Mary Allen
Seat! Place! Out of! No! stay! Here! Come! Foot! We include these and a few other commands in the basic obedience of our dogs.
You’re wondering, “How do I teach my dog to sit?”
So that you and your dog can master small and large challenges in everyday life together, it is important that your dog knows some of these basic commands.
Want to teach your dog to sit and have no idea how to do it?
In this article we will explain how you can teach your dog the command “sit!” and in which situations it is really helpful.
In a nutshell: This is how you can teach your dog to sit
Teaching your dog to sit is not that difficult. It is well known that some roads lead to Rome and so to a sitting dog.
A simple method is to simply “Sit!” as soon as your dog sits down on his own. to say and then to praise him profusely. In this way, your dog will link the action to the command in the long or short term.
If it doesn’t work that easily for you, you can help with a treat or let your dog learn from other dogs.
Why is the command “Sit!” important?
Some situations require calm and patience on both sides: your dog as well as you. A certain basic obedience CAN be helpful here.
These can be everyday situations, such as meeting a nice neighbor with whom you would like to have a chat.
Nothing is more annoying than when your dog runs around between your legs and just won’t calm down. You’ll probably skip the social interaction and move on.
But then who has whom on a leash?
Dog encounters can also be more relaxed and fast cyclists can pass safely if your dog has learned to sit by the side of the road.
When is the command “Sit!” inappropriate?
You don’t have to “force your dog to sit” in every situation. Your dog can also relax standing or lying down, the main thing is that he does it.
You will get an excited dog with the command “Sit!” alone does not change polarity to a relaxed dog. He’s just a sedentary, excited dog.
So the command is inappropriate if you try to circumvent education and everyday rules with it, because that will not work. In this way you only treat the symptom, but not the cause.
Tip:
Dogs reflect our behavior and are happy to engage with our energy. When you’re calm and relaxed, your dog will find it easier to chill, too.
How long does it take for my dog to give the command “Sit!” can?
Of course, that depends on how eager to learn your four-legged friend is. After all, our dogs are just as individual as we humans are.
There are some “difficult to train” and very independent breeds among them, such as Afghans, Chihuahuas, Chow-Chows and also many livestock guardian dogs. They learn the commands quickly, but usually have better things to do than execute them.
If you have a dog that likes to learn and wants to please you, it will give the command “Sit!” understand quickly.
As with all new things, the motto here is: practice sitting, practice, practice!
Teaching a dog to sit: explained in 3 steps
Dogs also have different learning styles. Some are clever and figure out for themselves what Mr. or Mrs. wants from them, while others learn better by copying other dogs.
Which training method is suitable for you and your dog is always individual!
1. First sit, then the command
From now on, the easiest way to teach your dog to sit is to say “sit!” whenever it sits down on its own. to say and then to praise him profusely.
If you have a clever dog, he will quickly understand what you want from him and link the command to the action.
2. With treat help
Yes, that’s how we get almost all of them!
If you want to teach your adult dog or puppy to sit, you can use a treat to help you.
Hold the treat prominently over your dog’s head, then move it slightly towards his back. Your dog will not take his eyes off the treat and will automatically sit down.
Of course, there is no guarantee that it will work right the first time. You just have to stay tuned here!
3. Let your dog learn from other dogs
It can be helpful if your dog can learn from other dogs.
It is best to train with someone whose dog knows the command “sit!” already reliable. If the model dog sits down and gets a treat in return, your dog will have an incentive to learn.
The great thing is, you can also combine all three methods.
Important to know:
If you give your dog a command, it should at best hold it until you resolve it. You can do this, for example, with a command such as “OK” or “Go”.
Show of hands to command
When your dog commands “Sit!” reliably, you can also teach him to sit down at your hand signal. Sort of like teaching your dog to “give a paw”.
This is an advantage, especially at a greater distance, as you protect your vocal cords!
The common hand signal used to teach your dog to sit is a raised index finger.
Conclusion
There are different training approaches depending on how your dog learns best.
You can start by saying “Sit!” to say when your dog sits down and then praise him cheerfully. Observing other dogs can also help your dog understand the command.
When all else fails, treats always work!
Stand in front of your dog and hold a treat over his head. If you then move it towards his back, he will automatically sit down so as not to lose sight of the treat.