# "Sitting" correctly



## Yennie (Aug 30, 2012)

My boy already knows sit but whenever i stand in front of him and tell him to do so he would back up a few inches or so and then sit. How do i train him so he can just sit then and there instead of backing up pretty far and sitting?


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

I don't know, Lisl does the same thing when we're playing fetch.

During a walk or any other time she sits right down.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

Not sure if you are using treats, but try the following:-

When you puppy is standing in front of you, issue the command to sit and with a really yummy treat in your right hand, place it in front of their nose (so they acknowledge it) then slowly raise the treat up over the nose and forehead, he should follow it with his eyes and automatically sit - then reward straight away with the treat.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

i had the same problem with my pup laying down on his hips instead of going straight down. he would pick and choose how he would down. i didnt really care how he downed until i started to get serious with his training. if he downed on his hips aka lazy down then he didnt get his ball. i had him walk around and made him down again. only took a couple of minutes and now when my dog is in drive, he downs correctly every time.

lure him into correct position with food but dont treat or reward when he does it incorrectly. if he is backing up then sitting and you still reward or praise then he's just learning that either way is acceptable.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

boomer11 said:


> i had the same problem with my pup laying down on his hips instead of going straight down. he would pick and choose how he would down. i didnt really care how he downed until i started to get serious with his training. if he downed on his hips aka lazy down then he didnt get his ball. i had him walk around and made him down again. only took a couple of minutes and now when my dog is in drive, he downs correctly every time.
> 
> lure him into correct position with food but dont treat or reward when he does it incorrectly. if he is backing up then sitting and you still reward or praise then he's just learning that either way is acceptable.


This...

Plus, when you lure the dog into the sit, move the lure up and towards you a little so the dog tucks his rear under his chest instead of rocking back into the sit. Don't move the lure over his head towards his tail. This will encourage a rock back sit instead of the tuck that you want.

David Winners


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

Foot targets and/or careful reward positioning should extinguish the backing-up issue pretty quickly. You really only have to use one of those two things, but it typically takes less time and generalizes faster if you do both and then alternate them during the fading period.

If you teach your dog to hit a target with his two front feet (I use the bottom saucer of a terra cotta flowerpot for pivot work and a tupperware or yogurt container lid for general targeting), and place the target where you want the dog to be while cuing the Sit, then (after a few reps) the dog will learn to stay where the target is instead of backing up before Sitting.

If you are always careful to reward with a treat or tug close to your body, that tends to pull the dog closer in anticipation, which also extinguishes backing up.

Be careful about your own body language throughout. Often what causes dogs to back up is the person facing them squarely and leaning forward or looming over the dog, which puts spatial pressure on the dog and encourages them to retreat in response. If your body language is less imposing/more inviting (lean away slightly while luring the dog in), that can help if you're having this issue.


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