Teaching your dog how to sit is one of the most important dog training skills you will need to master. A disobedient dog can cause all kinds of problems and while most dogs are easy to train, there are some that are not. If your dog is one of those, it is critical to first reinforce the proper behavior with praise, treats, affection and other positive reinforcement. Second, teach your dog to sit by using treats and positive reinforcement. Here are some tips for teaching your dog how to sit.
Find a quiet, shaded area to exercise and have your dog, or puppies, sit in a harness. If you do not have a harness, simply say the word ‘sit’ or ‘good’ and bring the treat (or lure) over your dog’s head so he looks up and focuses back and automatically sits down. It is important not to start the exercise until your dog have relaxed enough to sit without pulling on his leash. Be sure to reward any good behavior with treats immediately!
Try ‘puppy sit’ for dogs that have a tendency to pull. Have your puppy sit on command and provide treats as he complies. When he sits, make sure to give him lots of positive attention, such as lots of petting, and say, “Good puppy!” When he has completely sat down, praise him. He will be more likely to sit again in the future because he knows he will get a treat for sitting.
Your puppy or dog will need to be taught the behavior in the same way as a young child would. The main difference is that your puppy cannot verbalize ‘no’ by himself, and therefore it is important to reward any obedience with treats immediately. When treats are given, do not forget to click the clicker immediately so the puppy knows it means he is getting a treat.
Dogs that have not been trained can often be rather difficult to train, but if you are willing to put in the work, it can be done. Begin by teaching your dog or puppy the basic commands: sit, stand, down, and stay. After these basic commands have been learned, you can move onto other commands such as laying down, heel, and stay. These commands can then be combined with other tricks to create a full repertoire of dog training tricks.
An important part of how to teach your dog to sit is teaching him a release word. A release word is useful because it tells the puppy or dog that he is free to go outside, and that you will soon let him out. You should teach the release word in a very calm voice, with a firm grip, until the puppy knows that it will make him feel safe to release. As long as you are still around when the puppy gets the release word, he should immediately return to you and finish the training. If you are away from the puppy while he receives the release word, use a verbal recall to remind him where you were when he received the release word.
Once you have worked your puppy into the habit of coming when called, you will need to teach him a trick to release himself from his spot. Begin by holding a treat above his head and working toward his feet. As long as your puppy remains sitting on the bottom, give him a treat and a verbal recall so that he knows he must release himself safely now. You should gradually move his bottom towards the floor, but never rush.
Finally, you should have your dog on the ground, using a lure of some kind to lure him in. Have a treat in your left hand, while your right hand is full of the lure that you wrapped around the back of his leg earlier in the training process. Take the time to watch him closely, as he will eventually get the point. Once he approaches the lure with enough time, he will take off running towards it and you will be able to catch him in just a few short steps.