May 20, 2011
My pup sits funny and I'm not sure how to make him sit the way I want him to. Do you have any suggestions?
Full Question:
Hi, my name is Jose and am very active in all the training products and information on the forum.I have a problem that I cannot seem to get the answer for. I have a four month GS and have been introducing the sit. My problem is that my puppy seems to sit away from me. I try not to reach out to feed him and have tried putting his rear up against a wall as well, but he begins to role his hip when up against the wall. I have also tried a short leash in an upward position to try to get him to sit closer. I have also tried to position him with food by raising it above his head.
The problem is that he begins to move back just before sitting. I do not want to correct at such a young age by pulling the leash closer. I have trained other dogs and have never seen this before.
The pup is great socially, he loves to come into my arms for hugs so he is not afraid to come close, only when sitting.
I have no idea what to do, I have been reading a lot about the sit and have tried a variety of methods. I own some of the training videos and books. My main concern is that I do not want to leave a bad imprint in his sitting technique. His sitting training is very new to him, 6 day's. I want to fix this problem before it gets's worse.
Cindy's Answer:
There are 2 ways that dogs naturally sit. Some rock back into it (like your puppy) and some tuck their hindquarters under. It seems like your puppy thinks ‘sit’ means to rock back. He’s obviously been rewarded for sitting in this manner so the only solution I can see is to retrain the actual act of sitting and using a new word. You will have to ignore and not reward the style of sitting you do not like and get ready to mark and reward the correct behavior.
I would use Training With Markers. We use markers to introduce our dogs to the LEARNING PHASE of training.
Try using a really tasty treat, something he Never gets and goes wild for. I would use it as a lure and get him to tuck his hindquarters under. You might also try putting him on a box or upside down laundry basket so he is less likely to move backwards.
I would probably use a clicker for this to mark the EXACT instant he moves into the position. Just be patient and be ready to catch him being right, I wouldn’t even use a leash for this right now, just use the food to help him.
I would use Training With Markers. We use markers to introduce our dogs to the LEARNING PHASE of training.
Try using a really tasty treat, something he Never gets and goes wild for. I would use it as a lure and get him to tuck his hindquarters under. You might also try putting him on a box or upside down laundry basket so he is less likely to move backwards.
I would probably use a clicker for this to mark the EXACT instant he moves into the position. Just be patient and be ready to catch him being right, I wouldn’t even use a leash for this right now, just use the food to help him.
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