Good dog guardianship: Why are we really asking our dog to sit?

Because we want to be good dog guardians, here at Hope Rescue we are learning all the time. We are always ready to rethink our beliefs based on new evidence and be open to doing things differently if it means improving the welfare of our dogs and their relationships with humans.

In a new series of blogs, we take a look at some attitudes and approaches to dog guardianship that we sometimes take for granted and ask, ‘how might doing things differently be better for us and our dog?’

In this blog, we discuss how good dog guardians approach training obedience behaviours, like ‘sit’.

 

“Sit. Sit! Sit! SIT!!!!’

Many of us may have been here, right? Repeatedly asking our dog to sit while they stare blankly at us or are just busy doing something else. It can be frustrating and embarrassing when our dogs seem not to be listening to us.

We can feel judged and under pressure in front of other people, like on a vet visit, at puppy class or out at our favourite coffee shop. It’s hard to understand why something you have trained your pup to do beautifully at home, suddenly seems to go wrong. This can lead us to feeling disappointed in our dog and to being hard on ourselves.

But is this really fair? These kinds of negative experiences really don’t help us build the kind relationship with our dogs that we both need to be safe, healthy and happy.

Good reasons to ‘sit’

Training our dog in basic obedience behaviours like ‘sit’ can be very important. It helps keep us and our dogs safe, build strong bonds between us and engages our dogs’ brains.  They can also help us to give our dogs a chance to ‘re-set’ when they’re getting a bit over-excited.

In our daily lives, sometimes we do need our dogs to listen to us. For example, we might need them to not jump up on children or strangers. We need them to come back to us to keep people and other animals safe. We need them to leave objects that might be dangerous to their heath.

For some dogs, especially high-energy working breeds, its essential that we keep their brains busy to avoid other behavioural issues related to boredom. For these kinds of dogs especially, obedience or trick training can be a vital part of enriching their lives.

Why our dogs might struggle to sit

In reality, there are lots of reasons why sitting sometimes just doesn’t feel right for your dog. Being curious about why your dog is behaving differently in different situations and trying to understand things from their perspective can be key to building a stronger and more rewarding bond.

Too excited: When dogs are very excited, it can be almost impossible for some of them to concentrate enough to offer an obedience behaviour such as sit. For example, when they are meeting one their favourite humans. This is a very natural response and as long as your dog doesn’t seem stressed or isn’t being unsafe to others, then its not something we need to worry about.

To help your dog succeed in these situations concentrate instead on them simply keeping paws on the floor and reward that. This keeps everyone safe, gives you what you need, and allows your dog to have a fun, enjoyable experience.

Feeling frightened: If your dog is in a situation where they are scared, their brain switches from its normal steady state into survival mode – getting them ready for flight or fight. Asking your dog to ‘sit’ or to offer another obedience behaviour in moments like these is like asking you to focus on doing handstand when you’re scared of getting stung by a wasp!

Instead, concentrate on increasing distance from the scary thing, and rewarding your dog as they come with you, even if they’re still a bit upset. Often dogs will do better if they keep moving, instead of sitting still as the frightening thing gets closer and closer.

Feeling tired: Just like humans, if dogs are feeling tired, they’re less able to pay attention and less likely respond enthusiastically to requests. Sometimes it’s fine to let your dog off the hook. Ask yourself, do I really need my dog to perform the perfect sit right now? Who am I asking for – me or my dog?

A great time to work on obedience and trick training is the first time your dog gets out for exercise each day. Give them some time to burn off any excess energy and excitement and then channel that enthusiasm into some fun training activities!

Health issues: When your dog is unwell, they are unlikely to have the energy to do much – just like humans. This might show up as your dog seeming more reluctant to show us obedience behaviours like ‘sit’. Also, as dogs get older and they start to struggle with their joints, actions such as sitting can cause them discomfort and even pain. You might also notice some other signs of pain in your senior dog.

If you notice a change in your dog’s response to requests to do things like ‘sit’, then it could be their way of telling you that something is wrong. Don’t force them if you’re worried they might be uncomfortable and contact your vet for some advice. 

Sometimes ‘sit’ may not be not the answer

But are there times when maybe we are just asking our dogs to sit for the sake of it? Times when sitting actually has no practical benefit for us or our dog? In our culture, it can be easy to see habits like ‘sitting before the lead is put on’, ‘sitting to get a treat’ or ‘sitting when meeting new people’ as the sign of a ‘good dog’ and a ‘good owner’. But is this always the case? As we’ve discussed above, this may not be what’s right for every dog or in every situation– for example when they too excited, scared, tired or unwell?

Struggling to force your dog to sit in situations like these, by pushing them down or shouting at them, is only going to damage their trust for you and make future training harder. And its likely to leave you feeling frustrated, guilty and disappointed rather than proud and positive about working together with your dog.

This goes for training sessions too. Lots of dogs love obedience training, but some may find it stressful, uncomfortable or even a bit scary.  You’ll know your dog is enjoying themselves if they have a loose, relaxed body, a happy face, and keep coming back for more! Learning to read your dog’s body language can be a hugely valuable skill.

The bottom line

At Hope in the Community, we believe that as good dog guardians we have a responsibility to be curious about what our dogs need and what they are trying to tell us – and to take action to keep them safe and happy.

So next time we ask our dog to do something like ‘sit’, let’s take a moment to consider:

• Is this needed to keep dog, people and animals happy and safe?

• Is this the best option for our dog at this moment?

• Is working on this behaviour going to help build a stronger, more positive relationship between you and your dog?

If the answer is no, then consider giving yourselves a break or think about other, kinder options to get the same result. Sometimes good dog guardians have more important things to do that worry about where their dog’s bottom is!