Premier MannersMinder Instruction Manual page 27

Chapter 6: Say Please by Sitting
Troubleshooting
If after a day or two you don't see a dramatic change in behavior here's what might be
going wrong:
• Your timing is off and you don't get the treat to your dog quickly enough or while he's
still sitting. Fido should be in the sitting position when you give him the treat.
• You don't give enough treats for sitting and remaining seated. Dogs that jump alot
need lots of treats for remaining seated.
• You or other family members are inconsistent. Sometimes you require Fido to sit to earn
privileges such as getting his leash on or getting attention. Other times you don't.
• You don't wait long enough for Fido to sit. You may have to wait several minutes at
first for dogs who are comfortable waiting in a standing position or don't like to sit
much. Hold completely still so he realizes nothing is happening. Wait until he chooses
to walk up to you and sits with his attention focused on you.
• You don't stand silent and stationary while you wait for Fido to sit. Rather you move
your arms around, try to bribe or lure Fido by waving the treat, grab the leash with your
hands, or physically take one or more steps. Every time you make a movement, you
create a stimulus and it takes longer for Fido to learn that nothing happens until he
sits politely.
• Your body language confuses Fido. You may be leaning over him as he stands, so it's
not clear to him that he is being ignored, or you feed the treat in such a way that you
cause him to stand.
• Your dog's not motivated by the reinforcer you're using. For instance, don't require your
dog to sit to go through the back door if he has no desire to go out the back door.
• It's easy for your dog to ignore you because he finds other rewards such as running
away to play with his toy. Use a handsfree leash if your dog does this.
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