Dog Training Pro Tip – Proper Sit Position When Heeling
all right it’s a beautiful day in the
bluegrass we’ve been waiting on a day
like this to do some good training and
what we’re going to work on today is uh
how did how to help people get their
dogs to sit right beside them instead of
kind of moving over in front of them let
me show you what I mean here take Barney
for instance so you guys these last few
videos I’ve made I’ve took it I put some
cones out of my yard and I was telling
you a fun way to measure the precision
and speed with which you can influence
your dog is to do cone drills you kind
of walk around the cones this way and
you you know you make inside turns and
outside turns and you walk and as you’re
walking you try to stop and get your dog
to stop right beside you between you and
the cones so it ends up being cone dog
handler okay well so I got a lot of
emails people were saying Stoney we’ve
been having fun doing that drill but
we’re having trouble with the precision
part okay and I tell you we’re where a
lot of that comes from first thing most
people are right-handed so you have a
tendency to want to give treats with
your right hand and so to get to the
treats you put your treat pouch on your
right side well so when you’re walking
and you try to get the dog to sit people
almost invariably pull the dog up in
front of them and to a 90 degree angle
see how that just happened to there you
see how he’s moving around here okay so
the first thing we’re going to do okay
is we’re going to move the treat pouch
to the left side if you’re having
trouble then you’re going to learn how
to be more dexterous with your left hand
so you put your treat in your left hand
and as you’re walkin see like when you
pull your hand up that’ll help line that
dog up like it’s supposed to be lined up
so you’re going to get a lot better you
know you’re gonna get a lot better
action between the when you’re trying to
line up on the cone but it’s still it’s
not that easy guys cuz you know like
you’re walking and you’re doing this and
he comes here and the dog still ends up
like that it happens all the time
especially if you’ve already been doing
it with your right hand a bunch so I’m
going to show you a good little trick
today to clear that up so what we’re
gonna do is really warm up we’ll do this
with multiple dogs now when I’m working
on something that requires speed and
precision you know or refined motor
patterns I like to go over things that
don’t require much in the way of
precision you know gross motor patterns
first things that the dogs familiar with
right so you guys know I get every dog
out here every day and I work on this
course you know and so while I’m working
on this course I’m building a common
vocabulary with the dog I’m building the
dog’s ability to stay focused under
distraction and I’m making sure the dog
has good proprioception or body
awareness you know so I’m walking this
dog here and Barney’s been here for a
little while he’s awesome dog so he
knows how to do this stuff so this is
just our warmup you know we’re going to
kind of speed him up let him go fast
good dog so we can slow him down and
what that kind of stuff does guys it
gets a dog you know gets the handler and
the dog gelling together you know good
dog
again all very familiar stuff very good
Barney easy weight very nice
all right so Barney’s Barney shown me
that he’s willing to work and he’s you
know show me that he’s warmed up by
doing the small challenges course like
he’s supposed to now let’s go over here
and what I’m gonna do come over here
cameraman let me show them what we’ve
got set up guys this is what’s called a
cattle panel it’s just it’s just a piece
of rectangular fencing it’s pretty cheap
you can get them at your foreign farm
store for about what are they you lie
about $20 $30 whatever you know but but
this right here like that especially if
you run your little small dog training
shop or kennel these right here will
help you for a lot of different things
and what we’re going to use today we’re
gonna use this like it’s a wall but it’s
a portable wall plus you can see through
it and so and from my perspective it
puts the dog in a position of having to
be a little bit more responsible than
doing this same exercise with an actual
wall alright so we’re going to come back
over here and what I’m going to use this
wall for or what sometimes you’ll hear
me refer to it as a side block is to
keep the dogs behind from flipping out
when I go to stop when I’m healing so
I’m walking them and I want to stop and
I’ll say sit good look here good come
around here camera rankin behind me a
little bit and see now so what happened
here even if I was to be doing this with
my right hand the dog’s bottom can’t
flip out in front of me do you see how
that works right I’m going to move up
couple of feet let’s go sit good and he
ends up right there in front of me now
so let’s say that you’re having a little
bit of trouble with your speed and
precision on your sits as it relates to
the cones how about you just you do a
wall drill or a side block drill and you
do the cones can be for weaving and
inside and outside turns for a week or
two and so look I’m going to bring the
dog over here to the cones and I’m gonna
work on my inside turns very nice and
the inside turns are always easy the
outside turns are where you lose your
dog Euler but as you as you walk so
you’re he has to take more steps so dogs
have a tendency to lag a little bit on
these outside turns don’t worry about it
just take and use your treat to kind of
put the dog where you want them so on
your inside turns bring your treat back
here next to your hip a little bit on
your outside turns bring your treat out
to about your bellybutton level until
you get to hang of it and then once you
get to hang of it you don’t even have to
use the treats anymore
remember guys treats leashes any of that
kind of stuff it’s just like training
wheels on a bike you just got to use it
too you don’t have to use anymore now
I’ll give you another view of how to use
this side block so I’m walking now watch
what happens here
I move towards the block sit and look at
this see how the see how this block
gives me perfect precision see it’s the
block the dog and me and so when I you
know once I start getting a high rate of
compliance with speed and precision as
it relates to the block then I can go
ahead and introduce the cone into the
drill let’s go so I’m gonna walk in I’m
gonna do one more on the on the block
here sit now look he’s not he’s not
giving me any trouble at all that’s
perfect so I’m giving him a fat treat
you give him a fat treat give him time
to eat and let’s go come on buddy good
now I’m gonna walk up here to my second
cone and I’m gonna see if I can get the
precision that I’m looking for
sit that’s perfect cone dog Stoney
that’s what I’m looking for let’s go I’m
gonna come around this cone here very
nice I’m gonna come back see if I get
the precision that I’m looking for
sit
perfect cone dog Stoney couldn’t ask for
better now I’m gonna go back here and
show you one more thing that you can do
with your side block
go ahead cameraman get this one more
time so they can see like here’s the
side block here’s the dog here Stoney
sit perfect compliance can’t swing his
bottom out let’s go now you can also use
your side block as a back block right so
I’m going to walk up here and I’m going
to pivot and as a pivot sitting now see
that this is what I talked about this
see how the dog see on that pivot there
say I wanted to bring his bottom out to
that side
right that’s going to happen to you
sometimes so I’m not going to reward him
for that I’m just going to back up a
little bit I’m gonna do it again now I’m
going to drop my hand down here with the
treat so I got a little bit more
influence over him watch out Charlotte
time we get to here well pivot bring my
hand up now there we go that’s nice and
it’s straight now we’ll give him a Darth
Vader hand stay now look I have a back
block he can’t go backwards good boy
stay I’m gonna walk away and that’s how
he’s gonna win you know and that’s
perfect alright so let’s try it with
another dog oh good boy Barney you’re
off of work yes you’re a smarty and
you’re off of work let’s see what we
have here we got a little yellow lab
it’s 14 weeks old oh you can big nerds
get out of the way let’s just a little
nerd Sadie Sadie come on say it can be
your turn oh I’ll get these big dogs
away from you
so let’s warm Sadie up on the course oh
come on come on help good remember we’re
always working from the general to the
specific you know you work from the
things you know to the things that you
don’t know very nice ad you are a smarty
I’m very nice up very good easy oh oh
you’re a very good dog easy very nice
good dog wait very nice easy watch a
demo what yet
come on you can do it very nice oh
you’re a smarty wait easy
all right so Sadie’s doing perfectly
well on the small challenges course so
we’ll go over here and we’ll do our side
block and our cone drills
good dog now notice that I didn’t give
Sadie even though she’s only 14 weeks
old I didn’t give Sadie any treats on
that course right there she’s done it a
million times she’s getting to the point
where the course is doing the course
with me is self-reinforcing but now that
we’re moving into a different drill I’m
going to up my treat schedule any time
things get harder guys because maybe the
activity is novel or the activity is
taking place under a high level of
distraction you want to go back and come
with a higher value treat and come on up
a little faster treat schedule come at
80 so we’re going to go over here oh
come on
and I’m going to tease her with a little
treat just a couple of times I’m gonna
walk up here to my side block I’m ask
her to sit good I got perfect compliance
if y’all can see that Barney’s in the
way of course Barney go over that way so
I’m gonna go up a little farther sit
good compliance gets the treat now I’m
gonna go up here to my cones oh good dog
and I want her to be successful with
these cones so I’ll start off with
something easy like some terms good dog
oh what a good talk come on come on now
see so I bring the treat out in front of
me a little bit on the outside turns I
bring it into my body around my hip on
the inside turns very nice very nice oh
let’s do an outside turn oh that’s
perfect now let’s just weave through the
cones very nice now we’ll get up here
and get you a little different view on
our side block usage now someone get my
treat ready as I come to my side block I
slide my left hand down my leash and sit
look at that how perfect that is a 20 or
what was it Eli twenty thirty dollar
panel look guys I mean the best thing in
dog training is always the
stuff you know people spend too much
money let’s go except they don’t spend
enough money with their dog trainers so
save all your money on dog equipment and
give it to your dog trainer all right so
we’re gonna side blocks it very nice
now same thing as for the other dog
we’re also going to use nope if they get
out of place like that like see how I
turned around to talk to you guys and
the dog is like they wanted to she
wanted to spin around to to whatever I
was looking right that’s gonna happen to
you all the time guys resist the urge to
pull them back into place and give them
a hard time you’re out having a good
time with your dog if they pivot around
in front of you a little bit they’re not
trying to be disobedient they’re just
trying to play the game and they’re not
exactly sure what the rules of the game
are so don’t get upset this this stuff
about sitting right besides you it’s not
even important so it’s not ever worth
fussing at them over so I get here sit I
get good compliance now I’m going to
work on the using the side block as a
back block let’s go
so I’m gonna walk up here I’m going to
pivot bring my hand up good Darth Vader
hands stay walk away from the dog come
back give her a treat every day I’m
going to add a little bit of time and
distance and it’s going to be hard for
me to add in levels of distraction
because here we’re always operating
under such a high level of distraction
anyway good ok very nice ok so she’s off
work
oh let’s see who else we can find here
yeah we get this mo mo is a 17 week old
chocolate laughs oh and he gets excited
for some good treats and some activity
good boy so let’s knock out a gross
motor pattern here good dog very nice
just make sure that me and Mo are on the
same track on same wavelength
good dog ammo very nice oh you are a
smarty a good dog now y’all looking look
over here at this dog that’s that’s a
guess a Wirehaired Pointer guy sent me
from over in seattle and he is a wild
character he gets up every morning and I
let him out and he starts chasing birds
and he just never stops I mean you know
he’s got the highest into
level of any dog that I’ve had out here
probably in two or three years and he
just loves he’s just so happy chasing
birds it’s funny to watch you know a dog
that has a real passion for something
you know no matter what that something
is
and that dog just literally has a
passion for chasing birds and it’s very
interesting if I could get some birds
and keep in my pocket I think he would
be the best trained obedience dog in the
entire world good very nice oh you were
a smarty weight good easy okay so mo yes
I see you buddy so mo is doing pretty
well so let’s go over here and work our
side block and cone exercise come on
buddy come on
so we’re gonna walk along our side block
good sit
look at that perfect compliance let’s go
and we’re going to do some little cone
drills here inside turn I’ll show him
the treat bring it to my hip very nice
Oh Joris Marty and outside turn I’ll
lose him a little bit here so I’ll take
my treat and move it to the front just a
little bit and that probably took about
ten days to get him to get the hang of
that good inside turn oh he got that one
right off the bat very nice alright and
outside turn oh very good
now we’ll weave our way back through
here very good come on so you think it
out of the way we’re gonna come up here
so you can guys hit see this front side
view here of the side block good sit
what okay alright that’s fine you can
have a treat too all right let’s go all
right let’s come out where our cone is
get a good line on the side block and
we’re going to turn the side block into
a back block so we’re going to pivot Oh
a little bit more good stay I don’t like
this positioning so I’m going to go up a
little bit come on let’s go
and I’m gonna pivot and bring my treat
straight up my side now see this see
where he kicked out to the side there I
don’t like that so I’m gonna do it again
very nice and so this is the thing about
dog training guys is it you know like
when you’re watching youtube videos a
lot of times it looks like he’s always
goes perfectly well it doesn’t you know
I don’t care how many troggs dogs you’ve
trained you know because every day what
you’re trying to do very nice
stay is make incremental progress if you
ever reach a day where there’s no
progress left to be made then you’re
done so animal knock that part out
pretty well I see who else we got hey
miss hey miss come here buddy
we got old coonhound here he’s not very
old he’s six months old but he’s a coon
hound the bluetick coonhound as a matter
of fact let’s see if we can get him to
do some of this stuff
very nice Amos oh good boy alright so
same rules apply wouldn’t come do the
course very nice
just get warmed up Amos was over there
eating a stick or something
surprised he came oh good boy yeah
that’s what you’re doing
whoa Amos a good fella he’s a good fella
Amos a good boy good boy
now these Coon hounds they’re not bred
to do a job in conjunction with the
handler you know they’re bred to put
their nose on the ground and run off and
ball and make noise and stuff so got to
be very patient with them good don’t
push them too fast
very nice weight but as long as you you
know go slow and steady they train up
pretty well yep very nice
come on see he’s a little bit more
tentative here that’s okay though good
dog very nice very nice I’m gonna come
in give him a little treat there just as
leash very nice all right so any misses
he’s being pretty compliant he’s not
going very fast that’s okay that’s why
he always you know hear people talk
about how you know laid up on the porch
like an old hound dog they like to run
and run and run and Amos has been
running this morning and then they slow
down lay around easy oh come on all
right so we finished the course hey miss
is doing pretty good so I’m gonna bring
him over here to my side block oh-ho
good boy Amos
if we can get a nice precise set out of
him that’s it perfect I mean it couldn’t
be any better
let’s go so we go up here oh good boy
Amos come on come on
Oh get an inside turn oh very nice
good dog come on come on and get an
outside turn oh now I had to reach down
here and head and speed him up on the
outside whoa Oh and come to my hip with
my treat and slow him down on the inside
good dog very nice oh you were smarty so
we’ll go outside and then we’ll weave
good dogs good boy
very nice all right we’ll show you the
front quarter side side of him sitting
on the side block so I’ll come up to my
blocking apparatus pull my hand up and
look at that perfect compliance very
good let’s go very nice now I’m going to
come around here and I’m going to turn
my side block into a back block bring
him to the side hand comes up my side
good dogs nice and straight Darth Vader
hands stay good now it can be kind of
hard to get old coonhound to stay so I’m
gonna have to come back here and give
him a few extra treats as compared to
some of the other dogs very nice at
least my neighbor turned off is mower so
they’re not so much drawn to going over
there right now
you’re good boy Amos very nice okay
you’re a very good dog Oh what other
kind of dog do we have out here
Charlotte Charlotte oh we got a
goldendoodle it’s about I don’t know
maybe nine months old do you want to do
the course you’re a very good dog you
are a very good dog let’s see how it
works for you ah very nice good dog oh
you’re a smarty fine good dog
all right hope very good yep
very good very nice come on over here
don’t hit the barrels
don’t hit the barrels very good
oh ho Charlotte you’re making me so
proud you were making me so proud
good girl wait good girl no treats no
pullin no giving me a hard time up up up
up up
Oh showing me good body awareness Oh
Charlotte’s your smarty wait easy good
now watch out Amos you had your turn huh
very nice wait easy all right
all right she did perfectly so let’s
come over here we’re going this way
first and use our side block to get some
sitting precision oh look here any other
way we’ll walk up here to the side block
and sit that’s nice and straight good
let’s go always a very nice dog come on
come on
Oh so we’re working inside turn here I
tease her live with her treat oh you’re
fine animal then we’re working outside
turn here
Oh bring my hand in front just a little
bit see good and then bring the treat to
my hip inside turn so I make it nice and
tight
very nice and outside turn bring my hip
hand in front just a little bit oh very
good now we can weave between our cones
and we’ll get that front quartering shot
of her sitting beside the side block
very nice here’s the side block a little
bit of tension on my leash right as I
come to stop it sit nice and straight I
see oh she’s just a teeny bit behind me
so I’m gonna give her a treat for that
I’m gonna bring her up a little bit
come on come on Oh a little bit farther
whoa right
there now that’s perfect very nice
sometimes you got to slow down and like
raise you go to do something you go hey
I think I can get that a little better
but that’s a trap because sometimes like
if you keep trying to get a little
better you end up messing up that’s why
dog training is an art not a science you
just gotta every day try to do it a
little better than you did it yesterday
but don’t get greedy guys don’t get
greedy you know like if you get a dog
she said sitting in a nice straight line
but a little bit behind take that for a
few days and then try to bring her up
let’s go oh very good dog now we’re
going to turn our side block into a back
block so I’m going to pivot right here
take my treat pull it right up my side
and sit now that’s about perfect right
there
sons kind of in her eyes so you see
she’s not wanting to look up stay give
her that Darth Vader hand she has to
stay there and be good and I come back
after a while give a treat you’re good
dog Charlotte oh you’re good yes you are
and that’s it so I hope that helps you
guys you know get your Sitz a little bit
better over here on your side and once
they get a little bit over better on
your side as it relates to the panel
then you can go ahead and move back to
the cones so that you can start really
judging you’re using the cones as a
metric to judge your ability to
influence your dog with speed and
precision as a matter of fact here I’ll
just go ahead and show you here Barney
come here so let’s say you know once you
get your once you get your cone work
done and it’s going pretty well let’s
just take barn and go over this last
part good dog so once you once you know
once you know that you can go up here on
your side block and you can get this
perfect compliance right see that and
that’s perfect compliance then it’s you
know if you can do that let’s just say
you go two whole weeks in a row on your
side block and you get perfect
compliance every time then go ahead and
start doing it with your cones
come on Barney good boy sit you see and
you’ll get perfect compliance on your
cone let’s go
Oh Charlotte Oh God third
so I’m gonna walk and as I’m walking I’m
trying to get the dog right by the cone
perfect compliance let’s go I’ll do a
couple coming towards you come on Barney
good boy so here’s our cone here sit
very nice
get my treat pouch let’s go and very
good compliance
even though Charlotte is in the way go
over there Charlotte good let’s do our
last cone and right here I bring my hand
up and I get perfect compliance okay so
that’s the benefit of adding a side
block into your training program and
then you can go back oh good girl –
using the cones to measure your speed
and precision all right good luck guys
