Are you trying to teach your German Spaniel to sit? The technique of sitting up is quickly taught to pocket-sized dogs, but larger pooches are a different story. It is challenging for them to maintain their equilibrium.
Teach Your German Spaniel to Sit: Preparing
Sitting is one of the 1st techniques that should be taught to your German Spaniel and lays the foundation for a number of other techniques. To train a German Spaniel to sit up, prep some treats as a perk, and place your German Spaniel on her haunches in a corner, so she can not fall either backward or sideways and has very little or no room to lose balance.
Teach Your German Spaniel to Sit: Acquaint Her With The Sound of The Words
Stop her from falling towards you by securing one hand under her chin and with the second hand hold the reward above her nose. Keep repeating deliberately and distinctly, “sit.” Don’t force her to sit up too long at any one time, but repeat the lesson frequently and reward her regularly with lots of approval and snacks.
Teach Your German Spaniel to Sit: Help Her Stay Balanced
In her beginner lesson she will call for quite a bit of support from your hand to stop her from falling forward, but as she gains better control of her muscles and finds out what you want, she’ll depend less and less on your hand to keep her steady. Then you can gradually give your German Spaniel less help til you will only have to maintain one hand in position 2 or 3 inches from her chin or neck, to be set to prevent her falling forward; later you can easily take away your hand entirely and just hold the reward right over the level of your German Spaniel’s head.
Teach Your German Spaniel To Sit: Remove the Help Gradually Over Time
After steady practice your German Spaniel will stay seated long after you tell her to. Afterward she should be set up against the wall, so as to give her a support for her back. Immediately after she has taken in this and can keep her place easily, practice with her against chair legs, cushions or other items that give her less and less assistance. Sooner or later she will learn to keep her equilibrium and sit up without needing something to rest against.
Teach Your German Spaniel to Sit: Putting It All Together
During all this training the words "sit up" will have been instilled upon her mind by means of constant repetition. Last here's the final lesson to teach your German Spaniel to sit up as quickly as she hears the phrase. It's highly likely, if she has been diligently instructed, you will only have to get her out into the room, reveal to her a treat, hold it up a suitable distance from the floor, say "sit up" and she will obey. Then you give her the treat while still in place.
The only necessity for perfection is to practice with her several times a day until she will sit when commanded to and without being shown a snack; give her the treats only once she has complied with the order.
Teach Your German Spaniel Other Tricks
You have now the foundation for teaching your German Spaniel many other skills. She can now learn to beg by waving your hand up and down just in front of her paws, which she will move in sync with yours. She can also be taught to salute by moving one paw to the side of her head, or to hold a toy in her mouth, or to wear a cap on her head or wear other clothing.
When instructing a German Spaniel to tolerate being clothed, do not try to get her to wear too many things at the same time. Try at first with a cap. Soon after she gets adjusted to that you can put on a coat and steadily introduce her to the other clothes.
Get a kick out of "teaching your German Spaniel the sit up trick" and most importantly have fun along the way!
Don't forget to check out these other articles about German Spaniels
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