Teaching your puppy to sit is not as hard as some people may make it out to be. In fact, most dogs can learn to sit within 10 minutes or so. This is usually good enough for dog training purposes. However, before you begin, you will need to identify what exactly your goal is for teaching a puppy to sit.
To teach puppy to sit, begin by sitting down next to a dog in a relaxed, seated position. Your legs should be comfortably spread apart but not touching. Ideally, your dog should be sitting on your lap. When sitting down, hold your dog’s tail between your chest and your thighs.
If you are using the command “sit” with your dog’s nose directly in front of you, then your dog will sit on your lap. However, if you are using the command “sit” with your dog’s nose to one side or even facing you, your dog will sit forward (making him look like he is “looking in”) rather than sitting down in a relaxed manner. You will need to do some practicing to get your dog used to being in this position.
Some dogs will naturally sit in one spot, while other dogs will move around a bit. Most dogs are accustomed to moving around a bit, so just spend some time working on getting your dog used to being in a particular spot. Then, as you are taking your dog for a walk, you can practice teaching him the “sit” command.
One way to teach puppy to sit down is to practice coordinating actions with your dog. If you have some down-time, place your puppy in a sitting position, and then move forward. As your dog sits, give him a treat and praise him. After a few times of doing this, your dog will begin to anticipate your action. When you bring him to you, instead of bringing him over to your leg area, bring him to the front so that he can see you. This is similar to how people sit when they want to greet someone.
Another technique to teach puppy to sit is to “talk” to him while he is sitting down. When you start out using this technique, your dog may not understand what you are saying. However, as time goes by, your dog will come to realize that you mean no harm, and that it is simply a polite way to say hello. Of course, you can always end the conversation by saying “good boy,” but most dogs appreciate this kind of training since it helps them know that you are just trying to be nice.
A simple way to teach your dog to sit while he is down is to put him down in one specific spot. Sit him down in a chair, and then take your hand and place it on his back, with the pad of your foot on top of his back. With your other hand, put your fingers together, and place it on his stomach so that it is tight. Then, with your lips, give your dog a reassuring massage and say “sit.” If he does sit, reward him with his favorite treat and praise him.
Finally, if your dog does not sit properly while you are trying to teach him a sit-down position, you need to grab his leash and pull him towards you. Never pull your dog roughly, or you will not get a proper sit-down. Instead, use gentle, light pressure from your hand, until your dog starts to lie down in the position that you have asked him to. Reward your dog with treats and lots of praise. This technique to teach puppy to sit will work very well if you practice it often.