Teaching Your Dog To Sit and Stay

Teaching  Your Dog To Sit and Stay

Im letting you guys in on a little secret.   A training guide I normally reserve for clients.     But since its National Train Your Dog Month -- Im sharing it with you.  



Command:   Sit!
Have him on leash so that he cant run away from you under distractions.
Hand Signal:  Cup your hand with back of hand facing the dog, approximately waist height  (Movement to this position should be crisp and with purpose!)
Verbal Non-Reward Marker:    "No" or "Aaaaak"-type sound and repeat "Sit"  (tone does not need to be loud or intimidating).  Always correct if he does not perform the command when you issue it, or if he breaks the command before you issue a new command or a release.   Hold him accountable. 
Praise:   always praise your dog for doing the right skill!  
Leash: Use your leash, even in the house and certainly as you progress to public distractions.

Initial Teaching (for a dog that does not already know the command)     

Option 1: 

•  Hold a Treat in front of your dogs nose in your cupped hand, raise treat up and back between dogs ears, slightly above his head.  Say "SIT!"    He should rock his bottom back into a sit position.  As soon as his bottom hit the ground, give the treat and say Okay!!!    
• Okay is his cue that its okay to end the command.   Over the next several days make him wait a few seconds (building to minutes) before you treat and release.   Always praise for a job well done!   

Option 2:  for the slightly more  challenging learner.

• In additional to the steps in Option 1 -- Apply a gentle pressure with 2 fingers of your left hand @ base of tail.   The right hand is applying a very light tension on leash to lift up.   (This assumes you are facing forward with dog attempting to Sit! on your left)   
• NEVER apply direct pressure to the spine or back.
• Use this only to get him started moving in the posture.   And in a day or two eliminate this touch altogether.  

Acknowledge:   After he sits, verbally say Good Sit! Good Boy, Thats It -- something that tells him hes done it right!   
Then ONLY when you are ready Release with Okay! to praise and reward. 



What might go wrong:

• If hes popping out of the sit to early, work on your timing.     Attempt to release him before he breaks so that you are creating success.  But still attempt to lengthen the stay over the next week or so.   
• If hes popping up as you reach down with the treat -- get low!   Sit on the floor to start and work your way to taller positions.   If as you bend he stands up -- you return to a stand tall position and give the verbal non-reward marker.    Be uber sure not to treat him if hes not in the sit position.
• As you progress -- do not hold the treat in your hand, but rather an easily accessible treat pouch.  So that he learns to work without the treat present
• And then start to randomize when the treat reward shows up -- but never miss the praise when you release.
  

Creating a good Sit/Stay:  Once your dog is sitting reliably on the first command, begin to use a little foot work to move away from the dog.   Start with 1/2 steps (only 1 foot moves) or single steps to start and then release.   Create success!  Build up to getting to the full extension of your leash, making the full circle around your dog, and on increasing the duration he must hold this command.   

We do not give a STAY command typically.   It is implied in the command itself.   And often less confusing to the dog.  Remember the less words we use the better!  If hes sitting, he should just sit until released.  

Class Goal #1:  Your goal for class is holding an uninterrupted sit/stay 5 minutes (while other dogs are moving nearby)

Class Goal #2:  master the auto sit.   From a heeling position, when you stop walking your dog should sit automatically without cue from you!

Using in every day life:
As soon as your dog knows Sit with the built in Stay, begin to have your dog wait

• patiently for his meals or treats
• to put on his leash
• for doors to open and be invited through them (house and car), practice commands when the doorbell rings, when you go for a walk
• at Pet Retailers or the Vets office
  
• on street corners during a walk
• when greeting friends, etc. 
  
• to exit his crate
• when you need him to focus on you for any reason.  It becomes such a fundamental skill it can give him familiar skills to draw on when hes anxious or stressed.
  

Why Auto sit Can Be Helpful

• Greeting a neighbor or stranger on the street and stop to chat for a moment. 
• You stop at the mailbox or answer a phone call
• Youre pushing a baby stroller and walking your dog and need to stop to attend the baby
• What if you fall down and injure yourself and arent able to hold the leash?

Make this your most useful go-to command.

 More on Sit -- Its Not a Trick

Heres Your Dog Training Challenge for the Month of January 2014  --

Practice Training Sit/Stay 

Win A Leather Slip Lead

Upload a video of you and your dog to our Facebook page walking nicely, coming to a complete stop with him sitting at your side without a verbal cue or hand signal.   The stopping alone should be enough to get him to sit.
Then you walk away from him at least 6 feet away (typical leash distance) and circle behind him (no eye contact). Hold it for 1.5 minutes and then release and praise!     Entry must be posted by 6pm ET January 31, 2014.
We will randomly select a winner from the qualified video entries!

Here is your first set of instructions to teach Sit!
With this and the tips we give all month long youre doing to master this and more!

This Leash Can Be Yours!   Enter the Video Contest!

 

Dana Brigman

The K9 Coach

Dog Training - Matthews, NC

980-339-8064

www.thek9-coach.com

info@thek9-coach.com

Follow us On

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Sit! Its Not a Trick

How to Teach Your Dog to Sit And Stay

  Challenge and Training Instruction Below!  Read More

How enjoyable is it for you to take Fido out in public especially if you need to stop for any period of time.  Wouldnt it be much nicer if he just held a nice sit/stay while you chatted with a friend, waited at the vet, or  or shopped for his treats at the doggie store  

Tricks are fun and entertaining-- right?  Well, of course they are -- but not when it matters most.  When an owner expects the dog to comply and he doesnt -- everyone is frustrated.  Letting your dog get away with doing tricks on their terms can lead to other problems or just leaving Fido at home or in his crate because its not fun to take him anywhere.  

It is a common complaint!  My dog wont listen.   He knows how to sit but he wont do it!  Or they say hell do it for a treat but he wont stay. 

Sit is not a trick.   Its a command.    I know -- commands sound so strict!  Its really not -- if taught properly and rewarded well -- your dog will learn what do to do on their own, demonstrate it right the first time when asked, and actually find it a relaxing position and enjoy being out with you!   Youll also enjoy your dog a lot more.   In fact, dogs are so pattern oriented, if done properly and consistently, your dog will start doing the command without being told in certain situations.

It requires you, the owner,  is also become consistent expectation and accountability, and in your delivery/timing of praise and reward. 

I teach Sit and Down with a built in stay so that the dog stays in position until they are either given a new command or released from being under a command.

We teach the dog when walking nicely on a leash, or in a more formal heel that when the owner/handler stops walking, the do should stop automatically and sit.

There are many useful reasons for the auto-sit!   

• Greeting a neighbor or stranger on the street and stop to chat for a moment. 
• You stop at the mailbox or answer a phone call
• Youre pushing a baby stroller and walking your dog and need to stop to attend the baby
• What if you fall down and injure yourself and arent able to hold the leash?

All these are great scenarios in which having your dog sit and wait politely for your next command can make your outing much more enjoyable and less worrisome because your dog is not making you crazy trying to head off in a different direction or wrapping the leash around you.



I encourage you to think about how you train your own dog!   What you teach, how consistent you are and what your goals really are for the dog?    It generally only takes a few minutes a day to achieve great results  and can be worked into every day life!  

_____________________________________________________________________

Dana Brigman
The K9 Coach
Dog Training - Matthews, NC
980-339-8064
www.thek9-coach.com
info@thek9-coach.com

Follow us On

Facebook,  Youtube, Twitter, Pinterest , Instagram  & Google+

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Our mission is a renewed life for dogs as members of a forever family.

We create dog training solutions for the dog and owner to partner together in dog training solutions. 

We create dog training solutions for rescue groups and shelters to rehabilitate dogs to be placed in forever homes.

Tens of thousands of dogs a day die in shelters; abandoned by their owners due to
aggression or behavioral problems that training may have prevented.

Begin training with a consult with a professional trainer to be sure youre solving the right problem. Misdiagnosis can make the matters worse. Be sure that there are no medical issues at play and that your dog is not in pain, as pain can be a contributor to a new display of aggression. If you have any fear or uncertainty -- do not attempt the techniques without professional supervision.

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Puppy Training Basics Sit Down

Along with potty/house training, "sit" and "down" are two really great things to start teaching your puppy. Im going to describe in as much detail as I can the methods that worked for me, using a clicker.

Sit

This is probably the easiest of the two.

• * Hold your clicker in one hand, (and behind your back/in your pocket if it distracts your puppy) and hold a very valuable treat inside your other hand, such as a tiny piece of hot dog, or chicken. (ball it in your fist if your puppy is crafty and good at snatching it).
• * Show your hand holding the treat to your puppy, and slowly move it back over his head, and slightly up. His nose should follow, as hes looking for the treat, and this movement should naturally entice him into sitting.
• * Once his butt hits the floor, click and treat.
• * Repeat the above steps. You should notice that each time, hell start sitting faster, until he figures out that sitting is what gets him the reward, and then hell do it right away. At this point, you connect a word with the action of sitting.
• * Next time you lure him into the sit, as hes in the action of sitting (not before, and not after), say "sit" (or whatever you feel like calling it), then click and treat.
• * Repeat! After lots of repetition of this in many 5-minute training sessions, youll have an awesome sitting puppy!

Down

Down can be a little more difficult, because the act of lying down puts a dog in a vulnerable position. Some dogs can be nervous or scared of this, so keep that in mind while training. If they dont start downing right away, its not out of stubbornness, but more likely out of nervousness.

• * Its easiest to start off by putting your puppy in a sit.
• * With your clicker in one hand and the treat balled in the other, show your puppy your treat hand, and slowly move that hand down and between his front legs. His nose should follow while he tries to get the treat. He may not lie down right away.
• * Try moving your treat hand slowly forward from between his front paws by a few inches. This may lure him into a down, but some puppies still arent convinced.
• * Hold the treat, balled in your fist, down on the ground, either a few inches in front of your puppys front paws, or just between them, and wait.
• * If he gets up from his sit, put him back in the sit and simply repeat the above steps.
• * Most puppies will naturally lie down and start trying to work out a way to get that treat out of your hand, which is what you want. This may take several seconds, or a few minutes. Its important to be patient. If he gets distracted just lure him back and start over. As soon as he goes into lying down to work on getting the treat out of your hand, click and treat. Repeat!
• * As you did above with sit, once he knows what you want, connect a word to this action, by saying something like "down" or "lay down" as he is in the process of lying down (not before or after, as above). And repeat!

These methods are easy, humane and help your dog learn to work out problems, so I hope they will work for you as well as they did for me! =)