My Dog Knows Sit Indoors, But Not Outdoors, Why?

You would think that, like us, once dogs learn something that they can perform it any where and under any distractions. Unfortunately, that is not how dogs learn. I know, it would make it a lot easier if they did!

The easiest way to describe how dogs learn is that they learn in pictures. So you teach your dog to sit in your living room. They know that in this exact picture/situation when you say “sit” they have to put their butt on the ground. In order for them to know sit in other places, even in a different room in your house, you have to teach them in that new area.

Let’s back up a little to provide a tad more insight with an easy example. So when teaching certain commands or tricks we like to sit down. We are on the level of the dog and don’t have to keep bending over. It’s just easier and more comfortable. Let’s say we are teaching Roll Over. We are sitting on the floor and have progressed to where the dog rolls over when given the command while we are on the floor. The next step is saying “Roll Over” when we are standing. So while standing we say “Roll Over” to Sparks and he just looks at us. 

That is a totally different picture from sitting on the floor with him. He’s confused, because he has never rolled over with you standing. It has always been with you both on the floor. He just doesn’t know it. To combat that you may have to go from sitting to kneeling to crouching to bending over to bending over less and less and then finally to standing. That’s how a lot of dogs need to progress while learning new things.

If it applies to something as simple as body position then it definitely applies to locations. Going from inside to outside is a HUGE change. Inside the dog doesn’t have much to look at, smell and be distracted by. Outside has all kinds of smells, animals and everything thing else that is distracting. So when you start training outside you will have to go to the beginning stages of teaching whatever command you are working on. This makes it easier for the dog to understand, which in turn gives them a little confidence in performing that task in a new environment. 

Each new place that you take Sparks you will, on some level, reteach each command. The park, pet store, hardware store, restaurants, etc. The more places you train = the more your dog understands those commands = the better behaved your pup will be. That is NEVER a bad thing!

The next topic will tie into this one and provide a better understanding in how your dog learns, so stay tuned!

As always, stay safe and have fun with your dog!