How to Train a Dog to Sit: It Doesn't Get Much Easier than This!

The other day, I was at the lake with my dogs running off-leash when an over-excited golden retriever ran up to me out of nowhere. He jumped up on me like I was his long-lost relative. And I didn't even know him.

Instinctively, I said, "sit". The golden continued his playful attack. "Down."

He didn't respond to my words at all. Just then, his dog dad ran up to get his dog back on leash. "I'm so sorry," he said, embarrassed. "We just adopted him yesterday. He got away from me. And he never learned basic commands."

I acknowledged the struggle as a parent of a couple of rescues myself.

Dogs don’t come pre-programmed with a set of human words they know. "Sit" is just a random sound until they learn what it means.

But with a little reward based dog training, learning how to train a dog to sit is one of the fastest and easiest lessons for both of you. "Sit" is the foundation of dog training. Once the two of you learn it, you won't want to stop training together.

Why “Sit” is the Best First Command

When my college kids were little, we had preschool books like My First Dictionary and My First Science book.

For dogs, the "sit" command is similar. It introduces them to a new concept: "When I perform the command, I get a treat."

It's the perfect starting point because:

• It's fast — A dog can learn to sit (and get that treat) on command in around 2-5 minutes. It takes a little longer to get them to do it every time, but it's still pretty quick.
• It’s natural – Dogs already sit on their own, so you’re just teaching them to do it on cue.
• It can stop a bad habit — A dog who’s sitting isn’t jumping, running, chasing another dog, or causing random chaos.
• It builds success — Once they learn to sit on cue, it’s easier to teach other commands like stay, down, and wave.

According to Amanda’s 7-day Training Challenge fame, a high-value dog treat like a beef lung bite is the best way to lure a dog in with the proper technique.

How Do You Train a Dog to Sit?

1. Choose Your High Value Treats

Before you start, make sure you have high-value treats that your dog is really excited about.

The best training treats for dogs are irresistible. But they're also so nutritious that I can feel good about enhancing dog health with dog treats.

I prefer single-ingredient, grass-fed beef dog treats like beef lung bites from K9 Connoisseur.

These little wonders are protein-packed and break easily into training-sized pieces.

And they don't smell. They're just roasted organ meat. Oh, but dogs can smell them through your hand. That's why they make the perfect dog training treats for reward-based training.

Have more substantial dog treats on hand like a marrow-filled dog bone. Chewing is the instinct for a dog. Gnawing on meaty dog bones helps them manage boredom, stress, and destructive behavior so they become more responsive during training.

2. Use the Lure Technique (Draw a “C”)

• Hold a treat close to your dog’s nose—make sure they know it’s there. That's certainly not hard. Dogs are smart and can smell it. They'll quickly learn what's happening when you reach into a treat bag or pocket.
• Slowly move the treat up and slightly back, drawing a “C” shape from their nose toward the top of their head.
• As their head follows the treat upward, their butt naturally falls down into a sit.

✋ Important: If they jump up instead of sitting, slow down your movement and keep the treat closer to their nose. They'll get it.

3. Mark the Behavior and Reward Immediately

As soon as your dog’s butt hits the floor:

• Say “Yes!” enthusiastically or click with a clicker.
• Give them the treat right away—timing is everything!

Dogs learn by associating actions with rewards. So, the faster you mark and treat, the clearer the lesson becomes.

4. Add the Verbal & Hand Signal

Once your dog starts to get the hang of it, add the verbal cue and hand signal.

This order is important because now that they are consistently performing an action, you can communicate what "sit" means.

• Say “Sit” just before you move the treat. Or if you need to get their attention (which shouldn't be the case with a treat in hand), say, "{name}, Sit."
• Use a hand signal—either the “C” shape motion or an upward palm lift to reinforce the command visually.
• Repeat several times until they associate the word with the action.

5. Practice in Different Settings

Dogs don’t generalize well. So, they might sit perfectly in the kitchen but act like they’ve never heard the word sit at the park.

To fix this:

• Practice sit in different rooms.
• Try it outside with distractions.
• Ask for a sit before meals, before leash walks, and at doors.
• Tell them to sit when they get excited about a squirrel or new dog in the neighborhood. Cruel? Yes, a little. But it could save their life one day.

The more real-life practice they get, the better they’ll understand sit means sit everywhere. Keep reinforcing "sit". So they'll sit when it really matters. It usually takes around 2 weeks of consistent everywhere practice for a dog to get this.

How to Fix Common “Sit” Problems

Dog won’t sit at all?

Try using a smellier, more exciting treat (some dogs need extra motivation). Beef lung bites put off a powerful dog-only aroma they can't resist, making training faster and sitting more consistent.

Dog only sits when they see a treat?

Gradually phase out treats by rewarding randomly instead of every time. In fact, behavioral researchers have studied this extensively and found that random reward is more powerful than getting a reward constantly. If a human or dog thinks they're going to get a reward every time, they get bored. But if they never know when they'll get the treat, they can't stop.

In humans, this is what makes gambling so addictive. But it's also one of the best ways to teach dogs—and people, for that matter—new things. Just praise them the other times.

Dog breaks the sit immediately?

Now, this is a tricky one. They're thinking, "look mom, I did the trick. Treat please."

They just don't understand that it's not just the sitting that's the trick. It's staying in sit. Honest mistake.

Reward them while they’re sitting, not after they stand up.

And start teaching “stay” right after they master sit. Only reward them when they stay.

What to Teach Your Dog Next?

I know. Finding out that you can teach a dog a command in around 5 minutes is addictive. You want to teach them more. And some commands will take a little longer.

Here are some of my favorite basic commands.

• Teach “Sit Pretty” – From sit, guide their head up until their front paws are off the ground.
• Teach “Down” – From sit, guide them down with a treat.
• Teach "Heel" or "Let's go!" — While on a leash, use one of the best training treats for dogs to guide your dog to your side as you walk. Teach them to walk beside you, not pulling you like a dog sled.

Your dog can earn certificates for these commands and more when you join the 7-Day Dog Training Challenge. What are you waiting for? Let's go.

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