February 24th, 2010
Feeling a little unsure of yourself as your dog’s trainer? Take heart. You’re not alone. Many people find dog training daunting. Here you are, trying to communicate with an individual who doesn’t speak your language (well, maybe this dog is an exception), and to persuade that individual to do what you ask him to do. No wonder you feel a little tentative.
There is, however, a remedy for this feeling of dauntedness: teaching your dog to sit when asked. It’s easy to do, and carries multiple benefits.
If your dog sits reliably when you ask him to, you’ve made a giant leap toward both communicating with him and managing his behavior effectively. Not only will you get the thrill of realizing he can understand what you do want; you’ll also have an indispensable tool to use in diverting him from behavior you don’t want. Want him to refrain from jumping up on you? Have him sit when you think he’s about to get airborne. Want to keep him from mowing you down as he dashes to eat the dinner you place on the floor? Have him to park his fanny on the ground while you serve his meal. You get the idea.
But first, you need to teach your dog this maneuver. Here’s how:
1. Stand facing your dog. Have a treat in one hand and a clicker in the other.
2. Hold the treat in front of your dog’s nose. Make sure he sees the treat in your hand. Then close your hand into a fist so that he can’t grab the treat prematurely.
3. While your dog’s eyeing your fist, move it to just above his head, and then just over his head. As your dog looks up to follow your fist’s movement, he’ll automatically sit.
4. As soon as your dog’s bottom hits the ground, click the clicker (or say “Yes!” if you’re not using a clicker) and give him the treat.
5. If your dog jumps up to grab the treat instead of sitting, hold the treat lower. If he won’t sit at all, move the treat back further over his head.
Once your dog consistently sits when asked, you can start cutting back on the use of the clicker and treats. Start by treating him every other time, then every few times until you give him treats only occasionally. Diminish the use of the clicker the same way.
Eventually, you won’t need to use the clicker or treats at all. Nevertheless, occasional use of the clicker and treats is a good idea even if your dog knows how to perform the behavior you’ve requested. That way, he’ll always have reason to hope that he’ll score a goodie—and that hope will be what keeps up his enthusiasm in working with you.
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7 Responses to “Teach Your Dog to Sit”
Susan McCullough has been a professional writer for 30-plus years, but didn't start focusing on dogs until 1996, when an overzealous Sheltie attacked and shredded a message that had been faxed to Susan's office. Instead of merely telling the sender "My dog ate your fax," Susan decided to see seek expert advice about how to share an office with one's animal companion. She turned that advice into an article for a national pet magazine, and she's been writing about dog behavior and care ever since.
Thank you for the step by step, Susan!
Thank you for the post. This is a great alternative to pulling up on a collar or pushing down on your dogs butt.
Sit is such an important cue. I’m a big fan of having a default sit … when they are unsure what I want or what to do next, they sit as an automatic response.
Totally agree!
There’s no good reason to employ a “push tush” or collar yank, and plenty of reasons to avoid either action.
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