Training - Teaching Your Dog to Sit

So you have a new puppy or perhaps a dog that you have rescued who is now your new best friend... Now what?

Teaching your dog to sit is the first step to controlling his behaviour and should be the first command that is taught. Although sitting is completely natural for a dog to do, following the command to sit is not. Mastering this command will help you in your training of your dog.

First you must find a location that is quiet and without distractions. Teaching a dog is not unlike teaching a child. If there are many distractions around that the dog finds interesting, he will be less likely to pay attention to you. Remember to have patience with your dog. He's learning something for the first time. Take your time with him.

The verbal command is simply "sit". Most trainers will tell you not to use your dog's name with the command unless it is a command to move forward. I don't really know the reason for this, but from all reports I have it seems to work.

The dog should be positioned on your left hand side facing forward. Holding his leash in your right hand you should move your left hand gently down his back until you get to the point where his legs meet his back. You should then give the command "sit" and squeeze gently into the two indentations in front of your dog's hip bones. At the same time you should push down gently on his back with your left hand and lift the leash up slightly with your other. The dog should sit immediately. If he does not, try making the command longer..."siiiiitttt" while pushing down gently and pulling up on the leash. Do not jerk the leash or speak loudly to the dog. This will only serve to frighten him. Training will be more difficult. Remember to be kind and gentle and have patience as your dog learns.

Next, try it without using your left hand. Pull up on the leash gently and say "sit:" Continue this until your dog will sit without pulling up on the leash. Soon he will respond to the command "sit" without any urging or coaxing by you!

It is critical that you praise your dog for doing what you asked him to do. A nice pat on the head or a quick rub on the back along with a "good dog!" will go a long ways to helping him remember what he has done to get the praise. Some individuals choose to give their dog a treat after they execute a command correctly or do a trick, however this only tends to make your dog expect a treat after each time he correctly does something. It's good for an occasional way to praise them, but don't do it often enough to make them expect it every time.

Congratulations! You did it! You have started on the road to teaching your dog obedience and to follow your commands! Now you can continue his training using many of the same techniques described above. Remember, the two P's... have PATIENCE and always remember to PRAISE your dog when he completes the task you have asked him.

Chris Lauritzen is the co-owner http://www.mydogsbestfriend.com/. The website offers advice, reviews of products and services for your dog, as well as a blog where dog lovers can share ideas, thoughts, and brag about their best friend.

Teaching Your Dog The Basics

As a reliable dog owner, you have to make sure that your canine is faithful, loyal and well-behaved. It is a proven fact that, dogs that are good to their owners are less like to get into controversies with people and other dogs and live happy-go-lucky and productive lives.

Another great reason to have an obedient and properly behaved pet is simple, some places will not let you live there unless you pet is well taught. There are scores of breeds that are perceived to have aggressive and have disobedient problems. Some of these canines include Doberman Pinschers, Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.

There are certain essential commands that must be mastered in order for a dog to be considered truly trained. These key commands include:
Your dog must listen to the word No, this is the one word that all canines have to learn. training your canine to respond to this important word can save you a lot of trouble.Training your pet to sit on command is a the next part of any pet training.Stay, is a very important commandment in your pet training program. An obedient pet should and will rest where the pets handler tells it to stay.Down, lie down when commanded is not just child,s play; It is a central part of any canine teaching program that proves to be successful..All animals should Heel. canines should walk behind their trainers not fall behind or pull their masters. They need to learn to do this on a loose lead.

Dog teaching does much more than just create an obedient, willing companion. Properly teaching your canine will strengthens the relationship that already exists between owner and pet. dogs are pack animals, and they look to their pack leader to tell them what to do.

They object to be successful is to make yourself the pack leader. Defining yourself as leader of the pack is a significant concept for any novice pet trainer to comprehend. There is only one leader in every pack of canines, and the handler must establish him or herself as the dominant canine. If you fail to do this, you will get all kinds of naughty behavior problems.

Training is a great way to fulfill some of the pet's necessary needs such as routine workouts, relaxation that comes with knowing what is exactly expected of him, and a sense of accomplishment as well as a great functional working relationship with his trainer.

Having a activity to do is very important to your dog. More than you might think. Hunting rabbits and squirrels to hunting lions and bears were all things that man originally bred canines to do. You would not believe how many pets that are out there have no important duty to do and this most often brings on unwanted behaviors because the dog is bored.

Fundamental teaching techniques and regular training sessions, give the canine a very important task to do. This is especially important for high energy breeds like German Shepherds and Border Collies. Want a great way for these high energy breeds to have a chore and enjoy themselves while they burn up extra energy. Have daily training sessions with them.

Why not make your training time into play time with your dog. You and him, nether one will be bored this way. Having fun and playing with you dog does strengthen that all important bond between you as leader and the animal as subordinate.

So, have heaps fun with each other for many years to come. you can expect lots of exciting and fun-filled years with each other.

Chris Shaefer enjoys his 4 dogs on the family farm in upstate, NY and has found over the years that proper care of your animals will make a happier, healthier life for everyone involved. If you found this informative and need some detailed instructions click here, Labrador Retriever training

Chris Shaefer
Dog owner and Friend
Train Golden Retriever Puppies

Email:shaefercd@dog-training-techniques.net