Do You Teach Your Dog To Sit?

This thread was prompted by a comment on another thread and reminded me of something I over heard at ringcraft once: that you should never teach a show dog to sit as you don't want it sitting in the ring!

Now from the perspective of someone who owns a dual purpose HPR that HAS to be taught to sit on the whistle, I do find this a very bizarre perspective to have. My dogs know a variety of commands and can easily distinguish which command is which and equally which one is needed in different situations!

So do any of you other show people follow this "mantra"? I have to say all of the dogs I've shown have been taught to sit and I've never found it a problem in the ring!

This isnt a professional view but I noticed my breeder started teaching her pups to stand from a young age, but didnt bother with sit. Wanted them to learn to stand with good stance for food in the ring I guess.

I can understand concentrating on certain training for a certain discipline, but to be told not to teach your dog the command sit to avoid confusing it in the ring just seems bizarre to me. We can train dogs to lead blind people, dogs to hear for deaf people, dogs to sniff out drugs etc, but they'll struggle if you try to teach both the sit and stand command when used for showing?!

Yep see your point on that one!!
Will have to wait and see what the showers say

Yes, I see your point too but have to admit when I used to show I didn't teach my dogs to sit only taught them stand and stay It was the advice I was given when I got my first pup to show by both his breeder and ringcraft class.

I just find it very bizarre, do people really think dogs are so stupid they can't manage learning two commands at once? The first command Isla was ever taught was sit and yet she's never sat when in the ring. Actually keeping all four feet on the ground is the biggest challenge!

Not teaching sit must be one of those show world urban legends!

Yes. sat here giving it thought it perhaps is bizarre but starting out I took everybodys advice on board though many years down the line I would teach a sit now. I have had more embarassing situations in the ring than a dog sitting

Yes, if only I could train a pup not to poop in the ring!

I always laugh at that!
I think its a get out clause for being lazy with training 'oh he doesn't sit he's a show dog' corse it sits its a dog

I've had a breeder/shower tell me they never teach their dogs to sit. Never quite grasped why. Dogs can learn more than one thing.