Training your dog to sit is an essential part of dog training, whether you are a new pet owner or you have owned dogs in the past. Teaching your dog how to sit will help both you and your dog enjoy the benefits of a well-behaved pet. Dogs that lack the ability to stay sitting for long periods of time may not be the best choices for families with small children. But even small dogs can learn to stay in position when commanded, if they are properly taught how.
Dogs that are too young to understand the concept of sitting may begin to do it because they are curious, or maybe because they are bored. You can easily teach any dog to sit down, regardless of their age! Puppies as small as six months old can easily catch on to the sitting behavior, and even older dogs with little mobility issues can learn how to sit on command when asked. Your job as a pet owner is to make sure that your puppy or dog is socialized so that he or she is well-trained at an early age.
One easy way to begin your dog’s dog training is by using dog training treats. These are small treats that dogs love to eat, and which help to teach them the sit-stay-fetch pattern. When using treats, always give your dog the treat first, then lead him to the designated sit area, and give the sit command while giving him the treats. This is a great way to introduce a dog to the concept of sitting down and staying down, without causing him any stress or fear.
Another option is clicker training. Clicker training treats works in a similar fashion to dog treats. After you cue your dog that he is getting a treat, and he sits down, click the clicker and give him a reward. As long as the clicker is in your hand, your dog will learn this behavior. To reinforce this behavior, you can vary the treats that you use, by pairing one click with a treat and another click with a different treat.
If you have a puppy, there is a much easier way to train your dog for many household commands. Instead of using treats and clickers, you can simply use praise and rewards. Simply praising your dog for sitting will create a bond between you, and your dog will be grateful for the praise, and will be more likely to want to follow your commands. When using a praise/reward system, make sure you give lots of praise when your dog does what you want him to do, and don’t scold him for not doing what you would like him to do.
The first step is teaching your dog how to recognize his own hand signal. Start this step by taking one of your hands and placing it on your dog’s shoulder. You are going to want your hand to be six to ten inches away from your dog. With his nose pointed, look into his eyes and say “sit.” Your dog should sit and stand obediently while you take one of his hands and place it on your lap.
Say “good” in a happy voice while your dog gets down on his knees next to you. Release the command you are going to be using and give him a treat. As your dog gets used to releasing the command on command, slowly increase the distance between you as well as the treats. This will ensure that your dog gets used to a smaller space to move in, while at the same time, you will be reinforcing the habit of standing obediently while being rewarded.
Once your dog is sitting calmly while you give him the command to sit, slowly begin to decrease the distance between you and him. Begin with treats and only treats. Don’t spend so much time trying to redirect him, but instead, spend most of your time feeding him the food he wants. Eventually, your dog will learn to stay where you want him to without using the recall because you will no longer be calling him and saying “come”. He will simply walk to you.