Sit stay and down

We covered sit and stay in Basic Obedience, so why are we coming back to it?  Because it’s one of the most skills your dog can have.  Anywhere you take your dog you will want a sit/stay or a down/stay.

I love training the sit/stay and down/stay on platforms.  It gives the dog an easy way to figure out where they are supposed to be and they are more likely to remain.

As you see in my videos, I also use a blanket, dog bed and other things I can lay on the ground to send the dog to.  

In case you forgot, training methods for sit, stay and down are included here.

Sit

Hold a food treat in front of your dog’s nose, say “Sit,” and move the lure upwards and backwards just above the dog’s muzzle. As your dog looks up to follow the treat, she will sit down. If your dog jumps up, you are holding the treat too high. If your dog backs up, work with the dog in a corner. When she sits, say “Good girl!” (or “Good boy!” if you have a boy-pup) and offer the kibble as a reward. From now on, ask your dog to sit in front of you after every recall.

 Stay
Initially, praise and reward your dog the instant she sits, lies down, or stands. With successive trials however, continue to praise correct responses but progressively delay offering the food reward for a little longer each time: for two seconds, then three seconds, five, eight, twelve, twenty, forty, sixty, and so on. Before you know it, your dog will happily respond quickly and remain in place for several minutes.

Down
Say “Down,” and quickly lower the treat from the dog’s nose to a point in between the dog’s forepaws. Praise the dog when she lies down (“Goood girl!”) and offer the treat. It is easier to entice your dog to lie down if she is already sitting, since her hindquarters are already down.
To teach your dog to lie down when she is standing, hold the lure between finger and
thumb and lower the hand (palm downwards) to rest on the floor. As the dog worries at the lure, she will likely place the side of her muzzle on the floor (“Good girl!”) and then assume a play-bow with elbows and sternum on the ground (“Gooood girl!”). By gently moving the
lure towards the dog’s chest and between her forepaws, her rear end will collapse backwards and she will lie down (“GOOOD GIRL!!!”) Now step back and ask your puppy to come, sit, and lie down. An upward motion of your hand (held palm-upwards) has become the handsignal to sit, and a downward motion of your hand (held palm-downwards) has become the  handsignal to lie down.