Located in Rudy, Arkansas
Serving Fort Smith, Van Buren, and surrounding areas
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Located in Rudy, Arkansas
Serving Fort Smith, Van Buren, and surrounding areas

Leash Walking 105: Sit in Position

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Leash Walking: Sit in Position

PREREQUISITE: 

  • Your dog should be comfortable yielding to pressure on the lead.
  • Your dog should be comfortable following you when you move.

 

TOOLS:

  • Treats
  • Treat pouch or pocket
  • Clicker

 

TRAINING ENVIRONMENT: Start in the least distracting (most boring) place in your home.

 

RECOMMENDED TREAT POSITION: In position. Treat your dog at his eye level even with the seam on your left pant leg. If he’s not exactly there, hold the treat there for him to come get it.  If he looks confused, try placing the treat on the floor to the left of your left shoe.

 

STEPS:

  • Ask your dog for a few sits.
  • Click and treat for success.
  • Turn 90 degrees to the right and lure your dog into a sit at your left side.
  • Click and treat in position for success.
  • Turn 90 degrees to the right and lure your dog into a sit at your left.
  • Click and treat him in position.
  • After three or four repetitions, stop using the treat to lure and just use the motion of your hand.
  • Click and treat success.
  • Turn 90 degrees and lure (empty handed) again.
  • Repeat this five to ten times and stop luring. Just turn and wait.
  • Click and treat when your dog comes into heel position and sits.

HOMEWORK:

  • PUPPIES: Work on this for five minutes, once or twice a day.
  • DOGS: Work on this for ten minutes, three times each day.

 

AT THE END OF THIS STEP:
Your dog will start following you on your left when you turn to your right. He will sit each time.

 

TROUBLESHOOTING:

My dog won’t sit next to me.

  • Try a less distracting environment. 
  • 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.
  • Try working on just the sit in position  without turns.

 

My dog comes up around me before he sits.

  • Don’t treat him when he isn’t in position.
  • Make sure your treats are in position when he gets there. Hold them (out of sight) in your left hand if you are struggling to treat fast enough.
  • When you step, step toward a wall or other barrier so your dog can’t get in front of you.
  • As a last resort try luring a little by holding the treat in front of his nose and bringing him into position for the sit.  Click here for instructions on luring your dog into heel position.