Our Story
Sit Stay Sober was born out of both struggle and hope. After years of battling addiction and finding our way through sobriety, we learned that recovery is not a straight path. It is built through small steps, resilience, structure, and community.
Along the way, we discovered the powerful role dogs can play in that journey. They teach patience, provide companionship, create healthy routines, and remind us to stay present. Even on difficult days, a dog still needs to be walked, fed, cared for, and loved.
Through building Puppy Einstein, we saw firsthand how structure, consistency, and compassion can transform a dog’s behavior while also improving the owner’s life. We realized those same principles could help people working to rebuild their own lives in recovery.
That realization became Sit Stay Sober—a community built around recovery, personal growth, and the healing connection between people and dogs.
At Sit Stay Sober, we help people in recovery strengthen the relationship they share with their dogs while rebuilding structure, confidence, and purpose in their own lives.
Recovery can be difficult enough without struggling with leash reactivity, household behavior, inconsistent routines, or the stress of feeling overwhelmed by your dog. Through practical dog-training guidance, mentorship, education, and community, we help people create healthier habits for themselves and more stable lives for their dogs.
Dogs cannot do the work of recovery for us, but they can give us companionship, responsibility, movement, routine, and a reason to keep showing up.
Sit Stay Sober brings those pieces together so people and dogs can move forward—together.
We are a mission-driven business committed to:
- Helping people in recovery build structure, confidence, and healthier routines through life with their dogs.
- Providing practical dog-training and behavior guidance that reduces stress and strengthens the human-dog relationship.
- Offering mentorship, encouragement, and community to people working toward long-term recovery.
- Creating opportunities for people and dogs to grow, learn, and move forward together.
Sit Stay Sober is about second chances—for people rebuilding their lives and the dogs walking beside them.
Join Our Pack
Sit Stay Sober is more than a brand—it’s a community. Whether you’re here because you’re seeking help, offering support, or simply believe in the healing power of dogs and people working together, you’re part of our mission.
Together, we can prove that with patience and persistence, a better life is always within reach.
Why Support Sit Stay Sober
When you give to Sit Stay Sober, you are helping people in recovery build healthier, more stable lives alongside the dogs who depend on them.
Your donation helps us:
- Provide dog-training and behavior support for people in recovery who may not otherwise be able to afford professional guidance.
- Help owners create better routines, reduce stress, and strengthen the relationship they share with their dogs.
- Support recovery-focused mentorship, education, and community programs built around structure, responsibility, and connection.
- Keep dogs in loving homes by helping people work through behavioral challenges during difficult periods of recovery.
Your support gives people practical tools, encouragement, and another reason to keep showing up—for themselves and for their dogs.
Growing up, we did not always have access to professional dog training. Our dogs struggled, and so did our family. I remember wishing there were somewhere we could turn for practical guidance, understanding, and support.
Sit Stay Sober exists to provide that kind of help specifically for people in recovery and the dogs who depend on them. By combining dog-training support, mentorship, structure, and community, we help people reduce stress at home, strengthen their relationship with their dogs, and build healthier routines together.
Every contribution—large or small—helps create second chances for people rebuilding their lives and the dogs walking beside them.
Donate or schedule a consultation today and help people and dogs move forward together
Meet The Founder
Hi, I’m Derek Calado — the founder of Sit Stay Sober.
My professional journey began in the dog world more than 12 years ago. I started as a grooming assistant before becoming a dog walker, trainer, and eventually a dog daycare manager. In 2014, I founded Puppy Einstein, a dog training and behavior consulting business dedicated to helping dogs and their families build stronger relationships through education, communication, and positive reinforcement training. Today, I am a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and Certified Canine Behavior Consultant (CBCC-KA).
But my story isn't just about dogs—it's also about recovery.
I’ve been free from opiates for over 13 years and alcohol-free for more than 4 years. Recovery gave me a second chance at life, and dogs played a meaningful role in that journey. They provided purpose, responsibility, and connection during some of the most important years of my life.
Over time, I began to recognize the similarities between helping dogs overcome behavioral challenges and helping people overcome addiction. Both journeys require structure, consistency, awareness of triggers, healthy habits, and a willingness to grow through discomfort. Lasting change rarely happens overnight, but with support, patience, and accountability, it is possible.
Those parallels inspired the creation of Sit Stay Sober.
My mission is to help individuals in recovery build lives they are proud of by developing structure, purpose, accountability, and healthy routines. Through sharing my experiences, lessons learned, and passion for helping others, I hope to provide encouragement and practical tools for anyone working toward a better future.
Recovery gave me a second chance. Sit Stay Sober is my way of paying that forward.
It is an honor to serve my community and help both people and dogs find their way back on track.
