Written in collaboration with vets
For most pet parents, teaching their dog to sit is one of the most important skills their pooch can learn. As well as being a vital command to master when it comes to dog training and obedience, it can help to keep them safe - for example when you’re waiting to cross a busy road - and support their manners when they’re meeting people. It’s also a useful starting point to begin other training exercises.
In this article, we’ll look at how to teach a dog to sit, or how to teach a puppy to sit, in four easy steps, as well as considering what age to teach a puppy to sit and the benefits of teaching your dog basic commands.
Teaching your dog to behave well, stay safe and maintain control starts with them learning a simple “sit” command. From here, the world is your oyster when it comes to learning good manners, new tricks, staying safe and building a harmonious relationship between you both. If you’re wondering how to teach a puppy to sit, or even an adult dog, you’ll need a few essentials before you begin.
Reward-based training is a popular solution to how to train a dog to sit, with proven success amongst professionals and pet parents alike. For this, you’ll need:
Here’s how to train a dog to sit the easy way:
Before you start learning how to teach a puppy to sit, or an adult dog, make sure your dog is in a calm and receptive mood. Pick a quiet place, in your home or an enclosed garden, away from loud noises or other distractions. Ensure you have treats to hand, and that your dog is facing you. You may want to use a dog lead to make sure they don’t run off.
If you’re wondering what age to teach a puppy to sit, this can start from around 8 weeks old. Most puppies are able to pick this up between 8 and 16 weeks of age. When and how to train a puppy to sit can depend on their breed and temperament, but by starting training fairly early on, you can set up a great routine for mastering other skills. That said, most adult dogs can learn the trick too at any age.
Place your dog’s treat in your hand, and let your dog sniff it so that they know where it is. Use their name to get their attention. When they’re standing and looking, raise your hand in an arc-shape over their head and towards their mid back to encourage them to sit down, to watch their treat’s trajectory. If they sit for you, reward them with the treat and give them plenty of calm praise. It’s important to make it fun and rewarding for your dog in order to achieve success.
Repeat this motion several times, rewarding your dog each time they sit for you. You can give them plenty of affection, or even reward them with their favourite game each time they get it right. Once your dog has mastered this skill, try repeating the motion, but with the treat (or a toy) held in the other hand. Continue to reward them each time so that they learn to sit simply after seeing the hand signal.
When your furry friend is reliably sitting, you can add in a verbal cue, “sit”, and a visual cue such as the hand gesture. Over time, your dog will learn to sit as soon as they hear the cue word. It's always best to practice this new command several times, in short but regular training sessions. You can always return to step two if your dog needs a bit more practice.
If your dog becomes bored, distracted or distressed at any point, abandon the training session and pick up again at another time when they’re in a more receptive mood. Some dogs take longer than others to master this skill, and it won’t happen overnight. It may take several weeks of regular practice for your dog to start sitting on command. One of the best-kept secrets to how to teach a puppy to sit is to stay patient and calm, even if it takes your furry friend a long time to understand, and always remain consistent. Here’s a reminder of the key points:
Many vets and animal experts recommend reward-based training for teaching your dog to sit. You can use your pet’s favourite treat or toy, raising it above their head when they’re standing, so that they keep an eye on the treat-hand and sit down naturally. Reward, repeat and add the “sit” command, and eventually, your dog will sit on their own when you ask. Rewarding them each time ensures their co-operation and your shared success.
Rewards don’t have to be treats and can include praise, games and toys. That said, food is very motivating for a lot of dogs! If you are using treats make sure you go for something that’s high quality that your furry friend really loves. Pedigree™ Ranchos Slices and Ranchos Sticks fit the bill perfectly. Ranchos Slices are made with 100% natural beef and Ranchos Sticks 100% natural chicken. Neither contain any added colours or flavours, and they are less than 5% fat.
Every dog is different, so it’s impossible to say exactly how long yours will take to learn to sit. However, with regular, consistent training, most dogs get the hang of learning to sit reasonably quickly, with many picking it up within 1 - 2 weeks after first starting.
Your dog’s age, personality and whether they’ve had any prior training can impact how long it takes to train a puppy to sit, so always be patient with them if they don’t learn within this time frame. It’s important to never scold or punish your dog if they don’t do what you want - this will only make them less receptive, and may damage the precious bond and trust between you. Think of it as working as a little team to achieve your training goals together.
What age to teach puppy to sit depends on how receptive they are to training, but it can start soon after you bring them home. Most puppy parents find that their pup can pick up simple training techniques from around 8 weeks of age, and that many puppies are most responsive before 16 weeks.
However, bear in mind that puppies have notoriously short attention spans! This means that, while it is always a good idea to keep training sessions short and sweet, this is particularly important when you have a puppy.
Thankfully, the secret to how to train a dog to sit, or how to train a puppy to sit, is simple - remain calm, stay consistent, and keep it fun for your dog. Using a treat, toy or affection, to master the hand signal needed to get them to sit on their own, is the first step towards success. Adding in your “sit” queue will help them to learn what it is you want them to do, and after regular practice and plenty of praise most dogs pick up this essential skill pretty easily. If they forget or become out of practice, simply start over again and reward their efforts every time.
For more dog training tips visit our blog for some handy hints before you start, or if you’d like to expand their training talents after learning this first vital skill.
