“Sit! Good Dog!” Teaching Your Dog New Tricks (Part 1)
To teach “sit,” have a yummy treat in your fingers and place your hand near your dog’s nose. Say, “sit,” and move the treat over your dog’s head toward his tail. As he follows the treat, he should sit naturally. When he successfully completes this behavior, immediately give him the treat as well as verbal praise in an excited voice, saying something such as “good dog!” When you are first teaching this behavior, always give the food treat and the verbal praise. When your dog seems to be associating the word sit with this behavior, gradually wean him off the treats. You may want to train your dog to a release command such as “okay!” so he knows when he can discontinue each behavior. As with all training, you should teach “sit” in short (10 minutes or less) sessions followed by free play.
To teach “lie down,” first get your dog in the sitting position. Hold a yummy treat in your fingers and place your hand near your dog’s nose. Say, “lie down,” and bring the treat straight down to the floor. As your dog follows the treat, he should naturally place himself in the down position. As soon as he gets in the proper position, reward him with the treat and verbal praise. If you are using a release command such as “okay!” you can now use it to let your dog know it is okay to stop lying down. As with all commands, as he begins to associate the behavior with the verbal command, begin to wean him from the food reward.