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Here’s how to teach a puppy to sit

By Wesley Coburn

YORK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06: A sheepdog, wet from a morning walk, sits in a field at the British National Sheep Dog Trials on August 6, 2016 in York, England. Some 150 of the best sheepdogs and handlers in the country competed in the event on the Castle Howard estate near York to win one of 15 places in the national team and to go on to represent England at the International trials. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
YORK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06: A sheepdog, wet from a morning walk, sits in a field at the British National Sheep Dog Trials on August 6, 2016 in York, England. Some 150 of the best sheepdogs and handlers in the country competed in the event on the Castle Howard estate near York to win one of 15 places in the national team and to go on to represent England at the International trials. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) /
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The “sit” is an essential skill for your dog to know. Here’s how to teach a puppy to sit

There are basically two schools of thought when it comes to how to teach a puppy to sit, which is a Very Important Skill.

Whichever method you choose to use, be sure to praise your dog thoroughly once they complete the task by happy tones of voice and scratches. This is known as “positive reinforcement” in psychological terms. Treats aren’t always around, and you want to be sure your dog will obey even when there isn’t a food-based reward in store.

The first method is to say “Sit!” out loud, and at the same time gently push the dog’s rear end into a sitting position. (This works better with smaller and/or long-bodied dogs.) Once she is sitting, then you lavish praise and pets on her for being such an obedient girl.

This method worked well for my childhood Beagle/Lhasa Apso mix Sunny. With larger dogs it doesn’t work as well, because they just go into a kind of squat instead of actually sitting on the ground.

In an article on basic training tips for puppyhood on the American Kennel Club (AKC) website, Paisley Lunchick doesn’t approve of this method, though it’s been a common suggested practice in puppy-training books for generations.

The second method is recommended by rescue activist Roo Yori, who is also a world-class Flying Disc competitor and part-time obstacle course racer, appearing on several seasons of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior as the “K9 Ninja.”

In Yori’s recommended method, you hold a small handful of treats (a favorite toy could also probably work) in front of the dog’s nose and tell him to “Sit!” as you bring up above their nose. As he tracks the reward, his nose will lift up and  his rear end will lower. Then when his tail hits the floor you heap praise and pets on him.

Neither method is really better than the other, so as long as your dog learns how to sit on command, that’s the important part.

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