Training Your Chihuahua, Part VI, Teaching "Sit"

PART VI, Train Your Chihuahua To Sit

Obedience

Welcome to Train Your Chihuahua to Sit. People tend to confuse the word obedience with dominance. I am strongly against the dominance-based training method. That is not to say I don’t believe in being your dog’s leader, I do, just not in a dominant manner.

With that being said, think of obedience training as basic skills your dog must know in order to have a mannerly dog, a peaceful home, and a successful life-long relationship.

woman sitting on floor with a chihuahua facing her in a sitting position on white background — Sit or kneel when teaching a Chihuahua

Sit, down, come, and stay are the most important skills your dog could know. Knowing them could very well save their life! It’s that important. I also recommend that for Chihuahuas “enough” is another basic obedience skill they should know. Want to stop the incessant barking? Teaching them “enough” is a must for that and we will get to it soon.

Begin with training your Chihuahua to “sit”

As Julie Andrews said in The Sound of Music, let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. Before you can teach your dog to do cool tricks to entertain your friends, they have to know these basic skills first. All other tricks and skills are based on these commands, starting with how to train your Chihuahua to “sit”. So make sure they have these 5 skills are the groundwork on which to build on.

How Train Your Chihuahua to “Sit”

Sit or kneel in front of your dog holding a teat a little higher than your dog’s head.

Slowly moving the teat straight back over your dog’s head. As you do, it should cause his nose to lift up and his rear end to drop down

If his rear end does not drop, keep moving the treat slowly back towards his tail. The instant his rear hits the floor, give him the treat and “mark” his behavior with a clicker or with praise, “good boy!”

If your dog still does not respond, put your index finger and thumb on his haunches just forward of his hip bones. At the same time pull up on his leash to rock him to a sitting position. Immediately click or praise him while he is in the sitting position.

When he is doing it every time consistently, make him sit for a little longer before you treat or praise him.

WHAT IF: MY DOG KEEPS JUMPING AT THE TREAT IN MY HAND? Hold the treat lower so he could reach it without jumping.

What to Expect

Keep repeating until your dog is consistently obeying your command to “sit”. This may take more that one session. Try making a session twice a day for no more than 5-10 minutes at a time.

WHAT IF: MY DOG WILL SIT, BUT NOT FOR LONG, HE KEEPS GETTING BACK UP? Gently but firmly place him back in “sit”. Once learned, he should not get up until you release him to do so.

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