Sit
The simplest position cue and often the first skill a dog learns — a building block for impulse control and polite greetings.
Adolescent Note
Sit is usually solid by adolescence, but you may see a 'I know what you want but I'm going to think about it' delay. This is normal teenage behavior. Keep rewarding, keep it fun, and don't escalate.
Training Stages
Use a treat to guide Bryn into a sit position.
- Hold a treat just above Bryn's nose.
- Slowly move the treat backward over her head. As her nose follows up, her rear will go down.
- The instant her bottom touches the floor, mark ("yes!") and deliver the treat.
- Repeat 10–15 times. No verbal cue yet — just the hand motion.
Advance When
Bryn sits reliably following the hand lure, 9 out of 10 times, with minimal hesitation.
Watch Out
Holding the treat too high — she'll jump instead of sit. Keep it just above nose level.
Pushing her rear down physically. Let her figure it out; she learns faster by choosing the position herself.
Tips
If she backs up instead of sitting, practice against a wall so there's nowhere to go but down.
Keep sessions to 2–3 minutes. Quit while she's succeeding.
Pair the verbal cue "sit" with the behavior she already knows.
- Say "sit" once, clearly, THEN do the hand lure.
- Mark and treat when she sits.
- After 20–30 reps over several sessions, try saying "sit" WITHOUT the lure. Wait 3 seconds.
- If she sits, jackpot reward. If not, lure once more and try again next rep.
Advance When
Bryn sits on the verbal cue alone (no lure) 8 out of 10 times in a quiet environment.
Watch Out
Saying the cue and luring simultaneously — the cue must come BEFORE the lure so she learns to predict.
Repeating "sit, sit, sit" — say it once and wait.
Tips
Fade the lure gradually: full hand motion → smaller motion → just a finger flick → verbal only.
Practice in short bursts throughout the day, not just in formal sessions.
Use sit in practical contexts: before meals, before going outside, for greetings.
- Ask for a sit before opening the door, before putting the food bowl down, before clipping the leash on.
- Practice sit when visitors arrive (start with calm visitors, not exciting ones).
- Gradually add distractions: sit on walks, sit at the pet store, sit when another dog walks by.
Advance When
Bryn offers a sit in daily-life contexts without being asked, and responds to the cue in moderate-distraction environments.
Watch Out
Only practicing sit in training sessions. The real value is in daily life.
Asking for a sit in situations that are way too exciting. Build up gradually.
Tips
A sit before the door opens teaches impulse control without a separate 'impulse control' lesson.
If she can't sit somewhere, the environment is too stimulating. Move farther away from the distraction.
Proofing — The 3 Ds
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Duration
Build a sit-stay separately.
📏
Distance
Start asking for sit from arm's length, then 3 ft, then across the room.
🐿️
Distraction
Kitchen (low) → living room with TV on → backyard → front yard → on walks → pet store.
Generalization
Practice sit in every room, on every surface (grass, concrete, gravel, wet ground), in every context. If Bryn only sits in the kitchen, she hasn't learned 'sit' — she's learned 'sit in the kitchen.'
Troubleshooting
Bryn sits but immediately pops back up
You're marking too late. Mark the instant her rear touches down, not after she's been sitting for a beat. Speed up your timing.
Bryn won't sit on certain surfaces
Some surfaces are uncomfortable (wet grass, cold tile, gravel). This is a generalization issue, not disobedience. Reward heavily for sitting on new surfaces and don't force it.
Related Skills
Down (Lie Down)
Teaching Bryn to lie down on cue — a calm, stable position that's the foundation for settle and place work.
Stay / Wait
Teaching Bryn to hold her current position until released — the backbone of impulse control and safety.