Teaching a dog the obedience position changes of sit, stand, and down has several important benefits for both everyday life and more advanced training. Some might think that the precision training of these three “tricks” is only important if you are planning to compete in formal obedience trials. There are many reasons why everyone should be concerned with learning these correctly, regardless of your breed. The key advantages are:
1. Builds Clear Communication
- These basic positions form the foundation of a shared language between you and your dog.
- Dogs learn to respond reliably to verbal or hand signals, improving overall communication and reducing frustration.
2. Enhances Control and Manners
- Helps your dog settle quickly in public or distracting environments (e.g., waiting politely in a café or at the vet).
- Reduces jumping up, pulling on the leash, or pacing when you need them to stay in one place.
3. Supports Vet and Grooming Care
- A dog that can reliably stand on cue makes grooming and medical exams much easier.
- Down and sit help keep the dog calm and still during procedures.
4. Improves Focus and Impulse Control
- Practicing position changes teaches patience, discipline, and the ability to stay calm even when excited.
- It encourages dogs to look to you for direction rather than acting impulsively.
5. Prepares for Advanced Training and Dog Sports
- Many dog sports (like obedience, rally, agility, herding, and service work) require rapid and precise position changes.
- This foundation supports more complex behaviors like distance control, heeling, or service tasks.
6. Strengthens the Dog’s Body
- Practicing the precise footwork and actions of these positions will build strength in the legs, hips, shoulders and core
- Ultimately better integrity of muscles, tendons and ligaments will mean less day-to-day injuries and a more graceful aging process
7. Boosts Confidence
- Successfully learning and performing commands gives dogs a sense of achievement.
- This can be especially beneficial for shy, nervous, or uncertain dogs.
8. Builds the Human-Dog Bond
- Training together builds trust and teamwork.
- Positive reinforcement training increases your dog’s enjoyment of learning and strengthens your relationship.
When we think about teaching a puppy to sit, stand and down people don’t often consider how important these asks are technically. I often see dogs in what I call a sloppy sit (on one hip) or in a settle (a down slid to one side) which is a reflection of muscle imbalance. Being able to sit or lie square requires strength. Being able to transition from one position to the next smoothly and consistently requires effort & dexterity. Starting proper biomechanics early builds strength, dexterity and muscle memory that will serve the puppy as an adult for years to come.
I’m just starting to train Obedience Position Changes and this video shows our progress on this very concept. It’s far from perfect but it’s a very good start. You’ll see the beginnings of:
- UP-SIT – where the front legs should stay stable and the rear legs should move and tuck up to them.
- SPHINX-DOWN – where four paws should stay stuck to the ground in a stand and the body folds down into a sphinx position
- KICK-BACK-STAND – where from a sit the front legs remain in place and the rear legs hick out to a stand Transitioning from one position to the next in a variety of orders builds core, hip and shoulder muscles.
These are important to every dog but in particular the Australian Cattle Dog because they live their lives at full throttle all the time and need every bit of fitness. Generally speaking, ACDs can have issues with elbow and hip dysplasia which is why responsible breeders should x-ray the hips & elbows of their breeding animals to make good breeding choices. While genetics play a role, environmental choices are also critical. Proper Whelping box & weaning pen footing and discouraging a lot of jumping in the first two years are two definite considerations. But teaching these position fundamentals early will also pay it forward tenfold. It’s not just about dysplasia… it’s about the vulnerability that muscle imbalances & structural misalignments create leading to injury and early aging conditions like arthritis. This breed is known for longevity (14-18 years) so it’s necessary to do what we can to preserve their quality of life in the twilight years. You’ll see in the video that the puppies do not have words for what they are currently doing. They are responding to my hand position, lure of food and the reinforcing clicker noise that they did it correctly. The position of my lure hand will later become the signal. Word commands will be added much later when the muscle memory is a little more engrained but for now it is more important that my lure help them attain the biomechanics consistently.