What do we mean when we say ‘Sit’?

Well… that depends on what you want it to mean! Ten different people could have ten slightly different definitions. For the purpose of this blog, ‘Sit’ means ‘put your behind on the floor as soon as I say ‘Sit’ and leave it there until I ask you to do something else’.

What does ‘Sit’ mean to your dog?

From the dog’s perspective: Mum says, ‘Sit’ and I put my back end on the floor. I leave my back end on the floor until mum tells me to do something else. I leave my back end firmly planted on the floor even if someone moves a bit or a lot, if mum makes a noise or starts jumping up and down. I need to stay still even if I see the cat come into the room or if I see a squirrel through the window. I need to stay in the same position if we are inside, outside, in the market, at the station, or in the park. I need to sit if mum is really close when she says it or if she is hiding behind a tree a long way away. Even if mum comes closer or walks off, I need to stay put. Sitting is not simple!

Why is the ‘sit’ a useful behaviour to learn (from your dog’s perspective)?

A dog who is an expert sitter is more likely to resist some of the temtatoins which could get them into trouble. The over-excited dog that greets visitors by jumping up and barking is likely to wind the humans up and lead to a stressful environment where the humand get a bit short tempered and angry. The dog that sits when visitors come to the door will contribute to creating a calm and happy atmosphere (better fo rthe dog and the humans). The sit can keep the dog out of trouble. The sit can help to keep the dog safe. The sit is a go to mutually exclusive behaviour – the dog can’t jump on people, furtniture, or raid the work top if he is sitting. So often, we try to tell our dogs what not to do – we tell them off – we say that we don’t want them to jump up, ir we don’t want them to get on the sofa. From the dog’s perspective, understanding what not to do is a bit of a challenge. It is much easier to help our dogs understand what we do want them to do… and ‘sit’ is a great behaviour to ask for.  So, by focusing on getting a rock solid sit, we don’t need to loe out temper telling our dog what not to do..

Why is the ‘sit’ a useful behaviour to learn (from the owner’s perspective)?

A dog that is a sitting machine instills confidence in us humans. We have a reliable behaviour which means we can trust the dog to be in a certain place. It provides confidence and security – great ingredients for happy humans. Happy humans are more likely to invest in a great relationship with their dog – winners all round.