Last Updated on May 16, 2023
Teaching your dog to ‘sit’ is a very common trick for dogs to learn. It is a way to train your dog to settle a little bit in one place and focus on you. It is also useful in preventing jumping, chasing, dominance, excessive barking or door dashing. Once your dog learns to sit when asked, you will have its attention, which will make future training much easier.
Read more about how to teach your dog to sit in 10 easy steps:
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10 easy steps to teach your dog how to sit
1. Create a proper environment
At first you should choose an area that your dog is comfortable with and that is relatively free from distractions. A room indoors can be the best place to start. Indoors, you have more control over the dog’s activity level and can control him to better focus his attention.
2. Initially avoid outdoor training
Remember dogs have a limited attention span so training them outside is much more difficult. There are lots of distractions outside and you have less control over there. It limits your ability to confine the dog and as a result maintain his focus. So it is suggested to initially avoid training your dogs to sit outdoors. But once your dog has learned to sit indoors, you can practice outside as well.
3. Start slowly
As I previously said, dogs and puppies have a limited attention span and can be easily distracted. So you will have to take it slow at first. Take breaks while training to help your dog fully focus during the training sessions.
4. Gather a variety of treats
You should opt for some small treats as you will be giving your dog many treats during training. You can use healthy human foods that are safe for dogs, diet dog food or an appealing dog toy.
5. Show the treat
With your dog in a standing position show your dog that you have a treat in your hand. Do not hold it so high that he will try to jump up to get it. Hold the treat just above your dog’s nose. Move the treat from your dog’s nose to behind his head.
6. Say “sit” and reward him
By the time you have drawn the treat over your dog’s head, your dog’s rear end automatically makes contact with the ground, say “sit” in an upbeat tone and immediately give him the treat while he is in the sit position!
7. Repeat The Cue Word
Next you can add the cue word: say your dog’s name followed by the word “sit,” spoken in a firm voice while holding the treat in the position as before. Repeat the above steps but without the treat in your hand sometimes. But remember to still reward them when they sit on the floor though. Remember, avoid saying “sit down” or any other variant because they may get confused once you move onto the next cue.
8. Continue Practicing
Practice this for at least 2-3 short training sessions every day both indoors and outdoors. It will most likely take a few weeks of consistent training for your dog to learn.
9. Train him without treats
Finally when your dog learns to sit down after a week or two, start getting the dog to sit with your hand signal and the “sit” command and begin to fade out the rewards. Over time your dog will begin to sit as soon as they hear the word ‘sit’.
10. Release your dog from the sitting position
Give an okay cue to let your dog know when his training has ended and release him from the sit command. You can step back and use command words such as ‘free’ and encourage him to come to you.
We hope our simple but useful steps to teach your dog or puppy to sit will help you. Your days with your dogs are sure to be filled with cuddles and play time but it is also important to focus on training. Training your dogs to sit can be the first lesson for your dog to learn.
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