How to Teach your Puppy to Sit and Stay, by Zak George on YouTube. 7 min 22 s.
- Video length
- 7 min 22 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes per session
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a quiet room and cut treats into small pea-sized pieces. Keep a handful in your pocket so you can reward fast.
Hold a treat just above your puppy's nose and slowly move it back over the head. The puppy will lower its rear to follow the treat.
The moment the rear touches the floor, say yes and give the treat. Repeat five to ten times in a row.
Once the puppy sits reliably, add the word sit just before the hand movement. Say it once, then lure the sit and reward.
Practice with no treat in your hand. Give the sit hand signal, wait a second, then reward from your pocket when the puppy sits.
Build stay by asking for a sit, then wait one second before rewarding. Add a second at a time, only when the puppy holds still.
Add distance by taking one step back after the sit, then return and reward. Increase to two or three steps over several sessions.
Practice in new rooms and with mild distractions like a toy on the floor. Reward every correct sit, then reward less often as it becomes solid.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep sessions to two or three minutes and end while the puppy is still succeeding.
Never push the puppy's rear down. Lure or wait for the natural sit instead.
Reward within a second of the correct behaviour or the puppy will not connect the treat to the sit.
If the puppy breaks the stay, go back to a shorter duration rather than scolding.
Questions
How long does it take to teach a puppy to sit and stay?
Most puppies learn sit in a few short sessions over a week. A reliable stay with distance and distractions can take several weeks of daily practice.
What treats should I use for puppy training?
Use small, soft treats the puppy loves and can swallow quickly. Pea-sized pieces keep the puppy focused and stop it getting full during a session.
Should I say the word sit before or after the puppy sits?
Say sit once, just before you lure or signal the behaviour. Repeating the word while the puppy is still learning only teaches it to ignore you.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
