The “sit” command is not only one of the easiest and most enjoyable commands to begin teaching your pet but is essential for the safety of your puppy. This command saves dog’s lives everyday by preventing them from hurling themselves obliviously into traffic and certain death. Teaching the command is fun way for you and your new dog to get to know each other; please be sure to do it well.
The two methods I’m going to suggest in this short article are used by many trainers and reliably produce the desired behavior. If you are starting with a young puppy, begin training at about 8 weeks. Set a training regimen that you adhere to as regularly as possible, and always carry out the training in the same way. Always be gentle and firm, and you must be prepared to have inexhaustible patience and willingness to repeat as often as necessary for your dog to understand.
When running your dog through training routines, try to keep everything the same and predictable. This is important to dogs as it makes them feel safe and secure. Again, never lose patience and be willing to repeat as many times as necessary until your dog catches on.
Method 1
The first thing you want to do is catch your dog’s attention. In this method, you do this by uttering your pet’s name while holding a treat in front of and just above your dog’s muzzle. Move the treat in a slow arc above and backward over its head. Your dog will want to keep its eyes on the morsel, and as it moves its head back, its rear end will reposition itself on the floor. As you see the dog begin to sit, firmly utter the command, “sit.” Follow this by praise and a treat.
It goes without saying that you will need to repeat often in order for your dog to “get it.” I suggest working in 10 minute units of time. Later, as your dog gets more training experience, you may want to increase this to 15 minutes, though I wouldn’t recommend going beyond 15 minute training sessions for this single command. As your puppy begins to catch on, you will be able to gradually replace treats with praise. Generally speaking, you do not want your dog’s obedience to be treat dependent. Expect to take approximately 2 weeks in order for your dog to start reliably obeying the command.
Method 2
This method is similar, but you will need to position your dog on your left, and you may want to have it on a leash. Here, you hold a treat in front of your dog, say “sit,” and then gently press down on its hind quarters. When the dog sits, give it praise and a tiny piece of the treat. If you have your puppy leashed, then a gentle tug up on the leash accompanied by gentle push on the dog’s rear will also cause it to sit. Be sure to give the “sit” command and reward with praise and a treat.
Basic puppy training preparation–must know tips!
