Teaching your Husky to sit is the first command you should teach your Husky and it could be one of the most important things they ever learn.
Being able to get your Husky to sit on command will make your life easier and it could mean the difference between life and death for your Husky.
Imagine if your Husky were to run away from you and the only way you could prevent them from running onto the road and into oncoming traffic was to call for them to sit.
This simple command could stop them from getting hit by a car and seriously injured or killed.
Once you train your Husky to sit, you can use the same training method to teach other commands such as stay, come, drop, shake, etc.
In this guide, let’s go through a proven and clear method on how to teach your Husky to sit when commanded. I will provide clear instructions and cover any common problems that may occur during training. This training will go a long way towards improving your Husky’s obedience and ensuring a safe and harmonious relationship for you both.
To get the most out of this guide, also read through these Top Husky Training Tips.
Why Teaching Your Husky to Sit is Important
Huskies, like humans, need to be taught discipline from a young age. This is to prevent them from getting unruly or uncontrollable and to avoid negative situations where they or someone else could be harmed.
It is important to train your Husky to sit because it improves your Husky’s obedience and is a simple way to keep them calm and under control. Once your Husky has learned how to sit, you can use this command as a foundation for all other training.
It is much easier to get control of a situation with your Husky if you know that they will at least obey that command.
For example, if you need to visit a vet or a groomer, your Husky knowing and obeying the ‘sit’ command will make things so much easier for everyone. Similarly, it will be easier to socialize with other people and dogs if you know that you can ask your Husky to sit and know that they won’t be jumping up onto others in excitement.
The ‘sit’ command can make even the most mundane task, like tying up an undone shoelace, so much easier, when you know that they will sit calmly and wait for you without running off and dragging you off your feet.
While it is better to teach this command when your Husky is a puppy, it is still possible to train an older Husky how to sit if they have not had much training.
Best Method to Train Your Husky to Sit
If you have been contemplating ways on how to teach your Husky to sit, you have probably come across several methods.
Clicker training is the best method for teaching your Husky how to sit. Clicker training is simple and easy to do, and greatly beneficial to your Husky’s training schedule.
Best of all, it doesn’t take as long as some other methods because your Husky will quickly learn what is expected of them in order to get a treat or reward.
You can learn more about clicker training here.
There are other methods which are also reward-based but they are generally not as effective. While they follow the same principle, they can be more difficult for your Husky to understand. Having a clicker and using it at the exact moment of their correct behavior makes it easier for your Husky to realize the action that has warranted the reward.
Other training methods, while reward-based, often cause confusion because the delayed praise and reward makes it difficult for your Husky to understand what they did correctly.
How to Train Your Husky to Sit Step-by-Step Method
As mentioned above, it is best to use the clicker method while training your Husky to sit, although not the only training method you can use. Learn about clicker training your Husky here.
The below steps is a reward-based training method (using treats as well as a clicker), so make sure that you have plenty of small and tasty food rewards on hand for your Husky.
1. Get your Husky’s attention
Say your Husky’s name so that they look at you and you have their attention. Click to reward them and give them a treat.
Don’t forget that puppies have a very short attention span so you want to make sure that you keep their interest.
2. Hold a treat above your Husky’s nose to keep their attention
If your puppy sees and smells the treat, they will pay attention to you and do what they can to get it from you.
3. Signal with your other hand
You want your puppy to learn a hand signal for the word ‘Sit’ and this is the best way to do it. Place the hand not holding the treat over your Husky’s head with your palm down.
Say the word ‘sit’ at the same time so your Husky will relate the word with the hand action. It is best to say and signal this as your puppy moves into the sitting position.
4. Move the treat
Slowly move the treat from your Husky’s nose, over their eyes, and towards their back. As you move the treat this way, they will follow it, raising their nose into the air, and their body will automatically settle into a sitting position.
5. Click and reward
As soon as your Husky’s bottom hits the floor, click the clicker and give them the treat as a reward.
6. Repeat
Practice the command, remembering to always use the hand signal, say the word ‘sit’ and give the click and treat as a reward as soon as your Husky’s bottom touches the ground. Stop practicing as soon as your puppy starts to lose interest- you can practice again another time.
7. Ease off on the treats
As you start to feel more confident that your Husky understands the command, you can take the treat away and ask them to ‘sit’ using just the hand signal and word. Make sure you use the clicker and give verbal praise so they still feel rewarded.
8. Practice makes perfect
Keep practicing this command daily. You may have to reintroduce the treats at the beginning of some training sessions as a reminder to your Husky, but aim to have them sitting with just a click and praise by the end of the practice.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some common mistakes to watch out for and how they can impact how well your husky learns to sit.
Avoid practicing when your Husky puppy isn’t interested
If your Husky isn’t paying attention to you, the training is not going to work. Only practice when you have their full attention (having treats will help), and if they start to get distracted, leave the training for another time.
Don’t forget to use the hand gesture and say the command
Your puppy will sit when you use the above method, but if you don’t say the word ‘sit’ and use the hand gesture, they will not associate the concept with the command. You need to make sure that your Husky recognizes that the command, gesture and action are all linked to getting the reward.
Don’t force your Husky into a sitting position
Never try and physically push your Husky’s bottom down while trying to teach the sitting command.
They will not understand your reasons for doing so and may retaliate by biting or panicking at the unexpected restraint.
You wouldn’t like it if someone tried to physically force you to sit, and your Husky is exactly the same. Use rewards, words, and hand signals to convey the command and be patient with your Husky.
Make sure to practice in different environments
You want your Husky to obey the sit command in all situations. If you only train your Husky to sit in a quiet environment with few distractions, they will get used to this and may not react to the command when there is more happening around them.
As you both get more confident in your training, introduce distractions so that your Husky can learn to sit whenever they hear the command, regardless of what is happening around them.
Training a Husky to Sit FAQs
Here are some common questions you might have about training your Husky to sit.
When Do You Start Training a Husky Puppy?
You can start training a Husky puppy as early as 8 weeks old. At this age, they are capable of learning skills and have a good recall for commands. Of course, the earlier training begins, the sooner your Husky puppy will learn to obey commands and be more obedient overall.
How Do You Teach an Older Husky to Sit?
You can teach an older Husky to sit by training it as you would a younger Husky. Older Huskies have slightly longer attention spans than puppies so you might be able to have slightly longer training sessions but remember to have a break when their attention starts to wander.
How Do You Train a Stubborn Husky?
You train a stubborn Husky by being consistent. Using clicker training produces the best results because there is no confusion- your Husky can immediately learn which action has earned them the reward. Even the most stubborn Husky will be more focused on repeating a certain action if they know that they will be rewarded for it.
How Long Does It Take for a Husky to Learn to Sit?
The time it takes for a Husky to learn to sit depends on the Husky and the amount of training you do together. Training commands is similar to training a muscle- the longer you train, the stronger the command will become. If you practice daily and stay consistent, you will be able to train your Husky to learn to sit quite quickly.
More Husky Training Advice
Check out these guides for more tips and advice for training your Husky:
