The trick of “sitting up” is easily instructed to small dogs, but should try not be included in a big dog’s grooming, as it is hard for them to uphold their balance.

The grooming of sitting up is one of the basic tricks to teach and makes the groundwork for many other dog tricks. To groom a dog to sit up, prepare some treats as a reward, and set your dog on his haunches in a corner, so that he cannot fall either backward or sideways and has very small or no space to lose balance.

Keep him from pitching ahead by holding one hand below his chin and with the other hand hold the treat above his nose and keep repeating distinctly and purposely say, “sit up.” Do not make him sit up too long at any one time, but repeat the lesson often and reward him frequently with ample of praise and treats.

During his basic lesson he will expect substantial assistance from your hand to prevent him from pitching ahead, but as he gets master of the balancing muscles and understands what you want, he will depend less and less upon your hand to keep him in position and you can gradually render him less assistance until you will only have to keep one hand in position two or three inches from his neck or chin, so as to be ready to prevent him pitching forward; later on you can take out this hand entirely and just hold the treat just above the level of his head.

By continuous practise he will sit up well after you set him up; then he should be set up against the wall, so as to afford him a support for his back only, and after he has been well groomed at this and can keep his position easily, practice him against chair legs, cushions or other objects that give him less and less assistance, until eventually he learns to preserve his balance and sits up without anything to lean against.

During all these lessons the words “sit up” have been motivated upon his mind by frequent repetition, and now comes the last lesson to teach him to sit up as soon as he hears the words, and the chances are, if he has been diligently drilled, it will be essential only to call him out in the room, show him a treat, hold it up a suitable distance from the floor, say “sit up” and he will do so, when he should be given the treat while still in position.

The only requisite to perfection is to practice him several times a day until he will sit up at the word and without being shown a reward; that can be given him after he has obeyed.

You have now a base for several other tricks. He can be taught to beg by moving your hand up and down just in front of his paws, which he will move in unison with yours. He can also be instructed to salute by bringing one paw up to the side of his head, or to hold a wooden pipe in his mouth, or to wear a cap on his head or other articles of wearing apparel.

In instructing a dog to submit to being dressed up, do not try to get him to wear too many things at once; try him at first with a cap and after he becomes accustomed to that you can put on a coat and gradually accustom him to the other clothing articles.

Enjoy teaching your dog the “sit up” trick and most importantly have fun along the way!

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