How to Train a Poodle Puppy to Sit

Poodles are not just divas! They are considered to be one of the most intelligent dog breeds, and because they are people oriented and eager to please, training obedience commands like 'sit' should not be too difficult. Remember to keep training sessions for your poodle puppy a reasonable length so your puppy does not lose focus or get tired and keep things interesting by making training fun and incorporating play so your fun-loving poodle puppy will learn all the faster.

Poodle puppies can be sensitive little souls, they respond best to reward based training or positive reinforcement, not punishment or negative reinforcement. That does not mean you cannot be firm with or correct your Poodle when needed, but methods of training that involve encouragement, praise and consistency are your best choice when training your Poodle puppy.

Remember that puppies have limited attention spans, so keep training sessions short for best results. Teaching your curly cutie to sit is an important obedience command to keep control of your dog in social situations, when handling him, or when he could potentially be in danger if he bounces around or runs off. Your poodle should immediately sit on his bottom in response to the “sit” command, which is a standard, widely used obedience command. Hand signals can also be used to accompany or in place of verbal commands.

Always work with your puppy when you are in a positive mood and have time to focus on your dog.  If you are distracted or unfocused you will not be consistent, and your Poodle will pick up on your mood. This can result in a confused and upset puppy. Treats work well to reinforce commands like 'sit', but for a puppy so do toys, play, and attention, so use these as well for rewards--you don’t want a pudgy puppy.