Was Curly's training success too good to be true?

[robin langlais]

Curly, my ten week old goldendoodle had his first puppy class. He took to the sit command like he had known it  all his life.  It didn't escape  me that I had to walk him around in a circle every time or he would not release from the position.  He thought he would hold his position and look cute and I would keep them coming. I thought uh oh, and yup, today when I  went to practice he saw the baggie of treats and automatically came over and assumed the position.  How do you distingush betwwen them understanding a command and there being a bit of confusion/lack of understaning of the plan?  I went ahead and made him practice the down command since he did the sit without my instruction.  He did the sit because he saw the treat.  Are they really smart enough to turn the training progam around so that they take the command that you  taught them and try to train you with it?  Any ideas for a new approach?

[Ginny Nightingale]

Oh yeah--they get it---all three of my doodles sit the minute they hear the cookie jar lid come off--and if I ask them to do something else, they look very confused! But in my class, as the weeks went on, we used the treat to get them OUT of a sit--and into a stand or down and then back to a sit--so eventually they learn the words for eat position.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Oh yeah, they are just that smart. 

[Julie and Charlie]

I think I'd rather have him sit than jump! And sit is a good position for a lot of situations-- I'm a big believer in "saying please by sitting" (credit to Sophia Yin)-- you teach the dog to sit every time he wants something- get out of the car, leave the house, eat dinner, go upstairs, greet a new person, pets/scratches, meet other dogs.

[Adina P]

Only treat him when you give a command...and even then don't give a treat every time. Or choose a diff method of training that does not involve treats.

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

More than smart, brilliant actually.  Meg will start running through her entire list of commands for treats, I have to make her stop and focus in order to issue a command.  I don't treat her for anticipating...but I have to admit I get a bit tickled watching her trying to outguess me on what I am going to say.