# Waiting to teach sit



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Ive always waited to enforce the sit command until my dogs were steady on birds. Whats the thoughts of other owners that hunt over their dogs?


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## WillowyndRanch (Apr 3, 2012)

That's a standard with pointing dog trainers. Give's them fits at the Vet when I bring in a dog and the tech keeps telling a three year old to sit and the dog just stands there looking at them and wagging their tail. 

I generally will teach a dog to sit on command after steady training, sometimes early but always tell people to not teach the "automatic sit" taught by obedience trainers world wide as it becomes somewhat problematic when working steady training. As problems go, it's minor compared to others, but a problem is still a problem that needs to be worked through. The goal is to work through training with as few problems to correct as possible.

Ken


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

We taught Riley to sit as a young pup (not knowing about hunting training) and it has had no ill effects on her hunting. She's never once sat for a bird.... ever. Even if you hold a dead bird in your hand she won't sit. I think it's interesting that her mind is able to differentiate between obedience training and bird work.


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## WillowyndRanch (Apr 3, 2012)

Generally the problem doesn't show up until steady training Threefsh. It takes some level of pressure to teach the dog not to go after the bird and dogs with a strong Sit will generally use it as the go to response in an attempt to offer a behavior to the trainer. The more automatic the sit, the deeper the conditioned response, the more to work through.

Ken


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

I'm not saying you *should* teach a puppy to sit if you are planning on hunt training, just relating my own personal experience.  I've made her hold her point before for several minutes and she hasn't tried to sit or lay down. She gets so focused on the bird that all obedience training goes out the window. 

I don't want any forum members to think that their dogs can't hunt because they taught them to sit.


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## WillowyndRanch (Apr 3, 2012)

threefsh said:


> I don't want any forum members to think that their dogs can't hunt because they taught them to sit.


Good Point. (no pun intended)  As I mentioned, it isn't the toughest thing to work through, just something to think about if one can ahead of time.

Ken


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## MagicandNucky (May 14, 2012)

This is one I learned the hard way. I taught my Pup to sit within the first couple days i had him. When i tried to teach him "whoa" he would sit. He still does when i practice at home. My mother always sad I had to do things the hard way!


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## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

My dog was taught sit, by my GF, not my fault .. It is a conditioned response for him in the house. In the field not so much, although on the whoa barrel we had to work through alot of siting. I also have seen him under pressure on a bird defalt to sit, I dont worry to much about it I know I have a strong hunting dog and he will only get better.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I started this topic here after being in a discussion on a different forum. The topic was posted by someone getting their first pointer next month. My posts are under K.

Original Post
Been reading on the gun dog forum and saw people suggesting not to teach a young pointing dog the sit command? Why is this?

Originally Posted By: k
Its because they don't want the dog to sit under pressure when steadying them on birds. 

Originally Posted By: b
Best answear out of dozens of replies to the same question on several forums. 

Originally Posted By: Angie
Train the dog properly and they won't. That's like saying a show dog should never be taught to sit. What??
You can train a pointer or really any dog to sit and do it's job without sitting.
You just got to do it right.

Originally Posted By: k
Thank you Angie.
I guess the pointer pros have it all wrong. They should be asking you, a retriever trainer.


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## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

If the dog has inteligence, There should not be a problem teaching bolth Sit and Whoa. The order of how you train is what is important. That is why a good Gun dog pointer training book is your best start. You need a game plan and an order of operation to your training and a good book will lay that out for you. Follow the steps use common sense and read your dog. Example of a common mistake gun dog trainers make other then teaching sit. Is teaching in the wrong pattern. Ex (Whoa to come) this could be more of problem then teaching sit. (Whoa to heel) is the correct way to teach this command. There are many other examples of this in training. So get a book and read it cover to cover. Make a plan.


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