One of the most useful yet simple commands you’ll encounter in your dog training journey is the ‘Sit’ command. It’s a great way to get your pet to obey you and sit still if he’s causing a ruckus.
Teaching the meaning of the word ‘Sit’ to your dog is actually quite easy:
- Show him a small, tasty treat that he loves. Hold it over your dog’s head right before his eyes.
- Shout ‘Sit’ when you move your hand towards his eyes, around 2 inches above the head.
- It’s important to maintain the correct hand gesture while training the dog.
- Whenever your dog sees the treat, it must naturally sit.
- You need to place your hand properly for this to work. If the hand is too low, your dog won’t sit whereas holding it too high may cause your dog to jump up.
- Whenever your pup sits, feed him a treat while speaking to him affectionately about how good he is.
- Learn to praise your dog without physically petting him. Doing both simultaneously may cause him to rise, which is counterproductive.
- In case the dog doesn’t respond naturally to your command, shout ‘Sit’ and place him physically in a seated position. This can be done by placing the left hand underneath his tail behind his knees while the right hand is placed on his chest to make him sit. Wait for at least 5 seconds in this position before you give him his treat.
- Practice this at least 5 times a day for 5 days.
Some dogs may start sitting in front of their owners whenever they’re looking for a treat once they learn this idea.
- Always have the treat inside your right hand during the training phase and have it in his view.
- Place 1 – 2 fingers inside his training collar with the palm facing upwards while you command your dog to sit.
- Whenever he obeys the command, offer a treat and talk affectionately to him while simultaneously removing the hand from his collar. In case he doesn’t obey your command, pull his collar up and wait till he sits down. Praise and give him his treat immediately so that he makes the connection.
- Repeat this until your pup learns to obey the ‘Sit’ command without you having to physically interact with him.
- Offer him a treat along with affectionate praises whenever he obeys you. Ensure he stays in the position for at least 5 seconds.
Once your dog shows that he’s capable of obeying the ‘sit’ command, you don’t need to give him a treat every time. Give him rewards at random whenever he obeys your commands. Apart from reducing the burden on your treat supply, you’ll also be able to reinforce your dog’s response to obey your commands this way.
Going forward, when your pup starts jumping up in excitement upon seeing you, you can command him to stay seated. When he obeys, proceed to praise and scratch him underneath his chin affectionately before releasing him. You can follow this method consistently to train your dog not to react aggressively whenever someone comes to pet him.
Source: Dummies