Questions about SIT & RELEASE commands...

[brookf]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first dog since I was 12 so please excuse the noob questions. The first 2 commands I want to teach my 10 week old pup is SIT and RELEASE (as per the advice of James Spencer's book) The pup knows his name (doesn't always respond) but when he does he comes up to me and sits automatically. So is the best way to teach him the SIT command force him to stand up, give the SIT command, force him to sit and then reward?

Also for the RELEASE command is it best to hold him, throw a desired object, then give the command and release him, then reward when (or if!) he returns with it?
Also tring to use RELEASE when he exits the crate...
Thanks for any advice--
Brook

[sn0wdude]

I'm training my second pup now she's 13 weeks. Im no pro, but have been doing really well with my two pups. All my information comes from Reading and rereading the book "Game Dog" By Wolters. Definatly reccommend this book. Any and all articles I find on the net. Here's what I'm doing and its going really well.

When Jewls was 10 weeks old all I did with her was play fetch in a hallway so she had no where to go but straight back to me. Hopefully your pup likes carrying something in his or her mouth as much as Jewls. Soon as she got back I would say drop, Open her mouth with one hand take the bumper and immediatly throw it again. Never hold on to the bumper for long at this age. The whole time giving lots of praise. Do that every morning and night for about five to 10 minutes for at least a week and she always love to bring things back to you. It will even get little annoying sometimes.

The next week I started the sit command before each meal and whenever I thought about it. I never had a set training session for the Sit command. When were at home and the dogs are playing I will interupt their play with a Strong Sit command and If they dont immediatly sit Grab the collar with one hand and push her but down with the other. After maybe two nights she would sit every time. On night three I started to add the whistle. Now after one week she sits almost every time with the Whistle and Voice. It really makes things go by alot faster when you do all this before meal time.

Now I'm putting the two together. We have a new fetch game. I give her the sit command and soon as her but touches the floor give lots of praise and Throw the bumber, still in the hallway so she has no where to go but back to me. She sits every time. When she returns I give her the drop command and she is getting better with this. she loves to hold that dummy. Not untill she is older and has a little more patience will I start to make her Sit then Release. When I started sit and release with my first dog Rome, I would make him sit still holding the bumper say drop, and if he does they persuade him, and give immediate praise and throw the dummy. Do not hold on the the dummy long or he will not want to bring it back to this guy who keeps stealing and keeping his dummy. Not until the dog is older and your starting to Steady the dog.

Hope all this information helps. It's and awesome sight, seeing your hard work pay off in the end. It's really starting to come around with my Oldest lab Rome he's 11 mo. He's getting into blind retrieves right now. The most training I do is every day after work for maybe 15 to twenty mins. Then just have fun for five or so. Some times your dog will have bad days and seems like nothing is going right.

[bobman]

walk him on a leash stop and tell him sit before he sits then praise, teach sit first then come.

Release with "ok" while he is sitting and start walking with him. All on leash. Keep it short and keep it sweet

[nowicki2005]

what kind of dog do you have? you may not want to teach the sit command