How To Teach Your Dog To Stay

The stay command is another one of the basic commands which can be very difficult for some dogs to master. These same dogs may learn sit and come rather easily but stay can be more difficult. This is because the stay command is not only very challenging but it can also be very boring for some dogs. Some dogs may have difficulty learning to stay simply because they lose concentration when asked to stay for long periods of time while other dogs may have difficulty learning to stay because they become apprehensive when separated from the owner or handler. In this article we will examine the importance of the stay command and will also provide a training technique for teaching a dog to stay based on positive reinforcement.

The stay command can be useful in a variety of situations. Some owners may use a stay command on walks to tell a dog when to stop and wait at a curb before crossing the street. This is important because it can prevent the dog from walking into the street where he can potentially be harmed. In this case the stay command may be used during either off leash or on leash walks. However, most applications of the stay command involve off leash situations. Dogs that accompany their owner on hunting trips will need to have a firm grasp of the stay command. These dogs are often required to stay in situations where movement could scare away the prey. They are also required to stay to prevent them from running into a potentially harmful situation involving other hunters. Dogs that are trained to herd livestock also have an important use of the stay command. These dogs are typically highly driven and may have difficulty ignoring their instincts in situations involving livestock. In these situations the ability to put a dog in a proper stay can prevent harm to the dog as well as harm to the livestock.

The above examples illustrate the usefulness of a stay command for working dogs but even dogs that are strictly companion dogs can benefit from learning a stay command. The owner may wish to use this command in a variety of different situations. For example putting a dog in a stay when visitors enter the house can help to prevent the dog from greeting the guests in an overly exuberant manner. A dog can also be put in a stay position to make it easier to leash to the dog before going out for walks. Many owners also put dogs in a stay to prevent the dog from rushing out of the house each time the door opens. This is especially useful in multiple dog households. I have two dogs of my own and used to foster often which meant I was usually leaving the house for walks with three dogs in my care. My own dogs weigh approximately 50 and 60 pounds and the dogs I fostered were usually of similar size to my own dogs. Having the ability to put these larger sized dogs in a stay position prevented them from dragging me out the door in their excitement each time I opened the door to take them on a walk.

Teaching a dog to stay may be more difficult than teaching him to sit or come but it is not an overly complicated process. I personally prefer to put my dogs in a stay when they are already in a sit or a down position. This preference requires that the dog learn the sit and down commands first. Although it is possible to teach a dog to stay without putting him in another position first it can be more difficult to prevent them from switching to a down or a sit position while they are supposed to be under the staying. While some trainers may assert it is acceptable for the dog to change positions as long as he does not change locations I think the command is somewhat compromised by the change in position so I prefer to use stay in combination whit a positional command but this is not necessary. In my training I would put my dogs in the desired position and then give the verbal command, “Stay.” I would then move a short distance away from the dog and if he begins to move I would restate the command or give a verbal correction such as, “No,” or, “Uh-oh,” When the training is still in the early stages, I will only move a short distance away from the dog and will not stay away for very long. I will then re-approach the dog and say, “Good stay,” while offering him these words as praise along with a treat as a reward. As the training progresses, I usually then increase both the distance I move away from the dog as well as the amount of time I require him to stay. Once I am able to move a fair distance away from him and the dog is able to remain in the stay position for quite some time, I change the training to give the dog a release command. This may be the word, “Okay,” or a recall command which tells the dog it is acceptable to break the stay position. When doing this I will usually decrease the distance I move away from the dog as well as the duration of time I require him to stay. This is because the training is changing and I do not want to overwhelm the dog with too many new training situations at once. Again I will increase the distance and the duration systematically until I have achieved the desired results.

Once a dog has a reliable stay in a quite location the introduction of distractions can begin. This may include placing treats or toys near the dog, throwing toys around the dog or the presence of other dogs. Again the introduction of distractions should be a slow process to allow for the greatest possibility of success as opposed to setting the dog up for failure. Depending on the dog’s desire for a particular distraction the training can be more difficult in some situations than other. For example a dog with a high prey drive may fined it difficult to resist breaking the stay when there are dogs or small animals nearby and may require correction in these situations. Likewise a dog that is strongly food motivated my find it difficult to resist food related distractions.