Help with "Sit on the dog"....

[Two Dobes]

I loved the article I found on here about Sit on the Dog by Margo Woods, and am currently training a dobe pup for friends. She is 4 months old, and has been with me for the past 3 weeks. I feel she is ready for Sit on the dog, but can't get through 5 full minutes! She eats my shoes, squirms around on the floor at my feet, chewing the leash etc. I do my best not to touch her other than to redirect with the leash, but it becomes a game to her. She is smart as can be, and has done real well on impulse control exercises, but this has been a challenge! I didn't think she was too young for this exercise, but boy is this tough!

Any ideas?

 

[Kswoodssue]

I worked on this during lunch. It doesn’t make for a relaxing meal, but I wanted her to learn this for when we visit dog friendly patios for a meal. I will admit that we still work on it, but without the leash. I found that putting a bite of food on the edge of my plate gave her something to focus on (stare at). She gets the bite when I am finished. The same exercise without the bite visible to her just doesn’t work as well.

 

[Two Dobes]

I love that "doesn't make for a relaxing meal"....Today I gave her a toy to mess with, and she was over it within minutes, and back to being a screwball . The interesting thing; I take her to Lowe's and chat with people, and she sits like a champ and hangs out nicely. I guess because it is so busy and noisy that it keeps her mind busy. It is when I try it at home that she is bored and becomes wild.

 

[Ukesox]

I loved the article I found on here about Sit on the Dog by Margo Woods, and am currently training a dobe pup for friends. She is 4 months old, and has been with me for the past 3 weeks. I feel she is ready for Sit on the dog, but can't get through 5 full minutes! She eats my shoes, squirms around on the floor at my feet, chewing the leash etc. I do my best not to touch her other than to redirect with the leash, but it becomes a game to her. She is smart as can be, and has done real well on impulse control exercises, but this has been a challenge! I didn't think she was too young for this exercise, but boy is this tough!

Any ideas?

I couldn’t have managed 1 minute with Luna at 18 months (& I doubt that Margo could have done either)
….but I wish you good luck

 

[Ravenbird]

I didn't learn about this until Asha was grown and I've still never done it as a training method. But this:

can't get through 5 full minutes! She eats my shoes, squirms around on the floor at my feet, chewing the leash etc. I do my best not to touch her other than to redirect with the leash, but it becomes a game to her. She is smart as can be, and has done real well on impulse control exercises, but this has been a challenge! I didn't think she was too young for this exercise, but boy is this tough!

^^^ this is exactly what I would expect would happen with a high drive Dobe puppy. I haven't read the method for a year or two and can't remember if it's important that they are close enough to bite shoes... I could see myself getting a 50 lb bag of sand in a plastic bucket and putting the leash under that instead of under my foot and put it and the pup just a few inches further than where it could reach the chair or my feet.
And patience. 10,000x more patience.

I found that putting a bite of food on the edge of my plate gave her something to focus on (stare at). She gets the bite when I am finished. The same exercise without the bite visible to her just doesn’t work as well.

If it works for you and your dog that's great. My dog will be still and stare a hole in anything that might bring her that prize. But I'm one of those who hate a dog staring at my plate or at me while I'm eating, so I'd never start that habit. From day one, Asha was never allowed to be close to the table while we are eating - as a youngster, she was put in an X-pen where she could see but not be under foot, then when she knew place, she was expected to stay on her bed in the living room - in sight of the table about 10 feet away - while we ate. She learned that she never got anything and now when we serve our plates she retreats to the bed, knowing that nothing will happen with her again until we clean up the dishes.

Edit to say, we go to many patio restaurants and she lays at my feet and never stares at us eating. And yes, I do occasionally give her something off my plate at home or eating out but because it's not part of the routine, she doesn't expect it and isn't looking for it.

 

[Kswoodssue]

I didn't learn about this until Asha was grown and I've still never done it as a training method. But this:



^^^ this is exactly what I would expect would happen with a high drive Dobe puppy. I haven't read the method for a year or two and can't remember if it's important that they are close enough to bite shoes... I could see myself getting a 50 lb bag of sand in a plastic bucket and putting the leash under that instead of under my foot and put it and the pup just a few inches further than where it could reach the chair or my feet.
And patience. 10,000x more patience.


If it works for you and your dog that's great. My dog will be still and stare a hole in anything that might bring her that prize. But I'm one of those who hate a dog staring at my plate or at me while I'm eating, so I'd never start that habit. From day one, Asha was never allowed to be close to the table while we are eating - as a youngster, she was put in an X-pen where she could see but not be under foot, then when she knew place, she was expected to stay on her bed in the living room - in sight of the table about 10 feet away - while we ate. She learned that she never got anything and now when we serve our plates she retreats to the bed, knowing that nothing will happen with her again until we clean up the dishes.

Edit to say, we go to many patio restaurants and she lays at my feet and never stares at us eating. And yes, I do occasionally give her something off my plate at home or eating out but because it's not part of the routine, she doesn't expect it and isn't looking for it.

Lol! She is my dieting assistant/calorie counter!

 

[Ravenbird]

She is my dieting assistant/calorie counter!

Well, in that case maybe I should change my ways.

 

[Cranekc35]

I loved the article I found on here about Sit on the Dog by Margo Woods, and am currently training a dobe pup for friends. She is 4 months old, and has been with me for the past 3 weeks. I feel she is ready for Sit on the dog, but can't get through 5 full minutes! She eats my shoes, squirms around on the floor at my feet, chewing the leash etc. I do my best not to touch her other than to redirect with the leash, but it becomes a game to her. She is smart as can be, and has done real well on impulse control exercises, but this has been a challenge! I didn't think she was too young for this exercise, but boy is this tough!

Any ideas?

I find that it was easier when I started this with my boy after he had some physical activity first. Tires them out enough to want to take a break while doing this exercise. I also did it in busy environments at first too. A park, at a restaurant, in the front yard, etc. I also would do it in the evenings after a training session when it was time to settle in front of the TV. Now, if I am talking to someone at a store or at home and he is on leash, he will immediately just lay down at my feet and wait patiently. Same at my office. Hope this helps!

 

[Two Dobes]

Thank you all for replies I have come to realize this is hard for an energetic puppy...but we work on it daily. "Train the dog in front of you." I feel that if I get frustrated; it is time to stop before that message gets to the pup. I am working hard on keeping 'myself' up and neutral while doing this.
She is putting it together, and perhaps I will have to continue to just work on it minutes at a time and lower my expectations in these early stages.