How to teach my dog to sit?

Dogs need to be trained from an early age. Indeed, the learning of orders and rules plays an important role in their socialization and more generally in their behaviour in the long term.

In addition to being rather easy to learn for puppies and dogs, the “Sit” order is very useful in everyday life for various situations, especially to guide the doggies. If you're at this stage in your dog's education, check out some tips on how to find the most effective method to get your dog to sit.

Opting for an active method

The active method is the most common way to train a dog to sit. This involves directly prompting your dog to sit by giving this command.

There are several ways to teach him to sit without physically forcing him to do so. Indeed, it is not recommended to press on the dog's rump since he might associate this exercise with a bad experience. This would only produce the opposite effect to the one desired and would jeopardize the learning process.

As you may have observed, the more the dog lifts his head backwards, the more he tends to sit. To teach the dog to sit, we recommend that you use a treat as “bait” that you move over the dog's head towards his rump. Instinctively, your dog will sit. At this point, you can say “Sit” as distinctly as possible.

Thanks to this generally very effective method, your doggie will assimilate little by little the order and the action of sitting down.

Choosing the passive method

While the passive method is equally effective in training a dog, it can be more difficult to put into practice. Indeed, it is necessary to be available and observant for it to be successful. This is why it is less used by dog owners.

The passive method consists of waiting for your dog to sit naturally, then saying “Sit ” and congratulating him a few seconds later. To congratulate him, opt for a small treat, but also using a tone of voice and maybe a caress.

But watch out, in order for your dog to make the connection between the act of sitting and the command “Sit”, it is important not to say it too soon or too late, but at the right time.

That's why it's important to be on the lookout, responsive and always have treats on hand.

Good practices for training your dog to sit

To help you teach your dog to sit, here are some best practices that can help speed up his learning and ensure his success.

Repeat the exercise over time

Even if your dog is receptive to exercise, applying one of the two methods mentioned earlier from time to time will not be enough. Indeed, to successfully train a dog over the long term, it is essential to use repetition.

Congratulate your dog

As you have no doubt understood, the two methods proposed in this article include congratulating your doggie at one time or another. It's important that your dog understands that he's just done a good deed. The means of congratulating him should therefore be explicit: treats, caresses, a cheerful tone of voice, etc.

Dissociate the order of the treats

Once your dog begins to assimilate the command “Sit” and the action that corresponds to it, you can gradually begin to reduce the treats you give him.

Indeed, it is important for your dog to dissociate the order of the treat so that learning can be effective and beneficial. So, month after month and year after year, your dog will continue to perform this order no matter what the situation, even if you don't have any treats to offer him.