Things You'll Need:
- Dog
- Clicker
- Small treats
- Treat holder
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Step 1
Attaches to your belt to keep your hands free!Purchase a clicker at any dog supply store. The clicker is a small plastic "box" with a thin metal strip inside that makes a "click" noise when depressed by your finger. To make training easier, you can use a neck lanyard (strap), wrist strap or attach the clicker to your goodie bag as shown in photo.
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Step 2
Let's introduce you, the handler, to the clicker. For you to successfully use the clicker, think of it as a camera. When you ask your dog to sit you want to click (snap a photo) as soon as the dog touches his butt to the ground in the sitting position. The dog is able to quickly learn using the clicker because it understands exactly what it did right and when the desired outcome was reached.
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Step 3
Dog in sitting position using goodies in closed fist.Let's start! Train your dog in an area that is free from distractions (no people, other dogs, strange sounds, etc.) Load up your goodie bag with cookies or training bites (hot dogs cut up very small are very popular with dogs). You want to keep the treats small and bite size so that they are not distracted by crunching down a large cookie each time. To start your dog in the sit position take a treat and place it in your closed fist. Let the dog smell it but do not let the dog get it. Keeping your hand just above your dogs head, slowly move your hand back toward the dogs tail like you have an invisible string attached to the dogs nose and you are guiding the dog to the sitting position. This may take a few attempts especially if you have a wiggly or overexcited dog. Be ready with your other hand on the clicker, as soon as the dogs butt touches the floor, you want to click. This will immediately get the dogs attention,they may come out of the sit, that is OK, stick with small steps. Follow up the click with a treat. Repeat these steps a few more times without adding any vocal commands to prevent any confusion to the dog.
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Step 4
Now let's attach a verbal command with the act the dog is doing. Next time the dog successfully goes into the sit position, say "sit". Repeat a few more times with the verbal command when the dog sits. Now let's include a "sit" command at the beginning of the training. Say "sit" and see what the dog does, give him or her a second. If they do not make a move to sit, use your goodie in the fist above the head again to lead them to the sit position. We are now helping them connect the blocks.
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Step 5
In a few short practice sessions your dog will be sitting consistently when asked. When you are first teaching your dog to sit, always use the clicker and a treat as a reward every time they successfully sit. After they are sitting quickly and have mastered the skill, you can take the clicker and treat out of the equation. I like to keep it like a slot machine in Vegas to keep their training sharp, sometimes they get a goodie, sometimes they don't. But they always get love and "good dog's" everytime they do something I ask.
