Sit from Down
Positions · 10 steps · by Push Drop Stick
Your Dog will learn to sit up from a lying-down position for a hand signal and the verbal cue 'Sit'. This teaches Your Dog that 'sit' means the same thing from any position, which is the rep that makes 'sit' bombproof. Keep it sharp afterward with puppy push-ups: a few quick sit, down, sit, down changes in a row, which double as great physical and mental exercise.
Train Down from Sit first. You will need soft treats for luring.
Training steps
Raise head for lure
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and slowly move it up to prompt them to raise their head. As soon as they do, give them the treat.
Success: Your Dog raises their head.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Raise head higher for lure
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and slowly move it up to prompt them to raise their head a little higher. As soon as they do, give them the treat. Keep the lure low and close to their nose, moving up and slightly back over their shoulders. If Your Dog pops all the way up to a stand, you are lifting it too high or too far forward.
Success: Your Dog raises their head higher.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Lift chest off the floor
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Hold a treat at Your Dog's nose and move it up and back over their head. Watch for Your Dog to push their chest and shoulders up off the floor, propping onto their front legs. As soon as they do, give them the treat. Keep the lure low and back so they lever up into a sit instead of standing.
Success: Your Dog lifts their chest off the floor.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Lure from down to sit
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Hold a treat in front of Your Dog's nose and slowly move it up and back over their head, prompting them to push their front end up into a sit. As soon as they do, give them the treat.
Success: Your Dog sits.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Bury the lure
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Bury the lure in your prompting hand by holding the treat against your palm with your thumb. Lure Your Dog up into a sitting position, then give them a treat from the opposite hand or your treat pouch. Do not give them the buried lure.
Success: Your Dog sits.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Large hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Repeat the luring motion with your hand (palm facing up), from their nose up and back over their back, without a treat in your hand. Hold your hand in position above Your Dog and wait to see if they sit. When they do, give them a treat from the opposite hand or your treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog sits.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Medium hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Prompt Your Dog into a sit by making a medium-sized hand signal and wait to see if they sit. As soon as they do, give them a treat from the opposite hand or your treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog sits.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Small hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Prompt Your Dog into a sit by making a small hand signal and wait to see if they sit. As soon as they do, give them a treat from the opposite hand or your treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog sits.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Add the verbal cue
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Say the verbal cue 'Sit', pause for 1 second, then prompt Your Dog into a sit with a small hand signal if needed. As soon as they sit, give them a treat from the opposite hand or your treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog sits for a verbal cue.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Only the verbal cue
Setup: Your Dog is lying down.
Say the verbal cue 'Sit' and wait to see if Your Dog sits up. Do not use the hand signal. If they sit up, give them a treat.
Success: Your Dog sits for a verbal cue.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Nice work! Your Dog can now sit up from a down for a small hand signal and for the word 'Sit' alone.
To make it rock solid, proof it: restart the plan on the proof steps, or play the goal games you just earned, in new places and around distractions.
Ready for more? Stand from Down completes Your Dog's ability to move between all three positions, and Sit Stay builds a steady wait on top of this sit.