How to Teach a Dog to Sit

To teach a dog to sit be sure your dog is wearing his collar. Attach a 4 foot leash to the ring. Take the dog to a quiet area in a room or yard, where there will be no distractions. Face in the same direction as your dog. With your right hand, grasp the leash about a foot from the dog’s collar. Stand beside the dog and, with your fingertips (not the palm of your hands), press down on his back just above the tail. At the same time pull straight upward with the leash with your other hand. This has the effect of a seesaw: as one end goes up, the other end goes down.

How to teach a dog to sit properly (Do not pat the dog)

How to teach a dog to sit: When the dog sits, stop both signals and praise him verbally. Do not pat him, because this action will distract him so much that he will stand up again. You want him to remain in the sit position for about 10 seconds. Just say one time “good dog” and then repeat the command “sit” over and over for the entire time he is sitting. This reinforces the command. Keep your right hand ready to pull forward on the leash and your left hand ready to press down on his tail end with your fingertips in case he forgets and stands up.

Make the dog sit for 10 seconds

When he has been in sit position for about 10 seconds, stand next to the dog (you stand on the right, he sits on your left facing forward), then walk forward a few steps and stop. Repeat this exercise 10 times in a row, and praise him with hugs and pats, and leave the lesson until another day.

If the dog refuses to sit

If your dog refuses to sit when you pull up on his leash while pushing down on his back end with your fingertips, try pushing down with more force. If this does not work, place your whole arm around his back end, with your elbow just above his hocks (the bend in the hind legs). Push inward so you move his hind legs in the direction of his front end, until he is forced to sit down. At the same time, pull upward with your right hand on the leash. Do these exercises every day until it becomes second nature for the dog to sit on command. This is a very effective way on how to teach a dog to sit on command.