Training Tip: Teaching Your Dog To Sit

Teaching your dog to sit is one of the most basic commands your dog can learn. "Sit" is a good way to get your dog started with learning commands, and is also a great way to teach obedience. If you are having issues with your dog wanting to jump or paw as a way to greet people, using the "Sit" command can aid in the removal of that behavior. 

This is Legs. He is available for adoption at the Sebastian County Humane Society. 

For more information about the Sebastian County Humane Society, or to adopt this adorable dog, click here.

Training your dog to sit is simple, but it takes repetition and patience. Before you start with training you will need a few things: 

1.) Your dog (duh)
2.) Treats (for your dog...and maybe a few for yourself, this is hard work for you too!)
3.) Patience

In case you haven't gotten the hint, patience is very important with training. Here is another obvious fact: your dog will most likely not learn the command on the first try. That's OK. 

Us humans typically don't master something the first time we are told either. If you find yourself becoming frustrated, your dog is probably frustrated too and it will benefit you both to take a break. Go do something you both enjoy such as napping, playing fetch, or going for a walk. When you feel that you are rested, give training another try. 

Using "Sit" as a Verbal Cue

• Standing, grasp a treat between your thumb and index finger. 
• Say "Sit" and hold the treat above your dog's nose, no more than an inch away, guiding your dog into a sitting position. 
• Raise the treat above your dog's head, causing his nose to move upward. Once a dog's snout goes up, their bottom typically goes down. 
• Immediately after your dog sits give the treat and lots of praises!
• Repeat these steps until your dog has mastered the art of sitting on cue with a treat. 

If your dog has a tendency to back away instead of sitting, start with your dog's back to a corner or wall. When you hold the treat above his nose, step forward pushing him toward the wall which should trigger him to want to sit. Also, if your dog is jumping to reach the treat, you may be holding it to close to his nose. Try holding it further away and more over the top of his head instead of directly in front of his nose. 

Using "Sit" with a Hand Signal

Now that your dog is an expert at sitting with a treat in your hand, it is time to remove the treat. Follow the same steps as above, but only pretend to have a treat in your hand, keeping the treat in your other hand or your pocket.

• Say "Sit" and raise your hand above your dog's head, pinching your thumb and index fingers together as if you had a treat, leading him into the sitting position. 
• As soon as your dog sits, give him the treat you had stashed away and lots of praises.

Sitting on Command

The next step in training your dog to sit is removing the hand signal and teaching your pooch it sit whenever you command "Sit". 

• Keep treats stashed out of sight, either in your pocket or on a table. 
• Say "Sit" and raise your hand. If your dog sits immediately, give praise first and then the treat. 
• If your dog doesn't sit on cue, bring your hand closer as you did in the steps above and guide him into the sitting position. Once he sits, give praise first and then the treat. 
• After several repetitions, begin to move your hand further away from your dog while saying "Sit". The goal is to have your dog sitting on command without any movement of your hand. 

At this stage giving your dog praise before rewarding with the treat is important. Waiting to give the treat lets your dog know that eventually a treat is coming, he just needs to be patient. This will also encourage your dog to perform actions without having to visibly see a treat. 


 Taking the Show on the Road

Once your dog has learned to sit on command, he is now ready to practice sitting in public when he greets people. To begin, have a friend help you out. (This is also a great way to show off how well you've trained your dog!) 

• Ask your friend to casually approach you in public. Give the "Sit" command to your dog before your friend has come too close and before your dog becomes overly excited by the presence of company. 
• If your dog sits on command, give lots of praise and then reward with a treat that has been stored in your pocket. Occasionally offer another treat as your dog continues to sit throughout the visit with your friend. 
• If your dog does not sit, ask your friend to walk away, wait a few minutes, getting your dog to sit, then have them approach again. Each time your dog does not sit or does not continue to sit throughout the presence of your friend, ask them to walk away. This will let your dog know that bad behavior makes company go away.  

With training it is important to always be consistent. Never praise or award a negative behavior. And as a final reminder: Be Patient!

Good Luck!

Resource (because I couldn't just come up with this on my own): ASPCA