How to train your dog to sit
Sit is one of the first commands you’ll teach your dog. After all, your dog can’t be leaping on you or rushing around the house if it’s seated. However, many dog owners struggle to keep their pets seated. Dogs frequently jump back up after placing their back end on the ground. Dogs will sometimes refuse to sit at all. If you’re having trouble getting your dog to sit properly, keep reading for some helpful hints and a fun trick.
Train Your Dog to Sit
The most common method for teaching sit is to use a handful of tasty snacks as a lure and incentive. A clicker can also be used to assist you time when your dog sits. To ensure success, train your dog when he is relaxed and in a surrounding free of distractions.
The steps below will encourage your dog to sit:
- Hold a reward to your dog’s nose while they are standing.
2. Slowly raise the reward above their heads and to the back of their neck. Your dog’s back end should sink to the ground as they elevate their head to pursue the reward with their nose.
3. As soon as your dog is sitting, click your clicker and/or praise them, then reward them with a tasty snack.
4. To get your dog to stand up again, go away and call them over, or throw another treat a few feet away.
5. It’s time to remove the reward after your dog can reliably follow the treat into a sitting position. Now lure the dog in with an empty hand and praise the sit with a treat from your other hand. Your hand signal will be the movement of your empty hand.
6. You can add your vocal cue “Sit” right before you offer the hand signal after the dog reliably sits for your empty hand. Your dog should eventually be able to respond entirely to the spoken cue.
It’s never a good idea to push your dog’s back end down because it might be frightening and uncomfortable. Also, give the treat to your dog while he is sitting to reinforce the position. You can encourage your dog to bounce out of their sit just after their rear hits the ground if you wait until they are standing again, or even if you accidentally lure them back to a stand while searching for a treat.
You can also persuade your dog from a down posture if they’re having trouble understanding what you’re asking for. Begin by laying them on the ground, then gradually shape a seat. Slowly raise the treat in front of their nose until they lift their head. That movement should be praised and treated with a click and/or a treat. Raise the treat a little higher until they are able to lift their chest off the ground. Each repetition, raise the treat higher and higher until they can lift themselves into a sitting position.
Finally, you’ll be able to get your get to sit. That means you click and/or praise and treat your dog every time he or she sits on their own. After a while, your dog will begin to sit in exchange for a treat. You can add your vocal cue shortly before your dog is going to sit if this happens.
Make Sitting a Default Action
1. The activities that a dog decides to execute in the absence of a cue from its owner or another handler are known as default behaviors. Wouldn’t it be lovely if your dog preferred to sit rather than leap or go around? But how can you affect your dog’s choices? The more you practice sit in your training, the more probable your dog will sit in the future. But if you really want to make that happen, give your dog a treat every time they sit on their own.
2. So, if your dog approaches you and sits, give him a treat. Reward your dog for sitting while you’re filling the food dish. And so forth. You may have to ask your dog to sit in each set at first, but after enough repetitions, they will start to sit on their own. Take nothing for granted! Praise and encourage your dog with everything you can think of: a treat, a game he likes, or a walk. Your dog will begin sitting anytime they desire something in the hopes of receiving a reward.
