Mirror | 11:50 09-12-2025 | Lifestyle
Kim Paciotti, a renowned dog trainer and founder of Empowered Puppy Program, argues against teaching puppies the ‘sit’ command as their first command. Paciotti believes there is a more effective starting point to kick-start a puppy's obedience training. The dog trainer suggests owners begin training their puppies differently, as they may find the traditional command hard to comprehend at a young age.
The 'sit' command, the dog trainer explains, might be confusing for puppies as it contradicts their natural inclination to explore and play. For young puppies, maintaining a still position is counter-intuitive and could potentially affect their learning curve. Instead, Paciotti recommends that dog owners start teaching a different command to make the process more engaging and effective.
According to Paciotti, before teaching a dog to sit or perform any other physical command, she asserts that it's crucial to initiate focus-based activities. These focus-based commands are meant to grab the dog's attention and build strong concentration skills. A common command in this category is teaching the puppy its name, which will be used to get its attention during future training sessions. This way, before a dog can understand and respond appropriately to a command like 'sit', it first learns to concentrate and pay attention to the owner.
Paciotti’s training philosophy underlines the importance of communication in the formative stages of a puppy's development, especially as they begin learning commands. She suggests a more practical and intuitive approach to teaching commands to our canine companions. By not putting pressure on puppies to perform commands that are counter to their instincts, owners can help foster a stronger connection with their pets and set a solid foundation for their learning journey.