'Sit', 'Stand' & and 'Down' - The ABC's of Dog Training

Position changes are like the ABC's of dog training. Although you can achieve a reasonable level of control
over your dog just by having a reliable 'sit', teaching 'stand' and 'down' gives you greater control

Training a reliable sit, stand and down is a more advanced exercise than most people assume.
Many dogs will sit when asked in the quiet of their own home, but what about when there are
distractions around? Do they sit on a single request or has the cue become "sit, sit, SIT!"?
Does your dog remain in position until you allow him to get up with a release word? Will your
dog sit or drop if you are not facing him or at a distance of more than a few feet? ALL of these criteria build reliability into positions and allL of them take time to train.

A fully trained sit, stand or down happens:

• on ONE presentation of the cue (either a
hand signal and/or word)
• from the cue continually until the dog is
told to release from position
• regardless of distractions
• regardless of your position
• regardless of whether or not you or the
dog are moving.

Another way to think of sits, stands and downs is as a muscle. Today, your dog probably has a
weak sit muscle. He has some idea what 'sit' means, but he does not meet all the criteria listed above. Please realise it is not that your dog is disobedient or stupid, you simply haven't taken the time yet to teach all the components that make a position rock solid and dependable. Only with lots of repetitions will sit, stand or down develop into a really strong, efficient working muscle.

Which, position when?

SIT - should be your dog's default behaviour or, in other words, if in doubt, 'sit'. Most dogs seem to have learnt that if their owner stares at them and keeps chanting something, a 'sit' usually seems to make them quiet and happy. This is mutually beneficial to dog and human as there are few situations where a 'sit' is a problem. Indeed, it is generally more preferable to the alternatives, such as jumping, running, tugging or chasing. If your dog only reliably learns one command - sit is IT.

STAND - is useful for easier grooming, vet checks and, of course, is essential for the show ring. It may also be used as an alternative to 'sit' for some large or angular breeds, such as Great Danes and Greyhounds, for whom a sit at every street corner is a rather laborious and tedious task compared to the nanosecond sit of a Jack Russell.

DOWN - is the position of choice for longer stays, such as when you are working on the computer, buying a newspaper or at a cafe.

Teaching Sit, Stand and Down
Positions are easily taught using a food lure. The lure should act as a magnet, guiding your dog into position.

To teach 'sit':
Slowly move a small treat above your dog's head. As the head goes up, the bottom will come down and 'sit' happens.

To teach 'stand':
Draw the treat straight forward from the dog's nose until the dog lifts out of the sit into the stand position. This will become the hand signal for 'stand'.

To teach 'down':
Take the treat from the dog's nose, down toward the floor between the dog's toes. This will become the hand signal for 'down'. Leave the treat on the floor to reward. Remove the treat from your hand after about three repetitions and repeat using the exact same hand movement. This will soon become your visual cue or signal for your dog to sit, stand or down. When your dog is responding to the signal nine times out of 10, it is time to add the word just before the hand signal. Because the dog is very likely to be successful (you have already demonstratedhe understands the hand signal), a strong association is quickly made between the word cue and the behaviour, avoiding the common mistake of repetitive cues such as "sit, Sit, SIT". Continue to reward AFTER each correct response but begin to vary the reward - sometimes food, sometimes a game, sometimes praise alone.

Context cues
There are times when you may not want to have to tell your dog to sit, stand or down; rather you want him to understand that in this situation he is expected to assume this position. For example, you may wait till your dog sits before feeding him his supper, attaching a lead or walking out the door. You may expect your dog to lie down whenever you watch television.

If you are consistent, dogs learn these routine 'context cues' very quickly and they are extremely useful for general good manners training. However, for situations which are not routine, you need to be able to cue sit, stand or down as required.

Adding Challenges
Lots of challenges may be added to sit, stand and down. Play around with them to see which may be most useful to you. All challenges will help to improve your dog's understanding of your cues and the behaviour you want.