“Sit” is one of the most basic – and important – commands that you will teach your puppy. Typically, a puppy is ready to learn this command at eight weeks old. And you will also discover that it’s one of the most difficult commands to enforce - as puppies of course, tend to be naturally playful. The good news is that even the liveliest puppy can be successfully trained.
You should train your puppy to obey these commands before any others. Begin your training in a quiet part of the house with no distractions. Some trainers suggest training by the front door – a puppy who sits easily by the front door is more manageable when you have visitors. Try to limit each training session to around 15 minutes and be sure to use a firm tone of voice and offer praise and reward when he gets it right.
To successfully train your dog to sit, you may want to have him on a lead at first and then progress to training without the lead. Once you have given him the command to sit, gently help your dog to sit by folding his back legs under his bottom – repeat this as necessary until he gets the idea.
You can also train a puppy to sit with a treat – if you hold a food treat over a dog’s nose and slowly move it back and over his head, he will be forced to sit. Using the word “sit” along with the action will reinforce the response and eventually you will only have to offer the treats occasionally.
The command “stay” is often used in conjunction with “sit” and will help you control your puppy when it’s necessary. Once your puppy has learnt to sit, practice walking away while giving the command to stay. If he gets up before he has been told to, you should persuade him to sit again, by using the technique above.
You should gradually walk further and further away, leaving him to stay for longer periods – in general, it takes a week or so to train a puppy to sit and stay for a couple of minutes. After a few months it should be possible for your puppy to stay while you leave the room, for a period of around 15 minutes.
You can also use a hand signal to instruct your puppy to stay, for example a raised hand. At first, this should be done using the lead; then you can progress to doing it without the lead. Once your puppy has got used to these commands, you should be able to command him to sit and stay, by using hand signals alone.
With a little patience, your puppy will soon master these basic commands – making for a better relationship between the two of you.