How to Teach a Dog to Sit
Learning how to teach a dog to sit is a great way to get started with obedience training. It will be easy for your to show your dog and they will get the hang of it in no time at all! It's also great to start with this command because your dog will get a confidence boost when they do it right and you praise them. The more confident that your dog is, the better they will be at obedience training!
Teaching your dog to sit is not just about teaching them obedience though. It's an excellent behavior that you can use to help them behave right. You can use it as alternate behavior or a distraction if they are doing something that they shouldn't. For example, you probably find that if you have a puppy they love to jump on people when they visit your home. If you teach your dog how to sit, you can tell them to do it and they'll stop jumping.
It's never too soon to teach a dog to sit!
A lot of people don't quite know when they should get started teaching commands like sit. The truth is, you can teach it no matter how old your dog is. The only thing that you realy need to make sure of is that your dog trusts you and will allow you to touch him or her. They need to be somewhat confident in order to focus. Once you are at that point, you'll be ready to begin!
If learning how to teach a dog to sit is the first type of obedience training you have ever done, then you need to make sure that you keep the lessons short and fun. Doing traning for too long will cause your dog to get bored and you'll start to lose their attention. You should also remember to praise your dog every time they do something right. Tell them what a good job they did and give them a treat as a reward.
Be careful not to make them reliant on treats! Once they start sitting every time you tell them, you don't need to continue to reward them. Otherwise, you'll teach them to only listen to you when you give them something in return. You won't have to worry about that when you are just starting though.
Your dog might not know what you expect of him or her when you first start teching them how to sit. That's ok, and you shouldn't rush. You have to be patient and consistent if you want to start seeing results.
How to Teach a Dog to Sit - Different Methods
There isn't just one way to teach your dog to sit. There are a few, so you should stick to whatever is the most effective for you and your pup. The first method is geared towards puppies.Since you will be constantly supervising them, you just need to pay attention to their behavior. If you see your puppy start to sit or crouch, you simply say, "Sit" to them as clearly as you can. If they continue with their motion you can pet them and give them a treat. It won't take long for the little pup to realize that touching their rear end to the floor is what you want them to do when you say, "Sit."
That is really all there is to it. You will be pretty impressed at how easy it is for puppies to learn how to sit this way. Just remember that when each time they do it, you need to give them praise and attention.
With older dogs, you should try a different method. All you need for this to work is a treat of some kind. Hold it in your hand and move it over your dog's head. You'll be amazed but most will instinctively sit down any time you do this.
Some dogs will even know to sit if they know you have food!
Just like with puppies, you need to give your dog a lot of praise and the treat when they sit down. You also need to remember to say the command, "Sit" (or whatever word you have chosen). You'll be helping your dog to realize exactly what you want from them when you tell them to sit and they will do it each time.
Sometimes, dogs will need a little encouragement. All you have to do is gently press down on their rear just above their tail. A lot of the time, they will simply sit down. As soon as they do, be sure to say your word and give them a treat! Rub them behind the ears and tell them what a good boy or girl they are.
Don't make this command harder than it needs to be!
Learning how to teach a dog to sit is a big step for first time trainers but it's a step in the right direction. It will help you to understand how dogs think and it teaches you how to work with them to get them to understand you. With other commands, you will use similar techniques to this one and you will keep building on them.
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