To Sit or not to Sit

[Kevin]

How many of you train your pointing dogs to sit?
Why or why not?
If so... when?

[Country-Side Breeders]

I train ours to sit, but it's more of a "fun" thing that they learn...about the only time it's utilized is when they've come in from doing their thing and sit by the snack cabinet and wait for one...and the kids like the "ego trip" they get by being able to make them sit on command and then give the biscuit. I don't use it in the field or while training though...just for fun.

[grant]

Kevin,

I added the poll option to the post for you.....

[grant]

I don't think most trainers do, but I do.

I feel like because my dogs are in the house, sit it a good command for them to know. I trained Bell to sit, stay, etc. as a pup and she does fine now.

If I'm thinking right, a lot of trainers don't teach sit because when a dog gets confused, he does what he thinks makes you happy, SIT. I guess this is because they often have the sit command drilled into them. In the dogs mind they think oh crap I'm getting shocked what do I do to make pops release the button Oh, he it when I sit. Pup sits, trainer gets mad, button gets released while trainer is on his/her way to ring the dogs neck. Dog thinks it worked

When training bell whoa, if she sat, I would apply collar lightly until I walked over and picked her butt of the ground. Then release the stimulation....

As for my dogs and I, we don't have a problem with sit.

[ckfowler]

Always have and never any problems in the field.

[Ayres]

I did, but then heard that I shouldn't because he'd sit down in the show ring. So we quit working on sit.

But then we said "the heck with it" and worked on it anyway. The sit command is like the gateway to a bunch of other commands, and we use it for "sit-stay" and as a sure-fire way to end training on a good note.

[snips]

I like waiting until a dog is sure on his birds at least. Altho I get many dogs in for training that have Sit drilled in them, and they will almost always sit when I train Whoa. I have never worried about it, I figure as long as he does what I say, 'WHOA,' then no big deal. Seldom do I see a dog actually sit on birds, but I figure there is no harm in waiting a bit for sit, a dog that is real confident in their pointing, IMO, will never have Sit affect them.

[ezzy333]

I wait till they are older so i don't confuse them. I dont want them to sit in the field or the showring so i just wait.

Ezzy

[GrouseHunter22]

Wait...... Then teach sit.

[ourhunters]

We have a really great obedience lady here, and she is such a firm believer in tons of commands. She figures your dog should be well rounded, and to be well rounded he or she should understand any command you teach them. Sure a pup will sit when they don't understand fully WhOA, all you have to do is teach them the difference. My husband was mad that I taught our dogs all the basic obedience commands also, but I've shown him that they can know all kinds of commands and it won't hurt their hunting ability, but make them a more well rounded dog!

[sudiegirl]

we were told not to teach our gsp sit b/c of sitting in the field when trying to teach whoa, etc etc. so, in a small house with children and other dogs that required house manners, we taught him whoa instead of sit. we were very positive, did it in front of the food bowl, and of course would reward him with treats and lots of hugs and kisses. our kids also get a huge power trip out of whoa-ing the dogs for the occasional treat! although our other 2 dogs know and understand sit, our gsp still does not sit on command, but he whoa's on command, and standing still is what we needed him to do in the first place, so purpose served in the house, and it carried over wonderfully into the field!!

[tfbirddog2]

I teach sit an haven't had problem. I think if that the dog can't siffer sit an whoa I would say they pushed the dog rear to the ground when they said whoa and not having known any formal knowledge of how to train a birddog to whoa. With a snap over their heads an the sit command (most of the time) they will sit. I always thought you started with sit before any training peroid. I mean you have to have some controll in the field to show the dog who is boss. Right?

[ezzy333]

tf, I can't quite agree with you even though what you say is true. I have never thought of sit as the way to demonstrate controland sure not in the field. The other thing is not that a dog can't tell the difference between whoa and sit. The peoblem was that a dog that tries to please you will many times want to sit when it has been whoad since it thinks you like that when he is at whoa. I'm sure you can train the dog to react differently but if sit hasn't been taught then you don't have to worry about undoing it if it comes up.

Ezzy

[tfbirddog2]

ezzy, True you are, but I would assume that if the dog sits when it is told whoa it was taught, sit-whoa , and not sit stay. Those are what I have taught all of my dogs is sit-stay so that when you teach stay, they some what understand the command and associate it in the same manner, as you wanted me to stop right here! With whoa training it is helpful to do the same. Or at least I have luck with saying Whoa!-easyholdem. My dogs now only have to be told easy or hold' em when they go on point. I don't know,I guess I've never had that problem with sit. I have trained blue-heelers to herd and birddogs to whoa-point an never had a dog so a mistake like that in commands.I would say it's not the dogs fault they only do as told,it would come from the training. I guess I've never seen it happen,but I got your point.

[Sharon]

If your dog lives in the house with you there are a lot of times when he just has to sit. I haven't found that sitting ever happens in a trial. My dog also bows to greet all strangers. He doesn't do that in a trial either. The judges love it! LOL

[vols fan]

I'VE ALWAYS TAUGHT MINE TO SIT. IT WORKS WELL IN HOUSE AND ON THE TAILGATE WHEN PUTTING ON COLLARS. NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE IN THE FIELD. MAY JUST BE LUCKY

[3Britts]

I taught my male to sit and have regretted it every since. Nothing is worse than showing you dog and having it sit in the show ring. Best way I know of to loose. Also, it has taken me two years to train it out of him when in the field. Judges don't like to see the dog sit when you come back to release him after you have flushed. He doesn't sit while in the field anymore but he will sit when on lead in the ring sometimes.

I don't teach the sit command anymore.

[Karen]

I show my dogs so I do not teach sit. Ever try to bait a dog in the show ring that's been trained to sit for treats? It aint purty.

[Englishsetterhunter]

I like waiting until a dog is sure on his birds at least. Altho I get many dogs in for training that have Sit drilled in them, and they will almost always sit when I train Whoa. I have never worried about it, I figure as long as he does what I say, 'WHOA,' then no big deal. Seldom do I see a dog actually sit on birds, but I figure there is no harm in waiting a bit for sit, a dog that is real confident in their pointing, IMO, will never have Sit affect them.

i had an english setter that sat when pointing birds but thats because she had hip problems but thier was no mistake that thier was a bird thier but her butt was almost touching the ground the last time we hunter her and she pointed i shot the last bird she ever pointed and it was with her sitting setter point atleast thats what my dad called it

[JasonW77]

Since my dog lives in the house with us and when friends and family come over "sit" is a good thing to use to keep her from going wild. I also have taught mine "mat" and "down" so she isn't under my wife feet all the time because it drives her "NUTS"