One of the perks of being a dog owner is training your pet to do fun tricks. As it turns out, lurchers are intelligent creatures who catch up fast, especially when you enroll them in classes or have a dedicated owner. Lurchers are tall and slender dogs that make you wonder whether they can sit, either on command or naturally.
So, can lurchers sit? Lurchers can sit, but some prefer not to since it can be uncomfortable due to their physique. They are tall and slender, unlike other dog breeds, and feel weird being in such a position. However, some dogs can sit when you train them well, but it may take a long time. Therefore, it would help if you were very patient with your pet since it may take up to a month to learn the simple trick. Alternatively, you can hire a professional trainer to help.
If you are having trouble teaching your lurcher some basic tricks, this is the guide for you. Read on for a detailed analysis on how to train your lurcher to sit, if lurchers are hard to train, and if they can live in a flat.
How Do You Train a Lurcher To Sit?
Lurchers are not the typical dogs who would sit on command after training. They have deep chests and long legs, making it difficult, awkward, and uncomfortable to sit, contributing to why many of them dislike doing it. However, dogs are generally intelligent enough to pick up such simple tricks, and the lurcher is no different.
The best way to train a lurcher is to use the reward system. While still standing, you can bring its favorite treat close to the nose as you circle it above the head. Keep holding it until the dog sinks to the sitting position upon which you reward them immediately.
The constant looking up compels them to sit. Once they sit, you can give them the treat and repeat the same a few more times. Since they are very keen on human gestures, you need to praise them each time they sit successfully.
Repetition is crucial in training your dog since doing it a couple of times a day helps them remember, and, in no time, your pet will learn how to sit and perform other tricks along the way. The reward system relies entirely on treats, meaning that the item you choose matters too.
It has to be their favorite snack that they rarely receive unless on rare occasions. Don’t provide the same type of food you give them during mealtime as a treat because they are already used to it, which will weaken the training system. They need to look forward to the training because they will know that they will get their tasty snack.
Choosing the treat goes a long way to make the process successful because the more they love the snack, the faster it will be to train them. Note that the process is tricky, and you can find yourself regularly starting all over again. It needs patience and calmness. Your pet can tell when you get fussy and agitated, which can also set you back a couple of days. It can be a frustrating process that will test your patience.
Another tip when training is to keep it as short as possible because no one likes a long boring lesson, and neither does your dog. Instead of doing the same thing for hours, it is better to insert short breaks in between to keep things interesting.
Keep the break time short, too, because they can forget and set you back. If you are uncertain about whether you can achieve it, you can get a dog trainer instead. The only downside is that training serves as a bond between dog and owner. Thus, it’s best to do it yourself as you achieve the milestone together.
There is no specific timeframe regarding the process. It depends on several factors such as the individual dog, its age, how obedient it is, how dedicated you are, and many other considerations.
The process may take months or weeks if you are lucky, but it is not an easy feat. Unlike other dogs, a lurcher’s physique makes it hard to assume the sitting position. Some would seem to lean instead of going down, while others would find it easier to lie down.
Are Lurchers Hard To Train?
Dogs are among the most intelligent domestic animals and they relate well with humans. Lurchers, for instance, are brilliant and fantastic at whatever they do, and you can take advantage of that to train them and bond in the process. The good thing is, most dog species, lurchers included, can learn to do a lot of stuff through training, especially when they start when young.
Lurchers may be clever, but they are not as obedient as other dog breeds. They don’t seem to follow instructions keenly, making them quite tasking and hard to train. Although they aren’t very good at training, they can be skilled in the mastery of some commands and can be leaders in their own right.
You will notice that a puppy will learn better and faster than an adult; hence, it is best to train them in their puppyhood. However, it may still need a lot of patience as your pet can take a long time to master a single instruction.
A puppy can take approximately a month to learn one action on command. Another downside with training lurchers is that, sometimes, they grasp an instruction but forget about it when they know a new trick. Therefore, teaching a lurcher new tricks is a tiresome exercise that may be frustrating, especially if you are impatient. Some expert trainers understand how these dogs behave as far as learning is concerned.
If you find it hard to train your dog, you can always ask a professional to do the work for you; this way, you will soon notice tremendous positive changes in your dog’s ability to listen and obey. Once the dogs are thoroughly trained, you will be amazed at how much they can accomplish a command. You may find it easier to train this breed on other simple tasks, but you may need more when it comes to recalling training, particularly during hunting.
The dogs have an innate drive for hunting and chasing; therefore, making them return when you call them back may require patience and commitment on your end. Experts advise that you should always keep your lurcher on a lead whenever you go out for a walk in the gardens or a park unless you have trained him well.
Can a Lurcher Live in a Flat?
Flats don’t have extra spaces such as playgrounds, as seen with homes where there’s room for children and pets to play. Dogs are active animals; therefore, living in a flat can deny them their freedom to exercise and keep fit while at it, but what happens when you live in a flat and want to own a lurcher?
Acquiring a lurcher won’t be a good idea if you live in a flat, despite how much you want to keep one. The dog is as active as any other dog and hence, it wouldn’t be comfortable living in confinement. Lurchers need to walk or run to exercise; hence, city life may not be the ideal option for them.
However, some pet parents have successfully adapted to living with their dogs in such situations. Even without backyard spaces, it is still possible to keep a lurcher, as long as you provide alternative options for them to exercise.
It may be easier to handle such a life with a dog from puppyhood because, with time, they adapt to being in small spaces. On the contrary, it will be challenging to train a mature dog to get used to life in a flat.
The consequences are stress and aggressive tendencies. It is wise to relocate to residential areas with spacious compounds and gardens or go to the countryside in some cases. Nevertheless, you can still find ways to make it work in a flat by making your dog feel more comfortable.
For starters, you may need to keep a close eye on your lurcher’s diet to ensure that it maintains a lean body that is its original look. Otherwise, it may add weight tremendously and get lazy, which is unhealthy for dogs of such a breed.
Similarly, if there is a large compound in your neighborhood, you can make it a habit to walk your dog at least twice a day. Besides, you can get someone to do it for you if you are not available.
It is challenging to live in an apartment with a lurcher because they need space to exercise and explore. Secondly, they may seem intimidating to other people, and your neighbors may worry about their safety and that of their children.
You will also be risking your property if you have an adventurous dog who loved to chew things it finds. If you had more space, it would be easier for your dog to play and be the active creature it usually is.
Finally
Lurchers are great dogs, but they are not as obedient as other dog species, meaning that It would take a while to train them to do simple tricks like sitting. However, some individuals are fast learners and take a short time to perform tasks on command.
Notably, teaching them to sit can be tasking because many lurchers find it uncomfortable. You can use the ‘treat method’ as a reward system and they will eventually learn. However, it takes a dedicated owner and weeks of relentless lessons to teach a lurcher to do tricks entirely.
