How to Teach a Puppy to Sit and Lay Down

When to Start Training a Puppy to "Sit"?

A puppy may be trained to a command "Sit" since it is 1.5 month old. Tell in a calm voice "Sit!" keeping a treat in your hand above a puppy's head and slowly move it backwards. A puppy will look steady at the treat and sit. At the moment it sits tell "Good!" and give the treat. After your puppy gets the command, start training without a treat, using a verbal praise and caress only.

How to Train a Puppy "Down" Command?

Put your hand with a treat in front of a puppy and another hand slightly push on dog's back to lay it down. White this action tell once or twice the command "Down!". When a puppy lays (even with your help), give a treat and tell "Good!". With time, when a puppy obeys the command without pushing on its withers, gradually enlarge the distance between a puppy and your hand with a treat. If a puppy tries to get up, at once command "Down!" in a more strict voice, and slightly push on its withers.

How to Train a Puppy to "Stay"

The command "Stay!" is trained since a puppy is 5 months old, when it has conditioned reflexes to the commands "Sit!" and "Down!". Sit a puppy at your left leg, then lift it up (your left hand should be placed under the puppy's belly). At once when a puppy gets up, caress it, telling "Stand!", "Good!" and give a treat. As soon as a puppy tries to sit, support its body, keeping in the upright position, and tell "Stay!".