Sit.
How easy was that?
Sit has been the top ranked training command for what seems like centuries, probably more, as I don't have the exact data for it. When I first learned how to teach it, I thought it was so simple that it must have been a shortcut. Boy, was I wrong! It's the easiest of all things to teach your pet, so there's no excuse for Fido - and you - not knowing it.
How to Train Your Dog to Sit:
- You will have to have a treat of some kind for this to work. Simple praises and pats on the head will do nothing but make your dog's tail wag.
- Stand straight in front of your dog with a treat held between your index finger, middle finger and thumb of your right - or left - hand, palm facing your dog.
- Hold the treat - biscuit, small chewable bone, cheese puff - close to your dog's nose.
- Say the command. "Sit."
- Move the treat up and toward the back of your dog's head. Over his head.
- As your dog's nose follows the treat, his head will move up and back and his hips will move down.
- Your dog sits.
- Give the treat immediately and praise, praise, praise.
So that is how you train your dog to Sit.
Warnings for training your dog to sit will include your dog jumping up for the treat instead of sitting. You may be holding the treat too high or moving your hand around, causing him to leap up in an attempt to follow the goodie. Because of this, make sure to keep the treat close to your dog's nose even when you are moving the treat up and toward the back of his head in Step Five.
Do this about twenty-five times on Day One. Go through motions everyday until your dog is slowly weaned off the treats and you feel comfortable with just using praise.
Once your dog will reliably Sit with or without treats, have him sit in different locations around you and the room you are training in. Command your dog to sit when he is on your right, your left, behind you and across the room from you. Do this until you and your dog can Sit with your eyes closed.
Until next time, keep training your dogs!
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