How to Train Your Dog to Sit
Dogs are a lot of work, but they are also some of the most adorable creatures on the planet. One thing you can do to make things easier for both your pup and you is teaching them how to sit. This will help with housebreaking, obedience training, and just about everything else! Here is what you need to know to teach your dog how to sit.
Why Your Dog Needs to Learn to Sit
Dogs are creatures of habit and respond well to repetition. If you teach your pup how to sit, they will learn the behavior quickly because it is something that humans do with them often from an early age. Teaching a dog this trick can help curb unwanted behaviors like jumping up on visitors or knocking things off tables while also helping in obedience.
Getting Started with Obedience Training
Obedience training for dogs is a great way to build a stronger relationship with your pet and teach them how to behave in different situations. You can start out by finding an area where you will be teaching the trick, like on a rug or grass outside, and then getting down at their level so they are looking up at you.
Next, you will want to make sure you have lots of treats on hand. Treats are useful training tools because they can help motivate your dog to do what you want. We suggest treats your dog really likes. For the purposes of training, you will want to make sure the treats are small to avoid overfeeding.
How to Teach Your Dog to Sit in 5 Easy Steps
Step One: Find an area where you will be teaching the trick, like on a rug or grass outside. This is important because you want to have a space that is free of distractions, so your dog has no reason not to sit.
Step Two: Get down at their level so they are looking up at you and then place the treat in front of them. The key here is making sure it takes just one step for the dog (or person) to get from standing to sitting.
Step Three: When your dog sits, say “good dog” and give them a treat. This tells your dog that they did the right thing and that you are happy about it.
Step Four: Step away and encourage them to stand up and sit again. Reward them when they do what they are told. This reinforces their behavior.
Step Five: Keep repeating the process until they respond quickly and before you know it, your dog will be sitting in front of you on cue.
Dog Training Tips
This is a short list of tips that will help make your training sessions easier.
- Let them sniff and explore the area before you start to train, but when they are sitting in front of you, give them all your attention so they don’t get distracted or disinterested.
- Start off slow with just one command at first. In this case: “sit.”
- Be patient and work in short bursts. Training is exhausting for both you and your pet. So, start with short training sessions.
- Once you think your dog has a grasp of the command, take away the treat and praise your dog.
- Do not push your dog’s backside down. This may confuse or scare them. Instead, wait for them to sit and reward them accordingly.
The Sit Command Leads to More Complex Behaviors
Once you have mastered the “sit” command, your dog can learn more complex behaviors. For example, you can teach “sit” in conjunction with a command you want your dog to learn at the same time such as “lie down.”
Obedience training such as this is great for bonding and will give your dog confidence. Also, “sit” and other commands help you keep your dog safe. As your dog is exposed to more and more stimuli on walks and at dog parks, continue reinforcing good behavior with treats and praise. This will ensure that no matter what environment they are in, they are always listening to you.