Puppy Training – How to Train Your New Puppy to Sit

Training your dog to “sit” is probably the first thing you will
train your puppy to do. You can start the training as soon as
the puppy has settled in his new home. You might think this
training isn’t that important. A dog knows how to sit. Well, I
think it is very important. Read on and you will found out why
and how to train your dog to sit.

1. This first one is easy. You just start by saying “sit” every
time the puppy sits itself. He learns to associate the word sit
with the action. This is a tip you can use in all training.

2. Take out his favorite treat and keep it in your hand. Just
remember to cut it in small pieces so the puppy can swallow it
fast.

3. Sit down on the floor so you get to the same level as the
dog. You are less threatening when you sit. More important is
that you are close to the dog so you can reward him faster. More
about this soon.

4. Slowly move the treat over your puppy’s head. The intention
is to get the puppy to smell the treat (he will) and follow it
with his nose. He has two options. Either back up still
standing, or sit down. It’s easier to sit down.

5. Immediately as he sits you say “sit” and give him the piece
of sausage. This is the key factor to all training. The reward
has to be in the same moment as the dog does the right thing.

6. Praise the dog. Show your joy with your voice as well as with
your body language.

7. Repeat these steps 3-5 times. Not more than that though, as
it has to be fun! On the other hand, you can repeat the steps
several times during the day.

8. Next, you should try steps 4-6 while standing up. Later, you
can try to see if the dog reacts only to the word “sit” without
your hand and the treat. If he sits down you obviously should
praise him, and if he doesn’t, don’t care. You should never show
your disappointment to your dog when you are training.

This is pretty easy for the puppy. In a day or two you will get
him to sit with your “sit” command. Now you can try to make him
sit down beside you. This is actually a preparation for the heel
training. There, you want him to sit as soon as you stop
walking.

The next level is to strengthen the “sit” command so you get the
dog to sit in every situation, no matter what’s going on around
him. This is an ongoing process and you should never stop
training. Use every new situation to further his training. Make
him sit with new people, new dogs and new surroundings.

It’s quite easy to train your dog to sit. If you consider not
training your dog, my advice is, think again. When you start
training with your new puppy you get much more than the sitting
part. The puppy loves to do things with you. He learns to listen
to his name. He gets used to training and doing things with you,
and on your initiative. This all together strengthens your
position as the leader, and the puppy feels secure. When the
puppy falls asleep in the evening his last thoughts should be:
“This is really a great pack!”