Pet Shop Blog

The first step in dog training is teaching your dog to sit. To begin this process, it is important to start when the dog is just a puppy, or as soon as it gets settled into its new home. Why do I need to train a puppy to sit? you might ask. After all, doesn’t a dog already know how to sit? If you keep reading, you’ll learn why this early training is important, as well as exactly how to train a dog to sit.

1. The first step is to get your puppy to sit on his own. Be observant and whenever you see him about to sit, say the word ’sit’; eventually he will come to associate the word with his action. This method is also useful in other areas of training.

2. Find the dog a delectable treat and place one in your hand. The puppy should be able to swallow the treat quickly and easily so be sure it is small.

3. Being on the same level as the dog is less threatening to him, so get down on the floor with him, so that you are at his level. Make sure that you sit close to him — that way you will be able to provide your dog with his reward more quickly.

4. Bring the treat over your puppy’s head gradually. Remember that your dog has a keen sense of smell and his nose will naturally follow the path of the treat. As the treat is moving from the front of him to the back, he can do one of two things to keep following it. He will either back up while still on his feet or he’ll sit down. Sitting down is easier and this is what most dogs will do.

5. It is important in training that a correct response be followed immediately by a reward. As the dog begins to sit, say the word ’sit’, and quickly give him his treat.

6. Now shower your dog with praise so he knows he did a good thing.

7. This is something you could continue to practice 3-5 times a day. Don’t over do it though, as moderation is important, unless you are able to make these steps as fun for the dog as they are for you.

8. Next, try the same things while standing. See if your dog reacts to the word “sit” even if you don’t use your hand or offer a treat. If he sits, praise him for sitting, but if he doesn’t, don’t worry about it. During training it’s important not to show any disappoint to the dog.

You need to keep practicing this so that your dog your dog will learn to sit when you tell him to no matter what’s happening around him. This is something you’ll have to keep working at for the rest of his life. He will constantly be faced with new situations, strange people, other dogs, and different environments, and you can use each new experience as a way to challenge him to reach greater heights.

See how easy learning how to train a dog to sit is? When you go through these traiing steps you are doing much more than just teaching your dog how to sit. All dogs, wheter adults or Puppies love to interact with their master so training is a great bonding experience. Plus he will get used to hearing his name and being obedient to your commands. This will enforce your title of leader and make the puppy feel secure which is what he really wants in the first place.

by Peter D Noble

Despite the untold millions of pet owners in the U.S., a huge percentage of them do not have any form of pet insurance; strange when you consider how attached people become to their animals and treating them like family members. We don’t hesitate to purchase health insurance for ourselves; should we be forgiven for not caring enough about our pets then?

This is an often overlooked area and thought to be superfluous by some; this attitude quickly changes when these pet owners are presented with the bills for treatment. No area is immune for price increases and vets fees are no exception; pet insurance providers have, therefore, increased their premiums.

If rising costs to protect your pet are not enough to convince you, there are others to consider. The problem is that domestic animals are often more liable to be involved in an accident or become sick; when this happens, the cost of treatment may even cause financial strain.

If you are in this unenviable position then a choice may have to be made; the last thing you want to think about is how you will pay for your animal to have urgent treatment.

I had doubts about treating our dog some time ago when he was involved in an accident; I have to admit to asking myself at the time if we could justify the expense. To make matters worse, there is always a chance you pet still won’t survive; however, you will still have to pay for the cost of treatment.

The financial strain of keeping your pet healthy can be overwhelming; this is even more relevant if you are experiencing financial difficulties. If you are experiencing money worries then raising additional finances can prove embarrassing.

When money is a problem, you are more likely to give your pet the bare-minimum of care; a pet insurance plan will mean this type of situation does not occur again. The choice is yours, large vet bills or a pet healthcare insurance policy; the average monthly premium will be less than forty dollars.

Many different healthcare insurance options are available for your pet; this can even extend to offering multi-pet discounts. Pet owners providing a health plan for their pets is not the luxury you may think it is; perhaps the information supplied here has made things are a little clearer now and you won’t delay further.

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