Sit pretty

Reward the lift, not yet the finished position.

• Sit your dog, crouch down in front of him, and hold the treat right against his muzzle, on a non-slip surface.
• Raise it slowly, vertically and very slightly backwards, barely higher than his nose: two or three centimetres, never above his eyes. Raised too high, he rears up or stands; the small backward shift helps him tip his weight onto his rear end.
• He finds his balance by tucking his front paws against his chest and settling his weight on his rear end and the base of his tail: you will see a slight wobble while he steadies himself, which is normal.
• Mark it ("yes!") as soon as his front paws leave the ground by a few centimetres, even if he drops straight back down: at this stage he is learning the movement, not yet how to hold it.
• Do three to five short repetitions per session, no more, and at every stage of the trick: this is muscular effort, and it must not be forced.

Move on when: A clean lift, rear end on the floor, achieved on almost every attempt across two or three sessions.

A support that acts as a launch pad, not a permanent prop.

• This stage is only useful if your dog wobbles or drops back down: if he already holds the lift steadily, skip it and go straight to the next one.
• One hand always holds the lure above his nose; your other forearm, the free one, you hold out horizontally just in front of his chest, at the height he has just risen to.
• He rests his chest or his front paws on it: it is a passive support, you are not lifting him and not holding him up.
• Mark the moment he rises and reward straight away.
• Lower your forearm from one session to the next, then take it away as soon as he manages without the support.

Move on when: He rises calmly several times in a row, without you having to hold your arm out.

Build the full position, without rushing it.

• Take the same movement again, vertically and slightly backwards, and raise the lure one or two centimetres higher at each notch, no more.
• Only move to the next notch once he reaches the current one several times in a row within the same session, without straining: expect several sessions to get all the way to the top.
• Aim for the complete upright sit: front paws tucked against the chest, weight settled on the rear end and the base of the tail, still for a fraction of a second.
• Keep the treat right against his muzzle, never far above it: too high and he rears up or jumps instead of staying seated.

Move on when: A complete upright sit held for a second, on almost every attempt.

Do without the treat in your hand: never taking it away is a common mistake.

• Say "sit pretty" once only, just before you make the gesture.
• Repeat the same gesture with an empty hand, and reward from the other hand, out of your pocket or from the side.
• If he ignores the empty hand and stops lifting, you have gone too fast: put a treat back in your hand for a few sessions, or keep it just at your fingertips, then fade it out more gradually.
• Gradually make the gesture smaller, down to a simple flick of a finger.

Move on when: An upright sit on the word and a discreet gesture, with no treat in your hand.

Let the muscles set the pace, like an athlete easing back into training.

• Stretch the hold in tiny steps: one second, then two, then a few seconds more.
• Keep to three to five repetitions per session, no more, and release him clearly at the end.
• Leave a day or two of rest between sessions: strength comes with rest, not with repetition.

Move on when: A few relaxed seconds held, across several spaced-out sessions.

A reliable, happy trick, not a performance.

• Ask for "sit pretty" with empty hands, and reward afterwards, never during.
• Keep sessions short and playful.
• Try it in two or three different quiet places, so he generalises.

Move on when: The trick on the word alone, in several quiet rooms or gardens.