Are you working to teach your Dalmatian to sit? The skill of sitting up is regularly taught to small dogs, though larger pet dogs are another story. It is hard for them to maintain their equilibrium.
Teach Your Dalmatian to Sit: Groundwork
Sitting up is one of the most basic skills that you should teach to a Dalmatian and forms the groundwork for plenty of other techniques. In order to train a Dalmatian to sit up, prep some treats as a perk, and put the Dalmatian on her haunches in the corner, to ensure she won’t be able to fall either aft or sideways and has very little or no space to lose balance.
Teach Your Dalmatian to Sit: Acquaint Her With The Words
Prevent her from tilting to the front by securing one hand on her chin and using your second hand hold her treat above the Dalmatian’s face. Keep repeating deliberately and clearly, “sit up.” Do not make her sit up for too long at any one time, but repeat the training often and reward her regularly with plenty of appreciation and treats.
Teach Your Dalmatian to Sit: Help Her Stay Balanced
During the very first lesson she will need significant help and support from your hand to prevent her from tumbling forward, but as she gets more control of her stabilizing muscles and knows what you want, she will depend less and less upon your hand to keep her steady. Then you can gradually give your Dalmatian less assistance till you will just have to leave one hand in position 2 or 3 inches from her chin or neck, to be available to stop her from falling forward; in the future you may withdraw your hand entirely and simply dangle the reward right above the height of her face.
Teach Your Dalmatian To Sit: Remove the Help Gradually Over Time
After constant training your Dalmatian will stay seated long after you command her. Afterward she should be set up against the wall, so as to offer her support for her back only. Only after she has figured out this and can maintain her place easily, rehearse with her against chair legs, cushions or other objects that offer her less and less help and support. Gradually she will grasp how to preserve her stability and sit up without needing something to rest against.
Teach Your Dalmatian to Sit: Putting It All Together
During all these lessons the phrase "sit up" will have been instilled upon her subconscious through frequent repetition. Now is the final lesson to teach your Dalmatian to sit up immediately after she hears the words. There's a great chance, if she has been diligently instructed, you will merely have to call her out into the room, show to her a treat, hold it up a suitable distance from the floor, say "sit up" and she'll obey. Then just give her the treat while still in place.
The only criteria for perfection is to train with your Dalmatian multiple times a day until she will sit when told and without being shown a reward; give her the snacks only after she has followed the direction.
Teach Your Dalmatian Other Tricks
You have now the method for teaching your Dalmatian many other skills. She can now be taught to beg by waving your hand up and down just in front of her paws, which she'll move in coordination with yours. She can also learn to salute by bringing one paw to the side of her head, or to keep a toy in her mouth, or to wear a hat on her head or wear other clothes.
In teaching a Dalmatian to accept being clothed, don't try to make her wear too many garments simultaneously. Try her at first with a hat. Once she becomes accustomed to that you can put on a coat and slowly introduce her to more garments.
Enjoy "teaching your Dalmatian the sit up trick" and most importantly have fun in the process!
Don't forget to check out these other articles about Dalmatians
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