sitting in heal then getting up

[sheltieluver]

I've been working on the heal command with Benelli or homework for class, he is doing very well the problem I'm having is when I stop he will sit for a second then get up. I don't have to tell him to sit when I stop he will automatically sit. Its just getting to stay in that sit position. I'm going to ask the trainer at class Sunday just wanted advice in the mean time.

[GrandeLSM]

Just give him a quick correction. With Rio its "eh eh eh" and a slight lift up on the leash/collar. He goes right back into sit. If they dont, then just re-command sit, and praise.

[rochie427]

I've also been working on Heel with my Rosie. Now that I've switched to a prong collar she heels very nicely and sits when I stop. She'll stay in SIT until I give the command to HEEL once again. If she gets up before I give the command I tell her NO, SIT until I am ready to proceed.

I give her verbal praise when she is heeling (GOOD HEEL) an verbal praise when she sits (GOOD SIT).

How is his STAY in general ?

[sheltieluver]

I use a martingal collar for him he heals very nicely I do what you do and talk to him when he's doing a good job. I correct and make him sit if he pops back up. His stay is pretty solid and I'd I told him to stay he would.

[Labradorks]

I wonder if you're not giving him some sort of a signal to heel again right after his bottom hits the floor. He may also be anticipating. If he always sits at a halt and then you move off to heel again, that could be your issue.

If I were in that situation with my guys, instead of just asking him to sit again, I'd say nothing and move back to the spot with him and start over. I also would not test him any longer than necessary. And, I'd not drill him.

I think you have to be careful here so you don't end up with a dog who hesitates to move forward again.

[xracer4844]

I teach this a couple of ways. When stopping to a sit/stay, I pull back gently on the lead and bring my right foot in-front of the dog and say AH-AH. This is a hault. Now from here, I can leave my right foot in front, or I can hold out my stay hand and walk away etc. If the dog leaves the sit, just an AH-AH. If no sit again, I correct. When beginning the heel again from the sit, I can say "lets go" and begin to walk LEFT FOOT FIRST, or swipe my left hand from front to back palm forward.

[Labradorks]

I teach this a couple of ways. When stopping to a sit/stay, I pull back gently on the lead and bring my right foot in-front of the dog and say AH-AH. This is a hault. Now from here, I can leave my right foot in front, or I can hold out my stay hand and walk away etc. If the dog leaves the sit, just an AH-AH. If no sit again, I correct. When beginning the heel again from the sit, I can say "lets go" and begin to walk LEFT FOOT FIRST, or swipe my left hand from front to back palm forward.

I would be careful with some of this - the corrections and physical blocking - as this can make a dog hesitant to move forward again at the heel. If the dog knows what he's supposed to do and is not doing it, that may be another story, but generally that is not the case. If the dog is popping up, it's because he is not trained that a sit means sit until the next exercise is requested. He is not trained to that level. Or, as mentioned, anticipation, which is also a completely normal part of training.

Is the dog's attention on you or a focal point on your body? Or is he looking elsewhere, including forward?

Another thing to try, if the dog wants to move forward versus sitting is, when he pops up, stand still, look at him, and wait for him to sit again. When he sits, praise him, wait a beat, then ask him to heel in a fun voice then praise and release. As he figures it out, you can wait longer the sit, and heel for longer before praise and release. Make it a fun game and you won't have a dog that hesitates to move forward at the heel.

I guess to answer your question appropriately, however, we'd have to know, is the dog paying attention to you or getting up because he wants to walk somewhere more interesting -- like he's sniffing toward something, just not paying attention to you? Is he anticipating? Is he anxious? Does he just want to go? Is he being defiant (very unlikely)? The bottom line is training, possibly your positioning, but knowing his motivation is key in helping to get it right.

[sheltieluver]

I think he's anticipating walking which I do what xracer does let's go leading with left foot and I give the command to heel. He does focus on me I talk to him while heeling things like yes good job or very nice. He knows what to do now so I try not to use treats all the time. I think maybe I'm expecting him to sit to long right now. Maybe its something I have to build up the time?

[Labradorks]

I think he's anticipating walking which I do what xracer does let's go leading with left foot and I give the command to heel. He does focus on me I talk to him while heeling things like yes good job or very nice. He knows what to do now so I try not to use treats all the time. I think maybe I'm expecting him to sit to long right now. Maybe its something I have to build up the time?

In class we have some dogs that anticipate the heel -- usually the Aussies. Usually at the beginning of class when they are excited and still somewhat distracted. I have the opposite problem because Linus used to have a really distracted heel from a sit when he was a puppy, before he really understood what I wanted, where, as soon as I said heel, he'd just stand up and start walking without any precision whatsoever, sometimes to the end of a the leash, sniffing toward something else, so I corrected him by saying "ah-ah" so then he was unsure whether or not I wanted him to move forward. First, he didn't understand that he should always be looking at his focal point and second, my correction was for what? Moving? Heeling? It just was not clear. So, he'd just sit there when I asked him to heel.

When I switched trainers, we did some exercises in which I have him at the heel position, ask him to stay, crouch, move forward like "ready, set...", then "LET'S GO!" while we rush forward or I throw cookies at the start of a heel and tell him to get them. Similar to how you get your dog to keep up with you in the outside of the figure 8, if you have done that. It's a super fun game that we also do between exercises in the ring (without treats, obviously, but I let him jump up when he "catches" me) and he can't help but have his attention on me at the halt and loves to go forward now. Our figure 8s have improved 110% too because he's totally into the "LET'S GO!" game. It's also used as a stay proofer. I can see if I can find it for you -- it's a Denise Fenzi exercise and she might have a video.

Anyway, with the dogs in class that anticipate, the handlers will just say something like "oops!" in a non-threatening tone and back up to the spot and ask the dog to get in proper heel position with a sit. The key is, they do this as soon as the dog's but prematurely lifts from the ground, not when the dog is already ahead or standing. It's an automatic "oops!" correct, try again. A few steps into the heal, praise, and release. The whole thing happens within a few seconds. No one is in trouble, no big deal. Then try again. When it's done correctly have a party. It doesn't take much for the dog to get it and there is no correction or body blocking, just a do-over until the dog understands what you want and/or gets their head in the game. Timing is important.

[sheltieluver]

Thanks that's pretty much what I've been doing. I'll have the trainer watch me on Sunday maybe Im doing something I don't realize which is causing him to get up. He does figure 8s we didn't even start them in class yet but I've done them before and he pivots and what I call hurry the outside where he has to keep up with you. For only having him 3 months and him not caring I focus to what we've accomplished this far I can say I'm extremely happy.