Training your dog to sit is one important part of dog training. It is the foundation on which other training tricks and behaviors are based. This single command would teach your dog to sit as well as “stay” which is another attribute that a disciplined dog must possess. Your Dog training consists of many different phases that you must follow to train your dog successfully.
Dog trainers can be categorized into two types: those who use food and those who do not. Both methods give out efficient results; provided they are followed in a proper manner. It also depends on what motivates your dog. There are some dogs that fall all over themselves for a kind word or pat on the head from their owner; whereas others are motivated through their stomach.
Once you have decided to motivate your dog through its stomach, he/she must consider certain points that would make him/her reach the goal successfully.
First of all, be choosy about what kind of treat your dog has to be given. Never give a chocolate to your dog. These sweet goodies may make your dog overweight and being overweight is as unhealthy for dogs as for humans. Try offering a small piece of hot dog instead. Slice it in to thin pieces and microwave for 20 second. You may even opt for soft dog food.
You must trigger off the training schedule by treating your dog with its favorite food; by standing with your dog on his/her left or facing the dog. Now you have to slowly command, “sit” in a firm and kind voice. This has to be followed by you raising your right hand above your dog’s nose. Once it looks up and sits down (its natural instinct would force him to), its time to lightly touch, its rear end to give your dog an idea that it is to lower his rump to the ground. You must avoid pushing on the dog’s hind quarters as it could injure the back or hips of the dog. Praise the dog loudly as soon as it sits. This is the perfect time to offer it the treat. It is vital to en-compass a hand signal in to the training.
Once your dog excels the verbal signal, it may be taught to sit to the hand signal of your choice. The process may take time to produce results but, patience on your side would certainly bear results. One important thing to remember while training a dog is that punishing your dog is a total “no-no”. It doesn’t work well in animal training. The training sessions must be limited to five sessions as more of such sessions may make the dog lose interest.
The ‘stay’ command is an integral part of the whole training schedule. Learning this command is important for safety purposes. It helps you to thwart your dog from crossing a busy street or facing any such hazard. It is not easy, but the effort is worth taking. You must continue the process and keep on rewarding your dog each time it adheres to his/her command. It is very important to gently put your dog back in the “sit” positions and start counting again if it tries to get up before time is up.
Training your dog to “stay” requires a lot of patience and perseverance from you. It is more difficult than teaching the command ‘sit’. But believe us, the pain and effort are worth taking.