• Dog Training Tips

Training Your Dog To Sit

Sit Exercise For Your Dog:

Teaching your lovely dog to sit is the opening stage of dog obedience training. ‘SIT’ is a very basic command that will be very easy for your dog to learn. It will be very useful for both the dog and the owner to create a decent master-dog relationship. This will lay a strong base to teach your dog the automatic sit and other advanced dog training skills in the later part of the training.
There is no age limit in teaching this technique to older dogs or younger puppies. It is always good to make a comfortable start because this is very important for building the dog’s confidence.  A confident dog will make your work easier in teaching new exercises.

The rules you MUST KNOW before training your dog to sit.

1. A short 20 minutes training session is effective training session.
2. There is no perfect time to train your dog. You can train him any time at your leisure.
3. It is necessary to make your dog understand what you are asking him to do.
4. Try to make it a fun session when training your dog to sit.
5. Consistency is very important in dog training, and praise is necessary every time you make him sit correctly.
6. Don’t expect too much from your dog on the first session.
7. Food reward is a great technique for some dogs.
8. Praise him every time with a warm scratch behind his ears after every successful sit position.
9. On the first training session, you may choose a comfortable environment for your dog.

Now you know all the necessary rules, you are ready to start the first training session with your dog.

Start training your dog to sit:
There are three effective techniques in training your dog to sit. These techniques are very effective. , Here I will describe all the three techniques.

 

First Technique:

This technique is effective for young puppies (3 months to 6 months). When you are going out with your puppy for a walk and you see that he is going to sit, give it a command in a firm tone by saying ‘SIT’.  When he sits perfectly, praises him and gives him some treats. In this exercise, your dog will learn to associate the action ‘sit’ with the command. This technique is effective for almost all the puppies; they will understand the ‘SIT’ command very quickly. One thing you have to keep in mind, never forget to praise your puppy & reward him with treats.

Second Technique:

This technique is for the older puppies and dogs (6 months and up). It is a reliable technique that will make your dog sit.  Sit in front of your standing dog with a small tasty piece of treat in your hand. Keep your hand few inches away from the dog’s mouth. Slowly move the treat back over his head. His nose will follow the treat. Keep your hand few centimeters away from your dog all the time. When you slowly move your hand back over his head, his nose level will be up and he will inevitably hit its back on the floor. As soon as his back touches the floor you will praise him & give him the treat.

If you keep the food too far away from his nose it will back away or jump to get the food. So you should always keep your hand few centimeters away from its nose. Do these steps again and again and give him command ‘SIT’ before you move your hand back over his head.

Third Technique:

If your dog is unable to respond to those techniques described before, you can use this third technique. Before applying this method you have to get a comfortable collar and a leash.
Stand next to your dog and make sure that you and your dog facing the same direction. Hold the leash firmly but not choking up over the collar. Then gently press down his hindquarter and firmly say ‘SIT’. Your hand should set down near its hips. When your dog’s hind reach the sitting position, praise him and give him some delicious treats. Gradually,  he will understand the meaning of your command and will start to response to your command. When he realises that he will be praised after doing this, then you will no longer need to press his back.

These techniques will surely do the tricks to train your dog this necessary skill. You can assess the above techniques to determine which is most appropriate for teaching your dog to sit.

 

If you still encounter problem, you may wish to contact a professional dog trainer.