A few days ago we worked with this cute, adorable, and very intelligent 7-month old Bulldog, Sheldon. Sheldons curriculum will be based on AKCs S.T.A.R. Puppy to create a positive and reliable training experience with Sheldons family. On todays lesson, Sheldon learned "sit" and "down".
How to teach a dog to sit.
Yes, all dogs know how to "sit," but do they know how to do it when commanded or asked? To get Sheldon to "sit" we shaped, rewarded, and conditioned the wanted behavior; in this case, butt on the ground with front shoulders at an upright position. A marker, such as a "yes," clicker, or "good" was used as soon as his bottom touched the ground to let Sheldon know that he had done exactly what we had asked from him. This marker was previously conditioned with a reward (food/toy) to help Sheldon make the association between the wanted behavior and our cues (such as the word "sit" or our hand gestures to signal the behavior). This way whenever he hears his marker he will know that everyone is extremely pleased with him and he is getting something fun, yummy, and exciting for being such a good doggy thus helping the dog repeat the behavior again when the cue for "sit"is given. The sequence of behavior should be as follows: “Spot, (wait 2 seconds) sit”; this means: stop whatever you are doing, look at me, and then sit. Note: dogs should maintain their “sit” until otherwise told they are released. This exercise will be repeated each time by increasing the wait time between the "sit" position and the release (2 seconds, 5 seconds, 15, 30, 45 seconds and so on…). Dogs should leave their “sit” only when told “OK” “ALL DONE” or “Release."
Teaching a dog to "sit" on command can be a quick and easy way to redirect a dogs attention and get their focus back on you. It is a simple command that can go along way. For instance, maybe youre talking with a friend and instead of having your dog pull, move, jump you ask the dog to sit. Surprisingly enough, teaching a dog "sit" can make your dog look like a well-mannered gentleman or lady while out in public.
How to teach a dog to lay-down.
Same as with teaching a dog to "sit," all dogs know how to lay down. I mean, they lay down on the bed, carpet, floor, grass, and of course on our couches even when we dont necessarily want them to be there. However, we want to teach our dogs to lay-down on our cue because it helps dogs calm down, relax, or even get petted by a small child.
To mark and reward the wanted position, you should wait for the dogs chest and hind to be completely on the ground before marking and rewarding. Difficulty will be increased by increasing time (2 seconds, 5seconds, 10, 20 seconds, 50 seconds and so on…). The chain will go as follows: “Spot, (wait 3 seconds) down”. This means: stop whatever you are doing, look at me, lay down, and still look at me and nothing else. The dog must maintain their position until release cue is given: “OK” “ALL DONE” or “Released."
When to use "sit" and "lay-down."
Once the dog has learned these behaviors, do not be afraid to ask them to perform them at any time for any reason even if the dog just wants to sniff the grass. Other ideas of when to practice "sit" and "lay-down": before crossing a sidewalk, before feeding, before walking out the door, before entering a room, before being petted, before greeting another dog (if your dog is dog friendly), before entering a car or exiting a car, and before getting hugs from you.
Overall, teaching the basic commands are fun, and easy. However, getting the reliability with distance, distractions and durations can be stressful. If you would like for a trainer to visit your home and help with your dogs basic obedience needs please visit Leap Dog Training.
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