Are you aspiring to teach your Rhodesian Ridgeback to sit? The talent of sitting up is easily taught to very small dogs, yet larger pet dogs are another story. It is tough for them to maintain their equilibrium.
Teach Your Rhodesian Ridgeback to Sit: Prep work
Sitting is one of the fundamental techniques that you should teach to your Rhodesian Ridgeback and lays the groundwork for lots of other skills. In order to train a Rhodesian Ridgeback to sit up, prep some snacks as a perk, and set the Rhodesian Ridgeback on her backside in a corner, so that she will not fall either aft or sideways and has very little or no room to stumble.
Teach Your Rhodesian Ridgeback to Sit: Acquaint Her With The Phrase
Prevent her from falling towards you by maintaining one hand under her chin and using the other hand dangle the snack above her nose. Keep repeating deliberately and distinctly, “sit.” Don’t force her to sit up for too long at any one time, but repeat the instruction often and reward her regularly with plenty of adoration and treats.
Teach Your Rhodesian Ridgeback to Sit: Help Her Balance
During her first lesson she will demand a surprising amount of help and support from you to keep her from falling forward, but as she gains control of the balancing muscles and finds out what you want, she’ll depend less on your hand to keep her steady. Gradually, you can give your Rhodesian Ridgeback less help till you will basically have to keep one hand in position two or three inches from her neck or chin, to be in position to prevent her falling forward; later you can most likely withdraw your hand altogether and merely suspend the snack just over the height of your Rhodesian Ridgeback’s head.
Teach Your Rhodesian Ridgeback To Sit: Remove the Aids Gradually Over Time
With steady training your Rhodesian Ridgeback will stay seated long after you tell her to. Then she should be set up against the wall, so as to provide her a support for her back. Only after she has soaked up this and can hold her posture easily, rehearse with her using chair legs, pillows or other things that give her less and less assistance. Eventually she will figure out how to sustain her stability and sit without having anything to rest on.
Teach Your Rhodesian Ridgeback to Sit: Putting It All Together
Throughout all these lessons the command "sit up" will have been instilled upon her mind by constant repetition. Lastly here's the final lesson to teach your Rhodesian Ridgeback to sit up as soon as she hears the command. It's highly likely, if she has been properly trained, you will just have to summon her out in the room, reveal a snack, hold it up a reasonable distance from the ground, say "sit up" and she'll obey. Then you'll give her the reward while still in place.
The only condition for perfection is to train with her multiple times a day until she will sit when commanded to and without being shown a treat; give her the treats only after she has obeyed the command.
Teach Your Rhodesian Ridgeback Other Tricks
You have now the basis for teaching your Rhodesian Ridgeback many other skills. She now can learn to beg by moving your hand up and down in front of her paws, which she will move in coordination with yours. She also can learn to salute by bringing one paw to the side of her head, or to hold something in her mouth, or to wear a cap on her head or wear other clothing.
In training a Rhodesian Ridgeback to submit to being clothed, don't try to make her wear too many clothes at once. Try her at first with a hat. Only after she gets used to that you can put on a coat and incrementally introduce her to more clothing.
Delight in "teaching your Rhodesian Ridgeback the sit up trick" and most importantly have fun at the same time!
Don't forget to check out these other articles about Rhodesian Ridgebacks
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