Sitting Straight....

We call them "sloppy sits" in our house. What we do constently is with a leash on, we give a slight tug forward (not up) and say "fix it", rewarding them verbally when it is the sit we want. It takes a little time but if you are doing it every time the dog slips back they learn what you want. Our lab will sit sloppy and we just say the command and she corrects it. The puppy is figuring it out but she is a little more stubborn about it. My senior I am not as fussy about. I wonder if her knees get sore (she has had them both operated on) I don't make her do long sit stays any more any way.

Ann

I make a front box out of thin PVC. I make a rectangle 3 feet long and one foot (depending on the size of your dogs rear end) but keep one side open. when you call your dog, stand at the closed side and let him run in through the open side. If he sits on the PVC, he'll correct himself. When he does, give a treat.

I don't know for sure but we've physically moved the dog, taken a quarter step back and given the command again which in turn makes the dog hop forward and straighten out, walked away only to stand and give the command again.. all kinds of things to make this work right.  We finally decided that tapping the chest and giving the command again makes him hop and straighten without us moving.. then he gets the treat.  He was taught not to jump up on us, unless we're playing so he never actually jumps 'up' when we do this exercise, just hops enough to straighten out and earn his treat.  That's what works for us and the Rottie on the recall (in schutzhund) he does it perfect almost every time.

I don't like asking the dog to "fix it"-- you can accidentally get a dog that thinks he's supposed to first sit crooked then straighten up, every single sit. Instead I prefer to "jackpot" reward any straight sit I see and ignore the crooked ones. Also, has the dog had the hips x-rayed? some dogs sit crooked because of hip pain.

we don't ask that we fix it, and I definitely see your point.  We keep treats on us at all times... we always smell like dog treats....lol   everytime we get a good sit or any good action out of our dogs... for example if they come around behind us and sit on our left in the "fuss" position looking up at us they get a treat and told "good fuss"  Pronounced "foos" Eventually they associate the command fuss with the correct behaviour and when commanded to fuss they do.

I'm having a devil of time with getting square fronts too...  I've always corrected Dodger's position and rewarded whenever I get a straight front/finish... Which has not worked at all!! I've basically done what mudpuppy said - Dodger thinks he's suppose to sit crooked first and is too reliant on me showing him what to do[]
 
Working against a wall, in a doorway or using a chute/gate hasn't worked either so I've gone back to shaping. But using "gates" may help you.
 
Good luck - I really hope you find the right approach for Jack![]

I am working on Rally stuff with Jack and he is having really trouble sitting straight--his butt often scoots out a bit. Any suggestions on how to get a dog to sit straight?

 
Next to you in heel/post-finish, or are you talking about fronts?

ORIGINAL: miranadobe

I am working on Rally stuff with Jack and he is having really trouble sitting straight--his butt often scoots out a bit. Any suggestions on how to get a dog to sit straight?

Next to you in heel/post-finish, or are you talking about fronts?

Next to me--his fronts are pretty straight.

We've had his hips x-rayed and they were clean.

Well, for straight SITS (in heel position, not a front) - there are a few easy things you can try.

First, try asking for sits against walls. This will force the dog to straight out (if the problem is them crabbing out, their back end drifting AWAY from you).

You can also use a pole/dowel and when their back end moves out, tap them gently on the outer hip to get them to move it in. However you have to watch this one as it can be encouraging the dog to be wrong and then correct himself, rather than just offering correct sits.

The guide poles can be used on the ground to discourage the dog from popping his back end out if no wall is available.

The last most important thing is make sure it isn't your body language or your physical presence causing it. A well trained dog can be put in the wrong position by us very easily by moving the shoulder, turning to much to look at them, etc.

I take it he's got his butt out, away from you, looking up at you.  When G started doing that, I lured her with the treat from my left hand (versus mouth) and moved my hand so that it's just above her nose and as she's preparing to tuck herself in (ie, still in motion, not sitting yet), I bend my elbow and turn my forearm a bit to the left and up, so that her head follows the food to the left/up a smidge and her butt naturally tucks in the opposite direction, closer to me.  And I treat from that position, out to the left, and slightly above G's head.  Otherwise, she'd turn her head to follow the food and likely shift her weight back to looking at me, hip out. 

To help describe the hand movement...think of say a hitch-hiker throwing out his thumb, or making an upside down/reverse J with your hand movement.  Your elbow remains tucked into you, but your arm swings out.  Works every time for me.  Lead his head slightly out as he's sitting, and his butt will oppositely follow - tucked into you.  Keep it there so he keeps the position and insert your praise while you slowly release the treat from your fist. (again, to keep him in the position)

I like mudpuppy's approach, and it's even easier with a clicker.

Where are you rewarding at. What I mean is do you reward with your right hand? when the dog is on your left. I find this to be the root of the problem , most of the time. The dog is anticapatiing the reward. and knows where it comes from. I try different things like  holding the reward outside the dogs head with my left hand. while the dog is sitting next to me. and training vests make the dog crooked if you reward by pulling a ball out of your front pockets. If i hide the ball, i keep it in my back pants pocket.also I never throw the ball or give a treat that makes the dog move in front of my body. I throw it off to the left. This helps with anticapation.

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

I don't like asking the dog to "fix it"-- you can accidentally get a dog that thinks he's supposed to first sit crooked then straighten up, every single sit. Instead I prefer to "jackpot" reward any straight sit I see and ignore the crooked ones. Also, has the dog had the hips x-rayed? some dogs sit crooked because of hip pain.

I agree completely.

Butts shifting can often be related to eye contact and handler body position.  Find some beanie babies or fill some bags with dry beans.  Use one on each shoulder,  this will prevent you from inadvertently cueing a behavior with your shoulder.  Dogs are incredible aware of body position and you can shut off your dog so easily.  Second, use a behavior just prior to the sit to position the dog.  If you have a touch to the palm of your hand you are good to go... If not you need to teach it.  Use your touch signal (hand on the left, fingers down, palm to day) just before you plan to stop.  As you stop, lift your hand (palm parallel to the floor), raising right above your dog's nose.  The head up prevents the shift of position, straightens the spine (first thing you need for a straight sit) and interupts the default behavior of checking your face.  This is very easy to fade if you use the left hand on the belly button strategy.