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  1. #1
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    Beginner Novice Sit for Exam

    I am having a problem getting my Lab, Jake, to stay in the sit while the judge pets him in the "sit for exam" part of the trial. If he gets up it is an automatic NQ. Don't get me wrong..he is a well behaved dog but gets so excited when someone approaches he cannot stay in the sit. I have tried taking him to places where he can meet and greet so he can get accustomed to greeting. He doesn't jump on people but I need him to stay in the sit. He sits for the recall and stays in a sit where I have to walk around the ring while he sits and waits. Jake is 5 years old and has a super friendly lab disposition. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    That can be a tough one! I have a four year old dog who will rock the BN class...when I can get a consistent sit for exam out of him! But then, I have an 18 month old Lab who has not once got up from the sit for exam and is solid with the stand for exam and it's not even something we've really focused on. Funny how they are all so different.

    I haven't worked with the older dog on this exercise much recently, but here is what I've been told and gone through in training.

    Having the general public to practice with may not be your best bet. Do you take him to a class? Having the trainer and other experienced class members do it is best. It's supposed to be a no eye-contact, confident, really no big deal touch the head as you're walking by thing. The general public will look at the dog, be tentative, and generally mess things up. You can proof him with the general public at some point, but not recommended for training. Also, when proofing a dog like this for a show, make sure you have a strange man be the "judge". Also, have the man wear a tie. While they will often hold the tie or scarf when bending to touch the dog, sometimes there's a flap of fabric. Have the "judge" also hold a clipboard in one hand. The reason I suggest a strange man is because most classes are all women and that is who you'll mostly practice with. However, I would say that close to half of the judges are men. And they always wear ties.

    Some people also do this exercise where you put pressure on the leash to teach your dog that stay is an active exercise. I don't know what it's called and I can't explain it as it is new to me. I think it would help in this scenario. Maybe your trainer or someone on the board could point you in the right direction...

    Besides taking him in public, what have you tried so far?

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  4. #3
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    Another thing to try, at least at first although you will need to wean him off it, is to first stay right in front of him ... don't move to the end of the leash until he is solid. Also, have a treat in your hand and have him watch you. At first reward him just for sitting and watching you as the person approaches (no touching yet). Once he can stay focused as they approach, give him a quick treat as they are reaching to touch him (timing is key). Once he has the treat the exercise is over and he doesn't have to stay, but don't let him greet the person, either. Gradually make him wait through more and more touching, but have the treat where he can see it and stay focused on it. If he breaks, put the treat away and reposition him and try again, but maybe go back to an earlier step in the process for at least once, so he can have success. Be sure he is solid with each part of the exercise before getting farther away from him and/or trying to wean him off the treat. Once he is to the point where he can do it with all that, then move to the proofing Labradorks has suggested.

    I've never done BN, but this is how we teach the stand for exam in Novice, so it should be similar in principle.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
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    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

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    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  6. #4
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    IMO, you need to re-examine your standards for STAY. If you are giving him a STAY command, and he is moving, he doesn't understand the command well enough. Stay means to not move a muscle technically.
    I do it as Annette describes above initially. I may add the "Leave It" at first also, to remind a young dog of her manners. I was surprised at how fast my pup (who will likely do BN as my first obed event) actually got this. I was expecting a wiggling mess but she really has learned to respect the Stay command for her age (ehhh, well til the dumbbell toss or any other retrieve that is! lol, gotta work harder on that!).
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  8. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by windycanyon View Post
    IMO, you need to re-examine your standards for STAY. If you are giving him a STAY command, and he is moving, he doesn't understand the command well enough. Stay means to not move a muscle technically.
    I do it as Annette describes above initially. I may add the "Leave It" at first also, to remind a young dog of her manners. I was surprised at how fast my pup (who will likely do BN as my first obed event) actually got this. I was expecting a wiggling mess but she really has learned to respect the Stay command for her age (ehhh, well til the dumbbell toss or any other retrieve that is! lol, gotta work harder on that!).
    Good point! Any corrections need to be addressed to the fact that he broke a stay .... regardless of whether other people were involved or not. Since he knows STAY as a command, you can try reminding him as the person approaches that he is to STAY, and if he gets up, put him back and tell him "I told you to STAY".
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  9. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Annette47 For This Useful Post:

    JoAnn (01-13-2015), windycanyon (01-13-2015)

  10. #6
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    Sit for exam

    Quote Originally Posted by Labradorks View Post
    That can be a tough one! I have a four year old dog who will rock the BN class...when I can get a consistent sit for exam out of him! But then, I have an 18 month old Lab who has not once got up from the sit for exam and is solid with the stand for exam and it's not even something we've really focused on. Funny how they are all so different.

    I haven't worked with the older dog on this exercise much recently, but here is what I've been told and gone through in training.

    Having the general public to practice with may not be your best bet. Do you take him to a class? Having the trainer and other experienced class members do it is best. It's supposed to be a no eye-contact, confident, really no big deal touch the head as you're walking by thing. The general public will look at the dog, be tentative, and generally mess things up. You can proof him with the general public at some point, but not recommended for training. Also, when proofing a dog like this for a show, make sure you have a strange man be the "judge". Also, have the man wear a tie. While they will often hold the tie or scarf when bending to touch the dog, sometimes there's a flap of fabric. Have the "judge" also hold a clipboard in one hand. The reason I suggest a strange man is because most classes are all women and that is who you'll mostly practice with. However, I would say that close to half of the judges are men. And they always wear ties.

    Some people also do this exercise where you put pressure on the leash to teach your dog that stay is an active exercise. I don't know what it's called and I can't explain it as it is new to me. I think it would help in this scenario. Maybe your trainer or someone on the board could point you in the right direction...

    Besides taking him in public, what have you tried so far?

    Hi,

    Thank you for the help. Jake is taking a class. And I can see why taking him to a store isn't working. As people approach, they act excited which sets him off. I need to set up a "judge" situation and go from there. I am familiar with the exercise where the dog sits and you gently pull on the leash so that the dog resists getting up. Plus, he knows stay but evidently only to a point and I need to further enforce the command.

  11. #7
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    Thank you...great idea...break it down into smaller steps. I will do that.

 



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