Training your fur pal to sit and stay should be one of the first commands you teach him. Not only is it important in establishing your leadership, but it is also effective in other types of behavioral training. Want him to give you and your family space while you eat dinner…sit and stay. Want to keep him from jumping all over your guests when they arrive…sit and stay. Want him to behave when you’re out for a walk and stop for a minute to chat with the neighbor…sit and stay.
This command is generally easy to teach to most dogs and even puppies. Although puppies may be wriggly and energetic, this can be taught to them as well..it will just take building up from a half-second sit or stay, to one second, to two seconds, etc. Patience is key!
So in the beginning many puppies are clumsy and that due to the fact they not in the position to follow order yet & curiosity so move to fast and they'll lose focus.. Thats why we have to lure them.
To start, here are a few general rules to follow when teaching dogs a basic commands or training a puppy:
¹.Choose a quiet place free of distractions. Being able to focus will help him learn the commands more quickly. After he has a good grasp of the command you can add in some distractions to make sure he can follow the command under different circumstances.
². Try to do training after meal time. This will ensure that he’s not hungry, but is still eager to get treats.
³. Make sure that the treats are special, but small. Effective training means using special, super-tasty treats that he normally doesn’t get. But make sure that they are broken into small pieces…about the size of your fingertip. The goal is to offer a reward, not a meal.
⁴. Remember that successful training is usually done in increments. Most pups won’t get it down the first or even second time. Keep training sessions short and gradually work towards success.
⁵. Get down directly in front of your pup. While saying “sit”, hold the treat above his nose. He will most likely sit as he lifts his head to sniff the treat. As soon as he is sitting, reward him.
⁶. If he’s not sitting based solely on verbal command, it’s ok to use a little physical persuasion. As you say “sit”, put your hand on his back and slowly move your hand down…guiding his rump to the floor. As soon as he’s sitting, reward him. Guiding him into the sit position physically may better help him to understand the action.
How To Teach the “Stay” Command
Teaching your dog to “stay” may be a little tougher and take a little more patience than the “sit” command. When training, especially with treats, you are rewarding a desired action. Although after training is over and you’ve moved from treats to a toy or verbal praise, he still gets a reward when he performs the desired action. But with “stay”, it’s the total opposite. You’re teaching him that no action at all is what gets the reward. This is when gradually increasing the time of the stay becomes very effective. Like always patience is key.
¹. Once he is in the “sit” position, give him a treat.
². Hold your hand toward his face, palm open and say “stay”. Take one or two steps back, and wait a few seconds. If he stays, give him a reward. If you have tried this several times and he’s just not getting it, try standing just a little closer. Remember when resetting and trying again, start all over with the sit command…then stay. Using one command at a time in succession will help him avoid any confusion.
³. Once you have mastered “stay” for a few seconds from one or two steps back, slowly increase the distance and length of time he stays.
Remember that although these are two of the most basic, simple commands they are vital in teaching overall good behavior and establishing yourself as his “leader”. The key is to keep training sessions short…always ending on a positive note, be patient, and use lots of praise and special rewards