Train Your Dog to Sit and Stay

• Step 1 Get your dog's attention

  What does your dog get most excited about? Treats? Gnarled sticks? A squeak toy? Figure out what he likes, then use that reward to train your dog to give you his attention. It's something you can practice with any dog after he's about 3 months old. Here's how:

  1. Show your dog the treat or toy reward and say his name.

  2. When he looks at you, reward him with the treat and verbal praise.

  3. Practice whenever you think of it, like when you're watching TV or walking your dog on a leash.

• Step 2 Keep training fun

  Plan to spend a few minutes a day for a few weeks to fully train your dog to obey the sit and stay commands. Prepare by having his favorite treat, stick or toy ready. Use a 6-foot leash and a choke collar, or head collars like the Gentle Leader or the Halti. Start in your living room or backyard. and focus on praise, not punishment.

  Using a food reward

  • Use tiny pieces, preferably food that doesn't require much chewing.
  • Consider using a handful of the kibble from his daily ration.
  • Schedule your training sessions after a walk so he's not rowdy, but before a meal so he's hungry and motivated.
  • Don't use human food unless it's something like tiny cubes of cooked meat.
  • Keep enough in your pocket (or a sandwich bag) to reward 20 or 30 attempts.
  • During these training weeks, limit treats to training time to increase his interest.

  Using a toy reward

  Bring out the toy only during training time to keep him motivated and interested in the toy.

   

  With all the praise, attention and treats, your dog will soon learn to love the training sessions.

• Step 3 Introduce the "sit" command

  With your dog on a leash, stand in front of him. Show him a treat and say his name in an animated and friendly tone. When he looks at you, praise him for paying attention and immediately give him the treat.

  Show him another treat. Lift it to his nose and then lift it up 3 to 5 inches without letting him take it. As his head follows the treat, he's naturally inclined to sit. As he starts to sits, look at him and say his name and "Sit!" in a firm yet friendly voice.

  When he sits, immediately give him the treat. Load on the praise. If he jumps or moves around, reposition him with the leash and try again. Repeat in a relaxed manner over the next few minutes. Don't give him the treat or praise until he actually sits. And when you say "sit," only say it once. Don't push on his back or hips to help him sit.

  Take a break for 15 seconds or so, and then start up again for another 2 to 3 minutes.

  End your first session the way you started, by rewarding him for looking at you when you say his name — it's an easy task that builds confidence. Plan to resume tomorrow.

• Step 4 Practice the "sit" command

  On each of the next few days, repeat step 3. Keep your expectations low for individual training sessions. Focus on progress over a few weeks, not a few minutes.

  When your dog no longer needs the encouragement of the treat held above his nose, simply show him the treat, ask him to sit, and reward him with the treat and verbal praise as soon as he obeys. Repeat for 5 to 10 minutes, praising him for good sits. Ignore any mistakes. End with the easy task of getting your dog's attention when you say his name.

  When he starts sitting most of the time you ask, challenge your dog further by changing location. Practice in the back yard, during a walk, or where he's easily distracted. When he mastered other places, walk beside him on the leash, making a figure 8 around your living room and asking him to sit every few steps. Treat and praise when he sits.

  As he builds on the training, transition to giving him a treat every other time he sits, substituting verbal praise for treats.

  Remember, any progress is progress. If he's too rowdy to focus or his interest wanes, simply go back to the first step of rewarding him for giving you his attention, then try the "sit" command again.

• Step 5 Introduce the "stay" command

  As you did with the "sit" command, train your dog to obey the "stay" command with daily practice over a few weeks. The "stay" command is more challenging, but with patience and consistency, your dog will get it.

  With your dog on a leash, ask him to sit and praise him when he does. Then, using his name, say "Stay!" in a firm but pleasant tone. At the same time, hold your hand in front of his nose like a stop sign. With the leash in your hand, take a step back without pulling him. If he moves, tell him "no" and return to the starting position in front of him. Start over.

  When you can step back without him getting up, release him from sitting with a word such as "release" or "ok." Make it clear to him that he's free to get up. Give him a treat and praise. Take a break for 15 seconds or so, then reposition your dog in front of you and repeat.

  As before, finish with an easy task to build his confidence. At this point, you could simply ask your dog to sit and praise him, then release him.

• Step 6 Practice the "stay" command

  When your dog stays until you say the release word, add more time between "stay" and the release. Challenge him by moving farther away or to the side before giving him the release word. Always give lots of praise and a treat upon release.

  Don't go too far too fast. Set your dog up for success and build his confidence by moving farther away in small increments. If he moves out of position, reposition him and start over without scolding.

  Keep your sessions brief. As before, finish with an easy task to build his confidence.

  Once your dog masters the basics, incorporate training sessions into your daily routine. Ask him to sit and stay while you make dinner, do jumping jacks or hide around a corner. Monitor your dog to make sure he stays until released. Your training erodes if your dog starts deciding when his "stay" is over.

• Step 7 Master sit-stay in challenging situations

  When you can put your dog in a sit-stay and walk away without him budging, move your training sessions to a more distracting location and follow the starting routine from step 5.

  While he's in a sit-stay, try distractions like talking with another person or allowing other dogs to play around him. If the dog moves, reposition him and start over again with a lower level of distraction.

  Once you and your dog master the sit-stay, you'll be more comfortable taking him to public places because you've established control and communication. You — and your dog — will love the additional time you get to spend together.

RELATED QUESTIONS