One of the first lessons that needed to be taught to a dog is how to sit. Teaching a dog to sit will take both practice and patience until the dog will be able to get this right.

The owner should stand in front of the dog and perhaps pat it on the head. The animal will think this is a game but the person should make the pet understand that this is a lesson.

The individual should tell the dog to sit. If there is no response, one should gently push the lower body downward into a sitting position.

It will be a good idea to have some food around which will be given only when the pet accomplishes the task. A good pat and saying "good job" will also make this happen. This is called reinforcement theory that can be used to let the dog follow any command.

The same instructions can be given even without saying a word. The dog lover can carry the food bowl and this should only be given when the animal has sat down properly.

People will notice that some dogs are able to see better than hear instructions. If listening to commands is a problem, the same thing can be taught using hand signals.

In both, the owner must not forget to praise the dog for the accomplishment. This is the only way animals can be trained to do just about anything.

Should the animal fail to get this lesson in the first 5 or 10 minutes, this should be repeated on a few hours later or the following day. The pet may be exhausted and will slowly get used to this once a program has been made.

Teaching the dog to sit is just one of many other commands that can be taught to the animal. The owner must not move on to other things to avoid confusing the pet. This is very similar to children who can't move to the next grade without satisfying the necessary requirements at the current level.