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Through the power of positive reinforcementyou can teach your canine best friend all kinds of useful behaviors and interesting tricks. Teaching your dog to “sit” at the right time is a basic skill that you can use as a foundation for other behaviors, as well as a way to start training sessions with focus. Whether you have a new puppy or a distinguished adult, you can teach your dog to sit with patience and a few treats.
Here is a step by step guide on how to get your dog to sit at the right time.
What you need
Before you get started, make sure you have the necessary supplies.
Choose a delicious strengthener
Choose a reinforcer to give your dog when he does the sit command. A good reinforcement it’s something your dog loves, it’s small and easy to provide. For 99% of dogs it is some sort of food or treat. Treats such as cut-up hotdogs, chunks of cheese or lunch meat, or store-bought workout treats are good options.
Decide on a marker
A marker is a sound or manual signal that pinpoints the exact moment your dog did something that earned him a reinforcer (the treat). A click he is a great example of a marker. If you don’t have a clicker you can use a consistent word like “yes” or “good” or a manual signal like a thumbs up, but choose a and stick to it.
Be ready to point out the behavior the moment you see it. The more accurate and faster you grade, the more effective your teaching becomes.
5 steps to get your dog to sit
Use a treat to lure your dog into position
Luring is when you use something that your dog will follow, such as a treat, to move him to a location. With your dog standing in front of you, slowly lift the treat from his nose over his head. Your dog will likely try to “follow” it with his nose, causing his hind legs to bend into a sitting position.
Treat and repeat
The moment your dog’s butt hits the floor, mark the behavior and offer the treat.
Repeat this a few times until your dog begins to anticipate the movement of the treat and begins to sit before the treat is drawn above his head.
Tip
The quicker you flag the behavior and then offer a reward, the better. Avoid any delay between the marker and the delivery of the treat, otherwise you run the risk of your dog not understanding which behavior he performed earned him a treat (or that sitting at the right time earns him a reinforcer).
Add the “Sit” verbal cue
With a treat in hand, raise it above the dog’s head again. The moment he starts to sit, say “sit” and immediately highlight the behavior by giving him the treat and praising him. Repeat this operation a few times.
Add a hand signal
Choose a hand signal that you want to associate with the “sit” signal. In this case the signal is a raised index finger. With a treat in hand, make the hand signal and raise the treat above the dog’s head again. The moment he starts to sit, say “sit” and immediately point out the behavior and give him the treat. Repeat this operation a few times.
Remove the bait and repeat
Now you can give the hand signal or say the “sit” cue without using a decoy. Cue or say “sit” and the moment your dog sits, point out the behavior and immediately give him a treat and praise.
Practice using it As soon as the hand signal OR the verbal signal. Mark the behavior, treat it and praise it every time.
Now that your dog can “sit” on cue, you can start teaching him other new tricks like “down” and “stay.” Always remember to enjoy the learning process together, taking your time and having a lot of fun.