Sit With Distractions

At this level of training, your dog should already have a good understanding of the sit cue. We are now looking to develop reliability by increasing both the duration of the sit and the level of distractions around your dog.

A reliable sit is not just about your dog remaining still in a quiet environment. Your dog needs to understand that the command remains the same, even when there are exciting things happening around them.

Begin by introducing one distraction at a time. Once your dog is consistently successful, you can gradually introduce another distraction and continue to build the difficulty.

Distractions may include:

• Exciting environments with lots of scent and game
• Working around a rabbit pen
• Dummies being thrown around your dog
• Shot

Remember, we do not want to overwhelm your dog or set them up to fail. Build each distraction gradually and only increase the challenge when your dog is confident and reliable.

Safety is always important. Never use starting pistols or dummy launchers in public spaces, and always ensure you have permission from the landowner if you are training on private land.

This exercise should be practised in a variety of environments and at different times of the day. Dogs do not automatically understand that a behaviour learnt in one location applies everywhere, so continue to proof your training in different situations.

Take your time, build success step by step and remember that a reliable advanced gundog is created through consistency, patience and clear communication.