How to Teach your Dog to Sit on Command [Step-by-Step]

The “Sit” command is one of those basic commands that are simple to learn and easy to remember and is an indispensable part of your dog’s social skills. “Sit” may be used as a natural restraint for your dog, or as a nice greeting for a stranger who is probably a friend of the owner.

Your dog is doing the “sit” position when he has his hind legs folded and tucked close to his front legs while his bottom is down touching the ground His head, more often than not, is tilted upward with eyes looking at its owner and paying close attention. He then sits still and remains stationary until the owner releases him with a verbal command such as “yes”.

Why Is It important to teach your dog to sit?

1. It may save your dog’s life

The controlled sitting position helps maintain your dog’s focus and obedience in a way that can prevent potentially dangerous situations. You can avoid scenarios like having a dog that is too excited and distracted, who may virtually run off into the street and head-on to an oncoming car.

2. It helps Your Dog Focus on Obedience

The “sit” command helps your dog form social skills and good sociability among other people and other dogs too. He will learn to stop and sit still on cue. Your dog can focus on something that you as the owner want him to do, and not burden him with having to figure out what you want.

How to Teach Your Dog to Sit

Teaching your dog to sit will require verbal cues and/or a set of commands that your dog will have to understand and do consistently. The training itself can be done in 2 ways consisting of 2 techniques as follows:

Luring: This method makes use of food treats for your dog as a means to start your dog’s training. Treats make training easier and not forced. For starters, you will have your dog’s full attention with less effort compared to physically pushing him down on his backside to get him to do the desired position. Of course, you will be doing this to eventually fade out the food near the end of his training

Capturing: This is the alternative way of training your dog to sit. Capturing still uses treats as rewards but not as a lure. The trainer “catches” the dog as he naturally does the sitting position and marks it, while he proceeds to train him from there.

Basic Commands and equipment needed

“Sit”: This is the main verbal cue that is given to your dog from the start. Your dog will recognize it and remember it as it will serve as the trigger for the desired behavior. It is a sitting stationary position that your dog can do in front of you regardless of how far he is from his owner.
“Yes”: This verbal cue may be used as a verbal confirmatory mark and at the same time the “release” for your dog to break from the “sit” position. The expectation is that your dog will not get out of the sit position unless you say the word “yes”.
“Stay”: Holding a position or staying in place for an undetermined period.

Dog Collar and a leash (at least 5-7 feet long)
Food treats and a treat bag
Low table for sitting position (optional): a low-rise table that your dog can stand and sit on to emphasize the stationary behavior desired.
Clicker (optional)

The Luring Technique

The “luring” technique is done in 5 stages and we recommend that you follow in order:

Stage 1: Luring a Dog Into a Sit Position
Stage 2: Adding the Verbal Cue “Sit”
Stage 3: Fading Out the Hand Lure for Sit
Stage 4: Proof
Stage 5: Start to Fade Out Training Treats

Stage 1: Luring a Dog Into the “Sit” Position

Find a location for your dog that is free of distraction. For adult dogs, a quiet backyard will do. For puppies, an emptied living room or empty room will suffice. Just enough for him not to break anything.

Have your dog wear the collar around his neck (not too tight) and attach the leash to it. Using the leash, gently guide him to face you and have him stay in that position whether sitting down or standing up.

Take a treat from the treat bag and hold it in your hand in front of your dog’s nose. Your position will depend on whether your dog is a puppy or an adult. You can sit with your knees folded for smaller dogs and remain standing for bigger breeds.

Let him sniff the treat, and with one motion move your hand over his head in a way that will make him raise his head, look up, and lower his bottom to sit on the floor.

As soon as he sits down, you say “Good girl!” or “Good boy!”. Mark the behavior with praise or a click and give him the treat as a reward.

Repeat the above steps until your dog can do the behavior in lockstep with your treat cue.

Stage 2: Adding the Verbal Cue for “Sit”

Without totally removing the treats you can now add the verbal cue of “sit”, together with a hand signal similar to when you were holding the treat over your dog’s forehead. Only this time, you can make the movement progressively smaller and closer to your body than your dog’s head. First, say “sit”, then after 1-3 seconds, give the signal.

Add more seconds to the gap as you repeat the exercise to emphasize the verbal cue. This is to make your dog remember, even without the hand signal.

Don’t forget to continue giving him the reward along with verbal praise every time he does it correctly. Repeat until the desired behavior is correctly done.

Stage 3: Gradually Fading Out the Hand Lure And Replacing It with “Sit”

Do the “trick test” by giving the verbal command without the lure and see if your dog can understand, and retain the idea that the word sit is relative to the action of sitting down.

Say “Sit!” without giving any hand signal or treat. If your dog responds correctly by sitting down, he isyou are now ready to fade out the lure. Reward him with verbal praise more than the treats to begin weaning him. Repeat the exercise until the desired behavior is achieved.

Stage 4: Proofing Your Dog (adding distractions)

Train your dog in other places with distractions. Examples would be from the inside of the house to going out in the backyard, and then from your yard going on to the street right in front of your house. You can also ask your dog to sit while taking a walk, going to the park, and while being in the park. This variation of location is called the generalization of a cue.

Continue the use of treats as appropriate depending on the obedience level of your dog. Without making your pet dependent on food treats, it can help in keeping their attention versus a low-flying bird or some car that’s passing by your house.

Stage 5: Begin Fading Out Treats Altogether

As you repeat the exercise of giving verbal cues and treats, try to improve the accuracy of your dog’s obedience by starting to wean them off and replacing food with rewards like more verbal and touch praise. You can even use opening the front door of your house to take him for a walk as a reward.

Simple praises uttered with added enthusiasm like “Good girl!” or “Good boy!” encourage your dog more than you can imagine. You can do the fading out process in subtle ways by making the food treats scarcer and scarcer while replacing it with verbal praises and that occasional face and neck rub for a job well done.

You can conclude your dog’s training when you are already able to keep his attention and closely follow your command. And this is regardless of the environment as well as the absence of food rewards.

The Capture Method

The goal is to have your dog get used to the attention and reward him when he assumes the sitting position. Once it is clear that he is already able to recognize the connection between the click or praise, plus the treat with sitting down, add the verbal cue right when he does the behavior.

Start observing your dog, while having treats in your bag ready. You can use a clicker too.
Whenever your dog sits down make a sound with your clicker or mark it with verbal praise like “good boy!”, then follow up with a treat.
Make sure that every click or praise is followed up with a treat. Throw the treat a few feet away from your dog to reset him for another sit position away from where he is right now.

As he is improving and is already following your verbal cue as a command, slowly phase out the clicker and food rewards.

Repeat the necessary exercises for both methods until following your verbal cue becomes second nature to your dog.

Using the word “Yes” as a Marker and Release for Your Dog

Assuming that your dog is already “sit” obedient, let us first understand the concept of “releasing” your dog from the sit command – or from any other stationary command for that matter. Since the verbal cue “sit” would require your dog to be in a stationary position, try to avoid confusing your dog and not stress him too much while in the sitting position.

Dogs would rather receive a familiar signal from you on what to do next. You can help him out by releasing him and saying “yes”. He can follow that as a signal for him to stand up and approach you, or just relax after successfully doing the desired behavior.

The goal is for your dog to stay or naturally sit still when assuming the sit position. He will be able to do this without being anxious or agitated. This behavior can be achieved depending on the time gap that you produce between the verbal cue “sit”, and when your dog sits down and the corresponding treat that follows.

As you repeat the cycle of lure and reward, followed by the fading out of treats, it now depends on how long before you release him with a “yes”. Through this delayed process of rewarding your dog, he will begin to understand and not forget that when he is in a sitting position he should not move until you release him. he has to hear the verbal marker “yes” before he gets out of the sit position.

The longer the time gap between the verbal cues “sit” and “yes”, the steadier your dog will stay in the sit position. And don’t forget to reward him with food when he can progressively hold himself for longer periods.

Can I Train My Dog To Sit Without Treats?

Yes, you can train your dog to sit without treats that is, if you are a professional trainer that may have advanced skills in training canines. On the other hand, if you are a beginner (especially for first-time pet owners), it will be difficult for you to keep your dog’s attention if he sees no forthcoming reward. So, we recommend preparing and keeping your treats handy when training starts.

What is the Difference Between “Sit” and “Stay”?

As far as this training guide goes, we now know what the command “sit” means. “Stay” on the other hand, is a command to keep your dog’s position and location steady with the minimum amount of movement. It can be either a sitting position or a “down” position. It can actually be any kind of position for as long as he keeps the statue-like stance.

How do You Teach a Stubborn Dog to Sit?

Assuming that you may already have gone through the steps of this guide and are still not getting the results that you want, you can try this:

Hold the treat in front of your dog’s nose.

Depending on your comfort level, stick the food in front of his mouth without releasing it. (caution: make sure that your dog doesn’t bite on your fingers when trying this method.)

Keep the treat stuck between your fingers and up against your dog’s nose and mouth and do not release it while your dog gets a taste of it, but doesn’t get it unless he sits down.

While you are in this position with your dog, say “Sit.” then with his nose up against the treat in your hand, gently push down his rear end to the floor.

When your dog relents and sits down, release the treat and let him have it sitting down and praise him at the same time.

Repeat the exercise until he sits down without you having to push him down.

Continue with the training stages as normal.

How to Train a Dog to Sit Between Your Legs

This move is a heel position that most advanced trainers would use to put your dog in close quarters and a defensive stance. This “heeling” position gives both the owner and the dog some sense of security in potentially dangerous situations. This also keeps your dog close and alert to both you and your surroundings.

Put your dog in a down position by using “down” as the command.
Step across in front of your dog with your feet shoulder-length apart.
Hold a treat in your hand and drop your hand between your legs.
You may add the command “middle” to lure your dog right into the middle of your legs. Your dog’s shoulders should touch your thighs as he goes right through.
As he puts his bottom down and stays in place, reward him with the treat.
Repeat as necessary until your dog responds to the verbal cue even without the food reward.

How to Train a Dog to Sit Next to You

The closest you can get to this trick is to tell your dog to assume the “heel” position. This will cause your dog to do the action in one command and one motion.
For dogs that are not yet trained in the heel position, you can use a command like “side” to get him over your side and ask him to sit when he gets there.
To avoid confusing your dog, we recommend that you instruct your dog to “heel” instead.

How Long Does it Take to Train a Dog to Sit?

Since “sit” is a basic command, it should take about 1-2 weeks for your dog to remember and achieve the desired behavior. Because some breeds are easier to train than others, it may take less than 2 weeks for them to achieve the desired behavior.

Your schedule of training may look something like this:

3 times a day/15 minutes per session
Puppies and Senior dogs may take longer to train since puppies have a shorter attention span and senior dogs will have to unlearn habits to learn new behaviors.
You can teach your dog/puppy to “sit” as early as 7-8 weeks old.

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