How to Train a Puppy to Sit with a Clicker

Owning a puppy is exciting and rewarding. However, while your puppy is young he will need most of your attention and cannot be left alone for long periods of time. He will need to be taught many skills and behaviors to grow into a loyal and obedient companion.
A great way of communicating with your puppy during training is with a clicker. A clicker is a small device that produces a distinct ‘click’ noise and will signal to your puppy when he has performed a behavior correctly.  Your puppy will in time learn to associate the click sound with good behavior and a reward, such as a treat. You ideally must give the reward within 3 seconds of giving the click for him to make this association. Clicker training is a better method for teaching your puppy new skills than other reward-based training because he will learn exactly which behavior he is getting rewarded for.

You must be committed to training your puppy in the early stages of his life when he is quick to take on new information and has not yet learned bad habits that will be hard to change. You will get the most out of training if you reward your puppy for his good behavior. Be careful not to punish his unwanted behavior, this will only make him unmotivated to perform the desired behavior at all. Instead, simply ignore the unwanted behavior and have patience teaching him new skills. 

Teaching your puppy to sit should ideally take around 2 -3 weeks depending on how often you practice and how fast he learns new behaviors. The aim is to get him to respond eventually just to your vocal command for ‘sit’. You should vary the environments that you train in so that he does not associate one behavior with a particular place.

Puppy training requires a lot of patience and a positive attitude. Be sure to set aside at least an hour a day to train your puppy, however, this is best broken into smaller chunks, such as 10- 15 minutes, so that he does not get bored. 
Before you start training you will need to source a clicker tool, which can be picked up from any reputable pet shop. You will also need a generous supply of delicious treats to reward him for any good behavior after you have given the click. Once you have gathered your tools, the work can begin!