Teaching Puppy To Sit.

[moggy]

Can someone give me some tips on teaching my Chihuahua to sit? Would appreciate advice thank you.

Moggy

[chloebear]

Hopefully I will explain this right. The way that I do it is, to use a food reward held slightly above puppies eye height when standing and slowley move the treat back towards them over their head whilst lowering it forcing them to sit, and then give the reward, heaps of praise. But whilst doing this ensure that you are saying sit. You will need to train puppy regularily for short periods to reinforce. When ready to teach drop, put puppy into sit (once you have mastered this) and move treat forward towards but in a downward motion forcing puppy to drop, once again make sure you say drop and heaps of praise.

When using this technique the idea is to get the dogs head to follow the treat slowerly forcing the puppies body to follow to get the desired result. Hope this helps.

[Erny]

Luring (which is the training method described by Chloebear above) is good for introducing the concept of the new exercise to our dogs. The biggest problem with luring is that it is the PEOPLE who don't move on and away from it. So the food eventually becomes a bribe ..... and before you know it, your dog won't do anything for you UNLESS you have food to wave under their nose.

When I use the luring method, I aim to use it no more than 5 times for any one exercise that I am teaching. I am conscious to wean off from that and change it to "positive reward" (where the reward is NOT on offer before the exercise, but is given AFTER compliance has been offered).

There is also the "compulsion" method. Here's an example of a "sit" being conducted using the "compulsion" method.

1. 2.

3. 4.

5.

If you use the "compulsion method" you do need to know how to do it properly. The hand on the pup's butt should only be there to guide the pup's butt to the ground, not to apply strong force, as to do so carries the potential of hurting the pup's hips. Also, that same hand must be over the pup's hips .... not further up the dog's back, to avoid hurting the pup's back. The other hand causes an up and backwards action, as if to rock the pup back into position.

I will at times use a combination of luring/compulsion. Again - depends on what suits and works best at the time.

Edited November 19, 2007 by Erny

[chloebear]

Thanks Erny, I was hoping that someone else would jump in. Yep, food becomming a bribe my dog acts perfectly when she can smell food, and turns her head the other way when she can't.

[grumbles]

Luring (which is the training method described by Chloebear above) is good for introducing the concept of the new exercise to our dogs. The biggest problem with luring is that it is the PEOPLE who don't move on and away from it. So the food eventually becomes a bribe ..... and before you know it, your dog won't do anything for you UNLESS you have food to wave under their nose.

When I use the luring method, I aim to use it no more than 5 times for any one exercise that I am teaching. I am conscious to wean off from that and change it to "positive reward" (where the reward is NOT on offer before the exercise, but is given AFTER compliance has been offered).

There is also the "compulsion" method. Here's an example of a "sit" being conducted using the "compulsion" method.

1. 2.

3. 4.

5.

If you use the "compulsion method" you do need to know how to do it properly. The hand on the pup's butt should only be there to guide the pup's butt to the ground, not to apply strong force, as to do so carries the potential of hurting the pup's hips. Also, that same hand must be over the pup's hips .... not further up the dog's back, to avoid hurting the pup's back. The other hand causes an up and backwards action, as if to rock the pup back into position.

I will at times use a combination of luring/compulsion. Again - depends on what suits and works best at the time.

Great way to show how to do it with the pics an all

[Erny]

Great way to show how to do it with the pics an all

Thanks, and I'm glad you think so, Grumbles. But I will point out that these shots were not 'planned' and are not 'modelled' for the purpose. For example, I could suggest the handler wasn't in the best of positions (relative to the puppy) to accomplish the "sit" with the compulsion method and I trust that people will not assume the idea that it is about the left hand pushing down on the pup's butt that does it. You can't really tell from the pictures how much firmness/guidance was used with the right hand compared with the left hand. And not all pups are as well mannered as this one was. There are those who might mouth; wriggle; etc. etc. and some people do well to have some tuition dedicated to them and their puppy to learn how best to manage and achieve.

Common sense care needs to be taken.