How to Teach a Dog to Sit with Vebal and Hand Signals

Teach your dog to sit at the letter "s", and from up to 75 feet away with just one finger.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hotdogs! Oooh yeah the hotdogs!
• A quiet place with no interruptions.

1. VERBAL:
   Start by holding a piece of hotdog in front of your dog, hold the piece of hotdog between your pinky and palm, sticking your thumb up in the air and say "sssit".

2. Place one hand under the chin close to the neck and move the hotdog over his head towards his back.

3. As you do this say firmly with love "sit" every time he tries to lift up to get the hotdog.

4. Tap firmly and with a straight stiff finger, on his back just in front of the tail, saying "ssss" then as his butt starts to go down add "iiii". Since the letter "t" conjures up a good felling in a dog, saying "t" to finish the word "sit", will give positive reinforcement to your command word.

5. Repeat these steps every 15 minutes for 2 hours.
   After 1 week, you can start putting distance between you and him, this is were love and respect will come in as you find that even from the next room you can say sit without him seeing you and he will sit.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your dog can see your thumb up in the air by holding it a little to your side so that he can see it clearly.
• Saying the words "sit" over and over again will instill the fact that your command has to be repeated in order for him to comply. Don't repeat the command, reinforce with the tap and withholding the treat until he complies.

[beatybass]

on 8/25/2008 Good info. I like the positive reinforcement.