Hi all,

I have a lovely CKCS bitch who is 5 months old, I really want to
show her and started her training when she was just 6 weeks old.
Standing on the table is not a problem and she does that brilliantly,
however on the floor she will not stand if I am standing, she just sits
and wiggles alot!! She is fine all the time I am crouched down with her.
Where am I going wrong??? or is she still abit young and it will just
come in time. I've tried walking her in a circle every tme she sits
but as soon as I look at her or speak she sits ( she as never been
treated for sitting) so I'm confused.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Debbie

It sounds pretty normal, just crouch down and stand her, she will learn in time.

I don't know if you have ever shown toys dogs Jackie but going down to a cavalier is a big No No.especially in training & placing a Cavalier on the floor  is never successful as they have to learn to stand correctly themselves, I know some countries stack as a norm but not with Cavaliers.

I never go down to my Cavaliers when training them as this reinforces the puppies insecurities & they have to be super confident to show well.. I teach the stand on the table using the same command as I use when the puppy is on the floor. I train the stand as part of the heelwork & simply start by doing a bit of heelwork, stopping turning & facing the puppy & giving the stand command. At first I treat for the puppy simply standing for a few seconds & gradually lengthen the time before treating.

I go to an obedience class to get the puppy used to walking behind & in front of other dogs without being distracted. I never make the puppy sit & when the others stop & do a sit I do a stand instead

If the puppy sits because I am facing the puppy I can walk into the puppy give the stand command & the puppy will get up to the stand.

Now getting the standing stll & wagging the tail as cavaliers are required to do is a different matter. ;)

No I don't, but I do show a free standing breed and may be that is where I am going wrong because when a pup goes to sit I put my hand under it's tummy. They all know the command stand but that does not stop them sitting once you stop and look at them even when you say stand. If you walk into them they stand move forward and sit.

I don't show dogs at all but I wonder if the dog is sitting because it is looking up at you.  Perhaps standing a bit further away would help.
And toss the treat if she sits when you hand it to her.

Thank-you for your replies,

Luckily she is a very confident pup and loves to show off already,
so at least the tail wagging will never be a problem ;-)  I'm sure she
just finds it all really amusing. I will not sit with her anymore as your probably right this isn't helping. I have tried to treat her when standing , but she will then sit as I give her the treat. I thought perhaps a favourite toy may be a better option but she jumps all over the place and I can't get any sense out of her then.
She is funny though!!!

Debbie

I would try taking a step backwards(she should stand up to walk towards you) and as soon as she is standing say 'good stand' and treat.Don't worry about the  'quality ' of the stand to start off with. Repeat a few times each session,a few sessions a day and then gradually increase the length of stand before treating.
Archer
 

Taking a step back might work with a big dog but never found it to work with my Beardies which were unlike todays beardies always shown free standing..

Stepping towards a small dog will make it get up & it's then that you give the stand command, bit like distane control in obedience & you rarely have the room in cavalier classes to step backwards

The trick with treating rather than toys is you can use titbits in the ring & playing with a toy in the class can be frowned upon(my boys get their squeaky mice after they have been seen on their individual as a special reward, but never ever when the whole class is showing)& eventually you will be able to treat only when she is standing 4 square as required in Cavaliers, ears alert making the head look as flat as possible between the ears(meaning raised at  the base) & tail wagging looking alert & also being responsive to the judge as well as handler which is something else you will need to train for.

Free showing quite small dogs is not as easy as showing bigger dogs as I have found I had to change my training slightlly from my BCs & Beardies, neither of which are expected to keep their tails wagging, good job that cavaliers are usually such happy dogs as atanding whilst the judge looks at the other 30 + in the class can be hard work.

But then I've only been showing Cavaliers for 12 years so I'm still very much in the learning stage