Old Tricks To Teach New Dogs - Sit

As the old adage would have it, "you have to crawl before you can walk." The same holds true when it comes to teaching your little friend a trick or two. Because dog's are domesticated creatures bound by conditioning and reinforcement, it is best to start with the basics to get your little friend in the habit of actively adapting to you, its pack leader.

For this entry, we're going to show you one surefire way to teach your little friend to sit on command. Granted, a dog sitting isn't exactly the stuff of viral YouTube videos, but it is an excellent skill when reigning in an overly excited dog. Before we begin, you should have dog treats of some sort to give your little friend as a reward as positive reinforcement. Again, dogs are creatures learn through conditioning like Pavlov's dog. When they've done what was asked, let them know they did the right thing by giving them a treat. The dog will pick up fast enough that doing what they were told will earn them another treat. It's as simple as that.

So without further ado, follow these steps with your little friend and you'll soon have taught your pup its first ever trick...aside from being ridiculously cute or course.

• Get your dogs attention by holding a treat just directly above its head. Most dogs will not snatch the food from their masters, but their attention will be fixed on that treat until a) it hits the ground or b) their master gives it to them.
• As soon as the dog's eyes are locked onto the treat, his head will naturally tilt back causing his hind legs to bend and his butt will rest flat on the ground.  
• Unbeknownst to your little friend, he is sitting already. The trick is to ingrain the association between hearing the command "sit" and the action of sitting. That's where the treat comes in. 
• When the dog is in the seated position, reward your little friend with the treat. 

You will probably have to repeat this process a couple times depending on the intelligence and breed of your dog, but because the act of "sitting" is fairly natural, your little friend should pick up this command quickly. Each time your little friend sits, pat him on the head or a "good boy/girl" will suffice. Gradually, do away with the treats as approval from their master is thanks enough for a dog.

Below, we've attached a video tutorial to supplement this blog. Some people learn more effectively by seeing and hearing rather than just reading. It's something to keep in mind when training your dog. No one process is exactly the same. So be patient with your dog and, most importantly, look upon this as a bonding experience.




Video taken from Video Jug.