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How To Train A Puppy To Sit

May 11, 2020 by Mary Telesz

train your puppyTraining a puppy to sit can be an arduous task, especially when it comes to dogs who are more rambunctious. However, it can become less stressful if you simply follow a few steps.

Some puppy owners believe “sit” is one of the most important commands a dog should learn to obey first, while others prioritize orders like “come” or “stay.” A 2011 survey of 1,000 dog owners in the U.K. revealed 12.9% of respondents said they believed “sit” was the most important command for their pet to follow. Here is a guide on how to train your puppy to sit:

Foundation for Obedience

Perhaps one of the most essential elements to ensuring your puppy learns to sit involves establishing a foundation to gain his or her trust before incorporating the use of a leash. This means giving your pet a reward of some sort every time he or she follows a command without any issues. This gives your puppy some positive reinforcement.

It’s important to learn as much as you can about your puppy before adopting him or her. Remember to be patient. Depending on factors like a puppy’s age (e.g. two months vs. five months) and breed (Dobermann vs. Pomeranian), your pet may not be able to understand you as quickly as you might think.

Materials Needed

a leash is needed to train your puppyBasic supplies every dog owner should possess in order to train a puppy to sit include chewy treats, like Wellness treats, a leash, and collar. Certain types of fancy reflective collars can be adjusted with a snap buckle so that it does not injure your dog. Dogs with narrower heads, such as. greyhounds will usually be better off with these types of collars, also known as martingale collars. Clickers, which often come with wrist straps, are also essential. Some owners may opt to rely on a bridge word like “yay!” as a way of creating a link between the desired behavior and the reward. Training books and other similar guides can also be useful.

Training In Settings from Least To Most Distracting

After you have checked that you have all materials to train your puppy, it’s important to choose a safe location with as few distractions (visual or auditory) as possible. This can be a basement, a guest room, or any place with few fragile objects that your puppy may knock over and break. It is often recommended to begin training indoors and then slowly work your way up to outdoor settings like the backyard or a dog park.

Cookie, Click, Repeat

This tactic has been proven to work with many puppies. It essentially consists of holding a treat near a dog’s nose and gradually inching it towards the back of his/her head. Your puppy will (generally) instinctively follow your hand and his or her backside will gradually come closer to the floor. Once your dog finally sits, click or utilize your bridge word and hand him or her the reward.

Moving From Least To Most Prompting

train your puppy to paw handsOnce your puppy has mastered the “cookie and click” method to get him or her to sit, you can try other summoning strategies like hand signals or verbal orders. Should your puppy paw at your hand, bite you, or show any other signs of indifference or aggression instead of taking a treat, just move the food out of his or her sight, such as behind your back. Wait for your puppy to become calm. Using other words like “settle” or “easy” can also be worth trying.

Get Help From Local Pet Experts

Reach out to the experienced professionals at Paw Pals to learn more about how to train your puppy. Based in Centreville, Virginia, Paw Pals serves customers in Chantilly, Clifton, Fairfax, Manassas, Fairfax Station, and Reston. Founded by proud Australian Shepherd puppy owner and family woman Mary Telesz, Paw Pals is a full-service pet sitting and dog walking company that is licensed and completely insured and bonded. They are also PetTech certified in First Aid and Pet CPR. Their dog-sitting prices start as low as $24 for a 30-minute visit for puppies. Each additional dog costs $3. Vacation visit pricing includes walks, playtime, brushing, treats, fresh food and water, and medications (if necessary). Paw Pals will treat your pets with all the love they deserve!

Mary has been a pet sitter for more than 15 years and boasts experience caring for many types of animals (dogs, cats, horses, etc.). Contact Paw Pals Pet Sitting today!

Filed Under: Pet Training

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Office Location

Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
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Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 22151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
5.0
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
5.0
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
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