How to Train a Schnauzer to Sit

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How to Train a Schnauzer to Sit

Easy

2-4 Weeks

General

Introduction

Your Schnauzer is a lot of dog in a little package. He comes with a large personality wanting to get to know everyone around him. Schnauzers adjust well to change, are highly affectionate, and incredibly easy to train. Your dog’s energy levels are high, so you can include exercise in your training sessions. When you start to train your Schnauzer basic obedience commands, start with the 'sit' command first. This will lay a foundation for positive reinforcement training and basic commands you can build upon as he grows.

If your goal is to have a well-trained pup, the 'sit' command is a great place to start. Your Schnauzer will be your best friend and will be obedient to you as the two of you work together building skills from basic training all the way to advanced training.

Defining Tasks

'Sit' is a command your dog will need to know before he learns any other commands. From this command, he can grow, express his personality by doing fun tricks, and prove his loyalty to you by always being obedient. To train the basic 'sit' command, you will entice your Schnauzer to learn a command by word recognition and perform the task then expect a reward. Some dogs learn to sit by matter of convenience. During training, the dog will find himself in that position, be rewarded, and then over time will learn the command associated with that action. You can train your adult Schnauzer to sit, but puppies, being so easily adaptable, are easier to train and fast learners.

Getting Started

Schedule some time to spend with your Schnauzer teaching him the 'sit' command. When you work with your little guy on a regular schedule, he is likely to retain more each session. Your pup will work hard for treats so be sure to have some tasty rewards available for positive reinforcement training.

The Enticing to Sit Method

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Step

Get ready

Grab a few fun treats and play with your Schnauzer for a bit. He will enjoy some extra playtime with you but will also be eager to learn, so be prepared to teach.

Step

Position

Stand in front of your Schnauzer and get his attention. If you are still playing, stop playing because that will be enough to grab his attention.

Step

Treat

Hold a treat up over his head. He will want to do whatever it takes to earn your treat. Watching you intently, he will likely follow that treat if you move it.

Step

Move treat

Move the treats from just over his head back towards his backend.

Step

Watch follow

As you move that treat back towards his tail, he will likely follow it with his nose. When he lifts his chin up to watch the treat and try to get it from you, he will likely go down to the floor in a sitting position.

Step

Full on sit

As soon as his bottom touches the ground, give him that treat. As you give him a treat, say a command such as "sit". When you repeat this trick, always say the command, which will condition him to associate the action of sitting with the word "sit".

Step

Practice

Keep practicing with your Schnauzer. He will get it after a few tries, but in order for him to remember it every day, you will need to practice quite a bit.

The Repeating Command Method

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Step

Say command

Start with your Schnauzer in front of you and say the command "sit". He likely won’t do a whole lot because this is a new command to him. But it is a command you’re going to repeat a lot through this training so start right off with it.

Step

Listening

Since you have your Schnauzer's attention, continue to stand in front of him and wait patiently. If he just stands and stares at you, entice him with a treat. Show him the treat and move it slowly over his head and towards the back of his head. Your little guy will follow that treat with his eyes and pretty much sit on his own out of curiosity.

Step

Automatic sit

If you are patient enough without using to treat, you may find your Schnauzer sitting out of boredom or because he’s patiently waiting for you to do something or say something.

Step

Treats and command

Whichever way your little guy finds himself in a sitting position, give him a treat once he’s there. He may sit because he’s tired of waiting for you to do something other than stare at him or he may sit after following your enticing treat from the front of his head to his back. When he does this, use the command to sit again and give him the treat.

Step

Repeat

Repeat these actions several times using your command word from the beginning of the trick all the way through the end of the trick. Always end with a tasty reward.

The Conditioning Method

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Step

Anytime

You Schnauzer will sit often. You will catch him sitting while he’s playing, while he’s waiting for his meal to be prepared, when he’s listening to you talk to him, and other times throughout the day. These are the times you want to repeat the command to sit so he is conditioned to understand what the commands and what your expectations are.

Step

During play

Anytime you are playing with your Schnauzer, pause and look at him. You don’t need to say anything, just make him wait for a moment. You can even get his attention by holding a toy over his head. When he sits while waiting for you, say the command "sit" and give him a treat.

Step

Before meals

Have your little guy sit before you give him a meal. Prepare his food bowl, but hold it and don’t give it to him just yet. As he’s waiting for you to set it down so he can eat, he will likely sit. This is typical dog behavior as he waits patiently. When he sits, say the commands "sit" and give him the reward of his meal.

Step

Earning treats

Encourage your dog to learn to sit on command by holding treats in front of him. Like with his meals, do not give it to him until he finds himself in a sitting position. When he sits, say the "sit" command and give him a treat.

Step

Other times

Anytime you catch your Schnauzer in a sitting position, say the command and give him a treat. Repeating this process time and time again will condition him to attach the commands with the action of sitting and the reward he gets for doing so.