Basic Obedience Lesson One: Teaching Your Dog to "Sit"
Teaching "sit" is as easy as 1-2-3 if you start by giving the command "Sit" at the exact moment your pup's furry bottom touches the floor, and not before.
Here's How: Call him to you. Hold a small, chewy, tasty treat over his head out of his reach so he has to look up and back. As soon as he begins to sit you slowly lower the treat towards his mouth. When his bottom is on the floor in the 'sit' position, immediately command "sit" and release the treat. (If you are using a Clicker, as soon as he is in the sit position, immediately click and then treat.) Repeat this exercise 10 times, back to back. Praise him for a job well done and walk away. Then, over the next week practice two or three times a day for 5 minutes or so. As soon as he sits, command 'sit' and treat (or click and treat). Treating immediately following a correctly performed behavior teaches your puppy (or adult dog) that he just did something that rewards him. He'll soon be following you around sitting and sitting and sitting in anticipation of a treat. Note: in the beginning, only treat (click and treat) during the training lessons - otherwise your pup will be training you. Within a day or two he will sit at your command. Over the next two weeks gradually discontinue the treats, but pet and praise him generously.
This training method works faster and more reliably than commanding "sit" and then waiting for your pup to respond by sitting. Remember, he doesn't know what sit means when you first start, that's what you are teaching him. This same methodology works with the "down" command too. Watch him closely, and every time he lays down, command "down" and treat (click and treat).
Puppies as young as 6 - 8 weeks can be taught 'sit' and 'down' using this technique. So, go get your pup and get started and remember, have fun!
TCDOA will regularly post training tips for various obedience commands on this page.
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Teaching "sit" is as easy as 1-2-3 if you start by giving the command "Sit" at the exact moment your pup's furry bottom touches the floor, and not before.