How to Teach a Dog to Sit

By D. Thomas Webb

The "Sit" command should be the first of the basic commands that you teach your dog. It will serve as the starting point for other commands you may want to teach later, such as "Stay". It is easier to teach a dog to sit when he is young, but this simple command can be taught at any age. For any god, sitting is a completely natural thing, so, all we must do is get him to do it on command.

But, before you teach a dog to sit, there are some things that you, as the trainer, must keep in mind.

• Dogs have a very short attention span. Keep your training sessions short, no longer than 10 minutes each. Otherwise, you risk the pooch becoming bored and distracted. Also, find a nice, quiet place to have the sessions. You want your dog to pay attention to you, not to things going on around him.
• You must have your dog's attention when you give the command. You can't expect him to respond to you if he doesn't know that you are talking to him. Always precede the command with his name, as in "Fido! Sit!".

Okay, let's do this thing...

With your pooch in the standing position, give the sit command (Fido! Sit!) while gently pulling upwards on his collar and pushing down on his hindquarters. If (and, when) he goes to the sitting position, reward him with a lot of praise, such as "Good Boy!" while patting his head or giving him a good ear scratch. Be enthusiastic in your praise, as this is what the pooch desires, and you want him to realize that doing what you want is the best way to get it.

Never scold the dog during training.

This will only cause fear and confusion, and make him dread the training sessions. If he gives an incorrect response to the command, simply start over. Over time, your dog will learn what you want and begin to give the correct response all the time.

Continue this exercise for about 10 minutes, being sure to give praise when he responds correctly to the command. After the session, have a little play time together, as this will make the training more enjoyable for you both and cause the pooch to look forward to the sessions.

Plan time for several sessions a day, and remain consistent, both with the sessions and the command. Changing anything will only confuse the pooch!

Remember, all you need to teach a dog to sit is love, patience, and above all, consistency. But, having your best friend be well trained and well behaved will increase the quality of life for you both. Don't you think it's worth it?

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