Stop The Sit

This would possibly shock you, however I feel educating a dog to take a seat is without doubt one of the the talents your dog actually doesn’t want. Now maintain on, hear me out earlier than you hate me. It could be handy nevertheless it’s not important. It’s not a life or demise talent, like go away it or recall. And in most contexts when house owners have a tendency to make use of sit, we might simply swap out stand as a substitute. Sit is such an overused, under-rewarded talent. Folks ask their dog to take a seat, for no actual purpose, far too usually. Why does your dog want to take a seat to get a deal with? Do you carry out a “trick” each time you go to the cookie jar for a snack? Do you carry out a “trick” each time earlier than your accomplice provides you a hug or exhibits you affection? I doubt it, so why do you ask your dog to carry out for snacks or affection? What are we proving?

Practically each time we take our dog BooBoo to the pet retailer, the employees ask, “Can she have a deal with?” I say sure. Then they proceed to take out a deal with and ask her to take a seat. I interject. “You requested in the event you might give her a deal with, not make her sit. She’s 15 years outdated, has unhealthy hips, is deaf, and isn’t going to take a seat in your slippery flooring for a deal with she’s not even positive she desires from you. You can provide her a deal with without spending a dime. She doesn’t must earn it.”

I actually don’t perceive what peoples’ obsession with making their dog sit at each alternative is, apart from some bizarre sense of management or alpha/dominance holdover.

I very not often embody sit in my coaching plans and if I do, it’s for security causes, and most often, it may be substituted for a stand. What are some examples the place I embody a sit?

• I’ve canines in city environments study to take a seat/stand at crosswalks earlier than crossing.
• I educate households strolling with strollers to have their dog auto-stop and sit/stand once they cease shifting with their stroller.
• And positive, if there’s a dog leaping for consideration at greetings, I’ll practice a sit/stand to be pet for consideration, as a substitute of leaping and knocking grandma over.
• For some vet or grooming stationing procedures, like a jugular blood draw or paw wiping, I’ll practice a sit.

As a rule, sitting simply isn’t a part of my coaching plans as a result of it doesn’t should be. For a lot of coaching plans, I don’t need the dog planted with no selection to maneuver. I need the dog to have the flexibility to maintain shifting, to have a selection to maneuver away from a set off or to have freedom to have interaction or not. Asking a dog to take a seat removes that dog’s selection and forces them to have interaction with one thing that probably is frightening or uncomfortable.

I see this when canines meet kids. Folks put their dog right into a sit, presumably so the dog gained’t bounce, however then the dog can’t transfer away if the youngsters scare the dog. Now we’ve probably created a scenario the place we’ve a dog unable to maneuver away and if that dog is scared then their solely possibility could be to growl or snap. This isn’t ideally suited. I’d a lot fairly have a dog standing, the place if a baby reaches and the dog is not sure, the dog can take a step backwards or resolve they’re free to maneuver away. After which the individual has a transparent learn on that dog’s physique language.

The opposite commentary I make is that folks LOVE to cue chant SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT till their dog sits. Coach tip: Until your dog is dropping their listening to, in case your dog isn’t sitting the primary time you ask, it’s not as a result of they didn’t hear you. Saying it time and again and over isn’t what’s making them sit. Perhaps by the point you bought the sixth ask, your dog simply felt like sitting.

Perhaps your dog isn’t sitting as a result of the floor you’re asking them to take a seat on isn’t comfy. Folks don’t understand that sitting on a snug, comfortable carpet inside your acquainted home may be very totally different than sitting on slippery hardwood, moist grass, tough concrete or an asphalt avenue. Or perhaps your dog is having a bit of ache of their hips and sitting isn’t really easy anymore. Perhaps they’re distracted and your coaching isn’t nicely proofed? Or perhaps you’ve simply overused sit a lot and your dog has discovered that sitting when requested not often will get bolstered, so why ought to they do it?

However actually, why do you want your dog to take a seat in that precise second?

What function is that sit serving, and are you rewarding it?

Let’s rethink the sit. And dare I say, give up the sit, in most SITuations. (See what I did there?) Should you need assistance along with your dog you’ll be able to schedule your session right here!

Blissful coaching!