay.org or call 755-7647.