08/28/2026
"Why I don't ask dogs to sit to meet people, especially kids.
Sitting often takes away your dog's choice to move away from a trigger or a threat. I see this a lot when dogs meet children. People put their dog into a sit, presumably so the dog won't jump, but then the dog can't move away if the children scare the dog.
So now we've potentially created a situation where we have a dog unable to move away and if that dog is scared then their only option might be to growl or snap. This isn't ideal.
I'd much rather have a dog standing, where if a child reaches and the dog is unsure, the dog can take a step backwards or decide they're free to move away. And then the person has a clear read on that dog's body language....Let's think about when and why we ask dogs to sit. And reconsider, does it really have to be a sit?" --Rescued By Training
Why I don't ask dogs to sit to meet people, especially kids.
Sitting often takes away your dog's choice to move away from a trigger or a threat. I see this a lot when dogs meet children. People put their dog into a sit, presumably so the dog won't jump, but then the dog can't move away if the children scare the dog.
So now we've potentially created a situation where we have a dog unable to move away and if that dog is scared then their only option might be to growl or snap. This isn't ideal.
I'd much rather have a dog standing, where if a child reaches and the dog is unsure, the dog can take a step backwards or decide they're free to move away. And then the person has a clear read on that dog's body language.
Quit the sit...my topic on this week's post. Let's think about when and why we ask dogs to sit. And reconsider, does it really have to be a sit? Read my post here:
https://rescuedbytraining.com/2026/08/17/from-the-archives-quit-the-sit/
