How To Teach A Dog To Sit
To teach a dog to sit and later stay in that position, you must start slowly until he understands the command easily and does as you are asked. For a young, energetic puppy, this might mean sitting for half a second, and nothing more.
But that’s okay, because from half a second, you can “build” your path up to 1 second, then 2, and so on.
Short, successful attempts are better for your dog’s obedience skills compared to long ones that end with a distracted animal and a frustrated owner.
How to teach a dog to sit
Teaching a dog to sit is the first training exercise you should try, and one of the most important commands your dog will learn.
- Start training with a gift or treat and show it to your pet (treats always work best).
- When your dog shows interest, he will follow with his head and try to catch up.
- Hold the treat over the dog’s head so he looks up and place it just behind his nose so he has to move his head back. The only way your dog will be able to reach the treat is by putting his butt on the ground.
- The moment he does this, give him lots of praise.
- After a few tries, your dog will know how to earn his reward, and his response will be faster.
Important aspects to consider
Start these simple steps in a place that is familiar to your dog, with no tempting distractions. Keep your dog focused on you, staying in front of him, while paying full attention and keeping your eyes on him.
If your dog holds the position for a second or two, praise him and give him a gift as a reward. Repeat the process, this time having your dog hold the position for a few more seconds, before giving the reward.
Once your dog responds reliably, add the visual cue. Ask your dog to sit or lie down, then tell him to “stay” while keeping your hand extended with your palm toward his nose in the “still” position.
If he holds the position for a second or two, praise and offer a gift. Repeat the sequence, gradually add one second at a time to ask for a longer stay.
When he fully understands what is expected, present the hand gesture that your dog will learn from. Use a gesture, such as your hand held upright in front of you, that is consistent among all the people who train or live with the dog.
Say “sit” while your dog is sitting so he will learn to associate the word with the action. Now that you’ve added the sign, with practice you can ask him to sit down without having to lure him into position with the treat.
If it’s not working
The moment your dog leaves the position, say “sit!”, “stay!” or “down!” , depending on the position he was originally in. So try a shorter stay again.
If you’ve been practicing for a while and your dog knows the command to stay, you can keep your voice serious, as if you’re scolding, when he changes position.
However, don’t punish him. The moment you get upset with your dog, he will associate the punishment with what he was doing at the time he was punished.
How to increase the challenge when teaching a dog to sit
Once your dog has learned the ‘stay’ command, you can slowly make it more challenging. Stand one foot away from your dog when you ask him to stay, then two feet away, and keep increasing the distance.
Ask him to stay when you turn your back, when there’s another person or dogs in the vicinity, and then when these distractions are close at hand. Then when you are swinging a ball and finally when there are toys scattered around it.
Add a new challenge only if your dog responds reliably. If the animal leaves the place it should ever be, eliminate a challenge, shorten the time, eliminate distractions, or move closer and try again.
Patience and perseverance will be the keys to teaching the dog correctly.
