Teaching your puppy to sit is an important part of dog training. Whether you are using a clicker or your own voice, it will take patience and time to establish the correct sitting posture. With a little help though, you can train puppy to sit easily and quickly. You can teach any dog at any age how to sit, regardless of their age! Puppies as young as 6 weeks are capable of catching on to the sitting behavior, and even older dogs with mobility issues can learn how to sit easily if given the opportunity.
In order to teach your dog how to sit, you should start with your own body position. Dogs are naturally sedentary animals. When sitting down, they want to have their feet flat on the ground and be comfortable. To accomplish this, keep your back straight and head up while keeping your shoulders squared with the floor. You should be in a sitting position with your elbows resting on the floor next to you.
The first step in dog training is to stand upright and begin your walk. As your pup watches you, he may look at you with curiosity. The key to successful dog training is being sure that your dog always knows where you’re leading him. The easiest way to keep your pup in the sit position is to practice stepping out in front of you. After each step, check where you are going and then step into the open space directly in front of you.
Step in, sit down, and treat your dog as you would treat a human. If you are using a clicker, simply press the clicker close to your pup’s nose and then release it. Praise your dog as you would for a simple sit command. It is essential that you never scold your dog for not obeying your command. Scolding breeds back and can lead to a lack of obedience later on in life. A simple “good boy” or “good girl” can do wonders when trying to get your dog to listen to you.
Step one: Get a treat and clicker, if you don’t already have one, and give your pup the treat. When he or she picks up the treat, immediately move forward without taking your eye off the dog. When they get to heel position, immediately step into the open space in front of you and yell “sit”. You will need to repeat this step until the dog understands what you are asking of him or her.
Step two: Use the clicker to command your puppy to sit. Click in between the snaps on the clicker and then say “sit” while holding the clicker a little further away from your pup’s nose. Your puppy should quickly sit down and begin looking towards you with the most trust. Be sure to reward your puppy as he or she sits successfully each time.
Step three: The final step to teaching your puppy to sit is to use lure training. You can use the lure repeatedly, as well as the treats and verbal cues to teach your puppy to obey your commands. You will need to be consistent in your commands, and lure training will help you teach the dog to be aware of the lure, and look for it when it is being handed out. This will increase your dogs obedience and safety with you, as well as with family and other dogs that you live with or walk with.
In summary, the key to training your dog how to sit is to continue practicing until he or she knows what you expect of them. Consistency and reliability are two important keys to teaching a dog to do what you want. Try using both verbal and physical signals, by using treat rewards for good behavior and repeating the process with the lure. Also, be sure to use safety and protection procedures in your house. Following these basic steps on how to teach puppy to sit will make your life a lot easier, as well as yours and the dog’s!