httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5vaPjXkTr4

Tulip was rescued about one week ago. She has already been practicing hand targeting and has now begun to grasp the cue for the behavior “lie down.” One thing you should remember with training is that it takes consistency and repetition.

Tulip learned to lie down with a cue in the kitchen, but that didn’t mean that she could do it automatically on the porch. Cues must be practiced in different locations-preferably beginning with a quiet spot without distractions. Then, slowly, you will want to practice behaviors in new places and eventually while adding distractions-again starting from minor and moving to bigger things that might catch your dog’s eye/nose.

You should practice all around your area and in as many locations (indoor and outside) as possible. You should also gradually add new distracting elements to your environment and repeat short practice sessions often. When it comes to your dog listening to the cue that you give for “sit” instead of chasing a squirrel or a chicken (in our case) if you have practiced many places and with many things going on and many, many times, you should have built up a good “bank” of reinforcements that will help your dog to make the correct decision.