Sweet Dog
The “sit”
Teaching your dog tricksPart of · Teaching your dog tricks

The “sit”

9 min read

Reflex first, learning second

When you lift the treat above their head, your dog tips backwards so as not to lose their balance: that is a reflex of the body, not a piece of thinking. At the start, they do not yet know what they are doing: they are following your hand, guided by the treat held against their muzzle. What really gets learned is the link between the two: when their bottom touches the floor, a reward arrives, and they do it again. An American psychologist, B. F. Skinner, showed this as early as 1938: a behaviour followed by a reward happens more often. That is why the “sit” is often the first trick a dog learns: it is easy to get, and it trains you to time your reward well, which will serve you for every trick that follows.

The first session

In a quiet room, with no other animal and no toys lying about, once your dog has already been out and burned off a little energy.

1

Show them the treat

Your dog is standing, facing you. Take a small, soft, strong-smelling piece (not a big hard kibble) and hold it right against the tip of their nose, clearly visible: never hide it in your hand.

2

Say “sit” and lift your hand

Say “sit” once. The treat stays against their muzzle while your hand rises very slowly, just above their head: their nose follows it, their head goes up, their bottom goes down all by itself. Go up slowly and no higher than the top of their skull: any higher or any faster and they will rear up on their back legs or jump instead of sitting.

3

Mark the exact moment

The very moment their bottom touches the floor, say “yes!” and give the treat straight away. Never press down on it to help them: it is their body, not your hand, that makes them sit.

4

Start again on the move

Take a step to the side: they get up to follow you. Say “sit”, take the treat back over their head, then mark with “yes!” and reward the very moment they sit.

Keep it short: 1 to 2 minutes per session for a puppy, repeated several times across the day rather than one long session. Stop while they are still asking for more.

Making it reliable over the weeks

Only tick off a stage once you have managed it at least three days running. If it stalls, drop back a notch: fix the exercise, never the dog.

Step 1 / 5

  1. They sit every time you say “sit” and take the treat over their head.

    • Say “sit”, then take the treat from the muzzle up over the head
    • Say “yes!” the very moment their bottom touches the floor
    • Reward straight away

    Move on when: Managed three days running, in a calm setting.

  2. They sit on the same cue, even with distractions around.

    • Do the same thing as at home: “sit”, then the treat above the head
    • Only mark with “yes!” when their bottom really touches the floor
    • Accept that it is harder out here: smells, noises, movement

    Move on when: Reliable in a quiet corner before moving somewhere busier.

  3. They sit following your empty hand, with a smaller and smaller movement.

    • Keep the treat in your other hand or in a pocket, no longer in the guiding hand
    • Say “sit” and make the same movement with the empty hand, above their head
    • Make the movement a little smaller with each success, down to a simple lift of the hand
    • Mark with “yes!” and reward with the treat you kept aside

    Move on when: They sit on a tiny movement, three days running.

  4. They sit on the word alone, without you moving your hands.

    • Keep the treat in a pocket or behind your back, hands by your sides
    • Say “sit” without moving your hands: they sit on your voice alone
    • Mark with “yes!”, then take the reward out of your pocket or from behind your back

    Move on when: Managed three days running, in different places.

  5. They sit when simply asked, even without knowing what they will get: that is a “sit” truly learned.

    • Ask for “sit” with your voice alone, hands in your pockets
    • Mark with “yes!” the very moment they sit
    • Then vary the rewards, unpredictably: treat, toy, stroke, voice
Sit learned

When it stalls

They jump instead of sitting
  • The treat is too high: bring it back down level with the muzzle.
  • Wait until they are calm and settled before starting the session.
  • Only reward when their bottom really touches the floor.
They back up instead of sitting
  • They follow the treat by walking backwards instead of folding their legs.
  • Put their back to a wall before you start: they can no longer reverse, so they sit.
  • Keep your hand just above their head, not out in front: a hand too far forward makes them walk on, not sit.
They lie down instead of sitting
  • They go all the way down into a lie-down instead of staying in a sit.
  • You are probably lifting your hand too high or too far back: raise it a little less.
  • Mark with “yes!” earlier, the second their bottom touches the floor, before they go all the way down.
They sit at home, but not outdoors
  • That is normal: outdoors, everything is far more exciting.
  • Go back to the treat as on day one, somewhere quiet.
  • Only step the difficulty up when they are answering easily again.
They will not sit at all any more
  • Check that you have not overused the word, so it has lost its meaning.
  • Go back one stage, to where they were succeeding.
  • If a dog who knew it suddenly refuses, think first of physical discomfort.
  1. Skinner B. F. — The Behavior of Organisms (operant conditioning) (1938)

Going further

guideTeaching "down"The natural follow-on from the sit: the same treat movement, led towards the floor, for a down that is just as clean.Read the guideguidePaw, high five and waveAn easy, cheerful trick to chain straight after the sit, to vary what you ask without boring your dog.Read the guideguideThe foundations: teaching a trick with rewardsThe positive method behind every Sweet Dog trick: understand the why of the sit and apply it to all the others.Read the guideguide“Watch me”: winning your dog's attentionCatching your dog's attention before you ask for anything, the basic that makes the sit (and all the rest) easier.Read the guideguideTeaching "stand" and position transitionsOnce the sit is learned, playing with sit/down/stand transitions for a dog who really follows your movements.Read the guideguide“Touch”: teaching your dog to boop your handThey come and put their nose on your hand: another very simple way in to teach lots of other tricks, the sit included.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

How do you teach a dog to sit?

Say “sit”, then slide a treat from the tip of their nose up over their head: their head goes up and they sit all by themselves. The very moment their bottom touches the floor, say “yes!” and reward. Never press down on their bottom: they sit on their own, not by force.

At what age can you teach a puppy to sit?

From the first days at home, once they are settled in (often 2 to 4 days after they arrive). It is one of the easiest tricks to start with. Keep sessions very short, 1 to 2 minutes, repeated several times a day.

My dog will not sit, what should I do?

Bring the treat back down level with the muzzle (too high and they jump) and work somewhere calm, with no distractions. Go back to an easier stage where they were succeeding. If a dog who knew how to sit suddenly refuses, ask your vet to rule out pain before pressing on.

How long does it take for a dog to learn to sit?

A few days is often enough for them to sit as soon as you show the treat, but the “sit” is only truly learned when they answer to your voice alone, hands in your pockets. Confirm each stage over at least three days before moving up a notch. They often make better progress with short, spaced-out sessions than with long ones back to back.

Do you have to give a treat every time for the sit?

At the start yes, so they clearly link sitting to a reward. After that, vary it (treat, toy, stroke, voice) and reward unpredictably: that way the reward keeps all its value. The aim is for them to sit even when you have nothing in your hands.

My dog sits at home but not outdoors, why?

Because outdoors everything is more exciting: smells, noises, other dogs. What works indoors does not carry over by itself outdoors. Go back to the treat as on day one, somewhere quiet, then step the difficulty up little by little.

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