Week 1 Molded Sits and Release Word

Equipment needed:
6' Leather Lead
Training Collar

Explanation and Goal of Exercise: This method of molding the dog into position, teaches the dog to allow our hands to mold and manipulate various parts of their body. The handler is also teaching themselves how to determine if a dog's muscles are relaxed with trust OR tense with distrust. Additionally, it is possible to detect a physical problem by touch as you mold your dog down. This also prepares your dog to sink into a sit readily when given the correction later on (if the correction is even necessary).  A sit is when your dog's upper torso is upright,  front leg(s) on the ground/floor, and bottom area is on the ground.

Hand Drills (practice until your moves can move swiftly through the motions without the handler needing to think about it, before practicing with the dog):

Practice these without the dog for a few minutes prior to starting.
  • Your left hand will hold leash, transfer to your right hand (grasp near snap bolt on collar), left hand does long stroke down dog's (first few minutes your invisible dog) back, the left  hand cups the bum area, right hand gives pressure up on collar.
  • At the end of heeling, be sure to introduce your "release word". Some people use "break", "free" or "okay" to indicate that the work is ended. One note about "okay" it is used frequently in conversation, so if you use it, you are going to need to train that it only comes from you and when you are looking at them.
  • Only start with your dog once your muscle memory kicks on on this procedure.

    NOTE1:   Days 1-2   no command at all.   Days 3-4  command only when the dog's bum hits the ground.   Days 5-6 command before performance, but if the dog does not initiate (wait one second) and then immediately mold the dog into a sit.

    NOTE2:  For Week 2, we will give a food reward for every successful grouping of four molded sits in a row.   This can be a sliding scale.  For instance in the beginning, a brief bracing may be my successful molded sit grouping.   Later on, I probably will want to feel him at least starting to feel like he his melting under my touch.

    NOTE3:  We are still working by using the convertible leash over our shoulder for this, which is different than the directions below.   So don't move with him if he tries to move forward, stand your ground so he knows he can't move away (this is one of the reasons we usually start with holding the chain, but we are using the treat hand to stop him).  Try to hold everything steady (the hand on the butt, and the treat in the hand).  Make it as clear communication with body language as you can.  Hopefully, we will get him to stop bracing so much this week as a start to this exercise, and then we can move it forward.


    STEP 1:   Start moving with your dog on the leash informally or in a heel if you have been trained how to do that.
    STEP 2:  Your left hand will hold leash, transfer to your right hand (grasp near snap bolt on collar), left hand is free for step 3.
    STEP 3: Stroke slowly from your dog's shoulders, down their back, and when your hand reaches the bottom area cup it.
    STEP 4:   You can say "good boy or girl" if you want to praise your dog.   Be sure your dog is not leaning up against you.   There should be space in between you and your dog during molding period and later commands.   Also do not confuse "good boy" with the release word.   You want your dog still in position during and after a "good boy".
    STEP 5:  Give your dog the release word.   This can be any word you would like to use.   Examples are break, free, okay, and yes.   I tend to use one that will not be frequently used inconversation if I am talking to others.   Okay tends to come up a lot in conversation.

    Repeat this for one hundred reps a day.   You can break this up into 4 sessions of 25 reps if you would like:)

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