Sit Stay holding Gordon back. Advice needed.

[GordonDaSheltie]

Hi everyone!

Gordon's training has been going really really well lately, ever since i switched to using skinless Vienna sausages BUT

The instructor at the club won't let us move up to the next grade until he can do the sit stay where we walk a full circle around the dog. ( we are still working with a leash atm)

He will sit stay when its "nose to knee" or when i'm feeding him at home, but as soon as i have to walk around him he gets up and follows the turn.

Not matter what tone of voice i use or how fast or slow i walk around him he gets up as soon as i move into his peripheral vision. I've even tried breaking it down to small incremental steps.

Has anyone else had this problem or any advice on how to help him? We have one class left before the club closes for summer and then no training until February! The instructor was super clear that he wanted him to move up before the last class but i don't think i can train him with a week to go.

 

[Caro]

Really common problem, esp with small dogs, they don't like you going behind them. When you walk around in him increments, hold the treat in front of his nose so he's distracted by that rather than what you are doing. Or if you can't reach down try holding something else in front of his nose like a lickable wooden spoon. With Deska I had to initially let him work at the treat (nibble at it) to distract him enough as I walked around. Then we moved on to leaving the treat pouch on the ground in front of him while I walked around - I actually could never walk around him with a treat because he's such a food hound he's too distracted wondering where the treat is. I also re-affirm the stay at the 90 and 180 degree points (with my hand as well has voice).

You could do other things to get him used to you being behind him - like stand behind him when he eats, teach him to sit with his back to you (again you'll need to do this with a treat in front of his nose) or stand behind him and give him a shoulder rub.

Not sure if you do an assessment to pass to the next grade, but I've seen this cheat at assessments - get someone in the family nearby in a direct line of sight of the dog and tell him what a good boy he is (I've even see people holding a treat or a toy) to distract them from looking behind. Which makes me think, maybe your partner could hold the treat while you walk around Gordon.

 

[Calliesmom]

so in rally here, there is a sign where the dog sits and you walk around him very close and return to heel position. then in Beginner Novice obedience, there is the sit stay where the dog sits in the middle of the ring and you walk the whole way around the ring and return to heel position. Treat on the nose while you walk around is a great way to teach the first one. and possibly going a little wider so he can see you the whole time- he'll need to turn his head to the other direction as you pass behind him to keep an eye on you- could help with that. for the second one, you have to work on the stay and don't move no matter where I go....(Still working on that one as that was what kept the brown dogs from getting their title at the last obedience trial). With my first sheltie, Callie, I had to make a wider circle so she could watch me- if I got too close, she would get up. the other shelties I taught with the cookie on the nose so I can make a very small circle around them. they were taught that on leash and I would hold the leash as straight up as I could so my hand would be above the head so when we move to off leash, the hand can be in that position and they are used to staying there while the hand is above them.

 

[2GoodDogs]

Here's some things I've used. I keep my fingers on his head as I walk behind and around him. With my touch he knows where I am, then once that's going well, I start to fade the touch and add a little time and distance. Don't rush the stay, always work on duration before distance.

Keeping him on lead I'll put a treat out of reach in front of him, he's on leash so I can stop him from breaking to get the cookie before I walk around him and release him to go get it. This was pretty comical the first time or two... laughing at him wasn't recommended, but I couldn't help it. he drools a lot on both the stays and stand for exam. the cookie really came in handy to get him to hardly notice the stranger approaching and touching him.

Easy does it, your good dog will get this with a little patience and practice. It is also a command you need to use in your daily life wherever you can. sit and stay for your food bowl to be set down, sit and stay before going in or out the door. sit and stay while I brush, sit and stay because I say so ...

 

[Piper's mom]

When I started out with Piper in beginner obedience, after we'd taught the stay (and probably near the end of beginner or near the start of the adult obedience) and reinforced it well, when we returned to our dog we went around the back of the dog to return to their right side. We've been doing it this way now for over a year and when I put him in a stay I can walk circles around him and he wont move...he'll move his head and watch me but he doesn't get up. I'd work on cementing his stay's first and proof him on as many things as you can think of. When you are working with him on his stays try 'testing' him to see if he will break them ( no better way for him to learn than to catch him and correct right away) have someone throw a ball across his path or, return to him (but don't release him) and run away from him or tie a string around his favorite toy and when you return to him (but not releasing him) leave again but drag the toy behind you and every time he breaks his stay put him back into the stay. Once he's really got his stay solid then when you return to him start to return behind him and eventually he will stay until you release him. Hope this helps and good luck!