# Sit and stay sit until release? (Clicker training)



## MissCherry (Mar 16, 2011)

I have an allmost 4 month old puppy. Right now he knows Drop it, Sit, Down, and Fetch. He is also learning "Watch me", and I use the clicker to teach him to walk on the leash. How can I teach him for a long calm sit with the clicker? Any videos, and advice? I tried taking out the clicker, and ask him to sit then keep on rewarding the I tell him to release when I stop, but I do not know. I feel like I am not doing well. How I can I get him to understand release. I even tried getting him to sit for a toy, praise him, then say release before I toss the toy.

I keep everything quick with him so he can not get bored, if it was for him he would be all day wanting to learn something. He has a huge food drive!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I don't usually use a clicker for duration behaviors, I prefer it for marking very precise behaviors. Instead, I'll use praise as a "keep going" signal until I release. If you wait too long without saying _anything_ sometimes the dog will think they're not doing the right thing and I don't want them breaking until released. But the marker usually means the end of the exercise, so I don't want to do that until I'm actually ready to release. Praise tell them that they're doing the right thing but need to keep doing it.

So is the main problem that he doesn't understand what a release is? How often and in how many ways are you using it? Sometimes adding a little movement to draw your dog towards you, or tossing a treat or a toy can help get that across, and also using it for everything - wait until released before you throw a ball, before they can eat (with the food bowl on the floor), before they can go through a doorway, get in or out of the car, take a toy from your hand, etc.


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## MissCherry (Mar 16, 2011)

When you mean for marking prescise behaviors you mean like "paw" for example? So the clicker becomes the "release" signal too? Yeah my problem is to get him to understand "release". For example when I give him his meal I tell him to "sit" or "down" he gets into that position I say good job, and go down to the bowl to give his meal he gets up and imediatly go to the bowl without me releasing him to do it. I'm trying to use a toy to get him to learn release by getting him to sit, telling him good boy, then I say release, and I toss the toy. I just feel like it is not a good way to teach him. Do you pet him while you praise?


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## starrluvsjackson (Feb 24, 2011)

at first my boy didnt understand his release word which is 'okay' but i let that come later while he was understanding my commands..he now knows his release word and it only took a few weeks..your pup is still young he wont 'sit' or 'stay' for very long so i would suggest filling his bowl first then getting him to sit then stay then putting the bowl down waiting 1 or 2 seconds then click then give him a good boy and pat..if he stays longer then thats great but just work up to a longer staying period..

in regards to his learning his release word just keep at it and he will eventually get it even if you dont think hes doing very well..been there done that quite recently so i know lol..when he is for example sitting, like cassidys mom said release him before throwing the toy/treat out to the side to entice him to move toward it then click or praise once he moves..seems to have paid off for me..umm try waiting till you release and he moves before you praise him..


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## starrluvsjackson (Feb 24, 2011)

and yes give him lots of pats and let hiim know he has done something good


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

MissCherry said:


> Yeah my problem is to get him to understand "release". For example when I give him his meal I tell him to "sit" or "down" he gets into that position I say good job, and go down to the bowl to give his meal he gets up and imediatly go to the bowl without me releasing him to do it.


I think you're making it too hard at first. Here is a picture of Halo waiting to be released to eat (look at that focus!!!!) at 15 weeks old, with her food bowl on the floor:










I started teaching this right away we we got her at 10 weeks old. At first it was VERY easy - I start to lower the bowl to the floor and the second she broke her sit, I'd stand back up. Over and over again, however many times it took to keep her in a sit until the bowl touched the floor, and then I released her immediately. I made sure she was far enough away that if she got up I'd be able to get the bowl out of reach before she got to it. I worked up to being able to take my hands off the bowl before releasing, then to stand all the way back up, to being able to take a step away from the bowl, to having her closer to the bowl than I was, and finally to being on one side of a barrier with the dog and the food on the other side, like in this picture of Keefer at 5 months old:










Now I can put my dogs in a down with the food bowl right under their noses and they will stare at me until I release them to eat. You'd better believe they understand EXACTLY what that release word is!

As far as praise goes, it depends on the exercise. I do give my dogs lots of very happy, enthusiastic praise to show them when they've pleased me, but not in a stay type exercise. I don't want them excited, I want them calm, so I'll say "gooood dog", "very nice", "great job", excellent", in a quiet, soothing tone of voice, and then I release. 

And yes, teaching him to give you his paw is a perfect example of where a clicker is great. Or even a sit or a down, or marking and rewarding correct heel position.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Here ya go, with a clicker too.


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## MissCherry (Mar 16, 2011)

Sorry so late reply! I have been trying to reply these past few days but everytime I write the reply something comes up:crazy:!!!! Cassidy's mom I have been doing what you have wrote, and in a day I'm starting to see results! He is a big whinner so the first time it was a really crazy experience for me. He whines for everything so I hope teaching him to wait to be released for the bowl will help him. Talking in soothing voice makes a big diffrence too. I did not know how the tone of voice can make an huge impact! starrluvsjackson so you think I should praise him after the release? You do not think that he might get confused of what I want? MaggieRoseLee I'm going to study that video! That guy is so awesome! It is so great how he informs people on clicker training FOR FREE!!!


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