Teaching your dog to sit.

1. Start with a food reward
2. Happily call your dog to you and show it the treat
3. Bring the treat up to your dog, close to, but not
touching its nose, and then lift the treat upwards just over your dog’s head
4. As the head raises to look up, it’s body will tip back and it’s bottom will sit down naturally
5. Immediately reward with the treat and lots of praise
6. Repeat the exercise several times, and now you can use the word “sit.” Continue to use the food reward and praise until you pet really “gets it.”

An easy way to teach down.

1. Start again with treat in hand
2. And again, have your dog sit
3. Bring the treat quickly downward between your pet’s front legs. Its head will follow down to the floor.
4. Hold the treat steady. Soon your dog will lower it’s entire body down to the ground to reach the treat
5. Reward you very smart dog with the treat and lots of praise. Next time you can use the word “down” as well.