Training Your Dog to Sit

A poorly trained dog is a nuisance and can even be a danger to
himself and others. A properly trained dog, on the other had,
is a wonderful and pleasant companion. In addition to helping
you bond, it can even protect your pet from being hurt if he
listens and will come when called.

When training always remember that dogs respond best to
positive reinforcement - yelling at your dog and hitting him
will not accomplish the task, instead use rewards such as
treats and your approval - this will make the task much more
pleasant for both of you!

There is a common "process" to training, no matter what you
want the dog to do. They key is to get the dog to perform the
action and at that exact moment give the command for the
action, then praise the dog and reward him with a treat. After
a while, he will catch on and associate the action with the
command.

Here's some steps you can use to train your dog with the most
basic command - Sit.

1. The first thing you need to do is to get your puppy or dog
to associate the act of sitting with the command. To do this,
simply hang around with your dog and when he sits give the
"sit" command.

2. Getting down to your dogs level will allow you to present
his reward (treats) quicker so grab a handful of bite sized
treats and get down on the floor.

3. Bring the treat up over the dogs head. He will smell the
food and follow it with his nose. This action will cause him to
sit (or backup, but obviously we are hoping for the sitting
action).

4. The key to the training is to present the reward at the
exact moment the dog sits, but you must also give the command
at that moment as well so that he associates command with
action. So as the dog sits, say "sit" and then immediately give
him the treat.

5. Give the dog praise - show joy in your voice and he will
really respond.

6. Repeat three to five times at each session but no more than
that. Training should be fun and not a boring chore so don't
overdo it in one sitting. You may have several sessions
throughout the day.

When you spend the time to train your dog, you get much more
than just a dog that does some tricks. He loves to do things
with you. He learns to listen when you say his name. He gets
used to being with you and doing things on your initiative.
Through good training your position as leader is strengthened.
You should plan to spend a couple of minutes every day on
practicing his "tricks". This type of repetitive reinforcement
will help him to remember and also create the bond between you.