Train Your Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy To Sit
Training doesn't have to be hard! Practicing with your dog on how to be good is always a fun time. We try to make time for daily practice. Every time your dog hears the rustling of the treat bag, they know a good time is about to be had.
If you have been wondering how to train your dog to sit, you're in luck! We wanted to share with you some of the best training tips for dogs so you can easily teach your dog how to sit and the best ways to learn some new tricks!
Kevin’s Own Training Experience
Learning to sit was one of our favorite things to learn (but really, we love any time Kevin gets to practice and play with us).
Just like any new trick or command, it took Kevin a little bit of time to learn. We had to practice a lot until Kevin could get it just right! But he really wanted to make us happy, so he was super excited to follow along and learn this new trick! Plus, with all of the yummy treats, it was a piece of cake (or in my case, jerky… yum!).
Tips For When You Train Your Dog To Sit
The number one thing that helped Kevin learn how to sit was having a great reward to really motivate him! We recommend a treat: something soft, and the stinkier the better!
Bonus Tip: If you break the treats into smaller pieces, they will last longer and you can keep the fun training going! Your dog doesn’t need the whole thing, just a taste!
One of my all-time favorite treats is Chippin Cricket Jerky. It’s soft, can be broken into pieces easily, and is tail-wagging delicious!
How Can You Train Your Dog to Sit?
Once you have a delicious treat in hand, the next thing you need to decide on is a marker. A marker is a verbal or audible cue to tell your dog that what they are doing in the exact moment is correct. Some go with a clicker, but another option (and the one we used with Kevin) is saying YES. Both of these markers signal to your dog that they are doing the appropriate action, and it should always be followed by a reward or treat!
Now, you are ready to train your dog to sit! The process is super easy and fun to practice!
The Basic Sit Command
Step 1
With a treat in hand, you will lure your dog into the sitting position by holding the treat over your pup’s nose and then moving it towards the back of their head. This motion naturally causes them to move towards the sit position as they try to follow the treat!
Step 2
Mark the position with your chosen marker, whether you are saying a happy “YES” or using a clicker, as soon as they get into the sitting position. Then, you can give your dog the reward (this is our favorite part!). Give them lots of praise when we get this right, because it will help them to continue doing it!
Step 3
Now that your dog can get into the sit position, you can add in the command. You can practice this by saying “sit,” and then repeating exactly what you did in steps 1 and 2. Do this over and over so they can get lots of practice with their new command!
Step 4:
When your dog knows the command and has gotten lots of practice, you can start to fade the lure! This means slowing taking away the other factors so that you can simply say “sit” and your dog listens. First, you can say “sit” and make the motion from their nose to the back of their head, but without a treat in hand. Make sure you are still marking and giving them a reward after they sit, though!
Adding to the Command
Now that your pup can sit, it’s time to practice some other commands that are extensions of the “sit” command. This includes holding the sit and then releasing it on cue.
Step 5
You can teach your dog to hold their sit by getting them into the sitting position with the above method, then giving multiple treats and marking multiple times while they stay in the sitting position!
Step 6
Once they can hold this position, you can teach your dog your cue for when you want them to stand back up. After holding their sit, you can add a break cue like “free” and then encouraging them to come to you and giving them lots of love!
Step 7
Practice these steps over and over, lessening the amount of treats you give and working towards just using the commands.
Practice, Practice, Practice
We try to practice commands with Kevin every day so he doesn’t forget them! If you want your dog to learn how to sit, make sure you take the time to practice with them for a little bit each day. You will be surprised at how quickly they can pick up on things with repetitive training! If you want to see someone go through the process of how to train your dog to sit, here is a great YouTube video that goes over the training step-by-step!
If you love learning all of these dog tips and tricks, don't forget to subscribe to the blog and follow us on all of our adventures over on Instagram!
