How to get your dog to sit...

[BabyElephant]

from the down position. So, we've never done this before, we always do a sit > down (never straight to down at the moment) and from a down > heel work but tonight they wanted us to go from a down > sit.

So, I give the normal sit command and I get "what, you want me to sit now I'm all comfy down here, no way" look, we try lifting the lead above her head and gently pulling on the collar, nope, and then we do the feet in between her legs walking back to her chest to "force" her to sit up. That works fine, but does anybody else have any other ideas?

[weimlover0816]

Oh, this is a fun one!! We taught Roslynd and we do it over and over down, sit, down, sit , down, sit... she gets sooo grumpy she'll fuss and it really sounds like she's saying "I don't want to!!" Too funny!!

Anyway, this is how we did it:
Sit, then down. Praise. Then, with a treat in hand, bring hand close to puppy's face and say sit, while slowly lifting hand up. Puppy will follow the hand, hopefully into a sit, but perhaps into a stand. If into a stand, tell "Sit" and immediately give praise and treat. Repeat repeat repeat.

Like when you were first training "down" you most likely had the treat and lowered your hand to the ground so your pup would "follow" it down. It's the same thing only backwards!!!

Good luck!!!!!!!

[Moo]

This is something I wish Kirby didn't know how to do....

I'll be eating...... Kirby in a down stay.... And then he looks over and basically says "What, no way, I need a better look at that.... Can I have some?", and he pops right up into a sit.

[ROO]

I would suggest the way Weimlover said. Thats the way we taught our dogs w/ a lot of repitition. Good Luck.

[GretaJack]

I find that from a down it is really easy to take to toe of your shoe to the chest and help raise them up. For me, I can't get the treat raising to work. Jack would always pop up to a stand. So from a down, I slip my foot just under the chest and help raise with the foot and leash. I don't know if that makes any sense or not. You will probably have better luck with Weim's method. I have strange dogs.

[SouthPaw]

Tucker is doing sit-down-sit in class now. He is easy on this, the little devil, BUT am having trouble with stay. He has doing a 10 second stay consistantly but now will not do a 3 second stay and I'm supposed to be at 20 seconds tomorrow night. He wants to bounce, like a pogo stick. It's driving me nuts. Any ideas from all you experinced trainers? Tucker is a chihuahua, 3 pounds, for those of you new to the forum. So it's Stay for 3 seconds then bounce, bounce, bounce.....

[Moo]

SouthPaw - Try to praise/treat at the absolute maximum time, every time... (3 secs). Once he moves, he's ruined the stay, so there's nothing to praise, so you need to be sure to catch that.

If you stay close by versus creating some distance, does it make a difference?

[GretaJack]

Back to the basics. Right back in front of him and enforce the stay command. Be there, less than one step away from him to give the correction. Firm hand on the rear and a quick pop up to enforce the sit and another stay command. You obviously can anticipate his movement so be there one step ahead to prevent it. You are too late to enforce if he is already bouncing around.

In my obedience class, the biggest mistake made is getting to far ahead of your dog, space-wise and learning-wise. You think your dog is learning and is ready for a sit-stay with you 10 feet away, but really, they are only ready for a sit-stay with you 1-2 feet way. If your dog disobeys a command and you are too far away to correct, you are moving backward in training instead of forward.

[BabyElephant]

Thanks for the info, I've never tried the treat for this one and the "toe" bit that you said Greta is what they taught me this week in class. I guess pratice makes perfect - I'll keep trying at home...

[SouthPaw]

Thank you Moo and GretaJack. I knew to ask the wizards here. I don't get far from him. He is just learning, this is his first class. One problem is that if I'm standing (and his trainer wants us), I'm way over this 3 pound pup. He is very quick to bounce and sometimes now he just gets too excited when he knows treats are coming. We play a game, the "name game" starting 'come' . Tucker will anticipate and run on to the other person before the command. In class he wants to take everyones turns. Of course I don't allow him.