If your dog is always begging to learn new tricks, it might be the perfect time to teach them to “sit pretty.” This classic dog trick, sometimes known as “begging,” is a fun and popular trick to teach your dog. Sit pretty is also an intermediate level trick, if your dog is working towards earning their AKC Trick Dog Title. To complete the sit pretty trick, dogs start in a sit position. Then, they use their core muscles to raise their torso onto their haunches, with their front legs in the air curled in front of them.
What You’ll Need
When teaching your dog to do a sit pretty, you don’t need a lot of supplies or equipment. The only thing you need is lots of small pieces of treats your dog finds highly valuable to use for training and rewarding your dog.
When teaching sit pretty, start in a quiet area with minimal distractions. You’ll also want your dog to have stable and secure footing. For this reason, it’s best to start teaching this trick on carpet or other soft and supportive flooring that’s easy for your dog to balance on. Avoid starting to teach this trick on a couch or bed, as standing on a less stable surface can make it more difficult for your dog to achieve the proper position.
Teaching ‘Sit Pretty’ With Capturing
Some dogs, especially many Terrier breeds, naturally offer the sit pretty behavior. For these dogs, it’s possible to teach them to sit pretty using the training skill known as “capturing.”
Step 1: When capturing a behavior, we wait for our dog to do something naturally, and when they do, mark the behavior with a clicker or a verbal marker, such as “yes,” and reward your dog with a treat.
Step 2: Keep treats on you and a clicker if you’re using one. Each time your dog offers the behavior, mark with your clicker or marker word, and reward.
Step 3: Over time, as your dog is reliable in offering the sit pretty behavior, you can introduce a verbal cue as your dog goes into position, as you reward, such as “beg” or “sit pretty.”
Teaching ‘Sit Pretty’ Utilizing Luring
For dogs who don’t naturally offer a sit pretty, the easiest way to teach them this trick is to utilize luring to help your dog learn how to move into this position.
Step 1: The first step to teaching your dog to sit pretty is to make sure your dog is able to sit on cue. This foundational behavior is crucial for your dog to build on when learning how to do a “sit pretty.” Once your dog can sit when cued, you’re ready to move on to the next training step.
Step 2: While your dog is in the sit position, bring a high value treat to your dog’s nose and slowly start to raise the treat straight up above your dog’s head. As your dog’s nose follows the treat, their front legs will lift off the ground. Mark with a clicker or a verbal marker like “yes” as soon as your dog’s front feet pull up off the ground.
Step 3: Over multiple repetitions and many practice sessions, you can start to increase the criteria by raising the treat higher, so your dog pulls their front legs higher into the air and rocks back onto their hips to achieve the sit pretty position.
Step 4: When your dog consistently can be lured into the full sit pretty position with their back straight and their front paws up off the ground, it’s time to introduce a verbal cue of choice like “sit pretty” or “beg.” Start to say your cue as your dog follows the treat and gets into the position.
Step 5: Once your dog is consistently sitting pretty for the treat, start to fade out the lure, so you can just cue your dog to sit pretty and treat your dog after they perform the trick.
Troubleshooting ‘Sit Pretty’ Positions
The most common issue that comes up when working on sitting pretty is that some dogs will stand up on their hind legs as they raise their front legs off the ground, instead of staying in a sitting position. If your dog is going up onto their hind legs, it likely means that you’re luring too quickly or that the hand position is just slightly too high, and your dog is straining to reach the treat.
The next time you practice, slow down your movements, and keep your hand just slightly lower. Be sure to immediately mark and reward as your dog goes into the proper sit pretty position.
Safety Considerations
Sitting pretty while not requiring big movements is a higher-impact trick. Getting into the sit pretty position and holding that position requires significant core strength for dogs. The position can also put pressure on a dog’s joints and their back. When teaching sit pretty, you’ll want to go slowly and start with short training sessions without a lot of repetition. Your dog may need to build up their muscle tone and endurance to be able to consistently perform this trick.
When your dog is getting into the sit pretty position, be sure to pay attention to their overall posture. This is a trick that can be hard on your dog’s body, so we want to make sure they maintain good posture with a straight back as they move into the sit pretty position. Because this is a higher impact trick, it’s best to avoid this trick with puppies who are still developing or dogs who have a history of back injuries. If you have any questions about whether this skill is appropriate for your dog, consult your dog’s veterinarian.