Diana Myers
Whether you’re waiting at a pedestrian crossing or want to leash your dog, everything is much easier with the “sit” command.
Only practice with your dog where he is not distracted, for example in your apartment. Provide yourself with enough treats, toys, and a dog leash.
Train “sit” with the help of treats
In this exercise, you should only train with a leash at first. And this is how it works: Your dog is on your left. Hold the leash in your left hand and a treat in your right. Now hold the dog treat over your four-legged friend’s head. To fix it, he will have to sit down. As soon as he sits down, say “sit” out loud, give him the well-deserved treat and praise him profusely. It is advisable to stress the vowel “i”. So say “Siiitz” so that he can more easily distinguish this command from “down” and “foot”. Over time, when your dog responds well to “sit,” reduce the treats.
This is how the dog learns the command “sit” in a playful way
The best method of teaching the dog to “sit”, which also gives your dog the greatest pleasure, is the playful method. Have fun with your dog. When your dog wants the toy back and is directly in front of you, pull the toy up in an arc in front of his nose. Hold it about half a meter above his head so he can’t reach it. Since your four-legged friend really wants the toy, there is a high probability that he will sit down. This gives him a better view of his toy. Give the command “sit” and praise and pet him as soon as he sits down. However, if he tries to jump, reduce the distance between you and the dog.
“Seat” from a distance
If your dog has been sitting for 5 seconds, you can increase the distance between you. Leave your four-legged friend on a leash at first and move about one meter away from him. Now give the command “sit” again. If you have your dog’s attention, a simple visual signal (index finger pointing up) may be sufficient later. But this should only be trained when the four-legged friend reacts to the command one hundred percent. Don’t skimp on the praise here either! If your dog has now learned to listen to your command from a distance of one meter, you can gradually increase the distance by around 50 cm.
How do I resolve the command?
Count to one at first before replacing the “sit” command with another (“here”, “run”, “ok”, “done”,…). You should then play with your dog immediately. When this step works safely, increase the amount of time you want your dog to sit and count to three in your head. The resolution command is important because your faithful four-legged friend should remain in “sit” in the future until you cancel the command.
Support by visual signs
In order to support the “sit” command, you can introduce visual signals if your dog is 100% sure of the verbal commands. Point your index finger up with each “sit” command. Visual cues are particularly beneficial because some dogs have difficulty distinguishing the commands “sit,” “down,” and “heel.”
Exploit active actions
Most dogs carry out the commands “sit”, “down” and “heel” actively and all by themselves. Use that! This way your four-legged friend learns the commands without being forced. To do this, however, you must observe your dog very closely. Dogs are fast. You have to be faster. You must learn to assess your dog so that you can anticipate action. At exactly the right moment, when your four-legged friend is walking you (not before and not later either), give the command praise him and give him a treat.
Help from dog trainers
If despite our tips, you have problems carrying out the command or if your dog is reluctant to carry out the command after the third or fourth attempt, then do not hesitate to seek professional help. Most of the time, the reason for the failure lies in small mistakes that you, unfortunately, don’t notice yourself. However, a dog trainer will spot the problem right away and quickly help you solve it.