# **Selzer** Sitting On The Dog



## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

Being the other thread is now closed, and I read your reply. I will have to continue here.

"Sitting on the dog" I found on this site. I couldn't find the thread but it also contained a video. The thread it was in was not specific to this topic.

Basically have a chair, have the dog on a leash or lead. Sit on the lead in the chair and let the dog have about a foot of lead. You ignore the dog like they are not there. The video said to start with a minimum of 30 minutes. You do this daily. The dog, if they are hyperactive or just won't settle down when you want to relax, this is suppose to give them the idea that when you sit down, it's relax or rest time. 

It may sound kind of crazy, but it seems to work.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

It doesn't sound crazy and I can see it working. I will need to use this method for a dog I am taking in next week or I will go insane.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

This sounds great.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Sounds like tethering which I think can be effective for some training situations.


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## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

search for dog long down


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Well not going to say it can't work but it certainly sounds crazy to me! Never say never but I can't imagine myself ever doing that?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Chip18 said:


> Well not going to say it can't work but it certainly sounds crazy to me! Never say never but I can't imagine myself ever doing that?


When you have six dogs in the house and 4 are under the age of three it isn't so crazy

My troublemaker is the one with the blue eyes , he is a greyhound/husky that can't sit still.


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## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

it is a good way to teach them to calm themselves
if you ever have a dog that cannot calm itself and has no impulse control you would not think it is crazy


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## ZoeD1217 (Feb 7, 2014)

At what age would it be appropriate to start doing this? 

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## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

you can do short downs of up to 2-5 min with puppy 
i would say 8-10 weeks on
increase the time up to 30 min
dont make the dog frustrated but let it get a little frustrated then when it calms wait a few more minutes and let it go
i mean with a puppy wait up to 15-30 seconds
do not expect too much too soon but a 4-6 mo old dog should be able to go 10-20 min anyway
if you do this randomly a few times a week it will help the dog learn to settle itself


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## ZoeD1217 (Feb 7, 2014)

Thank you. I'll have to start working on this. Zoe is 13 weeks. She will settle at times during the day when I'm up and doing stuff. She will sleep while I clean or am up and about in the house. I am home all day with her and take her with me to run quick errands and other than the usual puppy stuff she's ok. ANY TIME I try to sit on the couch in the living room she goes nuts biting, barking and trying to get me up. I do exercise her often and spend pretty much the entire day with her. I'm torn between trying to "be the boss" and wanting to spend time with her. I would love if she could be content with a short break by my feet. Somehow I always end up on the floor with her in my lap trying to remove my fingers. 

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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

That is one of the steps in Mind Games. Game #4. I did it with my shelter mix pup. Worked like a charm. Mind Games (version 1.0) by M. Shirley Chong


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

llombardo said:


> It doesn't sound crazy and I can see it working. I will need to use this method for a dog I am taking in next week or I will go insane.




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The video said the 30 min. is a minimum. You can go up to three hours. Don't know if I could just sit in one chair for three straight hours, I'd be going as nuts as the dog!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

moving this to training


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

jafo220 said:


> Sent from Petguide.com Free App
> 
> The video said the 30 min. is a minimum. You can go up to three hours. Don't know if I could just sit in one chair for three straight hours, I'd be going as nuts as the dog!


Yeah I will be playing with that number. As long as I get the point across I'm doing good.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

I know trainers who have done it for years. 'Sit On The Dog' is taught in their beginner obedience classes. I did it with some of my dogs before I even knew it had a name.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Get some popcorn and a good movie...yea, I can see it working....


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

We do it with puppies here and teach it to clients. Its good stuff.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

I did it without knowing about it too, lol. Although, I'm not sure if I did it correctly, since mine is just a long down without a leash. Still, it's a great exercise. Ha ha OP, I thought you meant "sit on top of your dog" for real, lmao! I found this link that explains it well:

Wheres my sanity: Sit on the Dog, aka: The long down


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

LOL I love it when an old concept has a bizarre new name. Makes me think of this foolish education concept called a rubric. You can't just all it a list.

You're not actually sitting ON the dog. The dog is sitting with you. It's called Tethering and if I'm not mistaken, it's so old school it's in the monks of new skete books by that name.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Chip18 said:


> Well not going to say it can't work but it certainly sounds crazy to me! Never say never but I can't imagine myself ever doing that?


 It is a method that has been around for decades.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Sunflowers said:


> It is a method that has been around for decades.


Or at the least since Morgan was a pup in 2002. She was always tethered to me because she got into everything and was highly destructive. As an adult, Morgan was never very far away from me. Post geriatric with DM, she couldn't let me go 50 ft across the yard without her.


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## TrailRider (Feb 25, 2013)

Lol I kept Ruger tethered to me until he learned to go potty outside, or my husband came home and he took him off the leash, probably why potty training took a bit longer. I think it just strengthened our bond and trained him to follow me throughout the house... sometimes annoying but also comforting to know my buddy is right there with me. But he sits/downs when I sit, at home, when we're off some where it's a different story.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Sunflowers said:


> It is a method that has been around for decades.


Heh--it's so old I was doing it with puppies 40 years ago! And no rest at night, either--they were tied to my wrist, LOL!

Susan


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

llombardo said:


> When you have six dogs in the house and 4 are under the age of three it isn't so crazy
> 
> My troublemaker is the one with the blue eyes , he is a greyhound/husky that can't sit still.


Six wow, you have your own dog park!

Still I never heard of it. But my motto is never say never so whatever works "within" reason.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

llombardo said:


> When you have six dogs in the house and 4 are under the age of three it isn't so crazy
> 
> My troublemaker is the one with the blue eyes , he is a greyhound/husky that can't sit still.



I'm guessing they have velcro on the rear ends.

SuperG


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

This is very effective. I have used it for years and taught in all my classes. I also stand on my dog. Stand on the leash while talking to someone. Dog will eventually calm and down.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

SunCzarina said:


> LOL I love it when an old concept has a bizarre new name. Makes me think of this foolish education concept called a rubric. You can't just all it a list.
> 
> You're not actually sitting ON the dog. The dog is sitting with you. It's called Tethering and if I'm not mistaken, it's so old school it's in the monks of new skete books by that name.


Finally got that! Sometimes I'm kinda slow!:blush:


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Blanketback said:


> I did it without knowing about it too, lol. Although, I'm not sure if I did it correctly, since mine is just a long down without a leash. Still, it's a great exercise. Ha ha OP, I thought you meant "sit on top of your dog" for real, lmao! I found this link that explains it well:
> 
> Wheres my sanity: Sit on the Dog, aka: The long down


Thanks for the link, and to the OP thanks for the tread!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

When and why would you want to do this? I get the concept (now) not sure of the reasoning for it?


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

never heard of this nor have i ever needed this.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

When I was training Arwen, and that was a lifetime ago, the trainer wanted me to have her down for 30 minutes. And I was just to sit there and keep her in a down. 

The first day, she did it without any problem at all. So I was surprised when the second day, she broke the stay. I over-reacted, and we had a pretty miserable half hour. The next day, I went and got the lead, and she went and hid in the bedroom. Then I had a Come to Jesus moment with myself, and through out everything I thought I knew about dog training, and based my approach on the fact that the dog wants to do what I want her to do. If she isn't doing it, I am not communicating what I want properly.  My fault. And I started training totally differently. 

We never again did that 30 minute down stay. This bitch took first place on her three tries in the obedience ring, which means she never broke a stay in the ring. She did a CGC without any preparation or classes at a show. Her first attempt at supervised separation, was when I put her in a down stay, handed her leash to some guy and went and hid behind a car at the show during the test. She never moved a muscle.

But not because we did that 30 minute thing, because I totally threw that out. I guess it may work for some dogs, for her it was totally counter-productive, though probably due to my own clumsy attempt and doing it.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

selzer said:


> When I was training Arwen, and that was a lifetime ago, the trainer wanted me to have her down for 30 minutes. And I was just to sit there and keep her in a down.
> 
> The first day, she did it without any problem at all. So I was surprised when the second day, she broke the stay. I over-reacted, and we had a pretty miserable half hour. The next day, I went and got the lead, and she went and hid in the bedroom. Then I had a Come to Jesus moment with myself, and through out everything I thought I knew about dog training, and based my approach on the fact that the dog wants to do what I want her to do. If she isn't doing it, I am not communicating what I want properly. My fault. And I started training totally differently.
> 
> ...


Oh I think your 100% on the money with your view point. I'm learning, through Cruz, that no matter what dog you have, you have to take different approaches in training. Some dogs respond well to just your approval, others take treating or a ball for a reward and your personal approval just won't cut it with them. That's where the novice trainers are weeded out from the decent to good trainers. The novice.....me, are perplexed or hit walls when what you used on another dog fails to work with your current dog. A good trainer with experience knows the next step to take or can rattle through a number of techniques until they come across one that gets through to the dog.

I think in the end, a lot of training gets lost or stalled because of a break down in communication between handler and dog. Once that one vital bridge is severed or is incomplete, your in a situation like I am with Cruz. They start just doing whatever whenever they want and over time just stop listening or flat out ignore the handler until that gap is once again re-established.

I tried the for-mentioned with Cruz, and it seemed to work. I think the theory is sound, and it's worth trying if nothing else is working. But it's not the be all end all either. As in your case, what you mentioned or the way I take it is you put your dog into a down/stay and held them there. This other technique is used with a lead and you sit on the lead and you just act like the dog is not there. You don't talk to the dog or command the dog. You just give them a foot of lead and sit on the leash. The theory is that over time, the dog associates your setting down with them laying down. There is no commands involved. Well, there is, but it's not verbal, it's a command through your action.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

,OK I think I get it, never had a need to use that approach myself but I get it.


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## petite (Apr 5, 2014)

I've been trying this a few times a week with Fawn for 10 - 15 minutes. She seems to do fine with it but then again she's fine to lay around as long as I'm there with her so it's not surprising. We'll see how 30 minutes and beyond goes. 

I don't cinch the tether so tight, I don't think the upward pressure on her neck for 10 minutes is necessary but I may eat my words later for not doing this exercise correctly.


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## Curtis (Jun 9, 2013)

This is something we do just as a part of life. I didn't know it was a technique. 

In the evenings I sit on the front porch with the dogs on their leashes. Now when the GSD sees me sit in the rocker, he automatically lays down because he knows he's not going anywhere. 

Inside is similar. When he sees me sit on the couch, he will get on his cot usually. Instead of a leash, I used the "Place" command here. Occasional he'll try to entice me with a toy.

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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

LOL, I have been doing this with Beau just to keep my sanity. Didn't know it was a method. If he is not in his place or on a down stay he is into something or another.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

I started using this with mixed results until we decided to go down the e-collar path. I don't know if it's the training around the e-collar or he is reverting back to the "sit on the dog" method or a mixture of both, but now, when we're watching tv, he will lay down usually. This and the fact that he gets corrected now with the collar when he is doing something he shouldn't. We have not worked on the "place" command yet with the e-collar or down or sit or any of that yet. We just got started and have only worked the "off" and "come" commands. They, have been drilled into his head. So I don't know how much effect the sit on the dog method has to do with his good behavior in laying down now when we are sitting.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Chip18 said:


> Well not going to say it can't work but it certainly sounds crazy to me! Never say never but I can't imagine myself ever doing that?


Hey looks like I was wrong! 

Had a chance to try it with a rescue Boxer at an adoption day event (fear of people issues) and I was amazed at the change in his demeanour! 

It looked pretty much like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2WgOZUebnY


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

Chip18 said:


> Hey looks like I was wrong!
> 
> Had a chance to try it with a rescue Boxer at an adoption day event (fear of people issues) and I was amazed at the change in his demeanour!
> 
> ...


Cool.

I never got around to consistently using this. I went the e-collar route and once we learned our "place" command, all was good.

I'm glad it worked for you.


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## Kestrel (Jun 18, 2014)

Hi, just reading about this and wanted to give it a try. I just have a question, sorry if I missed the answer somewhere. Does the dog have to be laying down in a "down" position or is it okay if the dog is laying on its side? My dog is almost always laying next to me in the house anyways, so she went right to laying on her side, as usual. I realize this will likely not be the case (laying on her side 100% relaxed) once we star practicing in a more distracting environment, but does the exercise still have the effect if she is laying that way in the house? Sorry if this is a stupid question, just wanted to make sure.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

Kestrel said:


> Hi, just reading about this and wanted to give it a try. I just have a question, sorry if I missed the answer somewhere. Does the dog have to be laying down in a "down" position or is it okay if the dog is laying on its side? My dog is almost always laying next to me in the house anyways, so she went right to laying on her side, as usual. I realize this will likely not be the case (laying on her side 100% relaxed) once we star practicing in a more distracting environment, but does the exercise still have the effect if she is laying that way in the house? Sorry if this is a stupid question, just wanted to make sure.


Does not matter whether the dog is in a down or sit. The whole idea behind the exercise is to teach the dog when you sit down, it's time to relax.

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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

jafo220 said:


> Does not matter whether the dog is in a down or sit. The whole idea behind the exercise is to teach the dog when you sit down, it's time to relax.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yep this, I was a newbie with it but when I did it, it was just like the video.


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## Kestrel (Jun 18, 2014)

Thanks for the replies, that's what I thought. I just wanted to make sure as the link in post 19 had said "the long down has nothing in common with a down/stay other than the physical position of the dog" and I wasn't sure if I had to take that literally to the word. Better to ask and be thought a fool than to start doing it wrong from the get-go, lol.


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