Connor was known to be a high energy adolescent chihuahua, whose favorite activity was... jumping! He loved people so much that he wanted to get their attention as fast and efficiently as possible, so jumping made sense and sitting didn't. Thus, he would often quickly lose interest or continue to jump, while other dogs were learning how to sit. Instead of pushing his rear down with my hands or scolding him for not sitting, I kept the experience positive and effective by using a method called shaping. I first rewarded him for lifting his chin, then for his back legs bending ever so slightly, and finally for his rear on the floor in a solid sit.

Once he learned how to sit and wait with positive reinforcement, he was a sitting machine- automatically sitting when he wanted something and responding to the sit cue in a snap! The first video shows him before training, where he shows off his sweet personality and habit of jumping to get attention. The second video shows him sitting and waiting happily to get what he wants! Oftentimes you can tell when a dog was taught with force or aversive punishment by the way he begrudgingly sits because he has to out of fear and lack of choice. Watch how a dog trained with positive reinforcement like Connor responds to sitting with happy tail wags, a loose body and face, and sticks around for the chance to train some more!