2 Sit or not 2 Sit

Recon

Recon

New member
Ok so as most of you probably know by now I have a 3 1/2 month old GSP, I have been working with him on come, and today he was outstanding came on one whistle as I have been working with him on as well as his name alone! I stopped training on a good note and decided maybe it's time to start a new command so that I can mix it up a little for him. I have read that you should not teach a pointer to sit however I have also seen comments here and elsewhere that says it's ok. Please help me out I would love to teach him to sit ( for pictures next fall with all of his birds) but not real sure I should. Thanks
 
as a GSP owner, always teach them to sit. My GSP i HAD, he sits when i tell him to sit. I also teach to lay down too. I dont teach him to lay down as a hunting skill, its for the in the house training. GSP do learn quick.. at his age now, there is no better time than to do it. GSP will sit when they like if they arent hunting.. so why wouldnt you? I mean if you got alot of hunters with you in a group.. you dont want your dog wandering around in the group... teach him to lay down or sit.

whoever said dont teach them to sit, is wrong. every dog is taught to sit... off or on hunt.

also at that age, id start your WHOA training. they get more stubborn as they age if you dont start.


You can visit this site and view some threads about sitting if you want. its a GSP fourm that i am involved quite freq.

http://www.shorthairs.net/Home/tabid/88/Default.aspx

But you cant train the dog to POINT! lol, its in their blood to point.
 
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Don't do it, if u do make the command (silent or verbal) really different from any whoa or? The holding positions of a bird dog can get the wires crossed, tread lightly here!
 
One more reason I like to teach "sit" to my pups. After every hunt I always check my dogs with a light to see if any weed seeds, chap and the like, are in their eye's and ear's. I want them to sit nice and still, if I have to take a seed out of an eye with a Q-tip for example. Yes, I think a dog should know "sit". You can always break them if they try to sit on a long time span point.
 
Birdman thanks a million for the site I joined under the same name of course :) I was able to not only read some great advice but a real good explanation as the reasons to train it or not. Well I will be teaching him sit! There are just to many reasons to train it rather than not besides I want an obedient dog he comes from great pedigree and will pick up the hunting part I am sure.
 
bobeyerite said:
One more reason I like to teach "sit" to my pups. After every hunt I always check my dogs with a light to see if any weed seeds, chap and the like, are in their eye's and ear's. I want them to sit nice and still, if I have to take a seed out of an eye with a Q-tip for example. Yes, I think a dog should know "sit". You can always break them if they try to sit on a long time span point.
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I have the dog on the bench or truck tailgate etc. to clean up burs or whatever and he knows not to move! I do not need sit for that, I am watching/training for memory/instinct habits, sit can get in the way, but I have seen it work bothways!
 
FieldKing, Which ever way works best for you. Every body is different..........Bob
 
Recon said:
Birdman thanks a million for the site I joined under the same name of course :) I was able to not only read some great advice but a real good explanation as the reasons to train it or not. Well I will be teaching him sit! There are just to many reasons to train it rather than not besides I want an obedient dog he comes from great pedigree and will pick up the hunting part I am sure.
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Oh that site is dedicated to GSPs!! theres lots of info on these dogs here and stories as well!!! im under the same name as well there. its a great site and nation wide as some international people are on here from london to britain.


its very useful site!!! I learned how to get my dog to WHOA.

FieldKing said:
I have the dog on the bench or truck tailgate etc. to clean up burs or whatever and he knows not to move! I do not need sit for that, I am watching/training for memory/instinct habits, sit can get in the way, but I have seen it work bothways!
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thats why for dogs like GSP or brittanys, using WHOA is a good way to keep them from not moving.
 
Recon a lot of pro trainers who take problem dogs in for work discourage it.

It can be something a dog resorts to doing when pressure is put on in the breaking process, or a meek/nervous dog will do during basic training--and it isn't always easy to fix. Their thinking is it isn't absolutely necessary so why create a potential problem?

Quite a few others will say they've never had a problem with it, but then we can expect they've never had to fix a problem with a dog who sits with pressure or on point.

There's no answer that works in all situations IMO, but I think with a bit of knowledge of your dog and experience in training you can assess the likelihood of a problem.

With dogs, those that are real go getters in the field and don't seem fazed by corrections or pressure of any kind are probably less likely to sit IMO than those that are more timid, hesitant, or can't handle much pressure without reacting in a negative way.

Training methods that carefully progress from one step to another and let the dog create it's own pressure (e.g. West/Gibbons/Walker) are less likely to create a problem as well.

Now you could have a real tough go getter and if you train with harsh methods--say really lean on a dog with an e-collar using commands it is not ready for or isn't ready for the collar yet--you can create a sitter.

Most of the GSP's I've seen don't seem to have much problem with it but I have seen one that did.
 
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I think there have been some good points made about both sides of the topic at hand but I think that the whole sit or don't sit theory is goofy, just my opinion. I don't think that you will ever find a GSP sit rather than stand to point, there is nothing about the breed that is lazy, we tend to be the lazy ones that want something faster than it should happen where in turn we create the "pressured dog". If we would just realize that the dog has to go through the crawl walk run phase just like we did and not push the dog outside is level of ability but rather to its peak we would be better off. I have had a few GSPs in my life and sit along with their name is the first command I teach and I have never had any issues with it. Get the dogs desire level up and remember to push it to the limits not past. At 3 1/2 months keep your expectations low and let the dog have fun and be patient it will come with time.
 
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