Training a Dog To Sit - Simple Dog Obedience

Training a dog to sit is very useful for owners with active dogs. To help keep your dog under control, use these simple tips to teach your dog to sit on command. If you have any trouble with this, go ahead and sign up for my free special report on the major Jack Russell training mistakes. This is a good starting point for teaching basic obedience.

Uses for The Sit Command

Training your dog to sit is one of the smartest things you will ever do as a pet owner. "Sit" is one of the most basic commands for your dog to learn and probably the one you will use most often. You should teach this command first or second, along with the Come command.

Sit is great for the times when you just can't handle the affection your dog is throwing at you. If you want to solve jumping-up problems or get your dog to stop begging for table scraps by clawing up your legs at dinner, start by teaching it the Sit command.

Method for Training a Dog To Sit

There are a few different methods for teaching a dog to sit, but this one is the one I think is most effective. Arm yourself with some tasty treats or your dog's favorite toy before you begin.

Your dog should be on its leash for this exercise. Start by getting your dog's attention with a treat or toy. Hold it slightly above the dog's head so it cranes its neck up. As the head comes up, this should start to naturally force the rear legs to bend and the dog to sit down. As the action happens, use the command "Sit" in a strong clear voice and reward with the treat. You don't have to wait for the dog's behind to be completely grounded for the first few tries - just get it to understand that bending the back legs leads to a treat. As training continues, increase how close the dog's rear needs to be to the ground before it gets a treat, until it is fully sitting before it's rewarded.

Jack Russell Training Tips

If the dog doesn't naturally begin to sit on its own when you hold the treat above its head, or if it tries to jump up, you will have to gently push its behind down to the ground. Use the command "Sit" as you apply pressure on the rear end of the dog. Reward when you see that the dog is sitting.

Hopefully you shouldn't find it too much of a challenge to make a Jack Russell sit. Because they are low to the ground, Jack Russells have a tendency to sit naturally as they look up at you anyway, so if you use the command and a reward as the dog does the movement on its own, this can be just as effective as forcing it into position.

If you're having difficulty keeping your dog's attention, make the training sessions shorter (never more than 15 minutes, 3 times a day) and make it easier for your dog to succeed by relaxing your rule for what counts as a "Sit." Let the dog build up to the full Sit slowly.

For lots of Jack-Russell-specific troubleshooting tips for the Sit command, refer to my ebook, The Jack Russell Lover's Ultimate Guide To Training.

The Next Step

Successfully training a dog to sit is a great achievement for a new dog owner. When you're finished you can move on to the Stay command.

Having a hard time teaching basic obedience? You could be making a major training mistake. Find out about the biggest Jack Russell training mistakes and how to avoid them in my free special report.

Free E-Zine Plus Free Bonus Special Report on Jack Russell Training Email Address Enter your First Name (optional) Then Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure. I promise to use it only to send you Jack Russell Crazy.