Training | Obedience | Basic Dog Obedience | Training Dog to Sit Down

Teaching Your Dog to Sit Down

Teaching sit is typically the first command your dog will learn. Whether you are training your dog to be a good citizen or for competitions, this command must be religiously obeyed by your dog. Your standard for sit must be very strict.

The Sit Standard

Sit and remain sitting until you release with a visual, verbal or whistle command. Sit means sit and stay until released. Whether the command to sit is verbal, whistle or visual, you should only need to give the command once. You should not give the command stay in addition to sit.

Teaching Sit

When training steps 1-5 you should be alone and in a quiet location, preferrably indoors.

Phase 1 (Using Daily Food)

In this phase we will use their daily food to introduce and encourage them to sit. Until they sit and are calm, they do not get their food.

Step 1 (volunteered desired action)

Get down on your knees facing your dog. Hold the food bowl above their head and just wait for the dog to sit. Do not say anything, just wait, he will eventually sit, be patient. The moment they sit, give them their food.
After they are eating for 10 seconds, take the food away and do the same thing, over and over until all the food has been eaten. The entire time they are eating, stroke them while saying Gooood Boy/Girl. This is to embed that Goood Boy/Girl is a great thing and it also trains the dog not to be food agressive from a young age.

Step 2 (verbal and phyical praise)

When the dog sits for their food, prior to giving the food, say "Gooood Boy/Girl" in a happy high pitched tone and then give the food quickly.
When the dog sits for the food, in addition to saying Good Boy/Girl, stroke the dog with you hand and give the food quickly. If the dog moves or stands up prior to giving the food, pull the food away and start over. They must not move when you stroke them.

Step 3 (introduction of the command)

Perform Step 2 and while the dog is already sitting, while stroking the dog firmly say "Sit" followed by a high tone "Goooood Boy/Girl". Say it with each stroke, stroke three times and then give the food.

Step 4 (response to the command)

Let the dog smell and see the food bowl in your hand and then hold the bowl behind your back. Give the command Sit once and wait. Do not repeat the command until waiting 15 seconds. As soon as the dog sits Good Boy/Girl, give the dog their food. If the dog does not sit after the first command and after waiting 15 seconds, give the command again and move the food over the dogs head to encourage him to sit.

Step 5 (reinforcing the command)

With their food behind your back, give the command Sit and wait. Good Boy/Girl and give the food right away.
When holding the food and the dog sitting, if the dog stands or moves, stand up with the commaned Eh, Eh, Sit. When they sit, Good Boy/Girl and slowly bring the food in, they must remain sitting.
When they are sitting, keep giving the command Sit in the same way you would think to give the command Stay. Stroke, Sit, Good Boy/Girl.

Phase 2 (Using Treats)

Step 1 (volunteered desired action)

Keep quiet, do not say anything. With a juicy treat in your hand, hold the treat above your dogs head, say nothing. Once your dog sits give the treat and to your dog very quickly. Peform this until the dog understand that sitting means treat. Remember, do not say anything.

Step 2 (verbal and physical praise)

When the dog sits for the treat, prior to giving the treat, say "Good Boy/Girl" in a happy high pitched tone and give the treat quickly.
When the dog sits for the treat, in addition to saying Good Boy/Girl, stroke the dog with you hand and give the treat quickly. If the dog moves or stands up, pull the food away and start over. They must not move when you stroke them.

Step 3 (introduction of the command)

Perform Step 1:3 and while the dog is already sitting, while stroking the dog say the command "Sit", say it with each stroke, stroke three times and then give the treat

Step 4 (response to the command)

Let the dog smell and see the treat in your hand. Give the command Sit once and wait. Do not repeat the command until waiting 15 seconds. As soon as the dog sits Good Boy/Girl, give the dog lots of praise and 3 treats, act as if you just won the lottery. If the dog does not sit after the first command and after waiting 15 seconds, give the command again and move your hand over the dogs head to encourage him to sit.

Step 5 (reinforcing the command)

Without showing the dog any treats and your hands behind your back, give the command Sit and wait. Good Boy/Girl and the treat right away.
When giving the treat, if the dog stands or moves, pull the treat away with the commaned Eh, Eh, Sit. When they sit, God Boy/Girl and slowly bring the treat in, they must remain sitting.
When they are sitting, keep giving the command Sit in the same way you would think to give the command Stay. Stroke, Sit, Good Boy/Girl

Congratulations your dog now sits to your verbal command!

Verbal Command for Sit

The command to make your dog sit is an authortative, clear, "Sit". Do not say anything else when commanding sit. For example do not say, "Sit, sit Rocky, sit, come on Rocky, sit down". Adding other words and phrases only confused the dog. One word and one word only. "Sit". Do not repeat the command more than once.

Say sit, if he fails to sit, pull up on his collar and push down on his rump. Say sit one more time once he is sitting to reinforce the proper position for sit.

Until your dog is 100% reliable with the sit command, do not give the command unless he is on a leash so that you can enforce the command if he fails to obey.

English	Czech	German	French	Dutch	Finish
Sit	Sedni (said nee)	Sitz (siitz)	Assis (ah-see)	Zit	Istua
Commands in other languages

Visual Command for Sit

The visual command used for sit is to raise your right hand as if your were swearing to tell the truth in a court of law.

You can use one or many visual commands for sit depending on your needs. For example some people use two fingers up for sit and two fingers down for down when in a bird blind to keep it descrete. In the field and at distances the right hand alegance command works best.

Whistle Command for Sit

Give a single short whistle to command sit.

Sit at Heel

Stop and sit swiftly on command whether it is verbal, visual or by whistle in any situation
Remain sitting regardless of any distractions
Sit with both legs squarely underneath (no sitting on hip) and front lets straight with head up straight without slouching
Look up to you for your next command
When you stop walking at heel, the dog must stop and sit without giving a sit command
The dog should not move from the sit position if you give a cue to stay when you continue walking
Training and teaching your dog to sit at heel

Remote Sit

With a single whistle or verbal command, turn and face towards you squarely and sit swiftly in any situation
When turning towards you it must be done swifty and without looping around to sit. They should stop dead in their tracks and pivot around
Remain sitting regardless of any distractions

Sit with both legs squarely underneath (no sitting on hip) and front lets straight with head up straight without slouching
Look to you for your next command and not look anywhere else
Training and teaching your dog to sit remotely

Front Sit

Come and sit directly in front of you perfectly square with front feet are nearly touching yours
Head is looking straight up at you
Sit with both legs squarely underneath (no sitting on hip) and front lets straight with head up straight without slouching
Remain sitting regardless of any distractions
Training and teaching your dog to front sit