Hi everyone,
We have an 8 wk old Border Collie pup, who I have been trying to teach 'sit', as I have heard they need mental stimulation. To begin with, she picked it up really well, but she has taken the clever thing a bit too far! Now, I just call her name and she comes running up to me and sits by my feet. This is sweet, but she isn't learning to associate the word with the action. Any ideas anyone?
Thanks
Bridget

Not quite sure what you aren't happy about? Does she only do this in one place, in that case try teaching sit command in different places. It can be easy for the dog to learn that sit is only sit in the kitchen so needs to be taught that sit is sit no matter where you are. If she is comingto you and sitting in different places just keep saying sit and praising her.

I think I mustbe missing something though as this doesn't sound like a problem to me. Remember she's only a baby
Anne

Bridget
8 weeks is very young for her to pick things up and retain it. Just keep it fun with a treat, when she is in a stand put the treat infront of her nose and slowly raise it up and over the top of her head, say sit once (don't keep repeating it or she will never sit on the first command), her head should come up and her bum go down. Give her the treat and tell her she is a good girl. It will work and she will remember, just do a few each day.

For the down, when she is in a sit, put the treat in front of her nose and slowly lower in between her legs towards her chest on to the floor. (again say down only once)

Have fun, remember 'practice makes perfect' and it is a learning curve for both of you.
Sandra

Try asking her to sit without calling her to you,when you are standing beside her anyway or if she paddling around after you,at the moment shes sitting when you've called her to you because shes learnt that thats what so far you have been asking her to do.Best Wishes Gillian

Are you using a treat when she does the command you want? Do you use a clicker to re-enforce the command? You need to go back to just the sit command again. Get your dog to sit and give it a treat. My girlfriend, The Dog Trainer, uses soft treats so the dog doesn't have to chew it. In her classes she uses a product called "Rollover". It's like a big sausage that can be sliced off and then tiny pieces broken off to give to the dog. Cheese, jerky, weiners or any other soft food can also be used. Using the dog's kibble isn't recommended because it has to take time to chew it. The clicker is a little plastic box with a medal flapper inside. You push down on the flapper and it makes a "CLICK" sound. Your dog soon associates the command, the food treat and the click with doing it right.

As the dog gets better at it, you can interchange the treats and click so not always do you give the treat. At this time your voice and the click, the dog is beginning to understand what the command is about. Once this command is fairly stable then you can introduce other things. If he anticipates what you want, NO TREAT or CLICK.

There are a number of good books on the market on Clicker Training. I'm sure if you go on the internet or if you can get www.Amazon.com you will be able to find one there. I will talk to my girlfriend about the name of the one she has later today. Will post it this PM - Canada, Alberta time.

Margaret :) Canada