Ok so i have been teaching Oscar to "SIT" at distance for about a week and he has got the principle. If i call him then as he is coming towards me i shout SIT and raise my hand he sits (he can be quite clever when he wants to be )

SOoooo what would be the next step with this ? At the moment it is just no distractions when he is coming towards me and i have him at about 20ft away (ish )

Just keep on with that for a bit maybe ?, when to add distractions ? what sort of distractions ?

Am suprised how quickly he picked it up, i finally think he might actually be ready to start training

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"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

How steady is he if you throw a toy or ball and does he retrieve?

I would begin upping the distractions and the duration of the SIT-STAY.

Just change areas first. So, from your garden to just outside the house (if safe), to the quiet dog park, then around toys, then around other animals, then when he's playing with another dog etc., etc.

Have you got a release command?

one hot day doesnt make a summer. keep doing what you are doing. do not add distractions at this stage.

He wouldn't if i used a stay once he was sat but then balls or toys arent high on his list of exciting things when we are in the woods, if a pigeon flew past though he would be a gonner i reckon

__________________


"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

If you happen to see him decide to sit at a distance, you can say "Sit!" and raise your hand to, just as he's doing it.

It's a reason I prefer "lie down" as a BC does that naturally a fair amount, rather than sitting. Guess Oscar's most often just dashing about rather than waiting for you though?

I think I would do some stationary distance "Sit!"s to if he can stay still, so you can step back and watch if he looks like he'll succeed as you do it. Then I can jump around and try to get him to break the sit, slowly upping the distraction I generate.

May be there is a reason not to try and capture stuff, to reinforce your cues, you're working on, but it seems like a freebie to me. I never had a problem teaching something in a few different ways, so long I rewarded the same thing. It helped avoid training be boring to

Have been doing it in the park, but it is quiet there. Yes i have a release, usually i walk towards him whilst he sits and give him a treat then release him

This was no happy accident Rob, he actually learnt it I started at a few paces and just increased the distance. He has suprised me how quickly he went from few feet to a good fair distance Interestingly i have used a hand and voice signal and he needs the hand signal or he isnt so sure what he needs to do.

__________________


"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

oh and by the way you didnt say what you do after your dog sits which is very important. rule 3 is always walk out to the dog and praise, never call him in to you for praise. if you dont get the sit then thats rule 1 and 2, seek previous post for those

I did some training of sight alone signal, starting off luring close to the dog. Moving further away, the dogs all picked up very quickly on visual cue.

Trouble is, it relies on dog looking at you to some extent, which seemed like a real weakness to me, when you're trying to interrupt off a distraction.

My "Lie Down!" I did only via capturing, and have back chained it sort of from high distraction situations into the low distraction environment of the home and garden, took a while but with stubborn persistence and gradually extending the boundaries got there in end!

It works from standing whereas the obed "Down!" is only proofed from a Sit.

Then if you want low distraction these would be good to use, if he is solid when you are moving about him and even jumping about, you could add the odd ball or something. Don't let him retrieve and it would be good if you started this with him on stay beside you.
I must say, Alfie is much steadier on down than sit
I quite like this video
YouTube - First Steps: Steadiness Training.