I was at the park and a few people just from my neighborhood gather there with their dogs and we were talking about obedience.A woman with a 9 months old Aussie was telling me how her pup is going to be competing in a AKC obedience trial later on.She went on to tell me how secure her "basic Obedience" was and asked for a few advise from me.When I asked her if her pup knew the sit command she "said oh yes, he can do it with his eyes closed,and that she can ask him from a didtance,and he will do it.So I said to her "put him in a down" so she did, and then I said"now ask him to sit" so she did ,and her dog looked at her with a confused look.She repeated "sit" and again he just looked at her.I said to her" well that is how well he knows it" I helped her fix that problem and I am meeting her tonight for more practises on it.So I was wondering how many of you that think your dog has the "basic obedience" down, have you tested your dog in this way? Does your dog really know the "sit" and what other test would you use to see if he really knows it? Honestly? Test your dog and see..
I have done it many times with my dogs in the past(when they were young) and during the learning process of their obedience.I thought it was a great way to really see if my dogs knew the "sit" command.

With Arf, it depends on how much time he has been spending around my mother and sister because they will say "sit" and praise him for either sitting or lying down. They are much harder to train than him. So I have to keep up with the rapid fire "sit", "down", sit", "down", "alright, good boy!" You have yet to see him hyped up but he'll get going pretty fast so long as he's not distracted and I've just retrieved some tasties from the fridge! It did take a while to get him to sit from a down, though, and every now and then I still have to take a small step into him.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to come out the last couple of times- I've been having some issues with living situation. Are you guys going to be there Friday?

 Quote: angelique cadogan

So I was wondering how many of you that think your dog has the "basic obedience" down, have you tested your dog in this way? Does your dog really know the "sit" and what other test would you use to see if he really knows it?

Angelique, fun question. I would only recently give Gunnar an "B+" in the sit dept. As recently as last month, he was hesitating before sitting when done from a distance. He'd go into a sit but he looked at me just a fraction too long before putting his butt on the ground. I've been working w/him and he's better but we need to work on the speed before he gets an "A" from me. He will go from a down into a sit with no problem.

As far as what tests have we done...I love doing this one...testing to see if the dog is being perfunctory or if he's really, really listening:

I'll say, "Sit". He goes into a sit w/no problem. As he's sitting there waiting for the next command, I say, "Sit" again. It was amazing in the beginning (several months ago) how he'd go into a down or he'd stand or something. So that's another test. Repeat the command and see if your dog stays in the position it was in or if he/she moves to do something else .

Angelique, So funny! I love testing ob also.... lol!
I always make sure that the only thing consistent about my training is the command and my expectations of the behavior.
I proof it every way I can so the dog knows sit is the sitting position not just from a stand or when I am facing him or when I am looking at him...etc.

Great test Judy! So funny!

So is your dog really trained or just guessing out of pattern?

 Quote: Alison Voore

So is your dog really trained or just guessing out of pattern?

I don't know whether or not this was adressed to me, but if so- I have no idea! I don't know why that never occured to me. I'm such a dork- I've only ever varied the time between the cues and not the cues themselves really. So I'll definately be repeating the cue for the position in which he's already in. What about doing sits, downs, and stands so that the dog never knows which one you'll say next? Arf's stands are not anywhere near as reliable as sits and downs (however reliable they will prove to be) so I guess that could be my new project... Sorry if I rambled a bit...

With my 5 year old, I can get her to switch from down to sit position at about 50 feet...we have a more challenging time when doing Rally-O with a million sits in a course and she gets sick of doing them lol...

Very interesting question!

Ok here's one for you guys. Start the dog in a down, then straddle the dog facing it's head pet the dog and command sit at the same time. a finished dog should push up on you hands and go into position.

That's a good one, Jason. I'll have to try that on my 7 month old.

One thing we've done with my dog is to get him all worked up with a toy, put him in a sit, then take his toy and toss it back and forth over his head a few times. He has to keep his butt planted until released and then he gets to play some more.

My pup will do a solid sit, the sit-down-sit, and is doing really well with sit/stay, and it never fails to astonish me that I taught this smart boy to do it. It is a deeply satisfying feeling.

Teaching sit from standing was easy. Teaching down from standing was easy. Teaching down from sit was easy. Teaching sit from down was a lot of fun for the dog because we pulled out the treats again.

he was taught to sit from a down the same day he learned sit and down for the first time. it was part of his very earliest training. so, we pass. :p