Introducing Sit
TOOLS:
- Clicker
- Treats
- Treat pouch
- Mat
TRAINING ENVIRONMENT: Start in the least distracting (most boring) place in your home.
RECOMMENDED TREAT POSITION: On mat.
STEPS:
PLEASE DO NOT USE THE CUE (SIT) YET. We want to be sure your dog is doing the behavior immediately and consistently before we add the cue.
- Place your mat a few feet from where you are working.
- Stand in one place with your treats where your dog cannot see them and your clicker ready. Keep your hands in a neutral position and your treat should remain in your treat pouch.
- Do NOT ask your dog for anything. Wait for your dog to offer the behavior on his own.
- If you’ve been working on “Watch” your dog is looking up at you. He will become tired and sit down.
- When your dog’s bottom hits the floor, click, and toss a treat onto his mat.
- Repeat steps 1 through 4, increasing the amount of time between your dog sitting and the click.
- You will notice that your dog begins to offer the behavior each time he finishes his treat.
- Practice in each room in your home. If he’s really nailing it, try the front porch or back yard.
HOMEWORK:
- PUPPIES: Do five repetitions and take a break. Do this two or three times each day.
- DOGS: Do at least ten repetitions, three times each day.
- A repetition is one sit. This is true for every sit exercise going forward.
AT THE END OF THIS STEP:
Your dog should be offering to sit during training sessions out without you asking for anything.
Your dog will not stay very long, but he should sit down for a few seconds. We will extend this time as we train.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
My dog won’t sit. He just stands there.
- Try a less distracting environment.
- Take him for a walk or play an active game to get out any pent-up energy, then try again.
- Consider what you are using to reward him. When first acquiring a behavior, your dog will only work for you if you pay him with something he likes.
- If you had significant trouble in class, your trainer showed you how to lure the sit. Don’t do this unless you absolutely have to.
I ask my dog to sit and he won’t do it.
- You’ve probably named the behavior before your dog understood what you were looking for.
- Stop asking for the behavior and click and treat when he does it on his own.