How to train my cat to sit on command without always using treats?

Try this. Let him see the treat. Then give him the command with no hand signals. He may move through all the tricks that he knows but as soon as he does the correct one, give him the reward and repeat the trick, something like ‘good sit’. Some dogs will not perform a command without a reward. Sometimes this is because they are young or easily distracted. This may change as they get older. Important thing is to remain positive and encourage the desired behavior. Best of luck.

It takes a lot to train a cat and it is not possible at the age your kitten is. Kitties at this age need to learn to run, play, hunt, fight, climb, clean themselves, etc. They really do not have the mind to learn dog tricks. You will need to wait at least 6 months or even a year before you can start with teaching your cat such commands as sit. Not every cat will be interested in learning this, so she may never be cooperative in that respect. Teaching this command will take a lot of patience, immediate reward with a treat. The cat will need to make the connection between the command and the act. And then the cat will need to want to obey the command. Cats are very independent personalities, so, while your kitty will love you, it is more likely to train you than be trained by you.

That's a very good question! If you are concerned about Boris associating treat with getting on the counter, I recommend turning the action into a "get down" command, and treating once he is off the counter, rather than when he is on it. That way he can start to associate the command (and treat) with being off the counter instead of on it. You can also use a nice toy such as a feather on a stick to sort of lure him off of the counter, and then proceed to treat and interact with him on the ground. If he starts hopping up onto the counter regularly and 'demanding' a treat, you may need to do what is called extinction behavior. This is where you ignore the behavior (being on the counter) until he hops back off on his own, in which you then reward him with attention and treats again. Something to note, extinction behaviors usually get worse temporarily before they start to improve as the pet will try to do the behavior more to try and get attention before giving up -- this doesn't mean you're failing, it means it's working!

There are 2 commonly used methods for training. The first is luring where you lure them into the desired posture and the second is that you wait for them to naturally do the desired behavior, then instantly reward them when they do the behavior. The second way of training is generally more difficult and requires more patience and perfect timing for rewarding, so the luring technique is the one that is more commonly used. If you want to use the second technique, then I would work on clicker training Bella since that will be the best way to immediately reinforce the behavior you want. If you want to continue to try the luring technique, I would recommend a VERY high value treat (like fresh chicken or cheese) to get her to follow the treat more reliably. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Any cat or dog for that matter, can be trained. You can hold a treat in your hand and give it to her when she does come. She will associate something good with coming to you when being called. She will learn very quickly. Have a good day!

It's a dog thing. Most dogs are incredibly food motivated. Start by trying to get Noble to do a command when you are just around the house or out for a walk. Give him lots of praise for performing the command. Continue using treats when you are in a training session. As he gets older, he will be less dependent on treats for positive reinforcement.

Combine the treat with a hand signal, such as pointing at the floor, and a command ("Linda, down!") Praise her if she starts to, even if she doesn't get all the way down, so she gets the idea that this is what you want. Gradually phase out the treat to every other attempt, then every third, etc. until you do away with it altogether and she drops just on your command and hand signal alone.