James Middleton reveals how to train a dog to 'sit and stay' - by using this unusual item

James Middleton, the brother of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is known for his love of dogs - and even gifted his sister and her family a new puppy this year.

He is the proud owner of a number of four-legged friends and regularly shares adorable photos of his pack online and now, the entrepreneur has taken to Instagram to show us how to train a dog to 'sit and stay' - and he reveals you can use an Amazon box to help with the trick.

James, who owns a healthy dog food company, named after one of his dogs, currently owns six dogs called Ella, Zulu, Inka, Luna, Mabel & Nala, and shared the simple three-step technique on the social media platform.

Sharing the training video on Instagram, where he uses his Golden Retriever Mabel, he posted alongside it: "The more that training becomes an everyday part of life with your dog, the more you will both benefit- their minds will be stimulated. 

"Keep things fun and engaging, rather than think of training as something that is taking time away from fun and games with your dog- make it just another way to enjoy spending time together. 

The video, which has nearly 50,000 views, sees Kate Middleton's brother show the clever technique, as he explained: "First off is to find a nice quiet place for you to do this with you dog. And the other thing that is really important is to find something that your dog can sit on.

"So, for example, an Amazon box, the mat from your car, an old bit of carpet tile, or what Mabel's sat on is a little stool."

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The dog lover then points to his dog in the background and explained the first step saying: "She [Mabel] knows this is a good place that she gets lots of attention when she's on it, and then when she gets off it, she wants to go back on."

James then reveals that you can gradually increase your distance from your dog before coming back to praise them - as this is a great way to reassure them that you're not leaving them.

The dog breeder, who is engaged to Alizee Thevenet, then showed the final step - which showed how you can walk away from your dog while they stay on the step, or Amazon box, before you call them over. He revealed this trick is a way to gain their trust and make them feel safe.

James bred a litter of cocker spaniel puppies last summer and gifted one of the new puppies to his sister Kate before their other dog, Lupo, passed away late last year. The Duke and Duchesses children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are said to be 'besotted' by the cute new addition to their family