When you own a giant breed like the Great Dane, a cue such as “sit” almost becomes a necessity. It can help you not trip over them as you walk around your house, or prevent them from knocking over your guests as they come through the door. The following is a simple and effective way to teach your Great Dane how to sit so he responds the first time, every time.
Capturing The Behavior
You are going to use a form of training called “capturing.” This is when you wait for a dog to offer what you want and then you mark it (with a click or a verbal word such as “yes” or “good”) and then reward. Capturing is a great way to train because it makes your Dane use their brain to figure out what you want. Behaviors taught through capturing are much stronger than those taught using other methods.
To capture your Great Dane performing a sit, have your reward (toys, treats, etc.) ready and your clicker, if you use one. You can keep your Dane on leash at first to keep him from wandering. Now, just stand still and wait. Most dogs will eventually sit when you ignore them long enough. As soon as his bottom hits the floor, mark and reward. Toss the reward away so your dog has to get up to get it – thus resetting him for the next sit.
Do short training sessions, just 5-10 minutes, a couple times a day.
TIP: Does your Dane seem reluctant to sit? Try putting her on a dog bed, pillow, chair or couch – Danes seem to have a natural inclination to sit on soft, comfy spots.
Adding the Cue
Once your Dane sits without any “extra behaviors,” he’s figured out what you want. At that point, you can add the cue. Adding the cue—”sit”—is easy. Just say the word as your Dane is getting into the sit position, then mark and reward.
Do a few repetitions of this and then test the cue by saying it while your Great Dane is standing. If he promptly sits, he’s got it – reward heavily! If he doesn’t, that’s okay. Do nothing and just wait for him to sit and say the cue during the sit a few more times and test again.
Fading the Treats
Once your Dane is sitting beautifully in multiple places every time you say “sit” just once, it’s time to fade those treats. You can use other rewards – verbal praise, toys, petting, etc. – anything your dog likes.
If your dog doesn’t sit when you say the cue once, too bad, no reward. But this won’t happen very often with this form of training. If it does, your Dane may be distracted by his environment or even nervous or stressed. Use it as information and assess the situation before you ask your dog again – you may need to put some distance between him and an object or leave the environment altogether if he is really nervous.
Now you’re ready to move on to “stay”!
