I don’t mean to be a bearer of bad news, but dogs can’t talk. Not human words, at least. But that doesn’t stop us from understanding what they want! Body language sometimes speaks louder than words.

A pup knows how to get our attention. Whimpering, pawing, barking, jumping: telling us “Hey! This is what I want!” And that can be a little frustrating, and in a few cases a little worrisome. But the good news is that we can teach our pups how to ask for things nicely by offering the tools to learn calm behavior. Mainly, to say “Please” with their body.
The Sit For Please

Implementing the Sit for Please action with your dog is, essentially, teaching good manners. It’s like asking a child what the magic word is! Patience, and calmness are then reinforced through active learning and rewarding.

The idea is straightforward: when our dog wants something, she sits and waits for it. You giving her what she wants is the best reward to show her that asking nicely is the right way to do it!

Dogs learn by repetition and association, so teaching requires a gentle persistence. They are also awesome problem solvers! Once they realize that a certain action means a reward, they are going to remember it.
Teaching the Sit for Please is in the same boat. Let’s set up a situation: my dog really wants to be let outside. She is barking, scratching at the door, pacing, and doing what she can to get my attention. I want her to ask nicely, so I wait. As soon as she calms down and sits, I open the door instantly! Best reward ever!
If we keep that up every time, she will start performing the action automatically. It’s a step closer to a calm, content pup.

Greeting People
Greeting other people is often very rewarding for our pups. We can use that to our advantage! Ask visitors or those saying hi to respect the ‘sit to say please’ rule – if your pup is sitting calmly they can say hello, but if your pup starts to get over excited they have to withdraw attention and ignore your pup.

Greeting Dogs
Greeting other dogs is also a very exciting and rewarding thing for most pups. Before allowing a greeting, wait for your pup to be calm. Once they’re calm and focused on you, give the ok to say hello. If they don’t get to the point of being calm, don’t let your pup say hello – maybe next time!

Exiting a Crate or Pen
Freedom is a great reward for pups, and by waiting for them to first be calm we’re able to take advantage of that. Before opening a crate or pen gate (or before picking your pup up) wait for your pup to sit calmly. Open the gate and then give the ‘ok.’

Going through Doors
Just like with crates and pens, doors are another opportunity to encourage calm behavior. When at a door, say when going out for a walk, wait patiently for your pup to sit and then reach for the door. If your pup gets up, simply retract your arm, wait for them to sit back down, and then try again. Another excellent place to practice is as the dog run gate – this is doctorate level calm for most pups, so work up to it little by little!

And there’s more!
Think through your daily routine – are there other times you can work calm behavior into everyday situations?