The different types of Sit

[oranges81]

Lol! I made that mistake with Maze. Heel on my right, treat with my left. I had her walking backwards, in front of me, waiting for the treat.

[BJDimock]

It seems as though the best guides I have ever raised have been too in tune to the treats. I have had better luck weaning them quickly. It was like they knew there was a treat coming, so how could they shorten the movement to get it quicker? They were really trying hard to out think me. So yes, I became random with my treats. And they became more in tune to the sound of my voice. It's a bit like clicker training, but I find my voice and pets work just as well.

[oranges81]

I've got a clicker but I only use it when I'm shaping movements I don't want a cue for.

[BJDimock]

Cant quite coordinate the clicker, my voice and the treats, so I don't use one.
(Still learning to treat from the left!)

[oranges81]

I use one mostly on the agility field. Still trying to get Maze to stop jumping off the dog walk so I mark it when she hits the yellow. Now trying to coordinate the clicker, treats, TOY and the dog.. That's difficult. Lol

[IliamnasQuest]

Ideally you will teach your dog how to respond to commands that control the hind end, so that you can get her to understand how to tuck her rump back and sit squarely beside you. Heeling next to an object is awkward unless you're always heeling in an area that has a wall or fence - and since she's already learned to swing her rump out, the wall/fence would probably be a temporary "fix" and then she'd go back to the original behavior. It's much better to have a command that controls her hind end. And if you're planning on rally or regular obedience, you'll find that controlling the haunches is absolutely invaluable.

There are many ways to teach the dog to shift the hind end around. If your dog truly understands heel position, she should automatically adjust when you move your left shoulder back and pivot slightly to the left (in place, not in a half-circle). Many dogs, however, think of "heel" as a movement and not a position so when the person pivots left they get all discombobulated and end up out of position. So you can specifically work on getting your dog to move her haunches back and to the right (behind you when your dog is on your left).

One way to do this is to simply grasp the back of your dog's collar (a flat collar is best, both for you and the dog). Keep your palm down and put your hand over the collar so you can hold it securely (while she's in heel position and preferrably standing). (NOTE: I see that you're working with a JRT .. you will probably have difficulty reaching the collar and staying upright! Use a leash then, and bring your hand back behind you to rest on your butt - tighten that so that your dog is pulled slightly backwards and against you instead of twisting the collar).

Then you make a very slight pivot - maybe 1/4 of one step - in place. When you do this, let your hand turn slightly counterclockwise so that the collar twists a bit. The idea here is not to create pain or to choke the dog, but to make it feel a bit awkward. And then stand there and wait. As SOON as your dog shifts her hind end to the right (even an INCH) you mark that behavior, release the collar and reward. You may have to wait a while, but patience is the key to training.

With some dogs you may have to gently touch your toe to the front paw closest to you, but I prefer not to do this unless necessary. It's just one more thing you have to wean out (both the touch and your body movement). Most dogs will make a comfort shift just with your slight pivot and twisting the collar a bit.

You can practice this a few times and then stop while on a good note - and do these sessions 2-3 times a day. All of the dogs I've worked with have learned pretty quickly to shift the rump back. You gradually expect more movement (once they're doing an inch consistently, expect two inches, then three, etc.). And, of course, you begin to pivot farther as you ask for more movement. You may want to practice pivots without your dog. Try turning on a paper plate - you have to keep your feet close and shuffle a bit to avoid stepping out into a circle.

Give it time to sink in. Like any behavior, a good foundation is important. Once you've got a good pivot behavior, you can add a word (I use "get back") and then fade out the collar cue. Your body cue remains, however, since you will be pivoting with the dog.

If you're really devoted to this, you can teach the pivot on the right side too. Start from the beginning, since it's a different behavior (shifting the rump to the right is not the same as shifting the rump to the left in the dog's mind) and use a different verbal command. I worked my chow in freestyle and she heels on both sides and also pivots on both sides as well as heels backward and sideways. The hard part was not the training - it's remembering all the commands!

On the right finish, I teach it by using treats to drive the dog around me. With the dog sitting in front, I initially lure the dog up with a treat in my right hand, and then toss the treat behind me (so that it lands somewhere angling toward my left side but behind me - getting the dog to start to circle) and then once she grabs the treat I simply give my heel command and bring her up into heel position (if I throw the treat correctly, she should be picking it up and turning kind of behind my left butt cheek or left hand, maybe 3-4 feet back). The movement that my right hand does (circling back to throw the treat) becomes the physical cue, too.

As the dog starts to understand, I try to toss the treat back behind me so that it lands to the left of me, to help push her farther over. And when she's consistently driving up out of the front sit and zooming behind me, I make the throwing movement but instead of letting go of the treat, I pass it to my other hand (behind my back) and then immediately step forward saying "heel" and bringing my dog up to my left, giving her the treat as she reaches heel position. Then I fade out the steps forward and start giving a verbal "sit" as she reaches heel position.

It usually doesn't take long for a dog to pick this up. One of the problems people tend to have with the right finish is that dogs kind of meander around and gaze at things while they're behind the handler. This often happens when the old "yank 'em around with the leash" method is used. I haven't had that problem since I've gone to the more motivating method of throwing the treat. And, of course, like everything you gradually fade out the treats or make them more random (and not on you - put them on a table or shelf) so that the dog isn't thinking that she only has to work when she can see/smell a treat.

Good luck!

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[oranges81]

Thanks Melanie! I've tired to throw the treat behind me but Sandy just looks at me like "What? It's on the floor.. I don't want it" I'll have to try it with better treats I think. I just picked up some Liverwurst for this so hopefully that will work better.