How do you train a distance down (or sit)?

I'd really like to teach Spike a distance down (or sit). Whenever I give the command he always comes up to me first and THEN does it. How do I teach him to do it at a distance?

You need to build it up. Start off with saying it in front of him, then take one step back, then two, three etc.

I assume he's only ever done a sit/down right in front of you, and thinks that when you say sit, it means be in front of you and sit, if that makes sense.

Yes exactly! Even if I'm just one step away he'll step forward and do it though.

sometimes putting them on a mat, or putting a marker on the ground, or even using something similar to a send away box may help, I think if you train the dog to go backwards into a down, stand and sit rather than to step forward into it that helps,,
sorry im not explaining it well lol x

if you like I will try and get some vid of one of my lot doing it that may explain it better than me,,

This was how I did it for my sign language project.

I got my first jack Spot to down as she usually did, then I praised it.
Next time I asked her to down I added a very exaggerated hand command as I said "down"
The hand signal I used was a flat of hand (palm down) moving from chest level to hip level in a straight vertical line.

First few times Spot looked at me as if I was mad. But we carried on daily, a few minutes here, a few downs there - with the signal each time and near me each time.
Gradually I softened my voice out until I was just mouthing the word "down"
Eventually all I did was the signal.

Once she did it by me each and every time from signal alone, I progressed to taking one step away, then when that was solid, two steps, and so on - making sure each response was rock solid before I moved to the next distance.

Lots of praise and telling her what a clever girl she was after each successful down.

Within a month she could do it from 50 foot away. (and I passed my project and exam!)

in our puppy class we had someone else hold the dog
amazingly my dog who only really did it with hand signals did a sit and a down with me calling from out the room in less than 5 mins (i think watching the other dogs helped)

This is how I taught Clover all distance behaviours...

1. Have the behaviour reliably in front of me.
2. Request the behaviour at a distance. She would run to me to perform behaviour in front of me.
3. I would mark her behaviour (yes/click) and then throw her food reward behind her, back to where she was.
4. Repeat.

Clover learnt that there was no point coming up to me, as food was delivered where she originally was! Food placement is a big motivator.

Tip: Do this somewhere where food is obvious on the floor. I had dark food on a creamy coloured carpet. I've also done this on a tennis court.

I have only taught Charlie to do this out of mine and I taught him first to 'stop' at a distance and wait and then taught him the down which was no effort once he'd learnt stop but now if I want him doing a distance down it is 'drop' and down is a down next to me. I usually do it if there is another dog before I ask the owner if it's ok for him to go ahead and say hello and he knows it so well now he will usually just drop anyway soon as he sees a dog he doesn't know, he just knows that what he has to do.

Dusty is a hound and tbh i'm not even going to attempt teaching her it and Maddy isn't the best (understatement) with greeting strange dogs anyway so never had a reason to teach her it I suppose as I just recall her.

Oops forgot to say how I taught him it!

When he would stop naturally at a distance i'd shout 'STOP' and he already knew 'wait', and 'go-on then' (which is to run ahead and do his own thing or greet a dog e.t.c), so when he stopped still off his own accord i'd shout 'stop', pause and then 'good boy-go on then' and he'd run off again and when he got the hang of it he'd stop when I asked then i'd say 'wait' and go up to him, tell him 'down' and then give him a treat and 'go-on then' and gradually reduce the distance I came up to him to give him the down command. I also use hand signals which helped as when I started giving him the command from a distance I changed to 'drop' rather than down which was easy as i'd use the same hand signal and he picked it up very easily.

I did it a bit like this, but I used whistle for Stop (one short blast) then hand signal for the position. Same sort of thing, though.
Re. obedience distance positions - we are shown to teach them standing in front of the dog, with the dog on lead. We also use hand signals as well as voice commands. (I find that the dog follows the had anyway) The dog is rewarded till it`s captured then treats become intermittent. You step further away when it`s learned.