Training A Dog To Sit - 5 Easy Steps

If you follow the easy steps I outline in this article you will quickly have a dog who responds instantly and enthusiastically to the command "sit!". The sit command could save your dog from many dangerous situations. Even before you can recall him, you can use "sit!" to make him stop and wait for you before he wanders onto a road, for example.

So, what are the steps you need when training a dog to sit? Here they are:

1. Have a small tasty treat in your hand and hold it near the dog"s nose.

2. Move the treat towards the back of his head and as he follows it, he will naturally sit down. If he jumps up instead, you are holding the treat too high.

3. As soon as his bottom touches the floor, give the command "sit!" in a clear voice and give your dog the treat. The timing needs to be spot on, so that the dog connects the command with the action and the pleasant experience of the treat.

4. Give your dog lots of praise and fuss. This will soon be enough reward for him without the treat and encourages a happy and responsive pet.

5. Repeat 4 or 5 times in a session. Don"t overdo it in one go. Lots of short, pleasant sessions will be better than one boring long one.

Training a dog to sit in the home with treats will only be the start. Once he has grasped that, just give praise. Then you can start to give the command while out on a walk. This should be on the lead to begin with, but progress to making him sit and wait while he is off the lead. You must then move on to other commands, such as heel, come, and fetch.