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You’ll need to perfect sit, down, and stand to teach advanced obedience. Sounds easy, right? Here’s the catch…

Your dog must do it quickly, using only verbal commands, even with distractions. I’ll teach you how to perfect the sit and down today.

Weekly Bite

Aki and I are working on using only verbal commands for sit and down. Next, I’ll be adding distractions.

How to Teach Sit and Down

1. Use Food: Lure your dog into sit, down, or stand position using luring and spatial pressure.

   1. Sit: Lift your hand with the food upwardly - so they step back into a sit.

   2. Down: Drop your hand with the food and deliver it underhandedly by pushing into their space - so they rock backward into a down.

   3. Stand: From the sit position, move the treat in a forward direction away from their nose to get them to stand. Deliver it underhandedly by pushing into their space (under their head/chest) so they straighten out their legs.

2. Mark Quickly: Say “Yes” and reward when correct. If not, say “No” and 🔁.

3. Add Verbal Commands: Say them prior to any physical gestures to gradually fade the food lure.

4. Increase Duration: Say “Good” to encourage them to hold the position, then release with “Yes” and a reward. If they don’t, say “No” and 🔁.

5. Stabilize The Position: Distract them by moving your arms, walking in place, or bending over. Perform in different environments and in alternate routines.

The Goal?

Your dog should be able to respond quickly using only verbal commands, even with distractions.

Tail End Trivia