Expert reveals why dog owners shouldn't command their distracted pets to sit
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO: History demonstrates that humans and dogs have been friends for a very long time, yet there have still been moments when it has been challenging for humans to fully understand their beloved pets. A dog trainer addressed one of these instances and explained why commanding a distracted/excited dog to sit is incorrect.
Dog trainer Steffi Trott has cautioned that the "boring" cue may not be useful, despite the fact that many dog owners would often use the command to control their dog. Trott claimed that dog owners frequently try to get their excited dogs to "sit." However, if pets are very enthusiastic, they will just ignore the command. Trott discussed the problem on Instagram, writing, "Don't try to make your distracted dog sit - it probably won't work anyway."
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How can 'boring' cue be used to its best advantage?
Trott, a trainer with ten years of experience, explained, "When your dog is distracted, it is much better to use cues with sensory feedback, and dynamic cues where the dog can move around." She advises the dog owners to start by getting the animal's attention.
Trott advises trying "dynamic, engaging tricks" with food to capture the dog's attention, as well as using orders to persuade them to "paws up" or onto various items. The trainer shows how to attract your dog's attention by holding food in your hand and encouraging them to follow. She emphasizes that using the "sit" command at this point is probably going to be much more successful after earning the dog's attention.
'I'll definitely be doing this'
On the video that received more than 8,000 likes, many viewers left comments. One person wrote, "This is my dog except he isn't very food motivated at all." Trott addressed the concern in her response, writing, "Some dogs are definitely not naturally food motivated, which can definitely make training trickier! For these dogs, we need to work on building the dog's interest."
Another individual who faced a similar situation wrote, "That was us today tried getting to sit but wouldn't do it. I have to try doing a sensory one for our next walk." A third person who appreciated the guidance wrote, "Awesome! I was wondering if exciting them with a treat would just make them more excited or if it could help them refocus. I'll definitely be doing this."
One concerned person questioned, "What if they (7 mo pup) are nervous and scared of any noise even when trying to use food to get their attention?" Trott replied, "Then we may be too close to the sound at that point or in a situation that's too overwhelming for them at that stage in their training! We'd want to start in a more comfortable environment and slowly work our way up."
"Oh this is brilliant! Break the escalated behavior with another escalated engagement so that 'boring' can punch through. Nice," this other person wrote. "This is great advice, definitely going to try this with the pups," another person commented.
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