I will always stress how important training your dog is, a well trained dog equals both a happy pup and a happy owner. So, the more you teach your dog, the better! If for some reason though you were only going to teach your dog one command, that should be sit. Sit is essential for every dog to know, and should be the first thing you teach them. Not only does sit teach your dog good manners, it can keep them safe and makes teaching other commands simpler.
Sit is a fairly easy command to teach, but just going up to your dog and saying "sit" will do you absolutely no good. That would be like someone coming up to you and in a foreign language start asking you to do things. You would most likely stand there with a blank stare, wondering what on earth they were saying. This is exactly how your dog will react, so in order for sit to mean something to them, you need to show them what to do, without words. The way to do that is with hand signals, and body language. If you have a medium or large dog you will want to face them and stand directly in front of them. For a small dog you may want to kneel instead of stand, so that you will be more on their level.
Now follow these steps:
-place a small treat in between your index and middle finger.
-hold the treat just above your dogs nose.
-slowly raise your hand up.
Your dog will look up towards the ceiling, which should cause him to sit. If you have tried this multiple times and your dog just simply wont sit, then (if you are standing) while doing the above steps, also slowly take small steps toward your dog. This should cause him to move backwards and look up, so there is a better chance they will end up sitting. If you have a smaller dog and this just isn't working, do the above steps and very gently push their little bum down into a sitting position.
Once your dog is sitting, make sure to make a big deal out of it (especially the first time) Say "Good!" or "Yes!" (Try to pick one word that you use every time they do something right, they will learn that the word is a good thing, and understand that they have done what you are asking correctly.) also give them a treat and a pet! Do this until your dog fully understands what this hand motion means, then you can start adding the word "sit" to the process. Now that your dog understands the hand signal, when you say the word at the same time you motion them to sit, they will make the connection. Eventually your dog will most likely be able to sit on command from you simply saying the word, but not without practice!
Once your dog knows sit, you can use it for just about everything. Here are a few examples of when you should have your dog sit:
-right before you set down their bowl of food.
-anytime another person wants to pet them or give them a treat.
-when you are putting their leash or collar on.
-while you are opening the door to go outside.
-when they come to the door, right before you let them in. (This is a great one when they are all wet or muddy!)
-before you throw a toy while playing fetch.
-before you cross a crosswalk.
-when a strange dog or person is approaching you / walking by. (This is especially good for dogs that are shy. If you see someone coming and have your dog sit before the person gets close, it is much easier to control your dog when it gets scared.)
These are just a few examples of when sit can be useful, and how to teach your dog good manners. I'm sure you can think of many more ways to use this command. The reasons to learn sit are endless!
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