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How to Make Teaching Your Puppy to "Sit" And "Stay"
Easy
Submitted By:Geoffrey
English
“Sit” and “stay” are usually the first commands
a puppy learns. You'll use these commands everyday and everywhere. In this
article, you'll learn how to train your puppy to sit and stay on command.
Prepare For Training
For your training time, choose a quiet place with few distractions. This
will help your puppy focus. Keep your training sessions short, working with
your puppy's short attention span.
Grab a handful of treats. Five or six tiny pieces of meat will be enough.
Give commands in an excited tone of voice. Only give the command once. If
you repeat a command, your puppy will learn to wait for you to say it a few
times before he gives you the behavior.
Start sessions with a review before moving on to new commands. End with a
success. Make training a game and have fun. If you feel frustrated, take a
break and try again later in the day.
Get the Behavior
First, get the behavior. Then, give it a name. Begin with your puppy in
front of you, facing you. You are going to 'lure' him into a sitting
position. Hold the treat to his nose. Slowly lift the treat straight up
until your puppy's nose is pointing at the ceiling. Then slowly move the
treat back over his head toward his tail. As his head goes back, his rear
will go down.
The moment his rear touches the ground, say “Good!” or “Yes!”. By doing
this you are “marking the behavior”. He might get up when you say “good”.
That's fine. Give him a treat and praise him. Try it a few more times.
Some puppies will back up without sitting. If this happens, move to a
spot close to a wall or a big piece of furniture. Are you moving the treat
too quickly? Slow it down. If you're still having problems getting your
puppy to sit, break the behavior down into smaller sections. Reward him when
his nose is straight up. Then, when he starts to sit. And finally, reward
for a complete “sit”.
Give It a Name
After a few sessions, your puppy will begin to sit as soon as you lift
the treat. Now it's time to name the behavior. With your puppy in front of
you, hold the treat behind your back. Say “Sit” and wait about 3 seconds. If
he sits, say “good”, reward and praise him. If not, put the treat to his
nose and lure him into a “sit”. Then say “good”, reward and praise him. Try
it again. After a few tries, he should be sitting on command.
Adding “Stay”
Start by waiting a second before saying “good”. Increase your time by one
second until your puppy is “staying” for 5 seconds without getting up. If he
gets up before you say “good”, no reward. Your puppy must wait until you say
“good” before he gets up.
If he continues to pop up too soon, you might be moving too fast. Shorten
the wait time and practice it a few more times before moving on. This is
where patience pays off. Resist the urge to move too quickly.
When your puppy will wait for 5 seconds, it's time to add the command.
Have him “sit”. Say “stay” and wait a few seconds. If he stays, say “good”,
reward and praise him. If he gets up too soon, no reward. Try it again.
Finally, watch your body language. Your puppy can anticipate the end of a
behavior by reading your unconscious body movements.
Don't move until you
say “good” or “yes”. With patience and practice, you can train your puppy to
sit and stay on command.
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