Day 3 of 7
Sit & Lie Down
With a foundation of name recognition and recall, let’s move onto teaching “Sit” and “Lie Down” commands, which are stepping stones to a well-behaved pup and indispensable in many everyday situations.
Objective #3
Your dog will "sit" and "lie down" upon command
Tasks to Complete
[ ] Basic "sit" training
[ ] Basic "lie down" training
[ ] Maintain positivity and patience
Preface: Safety & Control
How can sitting and lying down create a safer environment?
- Safety: A dog that promptly sits or lies down on command is less likely to dash into dangerous situations - like chasing something into a street or lunging to eat something harmful that may have fallen within their reach.
- Control: These commands help in managing excitable or anxious behaviors in varying situations, be it at home when guests arrive, or out in the park amidst other dogs and distractions.
Step 1: Teaching "Sit"
The first method is by "capturing" your dog when they naturally sit - try to accomplish this 5 times today.
- 1. Stand in front of your pup holding some of their favorite treats.
- 2. Patiently wait for them to sit naturally. Once they do, say "yes," and reward them with a treat.
- 3. Encourage them to stand by stepping backwards or sideways, then wait for them to sit again. Reward them with a treat again and repeat 2-3 times saying "yes".
- 4. Repeat but this time introduce the command "sit" as they begin to naturally sit. Say it one time clearly and firmly as they are sitting and reward with treat upon their completed sit.
The second method is by "luring" your dog to sit - try to accomplish this method 5 times today also.
- 1. Kneel in front of your pup holding a treat near their nose.
- 2. Slowly raise the treat above their head; they'll likely sit to keep their eyes on the treat.
- 3. Once their bottom touches the ground, reward them with the treat.
- 4. Repeat this process, introducing the command word "sit" as they begin to sit and rewarding with a treat upon sitting.
- 5. Next, replace the treat with a hand gesture in addition to the word sit. There are various gestures used to train sitting, but you can try making a fist with your pointer finger sticking up and your palm facing your dog.
- 6. Try making your hand gesture with "sit" command from a standing position in front of your dog, and then move on to making the "sit" command with no hand gesture.
Step 2: Teaching "Lie Down"
Start with your dog in a sitting position.
- 1. Try your hand gesture of a fist with your pointer finger up but this time place a treat in your closed fingers and place your hand in front of their nose to get their attention.
- 2. Lower your hand slowly towards the ground, bringing it closer to their chest, then moving it down to the floor so your pointer finger is pointing down and touching the floor.
- 3. Your dog should follow the treat into a lying position. Reward them immediately with the treat and verbal praise.
- 4. Repeat these steps, eventually removing the treat from your hand and introducing the command word "down" as they begin to lie down. Reward with verbal praise.
Next, let's try from a standing position.
- 1. Hold a treat in your hand near the dog's nose and slowly bring it down to the floor, luring them into a lying position.
- 2. Once their elbows touch the floor, reward them with the treat.
- 3. Repeat these steps, eventually using an empty hand to signal the command, and introducing the command word "down" as they begin to lie down.
Recap & What's Next
Remember - patience and repitition are key!
- Training sessions should be short, fun, and positive. Employ patience, consistency in commands and gestures, and a ton of praises and treats.
- Remember, every dog learns at their own pace. Your encouragement and positive reinforcement are the wind beneath their paws on this journey toward becoming well-behaved members of the family.
Uff - you're telling me I need to wait and leave it?
- You're doing great - keep practicing "sit" and "lie down" as well as the previous training exercises we've covered. Tomorrow, we'll work on "wait" and "leave it".
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