The ability to place the dog into a sit position is a most valuable asset to any training program. Placing the dog in a sit prior to feeding him teaches him restraint, respect for you (as the food provider), and allows the dog to be in a calm state.
At first the dog will be stopped and given the command sit. You can hold the neck chain up with your right hand and curl the buttocks down and forward with your left. If the dog moves, simply and without giving the command, replace him in position with your hands. Ask for little at first and gradually over time increase the amount of time to a minute and then two, etc. You will stand quietly with a relaxed lead and move only to reposition if the dog breaks the sit. Do not become frustrated or angry or vocal if the dog gets up. Simply reposition him quietly.
Running around in the backyard does not really meet the exercise needs of your dog. She must be out in the world, seeing new things and smells; new people and other dogs. A good sit on command is useful at a street crossing, when some loud truck passes by, or when skateboarders rattle through a parking lot.
The sit is a tool with which you may increase the subservience of your dog. In a wolf pack, animals learn to wait to go on the hunt, wait until their turn at a kill and wait until water is found. In a wild setting life is often about waiting. Teaching your dog the patience to wait by sitting will allow you to move through uncharted territory with the safety afforded by periods of waiting before proceeding.
If your dog acts aggressively as you pass a fenced-in dog on your walk, quietly sit the dog and then just stand there. After a time your dog (and the dog behind the fence) will realize that nothing much is happening and you may continue along the street.
If your dog has shown you that he has a focus problem (to focus on you), put him into a sit and with a good food reward ask him to look at you when you say, cookie. You can increase the time of the eye contact by withholding the cookie (a piece of cooked chicken, raw wiener, or whatever her favourite treat is) for a longer time each session. Any time you need focus, the sit is a good way to shut the dog down and give you both a chance to go into neutral before continuing on.
Dogs that are able to do this will seem so much more mature and seasoned than those who are continually moving. They can be taken places where good manners are required. They can be allowed in the house with more confidence in their ability to participate in a civilized tĂŞte-Ĺ•-tĂŞte rather than a session of marauding. The sit is a basic requirement of a well-mannered dog. Someone taught you not to throw your fork over your shoulder when you finished a meal in a restaurant. Your dog needs manners too.
Someone did tell you that, right?
Ravinn O. West is kennelmaster and trainer at Ravendale Kennel and Training Centre at Cochrane, Alberta. Her latest book, The Tao of Dogs is available from www.ravinnwest.com You may send questions or comments to her via [email protected]
