Sitting.

[Guest Jdct]

Baxter is doing really well. We haven't had to house train him or anything. We do have an issue with stairs but we are working on that. I was wondering about one thing though: how can you teach a greyhound to sit?

 

With a previous dog(pug), we used a martingale collar. We pulled the leach straight up. It took a while but she sat. Eventually she got it and we didn't have to use the leach anymore.

 

Would it turn out the same for Baxter? Would treats help? I know that sitting is sort of awkward for greys. Will this be a hindrance? I've trie the same thing I did with the pug but so far it hasn't worked. Any tips? How did you teach your grey to sit? What about other tricks?

[BatterseaBrindl]

Yes...it is 'different' for Greys. They're just not built like 'normal' dogs!

But...all three of mine can sit.

What worked for our guys was to hold a treat high up, over their nose, at the same time as you scoop the hind end underneath. This takes some coordination, especially if you're petite like me!

Nigel was very stubborn and the key for him was to place his hind end very close to the edge of a thick dog bed, so his butt didn't have to go as far down before it touched the ground.

Don't ask for a long sit...reward with praise and treat quickly, even if their butt just grazes the ground.

Nigel still will not sit unless he thinks he is getting a reward .....and he really dislikes sitting on the bare floor.

[ramonaghan]

I taught Sweep by catching her in that brief moment when she was sitting on her own before she would lie all the way down (I had taught "lie down" first, which made it easier). I didn't use a clicker or anything--though I am sure that would work well--I was just quick with the treats and then added the command. She caught on pretty quickly and is now a sitting fool anytime she wants something!

[Guest june]

I taught Sweep by catching her in that brief moment when she was sitting on her own before she would lie all the way down (I had taught "lie down" first, which made it easier). I didn't use a clicker or anything--though I am sure that would work well--I was just quick with the treats and then added the command. She caught on pretty quickly and is now a sitting fool anytime she wants something!

This Takes a bit longer, but they seems to really "get it." I noticed that my newest girl would jump on the couch and sit leaning against the back of the couch. I just started naming and treating the action. Took some time to generalize it, but she has it down pat now.

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/2009/08/greyhound-sits-101.html

 

This site has a lot of great training resources.

 

I used these methods to train sit, it was not something my grey ever did naturally. I don't know about every greyhound, but for the ones I have worked with, pulling straight up on a leash with any force would have a very negative outcome, I would never try to train a grey that way. For most greys, you have to understand that they are sensitive and respond well to positive reinforcement, and usually shut down with negative reinforcement or negative punishment. (I feel that pulling a leash up would be a more negative action) My personal dog has a short attention span, and sighthounds in general are more independent and not as "people pleasing" as other breeds, so you have to work around that challenge.

 

For my dog: short sessions, delicious food, and lots of praise.

[philospher77]

One thing you may want to ask yourself is "why do I want to teach my dog to sit?". If it's just because "all dogs should know how to sit on command", then I might just let it go for awhile and let the dog settle into the house, learn the routines, and watch the pug do it (if you still have the pug). Seeing another dog be rewarded for doing something can be a huge incentive to learning!

 

I have taught Katie to sit, but had the advantage that she was a natural sitter. She will even "sit pretty" (beg) for very brief moments, since I don't want to try and keep her up on those back legs too long.

[Guest Doggone]

In Autumn's case, I decided it wasn't that important to have her sit. First of all, she's an extremely ungainly sitter; I don't know if its due to her natural physiology, or possibly because as a broodie with a total of 24 offspring, her body had changed. But the most important reason is that she's very cooperative, and if I need her to be still, she listens to the command "hold" and just stays in place.

[lothianjavert]

I taught Sweep by catching her in that brief moment when she was sitting on her own before she would lie all the way down (I had taught "lie down" first, which made it easier). I didn't use a clicker or anything--though I am sure that would work well--I was just quick with the treats and then added the command. She caught on pretty quickly and is now a sitting fool anytime she wants something!

This is what I did with Rook as well- same end result too- anytime he wants something, he comes to me and sits (and looks at me and then at whatever item he wants).

[RedHead]

I have tried every training suggestion out there and my grey will just not sit. He never sits naturally, so I have stopped even trying to train it as I don't think it is comfortable for him. The way my guy's body is designed seems to make a lot of things difficult for him. He physically has a lot of trouble jumping up more than getting his front paws a foot off the ground. He also can't roach, he will try and just flop back on his side Maybe he is just extra "chesty" but either way, I think some greyhound builds make certain things harder. Other greyhounds seem to sit quite easily.

Edited September 28, 2014 by RedHead

[EllenEveBaz]

Another alternative method -- "Sit as a Bonding Tool" by Kathleen Gilley. http://www.geocities.ws/katnexta/articleSit.html Although my dear Nutmeg thought that "sit" meant she was to be still and let me fold her up.

[Houndtime]

I taught our new girl to sit, already. She is very food motivated and easy to teach. Learning skills together is a bonding tool. It is not so much as learning to sit that is important, as learning to do anything new, acquiring a skill, is good for the dog and for you as the instructor to succeed. It sharing something with your dog. That being said; we have had six greyhounds and all of them were taught to sit as well as other skills.

[GeorgeofNE]

Any dog can be taught to sit.

 

I hope when you say, with your Pug, you pulled up on the leash until she sat you don't mean you literally were throttling the dog until it's head came up that high and her hindquarters hit the ground? Please don't do that with your Greyhound, if you did!

 

I am just starting training with my new Greyhound. I use the tried and true "tuck and fold" method!

[sobesmom]

Some greys choose to sit just hanging around - many don't. Watch your grey. Does he ever sit just to chill? None of mine ever have.

 

Why do you want him to sit? Would a "down" serve the same purpose? If so - and it's a new dog - go for the down. It's more natural and comfortable for many greys.

 

If you are going to teach your grey a bunch of commands - I wouldn't pick sit as the first. I know it's the first for a lot of other breeds, but I'd work on look at me - stop - stay - down, etc, before sit.

[Guest CleverJason]

First, I taught him to lay down. Then, I would give him the lay down command and I'd gently hold his head up until his bottom touched, then give him a treat. Easy peasy.

[Mercsmom]

Yep, I did the lay-down-first method. Mercury is just beginning to sit but I only ask from a down position. It works like this:

Down command and hand signal (holding a mini marshmallow in the other hand does wonders for the power of concentration.

Praise and "mooshie" treat.

Then, I hold another marshmallow just above his nose. As he raises his head I draw the mooshie up until he has to get the front of his body off the ground. He's done it several times. Now, I'm attempting a 3 second "stay" in that position so he'll (hopefully) get the notion that sit is a position on its own.

[Guest Lygracilux]

I have tried every training suggestion out there and my grey will just not sit. He never sits naturally, so I have stopped even trying to train it as I don't think it is comfortable for him. The way my guy's body is designed seems to make a lot of things difficult for him. He physically has a lot of trouble jumping up more than getting his front paws a foot off the ground. He also can't roach, he will try and just flop back on his side Maybe he is just extra "chesty" but either way, I think some greyhound builds make certain things harder. Other greyhounds seem to sit quite easily.

 

 

Mine is just like this too! I dont think I've seen him sit once in the 3 weeks we've had him... so I dont know if I should even try to get him to sit. Lay down is good enough for me. And the same with roaching. He wants to and trys to, but just flops back on his side, unless I roll him onto something to support him. Then he enjoys it.

Silly dogs

[bradymom]

Brady learned to sit in his crate first. I had the large wire crate and when I first adopted him and was getting him used to me and my kitty I used the crate for training.

 

I used high value treats and was working on getting him in and out of the crate on command. It was a game and he's always up for a game. In and out, in and out. I also used the crate to begin the "look at me command" and "back-up" and "leave it" command.

 

With hotdog in my hand over the top of the crate he backed up and sat (much to my surprise) because he was not taking his eyes off that hotdog and he is very food motivated. Treated, praise and started again. I was amazed that he was doing it. The "sit" command was not even on my radar cause I heard how hard and uncomfortable it is for a grey hound. I did not introduce the word sit til sometime later.

 

It took a while for him to sit in other rooms but eventually he did it. I thrilled because he could be mouthy when getting treats and sitting helped with his being more gentle and focused about taking it out of my hand.

[Guest Lillypad]

I second the Never Say Never site for tips on how to best train greyhounds. She has years of experience with several greyhounds. Her suggestion about working against a hill worked for us, within a day my girl was a sitting pro. She can now hold a 3 min sit/stay. It can be done, go slowly make it fun, lots of patience and praise!!

Edited October 3, 2014 by Lillypad

[KickReturn]

I follow the school of thought that if sitting is not comfortable or natural for a Greyhound, why would one ever ask for such behaviour? I taught my Grey to sit when he arrived. He learned immediately, but the next day when I asked for a sit he cried - that was the end of that. I wish I knew about him then what I know now. If you need control, then teach down into a sphynx. They run, they roach, they sleep, they do lots of amazing things. Surely they can get by without sitting.

Edited October 4, 2014 by KickReturn

[cleptogrey]

i teach sit from a down position. i lure the pup into a sit and lure them back down w/ a morsel of food. i call it puppy push-ups. it works, eventually you can eliminate the down and do w/ jen in neversaynever does luring the dog back from a standing position. use language/words- down, sit, down, watch or look when you introduce the treat. once annie learned to sit she became the fastest sit in the east- does she hold it?

[Guest OhCatastrophe]

There are many methods but the key is persistence.

I use the lure method

Taking the treat and making their head go back

Head back = butt down

And if the back up start rewarding at smaller increments

 

If your interested in dog training petco has great and POSITIVE dog training!