A Quick Poll About "sit" Command Training

[Guest greysmitten]

Hi all - just a quick poll for a little "research". I appreciate your contribution

 

-mikey

Edited December 7, 2011 by greysmitten

[Guest BrindleBoy]

Indy can't figure it out. Heck, he doesn't even like lying down (let alone "sitting", which is really a misnomer with a grey since their butt doesn't touch the ground) unless he's at home. Go to a meet & greet for 4 hours, he STANDS the whole time. Won't even lie down when all the other greys are.

 

That being said, he has been doing fantastic with "leave it", "stay", and "come". Even w/o treats involved. But I don't think he's EVER gonna' sit.

[Kestrel]

I answered for Badger, who will do almost anything if there's food in my hand and no distractions, and will do it most of the time without seeing the treat. He has to give us a "down" before he eats, not a sit, and he does that usually without being asked.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Both dogs sit on command, with or without a treat.

Nixon will sit if he thinks he might get a treat.

 

Ruby is often found sitting outside, leaning up against the fence.

 

She does not always associate sitting with treats.

[Riverhound]

Joe does a wonderful sit if I have something he wants -- like my own dinner! Sometimes he'll sit with no bribe, but usually just looks at me like, "Geez lady, I know you don't have anything, so why should I bother?".

 

BUT, he's a good dog who knows our routine, crates well, and loves going places and meeting people. "Sit" is pretty minor!

[Guest PiagetsMom]

Mirage has been with me for over 3 years, and never did you ever see him just sit. A couple of months ago I started working with a clicker to capture a "sit" as he prepared to lie down. I'm proud to say that he sits on command quite well now, but I do still offer a treat. Recently I begain asking him for a sit before serving him his meals, and he does that as well.

[GreyPoopon]

With so many current/former greys, it's a little hard to answer. But basically, they've all learned how to sit on command, albeit some more promptly than others. An obvious bribe does tend to induce a faster response. Some will even offer a sit in the hope of getting a treat. Poppy is the funniest--she'll follow me around the house, and toss in a sit whenever she thinks it might work. The other funny thing is to see one offer a sit and get noticed (whether or not the treat has been delivered) and then watch others rush up to sit as well.

[Batmom]

The current pair are good sitters. I don't require them to sit before meals etc. but they will usually offer a sit to get their leash on, if they think I might have some treats and might share, etc. They will both sit without bribery but I don't often ask that of them. Dogs are cute, life is short, and I've almost always got a pocketful of treats .

[Guest snowmo18]

This is the one command that I have managed to teach Raider in about a week. Not only is a verbal command of "sit", but I also have my hand open facing the ground and do the motion of moving my hand down when I say "sit". He will follow both commands together or seperate..yay Raider . If only he would come on command...thats not happening anytime soon

[GeorgeofNE]

Well, I don't feel compelled to make my dog sit before he eats, but he does sit on command.

 

He doesn't STAY seated, but he'll sit as many times as I ask!

[Guest shanesmom]

Haven't taught Ace to sit yet. Plan to soon though. He was not shy when he came home but super skittish about certain situations so I wanted to give him plenty of time to adjust first. He's been here since August. Elton did not want to sit but would lay down on command and stay as long as I wanted him to. Shane sat on command but not all the time.

[Guest verthib]

Greyhounds in general don't like to sit because of how they're built, it's not comfortable. I won't teach mine to sit. We teach the stand stay command or lie down stay command.

[Moonsmom]

I answered for Minty..she's a good sitter. Doesn't sit for long.. but if I say "sit".. she'll plunk right down..treat or not. And if she sees something that she's getting kind hopeful that might be headed her way; or that I might want to share..she'll sit.. and if I don't notice..she'll "give paw" to make sure I see that she's available!

 

Now, Hoover... he'll sit on his bed. Sometimes just to sit and watch what I'm doing. He'll do if I ask..but not on hard floor or tile. But he's kind clunky getting into a sit; he's got a plate in his rear leg and it seems like he kinda swings it from the side after he's partially sitting on the soft bed.. so maybe he's got his own wy of getting into position! But he's great at "back up, Hoover!"

[Hubcitypam]

Except for Harley I've never even tried to train any of them to sit -- down, wait and stay are much more useful.

 

if it is uncomfortable for all/most of them.

 

I've seen lots of greys sit comfortably with their legs to the side like doxies and Buck used to crack me up sitting in the back yard deep in thought resting on his haunches -- his back legs swung forward like a rocking chair. He'd be flat on his butt but his back legs would be in the air on either side of his front ones.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Hubcitypam

[Ragsysmum]

None of my greys or fosters has ever sat freely from choice. I assume therefore it is not an easy or natural postion for them and so I never try to teach them to do it. Can't see the need really as long as they either stand still or lie down when I want them to be still and wait for something.

[PrairieProf]

You missed a question I would have put on there, "Does your grey sit to bribe you for food?" or "Does your grey sit at inappropriate times?" She definitely sits often when we're out walking to demand a treat in a fairly pushy way! I guess she has the association sit = treat very well ingrained.

 

I thought the last question was weird, actually. While Beth will sit on command (if she's paying attention), I do not expect her to sit except when I ask her. She is calm waiting for food and I've never seen any reason to ask/expect her to sit then, as sitting is not a natural greyhound waiting posture. Nor do I expect her to sit before crossing a street, for greeting someone, etc., though I have practiced asking for these things in obedience classes. That might be appropriate for some dogs, but it doesn't seem appropriate to expect of a greyhound. Beth is one of the "sittingest" greys most of my friends have seen and I often get comments on that, but holding a sit on a hard surface takes effort for her, so I'd never expect her to do it routinely. Standing quietly seems the natural and appropriate thing.

 

FWIW Beth sits spontaneously when she's on a slope facing downwards -- she'll choose to sit to survey the scene, and can hold the posture on a grassy hill for an extended time. (That's how I taught her to sit on command and now recommend to others -- teaching her the command on a downward slope.)

Edited December 8, 2011 by PrairieProf

[XTRAWLD]

I answered for Ryder. I have never seen a greyhound sit as much as him. He is a real dog we keep telling ourselves.

 

Kasey doesn't sit ever for no reason! LOL But he does sit when we ask (takes a little patience and coaxing as he gets situated) and when food is around.

[Feisty49]

Indy can't figure it out. Heck, he doesn't even like lying down (let alone "sitting", which is really a misnomer with a grey since their butt doesn't touch the ground) unless he's at home. Go to a meet & greet for 4 hours, he STANDS the whole time. Won't even lie down when all the other greys are.

 

That being said, he has been doing fantastic with "leave it", "stay", and "come". Even w/o treats involved. But I don't think he's EVER gonna' sit.

 

 

This sounds like Annie Bella. She has never sat, at least in my presence. Even when she lays down, she seems to skip the sitting part and just flops. Having said this, when it's time for a meal or a treat, she stands patiently until all is clear, meaning I have to be out of the kitchen (this is something new since the contractor started working on the new bathroom).

 

Annie Bella also stood at her M&Gs, before I adopted her, even though there were soft, comfy blankets to lay on. Sitting is not her thing.

[Trihounds]

In the 3 years we've had our hounds, I've never seen them sit on their own. We don't teach it, either. They stand or lay down.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I answered yes to the last question, although the appropriate behavior that she performs unasked is not a sit. She knows to stand still when she comes in from outside so I can wipe her feet, she'll even lift her front paws before I even touch them. She also waits until I say Ok before she eats and waits for Ok before walkiing out the door or getting out of the car.. Because she does these without prompting, I'm sure that if there was a task I trained her to sit for, she would do so without being asked. I just don't have any situations where it is sit that I ask for.

[Guest greysmitten]

I find the varying answers pretty interesting.

 

As for the last question in my poll ... I threw that one in because Azi seems to prefer sitting as her "waiting" pose. She will sometimes just sit in the living room and look at me. I interpret this to mean "Can I come up on the couch?" or "Will you pet me?". She will also sit without being told while I prepare her meal. It is never the "side sit" on her hip; it is always the "crouch sit", where her bum isn't really touching the floor. I've seen Boxers do this as well.

 

Like most new Grey owners, I had always heard/read that they don't like to sit because it's unnatural and uncomfortable. Maybe for my girl it's more comfortable than standing around or completely laying down?

 

Are there any other Grey in GT land who seem to LIKE to sit?

[krissy]

Summit only likes to sit on sand at the beach. He'll sit for prolonged periods of time. Otherwise he sits when asked but does not like to hold the sit. On carpet or rubber flooring I can get him to hold his sit for about 30 seconds fairly willingly. Cement or hardwood... he'll sit and then pop back up a split second later. He does always sit on command. I 99% of the time ask him for a down/wait before dinner so he will typically offer that on his own. Every now and then I ask him to sit for dinner. I'm sure if I consistently asked for the sit/wait before dinner he'd do it automatically. For example, he automatically sits when I ask him to finish (obedience command where your dog sits in front of you and then walks around behind you and sits at your side in the heel position. "Around" to him means to walk around me and sit. I never ask for that sit anymore. He will also sit if he's trying to get a treat... but then he just throws out all his tricks hoping one of them will get him something.

[Guest greysmitten]

Summit only likes to sit on sand at the beach. He'll sit for prolonged periods of time. Otherwise he sits when asked but does not like to hold the sit. On carpet or rubber flooring I can get him to hold his sit for about 30 seconds fairly willingly. Cement or hardwood... he'll sit and then pop back up a split second later. He does always sit on command. I 99% of the time ask him for a down/wait before dinner so he will typically offer that on his own. Every now and then I ask him to sit for dinner. I'm sure if I consistently asked for the sit/wait before dinner he'd do it automatically. For example, he automatically sits when I ask him to finish (obedience command where your dog sits in front of you and then walks around behind you and sits at your side in the heel position. "Around" to him means to walk around me and sit. I never ask for that sit anymore. He will also sit if he's trying to get a treat... but then he just throws out all his tricks hoping one of them will get him something.

 

Haha, I LOVE when dogs do that dance Up, down, sit, and throwing paws around!

[Guest RooMcClanahan]

Both of ours will do a sit before eating. We don't even have to ask anymore. It's nice because they are such major chowhounds that they bounce around when we're going for their food but then it kicks in that, to eat, they need to chill out for a second. Works for us!

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Jayne seems to like sitting. Mostly she uses it as a way of asking for something, but I often see her in a sit while she's on the couch, in the car or just in the back yard. She never sits just to sit on a hard, flat floor though.