'Sit' Command

'Sit' Command

You can stand with your dog on your left or face your dog and say, “Sit.” in a firm, kind voice.
Raise your right hand (with or without a treat in your fingers) above your dog’s nose.
His natural instinct will be to look up and sit down. You can lightly touch your dog’s rear end to give him the idea that he is to lower his rump to the ground. Never push on your dog’s hindquarters as you could injure the back or hips.
Once your dog sits, praise him loudly and enthusiastically, “Good Dog!” and give him the treat if you are using treats.
You may also incorporate a gentle tug on a dog’s collar with the leash to raise his head and get him in the correct position.
It is also useful to incorporate a hand signal into this training.
Once your dog has mastered the verbal signal, you may teach him to sit to the hand signal of your choice.
Don’t be disappointed if it takes a while for dogs to get the idea. Keep trying and reward any progress the dog makes.
Never punish your dog for not sitting. He won’t understand what he is being punished for and punishment just doesn’t work well in animal training.
Limit the training sessions to five minutes at a time.
Working for longer periods may be unproductive, as the dog will lose interest.