Knowing how to teach a dog to sit is one of the most valuable skills a dog owner can have. This is often the first thing an experienced dog handler will teach a dog because it not only helps identify the handler as the pack leader, but it is also essential for the dog’s safety.
Teaching a dog to sit is an important step in gaining control over your pet. It will help keep her safer when walking alongside public roads and stopping at crosswalks; it will help prevent her from jumping on people and causing potential injuries, and it will help make it easier to feed her meals and snacks.
The good thing is that sitting is one of the easier commands for a dog to learn. In fact, you can train your dog to sit by following six simple steps.
How To Train A Dog To Sit In Six Easy Steps
Step 1: Start off by having your dog stand next to you and hold one of her favorite treats near her nose.
Step 2: Move the hand holding the treat in an arc, starting from her nose and traveling over her head. As your dog lifts her head to follow the treat, her bottom should naturally go to the floor. As soon as her bottom touches the floor, praise her and give her the treat. Sometimes, a dog may move backwards when following the treat instead of bringing her bottom to the floor. In this case, bring the treat back to her nose and restart the step from the beginning with your dog standing. If your dog is being stubborn and refusing to sit, then you may help guide her by gently pushing her bottom downward as you arc the treat over her head.
Step 3: Practice this move a number of times throughout the day at regular intervals.
Step 4: Once your dog gradually starts to learn that she gets a treat for sitting, you will start to notice that she will start to sit for longer periods. This is when you should start adding the command word “sit” at the moment she goes to sit. It is important to say it at the moment she goes to sit and not before or she may associate the word with the wrong movement.
Step 5: Continue to practice this move using the command word “sit” at regular intervals.
Step 6: The last thing you can do to complete your dog’s sitting training is to start including a second command word like “okay” at the end of her sitting training. Adding this second command signals to your dog that her training has ended and she can stand up and walk. This will come in very handy when you command your dog to sit at the curb while waiting for traffic to stop because the second command of okay will result in your dog immediately standing and walking alongside you.
Stay Consistent And You Can Teach a Dog To Sit In No Time
While these six steps might give the impression that teaching a dog to sit is practically effortless, you should expect some pullback from your dog. As with all dog training techniques, this one also demands patience and dedication.
The key to success is to stay positive and consistent. Dogs are excellent learners, but if you fail at being consistent or get frustrated and angry, then it will send your dog mixed messages and as a result, make it much harder to teach her.