Teaching Your Dog "Sit"
"Sit" is one of the most basic of all commands, the goal is for the dog to sit with its head up looking at you when you say 'sit'.
1. Start the exercise in a quiet place, where there are no distractions. Use a calm voice to call your dog by its name and show your dog a treat and have plenty of other treats in your pocket.
2. While the dog is standing, show and hold the treat close to the dog's nose, just above its head, while moving the treat slowly backwards (towards the back). The dog should naturally get into the sit position by bending its back legs. The very second the dog sits, click and give it the reward and enthusiastically praise it.
3. If the dog does the wrong thing don't give any reward, just try again. If the dog keeps on backing up then put and obstacle behind him, or use the wall. If your dog keeps jumping then lower your hand a bit so it wont have to reach for it.
4. Keep this up over time until the dog has mastered the exercise. Start including the command once you think your dog knows what it's doing. Then continue the training varying the levels of distraction. Slowly decrease the food rewards and substitute them with enthusiastic 'Good dog!' praising and/or petting.
Here are some extra tips for teaching your dog to sit.
- After the first few times of getting treats, your dog will start too just sit down in front of you before you even tell him too. So walk away to another location and tell him to sit. And then after a few more time of doing that, wait in till he looks at something else that has his attention then, tell him to sit too see if he does.
- Try this technique before the dog's mealtime so it is hungry and eager to work for the reward.
- In order to avoid confusion, always use the EXACT same command AFTER the dog's name.
- Never fumble around looking for the reward after the dog sits. Have it ready!
- Be patient and never get angry. Dogs pick up on these feelings and won't want to practice with you if it's not fun.
- It's best NOT to push the dog's bum to the floor with your hands if you are having trouble. The dog might well associate this with the actual training and wait for you to push its bum down in the future. If you are having trouble with this technique then an obedience class with other dogs is a great idea.
1. Start the exercise in a quiet place, where there are no distractions. Use a calm voice to call your dog by its name and show your dog a treat and have plenty of other treats in your pocket.
2. While the dog is standing, show and hold the treat close to the dog's nose, just above its head, while moving the treat slowly backwards (towards the back). The dog should naturally get into the sit position by bending its back legs. The very second the dog sits, click and give it the reward and enthusiastically praise it.
3. If the dog does the wrong thing don't give any reward, just try again. If the dog keeps on backing up then put and obstacle behind him, or use the wall. If your dog keeps jumping then lower your hand a bit so it wont have to reach for it.
4. Keep this up over time until the dog has mastered the exercise. Start including the command once you think your dog knows what it's doing. Then continue the training varying the levels of distraction. Slowly decrease the food rewards and substitute them with enthusiastic 'Good dog!' praising and/or petting.
Here are some extra tips for teaching your dog to sit.
- After the first few times of getting treats, your dog will start too just sit down in front of you before you even tell him too. So walk away to another location and tell him to sit. And then after a few more time of doing that, wait in till he looks at something else that has his attention then, tell him to sit too see if he does.
- Try this technique before the dog's mealtime so it is hungry and eager to work for the reward.
- In order to avoid confusion, always use the EXACT same command AFTER the dog's name.
- Never fumble around looking for the reward after the dog sits. Have it ready!
- Be patient and never get angry. Dogs pick up on these feelings and won't want to practice with you if it's not fun.
- It's best NOT to push the dog's bum to the floor with your hands if you are having trouble. The dog might well associate this with the actual training and wait for you to push its bum down in the future. If you are having trouble with this technique then an obedience class with other dogs is a great idea.