If you recently brought home a puppy to care for, you want it to listen to your commands when you give them. A dog that responds when commanded to will allow you to tend to its needs without it being at risk of becoming injured. One of the first commands most people train their puppies to do is to sit down when told to. This settles the dog down so it can listen for additional information. Here are steps to take when training your puppy how to sit on command.

Treats Are A Necessity When Training 

Dogs respond when they are awarded for desired behaviors. When training your puppy, you need to have treats on hand to give to them when they respond with proper action. When treats are not present, many dogs do not understand that they are performing as you wish. In time, your dog will respond without the treats, however, in the beginning stages of training, treats make the process much easier. Purchase small dog treats as you will need many during training sessions. Keep these in your pocket or a fanny pack so they are within easy reach.

Use Hand Motions When Training Your Dog To Sit

Hold a treat up in front of your dog's eyes so it can see and smell it. Lift the treat upward as you speak the command "sit". Move the treat slowly forward, but still out of reach of your dog. This action causes your puppy to naturally sit down so it can keep its eyes on the treat as it moves. As you do this, use the hand not holding the treat to gently press down on your dog's back end. These actions when done in tandem usually cause a dog to sit down.

Praise Your Dog And Provide It With Treats

When your puppy responds with the proper response of sitting down, quickly praise it by saying "good dog". Immediately give your dog the treat to eat. When your puppy stands up, repeat the entire process once again. If your dog does not sit down when you instruct it to, do not give it a treat. This gives the dog the wrong idea and it will not understand that the word sit means it gets a treat. Always praise your dog when it responds appropriately. Do not become discouraged if your puppy does not understand right away. The entire process usually takes several days or weeks for success.

To find out more, contact a company like Canine Connection.