How to teach your dog to sit

Want to train your dog to sit on command but don’t know how to train him? Fret not, this post will help you! 

When you begin training your dog, begin with the ‘sit’ command as it is one of the easiest commands to teach and paves the way for other similar positioned commands such as ‘stay’ or ‘down’. Let’s learn the mechanics of it all, shall we?

 When you train your dog, choose a quiet distraction-free environment so your dog can focus.

Step 1: Choose your treats 
No dog will ever deny a tasty treat. Take a small bite-sized, soft, chewy dog treat. Keep the treat in your closed palm and let your dog smell the treat. 

Step 2: Time to move your hand
Once you have his attention, slowly move your hand from his nose to slightly behind his head. In order to follow the treat, he would need to stretch his neck and raise his head. 

Step 3: The ‘sit’ position
Dogs aren’t able to raise their head too high without placing their bottom on the ground. Sitting is a natural reflex for them when they raise their head too high. When your dog sits, say “sit” to associate the word with the behavior. Use a firm and commanding tone when instructing your dog - but don’t yell at him.

Step 4: Reward time
While your dog sits, reward him with the treat and shower him with love and praise.  Slowly he will learn that sitting is an action that earns him your love, attention and also a tasty treat. 

Things to remember: 

1. Practice: Learning anything new takes some practice. Spend 5-10 mins everyday practicing this command until he has learnt it well. 
2. Patience: It’s critical to be patient when teaching a new skill. Don’t get angry or irritated if he doesn’t get it right the first few times. This position is natural for him, he will do it right eventually. 
3. Distractions: After he has learnt the basics, help him practice the command at different locations with different levels of distractions. Don’t forget to praise him and give treats for getting it right, this will encourage him to obey you in spite of the distractions. 
4. Phasing out the treats: As your dog slowly learns the command, you can gradually get him to practice without the treats. Say ‘sit’ with the hand gesture and as a reward praise him, but don’t give a treat every time. For your pet, receiving your love and affection is a treat itself therefore, even when you phase out the treats, ensure that you shower your love and praise to show him that you are happy with his behavior. 

Owning a dog can bring lots of joy to your life. Obedience training for dogs is a vital part of socializing them. Without the right training, your dog will struggle to integrate with your friends and family, as well as other dogs. Obedience training builds confidence, provides mental stimulation and strengthens the human-animal bond. Teaching them the “sit” command is the first step in obedience training. Any training takes time and patience. With some regular practice sessions, lots of patience and an abundance of love and affection, your dog will soon learn to sit on your command.