Dog Training The Gentle Way - The Sit Command

Dog Training using positive reinforcement3. The dog will need to be weaned off the treats.
techniques is the gentle and humane way toDuring the first week use the treats heavily.
teach your dog the rules. You will be fostering aDuring the second week start mixing the treats
loving relationship with your dog instead ofup giving every other time or every third time
intimidating and scaring your dog into submission.while continually using praise and excitement. After
In this article you will learn the basic steps toabout 3 weeks treats will no longer be needed
teach your puppy or adult dog to sit.and you will be the only reward your dog will
1. Put a leash on your dog so they cannot wonderneed.
off while you are working with them.4. Even after you wean off the treats, continue
2. Put some treats in a closed fist so they canto use the sit hand signal as well as your voice.
smell them but not see them. If your dog seesThe benefit of using hand signals and voice
the treat each time he will learn to only obeycommands simultaneously is so when you are in a
when you have food in your hands.situation where you cannot use your voice to
3. With your finger draw an invisible line from thegive your dog some direction, such as talking on
dog's nose between the eyes to the top of thethe phone, you can give your dog a quiet hand
head as you say sit. The head will move back tosignal without disrupting your phone call.
follow your hand and therefore push the bottom5. Label your commands. When giving your dog a
down to the ground.training command, label the action, not the dog.
4. As soon as the dog's bottom touches theWhen your dog sits, tell them good sit, not good
ground, say "Good Sit" and give them a treat anddog. Your dog will learn the command faster
praise them excitedly.because they hear the command word again and
Below are some Dog Training Tips forthey are praised for the specific command.
successfully training your dog to sit.6. Keep training sessions short. If you are training
1. Keep your bait hand low. While moving youra puppy, keep your training sessions under 10
hand over the dogs head, make sure that yourminutes. It is best to have several short training
hand is not too high or the dog will jump to reachsessions per day so that your dog will not get
the treats. Your hand should only be a couple ofdistracted.
inches over the dogs head.7. Be consistent. Everyone in the family should be
2. Do not force the dog. Resist the urge to pushinvolved with training your dog. Children as well as
the dog's bottom down if they are having a hardadults should learn the commands so the dog
time learning how to sit. Just be patient and keepsees ALL humans as dominate and therefore
trying to slowly draw a line over their head withlistens and obeys everyone equally.
the treat and they will learn.