Dog Training Behaviour (Sit Command) Dog Training Behaviour
SIT COMMAND
Welcome back to dog training bahaviour, now that you have learnt the basics of using the clicker we are going to move on to clicker trainings basic commands starting with the SIT command. This command is so easy to train and should take your puppy or dog know time what so ever to learn using the clicker method. To get started with the sit command, when your puppy or dog is standing in front of you, get its attention by saying its name and making it aware that you have a treatin your hand, but at the same time you must also have the clicker ready in your other hand. Next you must slowly lift the treat above his head so that he starts to look up to follow the treat. Keep the treat moving slowly back over his head, so his head continues to follow the treat, your puppy or dogs bottom should automatically move towards the floor.
At this stage he dosen't have to fully sit but if his bottom moves towards the floor you must Click and Treat.
Continue with this method but start to become more and more selective with the click and treat, only click and treat when their bottom is very close to the floor, or it is actually on the floor. And once your puppy or dog is sitting with reasonable regularity, only click and treat when he is fully sat on the floor.
Fairly quickly your puppy or dog will work out for them selves that they only earn a click and treat when they are fully sat on the floor. They should learn the lesson very quick within two or three lessons they should have learnt this method.
Now that your puppy or dog appears to know what we want him to do you can move on to the next stage. This is where you introduce the verbal command. As the treat is moving over your puppy or dogs head, say, SIT. Practise this with short frequent sessions, but this time only treating and clicking when it sits on your verbal command.
Once your puppy or dog is sitting well, and appears to be doing it without really having to think about it, the clicker does not have to be used everytime they are asked to sit, but it is a good idea to have a refresher session every so often, with the sit command and the clicker, as this will help to keep it reinforced, but in general it will be very well instilled in their mind.
