Sit, Dog, Sit!

Sit.  It’s the most basic of commands.  When your dog will sit on command, it shows order, respect, discipline and overall, being well mannered.  Sit comes before so many other commands.  Sit before eating, sit before treats, sit at the curb before crossing the street, and much more.  So, sit was the first command I worked on with Jazmine.    Training started with Jazmine the first Monday we had together.  When I would come home from work, daily, we would work on training.  Training, of any kind, must be consistent in order to be effective.

We started in the hallway, at the end.   I closed all bedroom and bathroom doors, so Jazmine really couldn’t go anywhere and I blocked her in at the end of the hallway.  Blocking her in also prevented distractions and allowed Jazzy to focus on just me.  She was only 3 months old and her paws and ears seemed so much bigger than the rest of her, which made her appear clumsy, which made training so much funnier.  I knelt before Jazmine and said, firmly “Sit.”  Then I would put her in the sit position and immediately follow up with a treat…a treat, some pets, some kisses and lots of “good girl”s!!!  Praise and reward work when training puppies.  Dogs love to please.

Jazmine would either lay down or spring back up on all fours after her treat.  I would then again firmly say “sit” and put her back into position, again, quickly following with a treat (some pets, kisses and more good girl!!)   I repeated this over and over again.  I started out training her for 5-10 minutes a day, every day.

Puppies do not have the greatest attention span, but with consistent training can be quick learners.   Within a week, she got it!  We went to the end of the hallway as normal and when I said “sit” Jazmine sat on her own.  At first, I thought it was a fluke…then we did it again….and again and again and again!!!  My dog was sitting!!! I was so amazed that I had taught this little furball how to do something.  This was one of the best feelings I ever had.  I was in awe!

We would now practice Sit all the time.  I would have Jazmine sit (and wait) at every meal when I fed her, sit at the door every time she was let in (I like to clean paws before they come inside).  When we take walks, we would now practice sitting at the corner or anytime before we crossed the street.  Sit is the most basic of commands because sit is part of every day life and routine.  Now, to make these sits successful sits, we would have to work on “Stay” next…

** This was originally published on 4/22/2018 but due to technical errors was republished. **

Did you ever have a pup that didn’t know anything when you got them and you had to teach them everything?  It’s such a rewarding experience!!