How to Teach a Puppy to Sit

Mike DAbruzzo, Veterinary Technician and Owner, K9-1 Specialized Dog Training * Remember that a puppy will follow his nose. Take a treat, hold it over his nose to get his attention, say ‘Sit.’ When the puppy sits, praise him and then give him the treat. Repeat several times until he gets it. * To teach a puppy to lie down, start with getting the dog to sit. Then, move the treat to the floor. If his butt pops up as he is following the treat, guide him back to a sit, then lower the treat again to the floor until he follows the motion and is in a lie down position. When he’s down, give him praise and the the treat. * Never raise your voice or express frustration. The puppy can sense that and will get nervous. It’s supposed to be fun for him. * Don’t put the puppy into position with your hands—he has to do the action himself to learn it. * Eventually you can get him to obey without using a treat. But when you’re teaching a dog a trick, they have to have some kind of reward, either a treat, praise, or petting. * These sessions should be short, no more than five minutes in duration. Three or four short sessions a day, and you’ll have a trained puppy in no time.