Do you teach your horse to piaffe? no, i've no need to...

Yeah, cos that's a like for like comparison!

Not show dogs, but my hubby never trains his sheepdogs to sit. It isn't a command they require.

It's a command/behaviour that has no use to me as a owner. That's my comparison. They can do it of their own free will if they so wish, dogs will sit when resting as horses will trot on the spot while playing about on the lead rope. I do not require either animal to perform these tasks as and when i require as i don't require it.

Back to the OP, do you also believe that if you taught your dogs to sit it would hinder them in the show ring? I'm wondering if you have such a belief because people in the show world have regurgitated the myth to you many mooms ago and it's sort of become habit from there? Not having a go, I just find it all quite strange!

I can understand sheepdogs not being taught sit - they're a tool for a specific job and more often than not only used at that specific time for that job, but I still find it difficult to believe that show pet dogs are never required to be taught the sit command as it's clearly so useful for the vast majority of us.

Yes and no, dependent on the teaching technique. As I have already said.

I used to show my gwp and the sit was one of the first commands I taught her as she is a working dog as well. I only really showed her when she was a pup (got a bit bored of it tbh), but when we were out and training, whenever I stopped, I gave her the command to sit. Eventually, she would sit when I stopped. When we were in the showring, she knew she was in the showring so didn't do it. Whether there was different body language from me, I don't know but I never had a problem with her sitting.

One command I never teach mine is the down as I don't need it.

Helen

I know its a bit different - I once went to see someone who had purchased a fully trained sheepdog and wondered why she did not sit on command!!! (It did make me laugh!)