How to Train Your Cocker Spaniel Dog to Sit

Have treats and your clicker ready for training sessions

Get your Cocker Spaniel’s attention and stand in front of him with a treat in your hand.

Your dog will give you his attention when you hold his treat down a bit toward his nose. Don’t let him have the treat or jump up to get it, just let him know it’s there and place it in your hand near his nose.

Keep your Cocker Spaniel’s attention and move the treat in your hand from his nose up above his head. He should follow with his head, tipping his head back. If you need to, bring the treat behind his head a bit to get the bottom half of his body in position as well.

Your dog should follow the treat back with his head and sit down on his bottom. As he sits, click, say the command ‘sit,’ and give him the treat.

Repeat having your Cocker Spaniel sit by showing him a treat, moving it to encourage a sitting position, and then giving him the click and treat reward once he has done so.

Once your Cocker Spaniel is sitting with the movement of the treat, take the treat away and only use your hand. Flatten your hand, palm facing up, and move the hand over his nose and then head encouraging the same sitting position as before when your hand held the reward of a treat.

Once your dog sits, give him a click and treat reward.

Continue to practice this. You should be able to use the hand signal or the command to sit to get him to sit. Be sure to click and treat each time he is successful.

Start off with some playtime with your Cocker Spaniel. Give him a puzzle toy or ball to get him excited to play. Give him a few tasty treats while you play together to encourage him to give you his attention.

Hold a treat above your Cocker Spaniel's nose. Keep his attention by keeping the treat still for a moment and then move it slowly behind his head.

Your Cocker Spaniel will want the treat. As a result of you enticing him with a treat, he should lift his head up and back to follow the treat with his nose. As he does this, his back end should touch the floor in a sitting position.

As he sits, say ‘good boy’ and give him the treat he earned.

Repeat this several times until your Cocker Spaniel sits as soon as he sees the treat.

While he is putting himself in the 'sit' position while following the treat you have in your hand, begin to name the trick. Hold up the treat, say the word "sit" as a command, and reward him when he does so.

Continue to practice this trick with your Cocker Spaniel, using the command word "sit" until he can sit after only hearing the command.

Be sure to always reward your Cocker Spaniel when you ask him to sit and he does so. This will keep him wanting to work hard for you for this trick as well as for learning other tricks.

Sit down on the floor in front of your Cocker Spaniel and give him lots of love and attention.

While giving your dog attention, rub his back, bringing your hand close to his tail. Very gently with your other hand, push against his chest. Your goal is not to push your dog over; just have your hand firmly on his chest with the other hand petting near his tail.

Give your dog the commands to sit and very gently push on his chest while your other hand slowly pushes his bottom down in a sitting position.

As soon as your Cocker Spaniel gets into a sitting position give him a treat and lots of love and attention.

Continue to practice these steps until he can sit on his own without you guiding him with your hands into the 'sit' position.

Be sure to offer your Cocker Spaniel a treat every time he puts himself in the sit position whether you are guiding him or if he does it on his own. With lots of practice you should be able to use the command word 'sit' you have repeated during training and have him sit on his own.