Monday, August 27, 2012

How to train a dog to sit

By Jerry Welsh


One of the ways by which a dog owner can establish his being the alpha male is to let the dog undergo obedience training. Dogs need to have a leader to follow to be good canine citizens. Dogs that do not have a clear view of their rank in the pack have the tendency to develop unwanted behaviors. One of the reasons why dogs are either abandoned or left in animal shelters is because owners have not taken the trouble to obedience train the dog.

Teaching a dog to do tricks is a very rewarding experience as an owner will feel a sense of accomplishment every time the pet obeys the command with alacrity. Training the dog to sit is one of the easiest practical skills an owner can teach the pet given that sitting is already a natural action of a dogs. What an owner needs to accomplish is to make the dog respond to the sit command

Sitting is a natural action of dogs but unless trained man's best friends would not know what the word sit means. To familiarize the pet to the word sit, an owner can say the word every time the dog is about to sit. Dogs are noted for their high level of intelligence thus by repeating the word, it will be associated by the dog to the particular action. Dogs are renowned for their short attention spans thus they get distracted easily. To gain the dog's attention, short training sessions must be conducted in an area with very few distractions. The dog's favorite treat can be used as a positive reinforcement that will lure the dog to respond well to the training.

Dogs are noted for their eagerness to please thus playing or bonding with the pet before the training session will make them more receptive. In a clear voice, call the dog's name to gain its attention. Then wave the hand holding the dog's favorite treat to gain its attention. Being food motivated, the dog will be forced to sit to get the treat that is held over its head. However, the treat must not be held too high over the head so as not to make the dog jump. Trying to get the treat, the dog will sit but before its bottom touches the ground, give the sit command. Give the treat as soon as the dog's bottom hit the ground. Because dogs learn by association, the reward will be associated to doing the particular action.

For the training to be successful, the owner has to be patient and has to have a positive attitude. Short training sessions conducted about three times a day will make the dog respond to the command even without a treat.




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