In this activity, you are teaching your dog to sit on command, and to focus their attention on your face. This is the most basic and well-known dog command, but “Sit” isn’t just used to show off to your friends that you have an obedient dog.
The sit command is very useful when you need to take your dog from a more active to a calmer, more relaxed state—to get them from a state of distraction to focusing on you.
Setting up for the Activity
For this activity we recommend that, as much as possible, you “ditch the bowl,” which means that you temporarily feed your dog their daily portions through training rewards, rather than in their bowl.
Use the hand/finger position taught in the Follow My Hands (Apple #3). Take several pieces of food in the palm of your hand, and dispense pieces with your thumb by rolling them from your palm to your fingertips.
If you are not feeling kind, calm, and confident, do not train your dog until you are in a better mental state. Kindness is a choice, calmness takes practice, and confidence comes with education, which will grow as you master this activity.
Activity Steps
Put your dog on a leash, and then step on the leash so that it is loose enough that they have a little room to move, but tight enough that your dog cannot jump up.
Hold a food lure over the top of their head so that they have to look up and back to see the lure. Usually, this will naturally cause them to sit.
The moment that their behind touches the ground, mark it with a “Yes!” and treat. The marker needs to happen in the very moment your dog succeeds. Otherwise, your dog will be confused about what you are asking them to do. After marking and treating, make sure to praise them as well.
Each time you want your dog to sit, step forward slightly in their direction, and point over the top of their head. At first you will do this with a food lure in your hand, but eventually your body language replaces the actual food lure as the signal to your dog.
As your dog starts to get the hang of it, change “Yes!” to “Yes! Sit!” and then just “Sit.” In other words, you will start the command by saying the word “sit” but you will also repeat the word “sit” as they succeed. This reminds your dog which word is associated with the desired behavior.
To get them out of the sitting position, engage your dog in other activities (the other apples we have taught so far). Then repeat this training between other activities.
If your dog is struggles, consider the three D’s—distance, duration, and distraction. Shorten the distance between you, or the length of time you require them to obey before rewarding, or lessen any distractions (noises, children, other dogs, etc).
Training Pattern
At first, you start by using a treat to encourage your dog to perform a desired behavior. Then reward them with the marker word “yes,” accompanied by a treat.
Second, you do the same thing, but you add the command to the marker word by saying, “Yes! Sit!” This associates the command with the desired behavior.
Third, you do everything the same, except that you speak the command word as you begin. You will continue using a treat in your hand to encourage your dog. Each time they are successful, say “Yes!” (no need to add the command word here), and treat.
Finally, you will begin by speaking the command, and when your dog succeeds at the desired behavior, no treat or follow-up “Yes!” is needed.
The body language of a step forward as you point your finger over the top of your dog should always accompany the spoken command. Body language is even more important than the spoken command.
Training Over Time
Eventually, you will randomize the treating, so that your dog is not dependent on a food lure to follow the command.
Remember that your body language—stepping forward and pointing over your dog’s head—is the most important signal to your dog. At some point, your body language alone will be enough to signal to your dog, without speaking the command.
As you dog gains a good grasp of this activity, consider the three D’s again. Now, increase the distance as you train, require a longer duration before rewarding, and add in distractions to help your dog succeed at higher and higher levels.
