# Teaching dog to sit square,Tough for me



## Simon (Jul 23, 2008)

I am having a hard time teaching my Corgi to sit square. What the best way to do this.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

For formal obedience sits?


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## gingersmom (Jun 2, 2008)

I would love some suggestions about this too. It's trickier to train a small dog, I think!

My dog Ginger had learned to "sit front" before we got her, and she tends to fall into that even when I am walking her on a leash.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

All dogs are initially leery of entering the space around you so we start out with crooked sits, too far away, leaning sits and backward sits (trying to look up). Several things you can try: a carpet square as a target (or two - one for front and one for heel postion) or a couple of dowels on the floor as guides. Spit food (after the sit) to encourage coming in close and looking up at your face. 
If you're getting backward sits or not coming in close enough, lean back on your heels so you're leaning backward...even an inch or two makes a huge difference here.
For the heel position feed with the left hand and keep your wrist on the seam of your pants leg and don't lean into the dog when you do that....bend straight forward/down. You don't 'deliver' the treat....the dog has to come into heel position to get the treat. That also prevents wrapping around to your front.
Here's the critical piece for both positions: dogs are visual....that's how they learn. When you get a perfect sit, hold it.....treat/praise/treat/praise..tell him Good Front or Good Heel (or, Post or Place or whatever your heel command is). Hold it for at least 5 seconds while treating and then release. If you're working on straight Fronts don't call to Heel....just work on the Fronts. Work on that picture until it's perfect then add the next step.
Don't be afraid to do some gentle hands-on body re-positioning if necessary.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

It's not so much about size, but with corgis, straight sits are ALWAYS a challange. 

I had the best results by luring+modelling this with most of my corgi clients. Put the dog UP on something- a grooming table works, but I put a towel or mat on my coffee table- the height is more comfortable. 

NOW lure the sit. If your dog already knows sit, this should be fairly easy. Here's the trick though- ONLY reward sits that are straight. I've found with a lot of corgis, they sit straight and then fall over to one side or the other- so if you use a clicker, click as SOON as their butt hits the ground and before they've gone over on one hip. 

Once you've got the dog sitting straight, reliably (I'd re-teach it from scratch and give it a new cue, if he's ALWAYS crooked on the old one), move him down to the ground and start over.  

Hang in there- this really is a typical corgi thing.  If you're on performancecorgis, ask there- they've got LOTS of good advice. 
Cait


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## Simon (Jul 23, 2008)

Dogstar said:


> It's not so much about size, but with corgis, straight sits are ALWAYS a challange.
> 
> I had the best results by luring+modelling this with most of my corgi clients. Put the dog UP on something- a grooming table works, but I put a towel or mat on my coffee table- the height is more comfortable.
> 
> ...


Is there a Web ssite for performancecorgis ? What is it please. Thank you What a site.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

It's a group on yahoogroups- just searching for it should bring it up. I'll dig it up when i get home, I'm not currently a member, so I don't have it handy.


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