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Learning how to train a dog to sit is an important task for any new dog owner. Training can begin as soon as the puppy is in his new home. While it may not seem important to teach this to your puppy right off the bat, it is a cornerstone to developing a relationship with your dog. Here are some steps on how to train a dog to sit.

1. The first step is to get your puppy to sit on his own. Be observant and whenever you see him about to sit, say the word ’sit’; eventually he will come to associate the word with his action. This method is also useful in other areas of training.

2. Next you want to reward him with a treat. You should use his favorite but be sure to break it into small pieces so he can eat them quickly.

3. Get down to your puppies level. You will appear less threatening to the dog if you are on his level. More importantly, you can reward him faster if you’re sitting on the floor.

4. Bring the treat over your puppy’s head gradually. Remember that your dog has a keen sense of smell and his nose will naturally follow the path of the treat. As the treat is moving from the front of him to the back, he can do one of two things to keep following it. He will either back up while still on his feet or he’ll sit down. Sitting down is easier and this is what most dogs will do.

5. It is important in training that a correct response be followed immediately by a reward. As the dog begins to sit, say the word ’sit’, and quickly give him his treat.

6. Sometimes rewards can be more than just treats so the next step is to praise him. Show joy with your voice and your body language.

7. Repeat these steps not more than 5 times in a row, but you can repeat the steps multiple times each day.

8. Now try the same thing but standing up. See if you can get the dog to sit without the aid of a treat. When he does, heap on the praise. Be sure that you never punish him if he does not sit, but wait patiently for him to sit and then praise him.

It is important that the dog understands that the sit command is not optional. Regardless of distractions in the surrounding environment he must respond. To reinforce the command use it often and require that the dog comply 100% of the time. Socialize your dog by exposing him to a variety of other people, pets and locations. Teaching him to obey the sit command in a variety of situations will enhance his training and help confirm his understanding and compliance.

Learning how to train a dog to sit on command is not that difficult. Start when your dog is a puppy and, not only will you teach it to sit, but you will find that they love to do other tricks with you as well. By training your dog as a puppy, you will get the dog used to hearing its own name, acting on your command, and being an active participant for other activities. This will get your dog use to having you in charge and make the dog more secure in being part of your family!