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need help with training

Posted : 5/19/2006 2:17:34 AM

i want to teach my five-year-old dog the basic "sit" and "down" commands. (yes, it's a bit late, but she's adopted! [

]) is it possible to train her by catching her in the position (i.e. sitting or lying down), saying the command while her attention is on me and then rewarding her? will she be able to learn that way? or do i have to put her into that position and then say "sit"/"down" and reward?

micksmom

Posted : 5/19/2006 7:41:16 AM

Sure it's possible!

That's how Mick learned sit and down. It might be a little more difficult with an adult dog, tho. Another thing you can do is say "Sit" and lure her into a sit by holding a treat by her nose, then slowly moving your hand up and over her head. As she follows the treat with her eye, she'll automaticaly sit. Give her the treat and tell her she's good once she's sitting. Down cna be taught the same way. Once she's sitting, hold the treat on the floor just in front of her front feet. Then move the treat along the floor away from her, telling her "Down". Again, when she lays down, give her the treat, and tell her she's good. You might have to put a hand on her shoulders (not pushing) to encourage her not to stand. Good luck!

angelamarie

Posted : 5/19/2006 7:46:11 AM

I recently adopted a 6 year old who had no obedience training at all.

I enrolled him in obedience school and we are doing very well. He now sits on command, and always is required to sit for his dinner, treats, etc.. He's starting to be reliable on his down command, although I still need to lure him into it with a treat.

So, yes, it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks. I recommend obedience school, it will not only teach you how to teach the dog, but I think it helps strengthen the bond between the two of you.

forpaws

Posted : 5/19/2006 9:32:09 AM

is it possible to train her by catching her in the position (i.e. sitting or lying down), saying the command while her attention is on me and then rewarding her? will she be able to learn that way? or do i have to put her into that position and then say "sit"/"down" and reward?

Yes, it is possible to instill the wanted behavior if you catch her laying down or sitting on her own. I highly recommend [linkhttp://www.clickertraining.com]www.clickertraining.com[/link] A clicker is a wonderful thing to help your pet associate the behavior you want with a click then treat.
I found to train a behavior I wanted in the dog by first getting the movement or motion of that behavior with click and treat all the while making a sound similar to the "name", ie: You want the dog to sit. Getting them in the position is manipulation of holding the treat over their head so they go into a sit position and I will click as soon as their back end starts to drop and treat, while making a "ssssss" sound. Once the command is repeated then I put a name to that behavior when the dog "gets it" and does it consistantly.