Candidates first receive a thorough physical to check for diseases or potentially debilitating conditions such as hip dysplaysia or weak joints. Then come the personality tests.Beyond the basic need to establish that the human of the pair is the alpha (leader), it has a number of practical benefits.When a dog sits he’s more attentive, making it easier to follow further commands. His eyes are on you, the alpha.As important as what the dog is doing, is what he is not. In a sit, he’s more or less stationary. There are still those wagging tails, after all. That means he’s not chasing the cat, knocking over the furniture, running through the garden or out into the street.

But getting there can be easier or more difficult depending on breed, individual and training style. Fortunately, almost every dog can and will learn this basic move in short order.First, take advantage of the dog’s spontaneous behavior by observing him closely. The idea is to catch him in the middle of performing the behavior and say ‘sit’ and gesture. That way a dog associates the behavior with the command. Always associate a unique hand signal and tone with the command. Praise the dog lavishly. Hold off on food treats. Save the bribes until you really need them.

In any human-dog pair, the human must always take the alpha role, but service dogs still need to have a fair amount of assertiveness to perform their duties.The dog will tend to look up and stretch its chin slightly backward. When you have his attention move the treat slowly back toward the tail.Some dogs will respond by backing up. If so, try the technique near the couch or a fence where he has nowhere to go. When the dog starts to sit, give the command and hand signal. At the completion of the sit, praise lavishly and give the reward.

Dogs that are too passive will also be poor candidates, since they need the confidence to take on the role of guide, rescuer or some other requiring some initiative and risk-taking.Dogs can distinguish the sound over surprisingly long distances and amidst other moderate background noise.As a last resort, for the stubborn or slow learner, give the command and at the same time push gently on the back near the tail as you lift his chin.

Many working dogs have to deal with a variety of objects large and small that others might find intimidating. Take special care with young hips – don’t force a completely uncooperative dog this way.Repetition, consistency (reward only for the proper action), and enthusiasm will quickly lead to learning the ‘sit’. Don’t be harsh, but don’t give up easily either. And never let him train you.

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