You can teach your dog to sit on command, regardless of their age! Puppies as young as 6 weeks old can easily catch on to the sitting behavior, and adult dogs with mobility issues can also quickly learn how to sit if gently asked. For high-energy or bouncy dogs and puppies, however, the clicking technique described further below best works well. You will need a few treats and/or a clicker to reinforce this method.
This dog training method involves using simple, hand-held, praise-and-reward based tools to give dogs positive feedback when they obey your commands. It has been used successfully for decades by many professional dog trainers who work with both large and small dogs. Clicker training is one method that is often recommended, though some people are reluctant to use it because they think that clickers can be cruel or aggressive. In fact, many dog enthusiasts and animal lovers have raised questions as to whether or not the use of a clicker in dog training is cruelty to animals.
To begin using the clicker in your dog’s training, set your dog up in a comfortable place where you can easily watch them. Have someone, such as your spouse or child, guide your dog through what you’d like them to do. Praise your dog when they take one step forward, and give a quick correction if they take another step forward. Continue repeating the process until they are sitting calmly without reacting to your commands. Each time your dog completes this obedience exercise, give them a treat.
Begin this exercise by selecting a quiet, inviting location where your dog will likely be relaxed and comfortable. Your dog should not be distracted by other dogs or other noises, so keep their focus so that they are aware of your instruction. The clicker is a great training tool because it immediately reminds your dog that they are supposed to sit down. If they proceed to jump right over the dog treat and sit down without noticing your instruction, they will most likely ignore you and continue their actions, thus re-entering the scenario and reinforcing their bad behavior.
You can teach dogs to sit with very little teaching if you use the sit command and not the sit command. This is an effective way to teach dogs how to sit on command, and the bonus is that your dog can now get lots of practice at pleasing you. You will want to begin the process by slowly increasing the distance between you as you teach dogs how to sit. You can start out with ten steps and gradually increase the number of steps as you feel more comfortable. It is always best to use a leash when you teach dogs how to sit on command, but you can still teach them how to sit without using a leash by using a few simple steps.
First, you will need to take one step down in order to command your dog to sit. Once your dog has sat down, you will then take one step forward, so your dog learns that they need to move forward in order to receive the next reward. Do not give the dog too much food or water to begin with, since this could make them excited and possibly distracted. As you reward your dog for sitting down, take one step backwards, so your dog learns that they need to move back in order to receive their next reward. Repeat this process as many times as you feel comfortable, using a five-step procedure and providing a combination of treats and positive reinforcement.
When you find that your dog has stopped getting excited after receiving their treat, remove them from the reward and begin the process all over again. Continue this process for as many times as you feel comfortable. When your dog begins to understand that they will only get a treat after sitting down, they will begin to look forward to their reward. This can be a good training technique to teach your dog to stay.
You should also begin to vary your treats. At first, just offer your dog a plain food treat for sitting, but as you progress have them start enjoying a variety of different treats that you can slowly increase over time. The goal is to get them to associate looking for the treat with sitting, instead of looking for their next snack. This is one way to teach them how to stay.