Basic Obedience - SIT

"Sit" is one of the first things a dog should learn. It is good manners for the dog to be sat down in any social situations, especially if it is a large breed - not many people will appreciate being jumped on by a 160 pound Mastiff.

The best time to teach the basic sit is in puppyhood, as their natural clumsiness means their bums will hit the floor without too much effort on your part. I have also found this is the case with larger breeds. However, all dogs are able to learn it with patience, but you may need to experiment a bit to find out what works for your dog.

To teach the basic sit, you need to have the dog stood in front of you. Holding a treat in front of their nose, slowly lift it up and slightly back, so that their head follows it. They should naturally put their bum down. Click and reward immediately, but DO NOT say a verbal command.

If you are having trouble getting the dog to sit (for example, they keep stepping backwards instead of sitting), try positioning yourself so that the dog is between you and an obstacle that will prevent it from stepping back. Please Note: I do not recommend doing this if you have a dog that does not like to be cornered, as it could provoke a negative reaction. Instead, try placing your hand LIGHTLY on the dogs bottom, so as to stop it from moving back. DO NOT PUSH on the dogs rear, as it may be sensitive, and again, this could cause it to react in a negative manner. 

Repeat the above exercise until your dog is reliably sitting with the lure. Once this has been accomplished, you can begin to add in the verbal command "sit."

Lure the dog into the position and before you click, say "sit" in a nice voice. Click immediately and reward. At this point, it is important to note that the dog does not yet understand what "sit" means, so do not be tempted to say it BEFORE the behaviour.

Repeat the exercise until your dog is sitting reliably every time. When you get to this stage, you should be able to stop using the lure, and instead just make the hand gesture (similar to how you would hold the treat.) When I taught my GSDX this, I would stand in front of her and hold my closed fist above her head, so it still had the effect of her looking upwards.

Once your dog has learnt the correct response, you can stop using the clicker. The dog should now take the verbal / physical cue, and will display the correct behaviour. 

You should aim to practice this as often as possible, preferably several times a day. It should be incorporated into daily activities, such as on walks and at feeding time, and you should vary the rewards, so they don't expect to be rewarded EVERY TIME they display the appropriate behaviour.