How to train a dog to sit and stay there

You can train a dog to sit. It isn’t tough. He’s all over the place when someone gives him a pat or speaks to him. And if another dog is around, you can probably forget it.

It needn’t be this way.  This training series shows how to train a dog to sit still in various everyday situations.    It is not a quick fix,  but follow this step-by-step system carefully, and you will have a sit that will make you proud of your dog.  This method is suitable for all dog breeds and does not require punishment.  

Many people teach their dog to sit at home,  where there are few distractions, and are disappointed when the dog is disobedient while they are ‘out and about.’   This happens because a dog’s brain is wired up differently from ours.   Fortunately, we can design a training plan that overcomes this problem and soon has a dog that will sit still when he is told in most normal circumstances.

Here are the articles available in this series so far

• Part One: What you need to know
• Part Two: Into position
• Part Three: Building the stay
• Part Four: First distractions
• Part Five: Introducing distance
• Part Six: Introducing people

 How old does my dog need to be?

Any dog over nine months old can reasonably be expected to sit still for two minutes.  However, the point at which dogs are mature to sit patiently varies from breed to breed and individual to individual.  Some vivacious dogs may take longer to learn this skill than more placid dogs that are much younger.

We will break the training down into little chunks, work through each piece one step at a time, and at each stage, give you a minimum age your dog should be before moving on to the next step.   These ages are guidelines only.  You can bend the rules a little if your dog is having fun.

Over the next few days,  I will show you how to build up duration, distractions, and distance gradually and carefully so that your dog achieves success at every stage of the way.   The secret is to stay at each step until the dog can do it quickly,  then move on to the next one.

How long will it take?

You will need to spend a few minutes each day training this skill.  Twice a day,  morning and evening, is ideal.  How many days this will take you depends on how old your dog is when you begin training and his temperament.

If your dog is inclined to be a little excitable, or you start a lot younger,  it will take you a lot longer than if you start with a reasonably calm six-month-old puppy.

But don’t worry because it is a lot of fun,  and neither you nor your dog will get bored.