Teaching Fido to sit may seem like an easy task, however for some it can be difficult. If your dog isn't responding and you feel at a loss, step back and soak in these tips.
When training remember to be positive, persistent, and patient. Keep training sessions short. Thirty minute sessions are plenty long. When using treats, keep them small. You want your dog to eat the treats quickly and not ruin his dinner. You can use store bought treats or use small hot dog pieces, chicken, or cheese. These are great motivators. Another tip is to find a place that is quite. This way, your dog can focus only on you.
So, grab some treats, find your quite place and get ready to watch your dog learn. Take some of your treats and let your dog see what you have. Let him sniff and lick your hand. Take your hand away and place it at your side. This will let him know that the treats are there, but he can't have them right now. At this point you will not say anything and just wait.
With great patience, watch your dog think about how he is going to get those treats. Most dogs will sit automatically. If your dog does, say the word ‘good' and treat. Do this very quickly. You want him to associate his bum touching the floor with something tasty. Do this about 8 to 10 times. Remember not to say the word ‘sit' during this time.
After this time period, add the word ‘sit'. Say the word when his bum is going to the floor. You must carefully watch your pup. Saying ‘sit' any other time could confuse your dog. Do this about 8 to 10 times. Also remember that when saying the word ‘sit', don't repeat the word again and again. You want to say the word once and wait almost ten seconds before repeating. Saying the word too many times will cause your dog to tune you out.
By now, your thirty minutes is up. Praise your dog for being so good ( even if he annoyed you). You always want training time to be fun. This makes it much easier the next time you want your dog to learn something new.
If your dog doesn't catch on this quickly, don't worry. Just be patient. Some dogs need time to learn. If you've exhausted your thirty minutes, stop the training. Your dog will get frustrated if you force him to learn. Try again the next day. He will soon understand that he has to do something better than nipping at your hand to get the treats. As always, have fun training.
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