How To Train a Golden Retriever To Sit

This simple command can prevent your dog from running towards danger, jumping on people, and help when your puppy gets overly curious.

The primary challenge with training a golden retriever to sit is the breed’s high energy levels. Forcing a golden puppy that wants to run around and play to sit still is easier said than done.

The good news is that every dog learns to sit eventually, but how long the training will take largely depends on its regularity and consistency.

When To Begin The Training?

A dog’s age plays a crucial role in its training efficiency. According to breeders and canine behavioral specialists, the best age to start training a golden retriever is about eight weeks old.

By two months old, golden retrievers have a sufficient attention span and mental capacity to perform and memorize simple commands such as “stay,” “sit,” and “come.”

However, ensure that your puppy isn’t learning too many commands at a time.

A puppy’s ability to comprehend information is limited, so if you’re already teaching your puppy to walk on a leash, go potty, and “come,” consider postponing the training.

Of course, you can teach any dog to obey commands, even a senior one. But training an older dog requires more patience and dedication because it already has a developed personality and habits.

Sometimes, older dogs are stubborn and hesitate to obey commands. In that case, seeking the help of a professional dog trainer may be a better idea than attempting to train the dog at home.

Set Your Dog Up For Success

Many dog owners unintentionally set their pets for failure when choosing the training environment. Puppies switch focus easily, so pick a familiar space with minimum distractions.

If your puppy focuses on dogs walking nearby, children playing with a ball, or bicycles passing by, it won’t be able to effectively draw links between the command, action, and reward.

Instead of a public park, train your dog at home or in your backyard. Over time, you can increase the training difficulty by changing the environment, but don’t rush it – take the training slow because quality is more important than speed.

Be consistent and train your dog regularly. If you often change the command word, say it at different times, skip the rewards, or encourage unwanted behavior, your training efforts won’t show results.

Lastly, pick the right moment for training your puppy. A tired dog is an obedient dog, so schedule your training sessions after a long walk or playing fetch.

However, don’t train your dog after mealtime because it will be less motivated by treats.

If you want to speed up the training, use a clicker as an additional auditory cue. Alternatively, you may use a hand signal as a visual cue.

The Capture Method

One way to teach a golden retriever to sit is by using the capture method. It’s the easiest way to teach a dog to sit but also the most time-consuming.

This method requires you to patiently wait until your puppy sits down on its accord. Then, immediately praise your dog and give it a treat. You don’t need to tell the verbal cue at the early stages of training.

Your puppy may begin jumping or barking to get more treats. Ignore this behavior until your puppy sits down again, then give it a treat.

Repeat this simple process several times. In the next stage, you can incorporate the “sit” command. The trick is to tell the command as soon as your dog’s bum hits the ground.

After some days of practice, command your dog to sit and see whether it obeys. If it doesn’t, you need to spend more time on training. If your puppy obeys, praise it and give it a treat.

The Food Lure Method

The capture method requires you to constantly watch your puppy and act at lightning speed when it sits. If that seems like too much stress to you, try the food lure method.

Take your puppy’s favorite treat and hold it in front of its nose, ensuring your dog can see and smell it. Don’t let your dog move towards it or eat it.

Raise the treat above your puppy’s head and move it back towards its tail parallel to the ground. Your puppy’s head should follow the treat’s path.

Eventually, your puppy’s bum will drop to the ground as its nose follows the treat. As soon as it happens, command your puppy “sit” and reward it.

If your puppy bounces up as soon as you move the treat closer, wait until it sits back to reward it.

The Gentle Tap Method

Another way to teach a golden retriever puppy to sit on command is the gentle tap method. Have your dog stand on your left side, looking in the same direction as you.

Then, gently tuck your left hand under your puppy’s bottom and put your right hand on your puppy’s chest. Carefully push the right hand up and back to place your puppy in a sitting position.

Don’t push your dog’s bum down with your hand because a puppy’s skeletal structure is still developing, and you may damage your pet’s hips.

As soon as your dog’s bum touches the ground, command it “sit” and reward it. Don’t use this method for puppies that have problems with controlling aggression and don’t like them being touched.

Teach Your Dog To Stay Seated

Making a puppy sit is one thing, and making it stay seated is a different story. To teach a golden retriever to stay seated, keep giving it treats while it’s in a sitting position.

Regardless of your chosen training method, rewards will keep your dog seated for a while. As soon as your puppy stands up, stop giving it treats. When it sits again, resume.

At first, you may only manage to give your puppy one or two treats before it stands up. But over time, your puppy will remain seated for longer.

When teaching your puppy to stay seated, be careful not to overfeed it. For young puppies, regular kibble is a valid substitute for treats because it’s lower in calories yet equally amusing.

For older dogs that don’t find kibble a worthy motivation to obey the command, calculate the allowed daily treat serving size and don’t exceed it.

When your puppy learns to stay seated, you should also teach it the command “free” or similar. Ask your dog to sit, make it wait for a few seconds, then command it “free” and back up.

Clap your hands or pat your thighs to let your puppy know it’s allowed to get up. Your goal is to teach your dog to sit until you command “free.”

Practice

Practice is key to golden retriever training. Dogs don’t generalize well, so they might not realize that “sit” in your living room is the same as “sit” in the local park.

As you teach your puppy to sit, practice the command in different spots. Increase the difficulty gradually, moving from familiar places with minimum distractions to places with more temptations.

When your puppy obeys your command every time at home, start practicing it at random during your walks. However, don’t challenge your puppy too much.

If you command “sit” too often and your puppy doesn’t obey, it may start thinking that “sit” is a friendly suggestion rather than a command. That’s a downward spiral in your training efforts.

Mistakes in Golden Retriever Training

Teaching a dog to sit may seem like a no-brainer, but it has several pitfalls you should be aware of. The most common mistake in training a puppy to sit is asking too much too soon.

Any training takes time. Give your puppy enough time to process new information and draw connections between your command and its action.

Don’t forget to use the word “sit” every time. Say it firmly and timely every time your puppy’s bum hits the ground, but don’t repeat it. Your dog should learn to obey your commands from the first time.

Be careful not to say “sit” too early. If you say “sit” before your puppy does it, it won’t learn to associate the action with the verbal cue.

Pushing a puppy’s bum down not only leads to hip disorder development but also hinders training success. Your dog should figure out what it needs to do itself.

When using the food lure method, don’t move the treat too quickly. Your puppy shouldn’t even realize you’re moving it. Otherwise, it will turn its head or attempt to reach the treat another way.

If your golden retriever doesn’t obey commands, don’t scold it. A stubborn puppy can be frustrating, but punishment won’t get your dog to do what you want it to.

Instead, it will only be anxious about training, which will cause more problems in the future. Whenever your puppy doesn’t obey commands, don’t give it a treat. There’s no need for any negative reinforcement.

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