I've finally decided to teach Rudi a few basics .. beginning with sitting.   I have never had a problem with this before, but Rudi is a special case.   He is an X show dog so he's been taught NOT to sit for a reward.   Every other dog I've had naturally backed up into a sit if I gradually held a food treat just over their head.  Not Rudi - he stays standing and then backs up out of the room!   He also gets very excited because he cannot figure out what the heck I want and assumes it's some new game.  I've tried this in a corner, thinking he would have to sit - but that did not work either.  Rudi is also a nervous dog, so he treats anything new with great suspicion and anything remotely "dangerous" like a threat.  

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Stacey

Hi Stacey
I really don't know if this will work but may be worth a try.  If you have a clicker, why not keep the clicker and some treats on you at all times.  Don't try to teach Rudi to sit, but wait until he does it for some reason and then click and treat. Basically stop trying to TEACH the command for a while.  Wait until it happens naturally and don't say anything to start with just click and treat. After a while of rewarding, I would still wait until it happens naturally for a while, but start saying sit before clicking.  I would also use the highest reward such a small pieces of hot dogs, and only use them for this. Hopefully after a further time of adding the command he will associate the word with the action.
Hope this helps.  I would love to know if it works for you.

Pauline

I agree with taro's suggestion, Stacey.  It's called capturing.  You're capturing the behaviour when the dog himself does it.

Keep clicking a lot when he sits himself, but don't say the word yet.  When he starts to offer you sits quickly, expecting food, then you can start to say sit before you know he's about to do it...

id do it gradually,he must sit naturally in the day,so look out for it (carry some titbits) when you spot him sitting say "good sit" & throw him a titbit.
if you think you can go over to him without him moving,go over & say good sit,titbit & gently run your hands down his back saying " good sit  "

basically try to get alot of "sit" words in when hes in position.
when youve done this for a while,sit down with a handful of treats,show him them & see what he offers you,  you could even try saying "can you do a..........sit?" & see what he does.

id also keep a stand command so he understands that the "thing" hasent totally changed,but theres now two things to do!!!!

Thanks everyone for the tips.  I'll try them out!

Stacey

H'mm....still have the opposite problem with Luke - more inclined to sit than stand...and when he does stand he doesn't stop still. I heard the trainer muttering, "lost cause" at ringcraft last week.....:-(

Capturing does work but it can be quite time consuming.  So, I'd try stroking your dog gently along the full length of his back a couple of times and then continue over his tail, down his back legs into the 'bend' behind the knees.  Most dogs will fold up and plonk their bum at this.  Say 'sit' and reward as soon as the behind hits the floor and form the association that way.