Teaching Your Dog the "Sit Command"

One of the most important commands that we should our puppies is the 'sit command.' Teaching our dog to sit prevents our dogs from jumping on someone. Giving him the command to sit before he eats his meal teaches him that you are the leader. Having a dog who knows to execute this command in the presence of friends and strangers makes him a very desirable canine friend.

There are two ways to teach a dog how to sit. The first method I tried was using a choke collar. Slip the collar to the dogs neck just below his jaw. Say the command "Sit" and mildly jerck the leash upward that would force him to place his butt on the floor. Once you see his butt touch the floor in a sitting position,reward the puppy with a praise and treat to reinforce to the dog's mind that when he sits he receives something nice. This method worked for me.

If you don't have a choke collar,another way of teaching the dog how to sit is by using a treat usually a piece of meat,hotdog or any of your dog's favorite treat. You can also use yout dog's favorite toy. Stand in front of your dog,give the "Sit" and move the treat up towards the top of its head. At this point the dog should have lift its head and his bottom should go down. As soon as he place his bottom on the right sitting position, praise him by saying "Sit, Good Boy! Sit",and give the treat. Do this several times for 5-10 minutes a day.

If your dog doesn't respond to your command,do not give him his treat and ignore him for a moment. That tells him that he doesn't get a praise and reward if he does not follow your command. If you're going to teach a dog a new command, go to a room or place where there is no distraction. As your dog understands the commands you can gradually increase the distraction.

Always remember keep training session short and fun to avoid your dog to get bored.