If you want to know how to train a dog to sit, then it pays to remember a few important things first. Teaching your dog how to behave properly can be difficult at first, but well worth the effort! Dogs love rewards, and they love to learn new things. Here’s how to train a dog to sit:
It’s crucial to start when your puppy is still a puppy. You can’t just give treats and praise for anything – even if your puppy’s showing signs of wanting to do something, he or she needs to learn that it’s not always going to be rewarded. Dogs are creatures of habit, so it’s important to begin when they are still puppies. Start by using treats as much as possible, while praising and giving plenty of praise when your puppy responds correctly. Once they start to respond to you in a positive way, then you can move on to using praise only as a treat.
If you’re not a natural trainer, then this article is definitely not for you. However, there are many resources available that can help you train your dog in this manner. It’s important to remember though, that dogs are very different from other pets. They’re much more than animals that can be taught to perform simple commands like sit, stay, or roll over.
In order to train your dog properly, you’ll need to understand them better. The first thing you need to do is understand their mentality. Unlike dogs, that you may let loose all over your home and into your yard, puppies are still at a very tender age. Their world is very limited, and they rely on you to provide everything they need. To this end, you’ll have to create positive reinforcement in order to get your pup to listen to you. This can be done in many different ways, but I’d like to point out one in particular.
To teach dogs the “word sit” means to stand a certain distance away from your dog and say the word while giving a treat to him. This creates a bond between you, and your dog will look forward to your command. This works best if you train your dog in private. Don’t try it in a crowd!
A great technique that I use with my dog is called the “release cue”. I simply teach my dog that if I say the word “sit”, then he should sit. I then give him a treat and a toy. If I release the cue, he goes to sit down.
To start this training, I’ll walk up to my dog and slowly increase the distance between us. I’ll say the command for him to take one step forward, then give him a treat and another toy. When I release the command for him to take one step forward, he must move forward in pace with me until he’s almost standing next to me.
Once I get my dog to understand that he gets a treat and a toy whenever he meets me near the end of the leash, I’ll move on to using the release command. You can do this gradually increase the distance between you until your dog can keep his distance without pulling when you say the word sit. This is the most effective way to train dogs to sit without having to scream at them.
In the beginning, you won’t want to scold or punish your dog if he doesn’t follow your commands. Using a simple treat lure is the best way to do it. When he fails to sit or drop down, I simply grab the treat lure and offer it as a reward. He’ll eventually learn that if he hears me say the word sit, he gets the treat and any other rewards I have to offer.
Eventually you’ll want to increase the number of repetitions and length of training sessions. Your dog might start to understand that when you say the word sit, you mean to take him to sit down. He may even begin to realize that he’ll receive treats and other perks if he follows your instructions. You can start out by only allowing him to perform a single sitting command each time you use the leash and gradually increase the amount of time he can perform the command.
One handy tip: If you give your dog a treat immediately after he completes a sitting command, he’ll get excited and may try to jump up on you. To prevent this from happening, distract him with a toy or hold his food before you give him the treat. He’ll soon learn that he will get nothing if he jumps up onto you. After a few days of consistently using this method, you can slowly increase the number of times you say the word without offering a treat. Gradually increase the length of your training sessions and you’ll soon see your dog doing what you want him to do.