AI, through a human lens

Clickaroo training guide · Everyday Manners

How to teach your dog to sit

This skill teaches your dog to sit on cue, a simple way to ask for calm at doors, meals, and greetings.

5 short steps, each with a picture and a clear goal that tells you when to move on. About 3 minutes per session.

By Shengxing Yang, developer of ClickarooBased on positive-reinforcement (clicker) training

On this pageEvery step in text and pictures, free to read, and Mochi’s animation of step 1.

In the Clickaroo appAn animation for every step, ✓ or ✕ for every try, and a suggestion after each session: move on, stay on the step or make it a little easier. Sit is one of the five free skills.

Step by step

The 5 steps

  1. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 1 of Sit: Lure the sit

    Step 1

    Lure the sit

    1. Hold a treat at your dog's nose.
    2. Slowly move it up and back over its head. As the nose goes up, the rear goes down.
    3. Click the moment the rear touches the floor, then give the treat.

    Move on whenYour dog sits as it follows the treat in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  2. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 2 of Sit: Same motion, empty hand

    Step 2

    Same motion, empty hand

    1. Keep the treats in your other hand or a pouch.
    2. Make the same up-and-back motion with an empty hand.
    3. Click when your dog sits, then treat from your other hand.

    Move on whenYour dog sits to the empty-hand motion in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  3. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 3 of Sit: Shrink the hand signal

    Step 3

    Shrink the hand signal

    1. Make the motion smaller each session, until it's a small upward move of your palm at waist height.
    2. Stand up straight instead of bending over your dog.
    3. Click the sit, then treat.

    Move on whenYour dog sits to the small hand signal in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  4. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 4 of Sit: Add the word

    Step 4

    Add the word

    1. Say “Sit” once, wait one second, then give the hand signal.
    2. Click the sit, then treat.
    3. Soon your dog will sit before your hand moves. Click those sits and give two treats.

    Move on whenYour dog sits to the word alone, before your hand moves, in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  5. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 5 of Sit: Sit anywhere

    Step 5

    Sit anywhere

    1. Ask for sits in new rooms, the yard, and on walks.
    2. Add one new thing at a time: a new place, a person nearby, or you sitting in a chair.
    3. Whenever you change something, help with the hand signal again if needed.

    Move on whenYour dog sits on the first “Sit” in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row, in 3 different places.

The cue

Word
“Sit”
Hand signal
Palm up, small upward move at your waist
When to add the cue
When your dog sits to the small hand signal in 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row (Step 4).

Common mistakes

  • Holding the treat too high, so your dog jumps. Keep it just above the nose.
  • Pressing on your dog's rear. Let your dog work it out.
  • Saying “Sit” many times. Say it once, then help with the hand signal.
  • Keeping a treat in the luring hand for too long. Switch to an empty hand in Step 2.
  • Clicking late, when your dog is already standing back up.

Good to know

Questions and troubleshooting

How do you teach a dog to sit?

Teach a dog to sit in 5 short steps: 1) Lure the sit; 2) Same motion, empty hand; 3) Shrink the hand signal; 4) Add the word; 5) Sit anywhere. Move on from a step only when your dog meets its goal. For step 1, that means your dog sits as it follows the treat in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

What if my dog backs up instead of sitting?

Move the treat slower and keep it closer to the nose. Practice with your dog's rear near a wall or couch, so it can't back away.

What if my dog only sits when I hold a treat?

Go back to Step 2. Use an empty hand, and give the treat from a pouch or the counter after the click.

What if my dog sits at home but not on walks?

Go back to the hand signal in the new place, use tastier treats, and start in quiet spots.

Practice Sit with Mochi

Clickaroo is an ad-free dog clicker and whistle for iPhone. Mochi acts out every step of all 31 skills. Five skills are free; Pro is a one-time purchase. No subscription, no account.

Coming soon to the App StoreGet Clickaroo on the App Store See Clickaroo

More training guides

About this guide

Written by Shengxing Yang, the developer of Clickaroo, from the app’s own lessons. It uses positive reinforcement: you mark the right behavior with a click, then reward it.

Why positive reinforcement: in its 2021 Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) writes, “Evidence supports the use of reward based methods for all canine training,” and finds no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification.

Clickaroo teaches everyday skills and tricks with positive reinforcement. For aggression, fear or severe anxiety, please work with a qualified trainer or veterinary behaviorist.