Stay on a HUP

reevesg · Post by **reevesg** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 3:10 pm

Hey,

I am fairly new to dog training and so could use some pointers on the basics. I have had my wonderful springer for about 2 months now and she is really solid on come ( I just use her name and 3 whistle peeps ) and Hup and pretty good on down and off and give it.

I am having trouble getting her to stay in place when I hup her and start to move away. She will sit still for minutes at a time as long as I dont move. I can walk around her and although she strains her neck to watch me she will generally stay seated but when I start to slowly move back she gets up. Obviously I started by moving back a step and then going back to her and praising her but I haven't really been able to get past a couple of steps.

I have been able to move father away with her in the down position and telling her to stay.

I have generally been very gentle with her (she is real submissive) and the one time that I yelled at her for getting up she just laid down. I want her to stay sitting and I don't want to have to say stay so I have just persisted the way I described above but now we are not making any progress.

Her confidence is building and now that I am absolutely sure that she knows to sit when I say Hup so I can correct her by yelling at her when she doesnt and then the next time she listens and obeys like a champ.

I don't think that she knows that she is supposed to *stay* yet so I don't think they yelling will work. Its not that she doesn't want to stay, its that she doesn't know she is supposed to.

Quite a long post for a simple question

but he it is... What can I do to make her understand that she is supposed to stay?

Thanks, great forum.

Gareth

snips · Post by **snips** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 10:49 pm

I don`t think you mention how old she is. I would work on the different tasks separatly until she is 100% on the basics before putting it all together. It takes a long time to build a dog up on leaving for distances. Esp. if they are real young. One thing you can do is never call her to you when you release her, I always mix up my release with an "OK" and sometimes a head tap, sometimes I use a whistle release. Don`t let her think she can move til you give the signal, whatever it may be. Just don`t rush it, try to ask a little more each day. I would not yell for any reason, dogs can learn just as easy by speaking softly, if they don`t comply with a normal tone, go resit her firmly, they will learn to react to low tones just as well. Sometimes when I am building up distance I do not worry whether they are sitting or laying down, they just need to stay for now, later they will relax with the "sit" and understand what you want. One behavior at a time, if you are building distance, work on that, the sit and down will come wih it later. Right now get her confidence in you leaving her. If you are working wih a pup, I would let her grow up some, sounds like she is doing well so far.

reevesg · Post by **reevesg** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:35 pm

Thanks for your comments Brenda,

She is almost 1 year old and I have had her since she was 10 months. Its nice to know that it just takes time and that we seem to be progressing normally.

I haven't really worked on using a release, just walking back, stopping and then coming back to her with praise and or treat.

Gareth