Archives July 2023

Have you ever counted the number of times you ask your dog to sit during a random day? When you get up in the morning and put on the harness to go our for a little stroll? Sit. Before breakfast is served? Sit. Maybe a chewbone before you leave the house? Sit. When you come home from work and she welcomes you in the hallway, tail wagging? Sit. You then put the harness on again to go for a little walk before dinner. Sit. You exit the staircase in the building, open the main entrance door downstairs. Sit. You open the door and go outside together.

During your walk you meet a little Yorkie, a good friend of your dog. The Guardian has a snack in her pocket and asks if she can give your dog a little treat? You say: "Yes, but only if she sits first". The owner asks your dog to Sit. She does, she gets a treat. on the way back home you ask your dog to Sit while you take the mail out of the mail box. You go inside, up the stairs. Sit. Take off the harness and enter tthe livingroom. You then go into the kitchen, she follows you - you tell her to go to her Place, and you start to make dinner. You cook sausages, cut off a small piece, ask her to come over and Sit. She does, and gets the treat. She remains there, staring loningly at the counter, stands up, gets a bit closer. You tell her to Sit again, she gets another piece of sausage. After your dinner you make her dinner. Sit. Stay. Stay. She eats it. After a while you go for your afternoon walk, same procedure, harness, Sit. Sit, open door, staircase, Sit, main door, outside. You walk around the block and you meet an acquaintance. you talk for a while, your dog would rather sniff something in the grass and pulls a little. You ask her to Sit.Wait. You go home, you sit on the couch, she want to join you. She gets a little bored after a while, you play together, you toss her favourite toy, she runs and gets it. Sit. Toss. retrieve. Sit.Toss. Retrieve and repeat. You go for an evening stroll. Harness on.Sit down.Door opens. Sit. Exit door, downstairs, Sit. Open main door, exit. Inside the house again it's time to go to bed. You climb into your bed, she sleeps by your side. "She has become a bit stiff in her body and hindlegs", you notice . "She can't always make the jump up to bed, as she used to", you think to yourself and lift her up to bed.

Dere går inn i stuen, hun følger deg inn på kjøkkenet. Du kommandere henne på plassen sin, og begynner på middagen din . Du lager pølser, skjærer av en liten bit og ber henne om å komme bort til deg. Sitt. Hun får godbiten og blir sittende å se lengselsfullt på pølsene på benken. Hun reiser seg og kommer litt nærmere. Du gir henne en pølsebit til. Sitt. Etter middagen din er ferdig lager du middag til henne. Sitt. Vent. Bli. Hun spiser, og dere gjør dere klare til å gå ut på ettermiddagstur, samme rutine som vanlig. Sele. Sitt. Døren, Sitt, ned trappen, Sitt og ut døren.

Dere går rundt kvartalen og møter en du kjenner, dere snakker litt sammen, hunden din vil helst snuse på noe i veikanten og trekker litt i båndet. Sitt. Vent. Dere går hjem, du setter deg i sofaen, hun vil komme opp til deg. Sitt, Fot og Hopp opp. Utover kvelden kjeder hun seg litt, dere leker sammen, du kaster favorittbamsen og hun henter den til deg. Sitt. Kast. Sitt. Kast. Sitt. Kast. Du gjemmer noen godbiter rundt omkring i stuen. Sitt. Let. Kvelden fortsetter. Sitt. hopp opp. Hopp ned. Sitt. Bli . Tannpuss for dere begge, du vasker potene hennes mens hun sitter på gulvet. Kveldstur – Sitt. Du tar på henne selen, åpner døren til leiligheten. Sitt. Dere går ned trappen, ned til utgangsdøren i blokken. Sitt. Du åpner døren og dere går ut sammen.

Vel inne igjen er det på tide å gå til sengs. Du går opp i sengen din, hun får lov å sove sammen med deg. Du syns hun er blitt veldig stiv i kroppen, hun klarer ikke å hoppe opp i sengen selv lenger. Mindre spenst i bakbena og litt kraftløs, tenker du og løfter henne opp i sengen din.

Think through what you and your dog do during a day. Does your dog really need to sit for a treat, for a sausage, for dinner, for meets outside, for harnesses? Many dogs and some breeds more than others 8like greyhounds and long legged dogs and puppies) are uncomfortable sitting both inside, and outside. in combination with slippery floors, it can be strenuous. Add the strain of excessive ball throwing (for some dogs), frisbee, running, fast pace walking - there are many activities that strains the muscles and joins for a dog.

If your dog wants to sit - then let her. If she'd rather stand or lie down, let her. If she prefers standing when you throw the toys, that's great. Sit is often an unnecessary level of administration and adds to the number of commands your dog gets in a day . It can also reduce the dogs sense of self determination while adding extra tention to your joints and muscle.

So how important is it for you that your dog sits? Maybe it's perfectly fine that she does whatever is the most comfortable for her:-)