Your Jack Russell is as lively as you would expect. They jump up and down as soon as you even look at their leash. When dinner time arrives they can be found tearing around your feet barking at the top of their lungs. You love seeing them this excited, it’s just a shame they don’t look forward to obedience training that much! Because your little terrier is just a puppy, you know the training they get while young will shape their temperament and obedience for life.
Therefore, training your Jack Russell to sit is important. It is the first step in a training regime that will probably span over a number of years. This type of training is fantastic for establishing yourself as pack leader and asserting your control. Not to mention, it’s a great way to spend some quality time with your little buddy.
Fortunately, training a Jack Russell Terrier to sit is pretty easy. This is because they are naturally pretty intelligent and respond well to training. The biggest obstacle comes at the beginning when you show them what you want them to do. However, once they understand that, you just need to reinforce training with consistent practice and an effective motivator.
If your Jack Russell Terrier is a puppy then they should be at their most receptive. This means you could see results in just a couple of days. But if they’re older and never been good at following instructions, then you may need up to 10 days. If you are consistent and training proves successful, you will have laid the foundation to teach a range of other, more advanced commands. As an added bonus, you’ll now be able to instruct your dog to sit before crossing a road or until you give them permission to eat from their bowl.
Before you get to work, you will need to check you have the essentials. The most important component is tasty treats or some of their favorite food broken into small pieces. A toy and a clicker will also be required for one of the methods below.
You will also need to set aside 10 minutes each day for training. Practice in a quiet room where you both won’t be distracted.
Apart from that, you just need enthusiasm and patience, then work can begin!
Abby never learned to do anything like sit, lie down, or other basic commands. She will come, but its not always reliable. I started teaching her to sit, but I can't use treats as she looses her focus and will only stand up on her hind legs to beg for the treat. if i dont use treats, she only half pays attention to what im asking her to do. She won't lie down either and i'm starting to lose hope in being able to teach her anything.
Hello Ella, Thankfully, there is more than one way to teach sit. Using treats and luring a dog into the sit position is the most popular way because most dogs respond to those types of methods best, but not all dogs are the same. I have attached a link to a different article on teaching sit. There is a method called "The Pressure Method" there. Use that method. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-sit When you are first teaching her to sit using the "Pressure method either hide less exciting treats in your back pocket out of sight to show her and giver her AFTER she does the sit and not before, or use toys and a quick game of tug of war or a very short ball toss to her as a reward. I would also highly recommend simply integrating her sit training into the rest of her day and using life rewards to teach it. For example, when you take her for a walk, when you get to the front door, before you open the door, tell her to "Sit". Give her two seconds to think about it and then show her what to do using the "Pressure Method" from the article I linked above. When she sits with your help, praise her, then open the door and at the same time tell her "Okay" to let her know that she can get up. She will not be able to sit for long at first but include the "okay" because she will learn to hold the sit position for longer the more you practice it, and "okay" will let her know when it's okay to move. Other times to practice her sit are when she wants to go say hi to someone. Before she says hi have her sit with your help, then praise her and let her go greet the person as a reward after she sits. Have her sit before you put her food bowl down if she is not food aggressive. Have her sit before you throw her a ball. Have her sit before you pet her when she wants to be petted. Have her sit before you let her on the couch if she is allowed on the couch. Essentially, whenever she wants something during the day have her sit to earn it. Do this by telling her to sit, showing her how to sit by using the pressure method, and then letting her have what she wants as a reward for sitting down. This will not only help her learn to sit but will also increase her respect for you and help her learn to have better self-control and calm down. As she improves, giving her a couple of seconds to think about what you said before showing her what to do, should result in her sitting down when told to more and more on her own. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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