Teach Your Golden Retriever to Sit

Training your Golden Retriever to sit is one of the most basic and practical of commands you can teach. It's also a relatively easy one, given your Golden's desire to please.

Start off in a quiet area, maybe a room in your house. Have plenty of treats handy. If your Golden is tethered to a leash, hold the leash in your left hand. Have a food treat in your right hand and bring it toward your dog's nose. Then, move the treat over your pet's nose and just above his head, as you say "sit." Your Golden Retriever will follow the treat with his head, of course, and you'll want him looking toward the ceiling, directly at the treat.

As his head tilts toward the ceiling, your Golden's knees will naturally bend to accommodate this position and maintain balance. And as his knees bend he will assume a sitting position. Important: as soon as your Golden Retriever's legs are bending to sit, say "sit" again. As soon as he sits give the dog the treat, and praise him enthusiastically. In case you hadn't noticed, dogs love verbal praise from their owners, and this will serve as positive reinforcement of a job well done. As you repeat the above process in your Golden Retriever training, gradually reduce the food rewards, but maintain the verbal praise. Ultimately, you'll want your Golden Retriever to respond to the "sit" command, without the lure of a treat.

After your dog has mastered this command in the comfortable confines of your home, it's time to add in some distractions. Next you might want to take your pet to the backyard, then to a field or park to practice. However, keep the training sessions short -- about 10 minutes tops -- and try to end them on a high note (a successful "sit") with lots of praise. Be patient, and never get angry with your dog or you risk turning him off to training altogether.

For more Golden Retriever information, tips and ideas, go to this website: Golden Retriever Training.