working on OB with my small dog, or rather, competition style ob, and im getting frustrated.

the main problem is that he sits/downs out of place. he has automatic sit, but its always swung out to the side. i have tried fruitlessly to teach him the heel position, when we're moving hes got it, when we stop, he swings his rear out to sit facing me.

i have been correcting him when i see his butt start to move out, he will still finish his outward swing, with a very clear attitude that says "i AM sitting, jeez". i have swung his butt back around and marked that countless times, its not clicking that he needs to go there FIRST instead of sitting how he wants to and have me move him over. hes close to me, very attentive, watching me alert, and like i said, we've been working on the actual movement, and he's doing that very nicely, the wrap=around and everything, but every time we stop and he sits, its out to the side.

he hasn't offered the correct position even once for me to mark and throw a party, every single solitary sit has been out to the side.

i know its something i am doing, it has to be. normally, i could figure this out, but im blanking on this one. help.

ahh....duh.

im going to give working against a wall of fence a try.

Maybe you can try to work him next a fence or wall so he has no choice but to sit straight?

haha, beat ya to it.

any other suggestions, incase that doesn't work(i don't see why it shouldn't)

I use the wall as well, but I find that when you are in heel, sometimes guidance is necessary so I use a stick like a riding crop or the end of the Chuck-It to tap the dog in the rear. Nonetheless, some foundation work is necessary for this (teaching the dog to be body conscious).

Another method that works is to teach the heel with the dog between your legs. Your legs helps position the dog (since s/he will always be between them) given that where the dog's head points the rear end does the opposite. This may the problem you are having now - the dog is looking at your face and it forces his/her backend to align with his head.

Once you have perfected having the dog watch you between your legs and walk along that way as well, you can proceed to having the dog heel next to you. I found this method helped a great deal to prevent the dog from wrapping around your left leg. The dog will look more at your ear than your eyes, which will also give you that nice bouncy trot. Also, if you want to teach the dog to heel backwards, this method sets up the foundation very nicely.