How to Clicker Train a Sit

Clicker training a dog to sit will make this behavior more reliable off leash and at a distance than using leash corrections or pushing his back end down with your hand to get him to sit. Clicker training a dog to sit can also be done using more than one approach.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clicker savvy dog
• Clicker
• treats

1. The first way to use a clicker to train your dog to sit uses a food lure. With your dog in the standing position, hold a treats just above his nose. Move your hand back between his ears. His nose will go up, his bottom will go down. When his backside touches the floor, click and toss the treat to the side. He will go get it and you can do another repetition.

2. When he has successfully sat 3 times, do the same steps without a treat in your hand. Have the treat on a table, or in your pocket. Motion your hand above his nose, move it back towards his ears, click and treat when he sits.

3. To add a verbal cue for this behavior, say the word "sit" wait three seconds, give the hand signal you have been using. Click and treat when he sits. Do this three times. Wait longer between the verbal cue and the hand signal. Say "sit" one time, and wait. If you do not get a response in ten seconds, give the hand signal, click and treat. Eventually your dog will grow impatient of waiting for the hand signal and will respond to the verbal cue.

4. The lazy trainer way of clicker training your dog to sit is really easy and very effective. Grab your clicker, prepare a bowl or bag of treats or kibble, and find a place to sit. Wait for your dog to sit. When he sits, click and toss a treat so that he has to get up to go get it. Repeat this process several times.

5. Once your dog is sitting every time he looks at you, add the verbal cue "sit" as soon as he begins to sit. Click and treat.

6. For a nervous dog, you may want to try shaping the behavior. This is done by clicking and treating the beginning of a sit. Do not talk to the dog. Smile at him, watch closely without staring at him. Click any behavior relating to sit such as lowering his bottom, raising his head, lowering his tail, or dropping his ears. Repeat this a few times.

7. 

   Raise the bar in the next training session by only clicking actions that are closer to the sitting position. Within a few short sessions your dog will be sitting each time he sees the clicker. That is when it is time to add the verbal cue in the same way described in step 5.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep training sessions short 3-5 minutes is plenty
• Do not say the verbal cue until your dog is doing the behavior.
• Do many short training sessions per day
• Begin fading the use of the clicker as your dog responds to verbal cues reliably
• Train old behaviors like new behaviors in new places, around new people, or in the presence of other animals. Act as if your dog has not learned the behavior, and start at the beginning, until he has generalized the cue.
• Smile at your dog while training. Speak in cheerful tones. Clicker training is fun!
• Do not chat with your dog while training him, it confuses him as to what word he should be listening to.
• Do not repeat cues, if your dog is not responding to a verbal cue change something you are doing or make adjustments to the training environment.