The stay can be a difficult command for your dog to grasp, as it involves you leaving them alone, and them staying in one set location until instructed otherwise. For a young dog that is used to being with you, or simply used to being able to roam at will, the command to stay in one spot, is one that he/she may not even want to heed. Keeping with this thought, you as the owner want to enable your dog to make the association between behavior and consequence. (Operant Conditioning)
Steps To Teaching The Stay
Best taught while leashed
- Place your dog in a sit, or down.
- Stand in front of your dog and place your hand out with palm facing your dog. (Stop sign.) (At same time tell your dog to stay.)
- The dog will probably try to sniff your hand, this is ok.
- If your dog stays sitting or lying, toss him/her treats, verbally praise.
- Continue drill until dog will sit and stay with you progressively backing away.
- If at anytime your dog attempts to move, return to dog and return him/her back into previous position. (Redo drill. Make sure to back away at small intervals from your dog, giving him/her time to react to your movements.)
- Once your dog has a basic understanding of the command, you can add distractions to test comprehension.
The basic attempt of you the owner is to convey to the dog that compliance will only lead to a positive outcome. Remember the more you fuss over your dog on succeeding with the command, the faster your dog will make the association. Keep in mind, teach your dog the command and make sure he/she knows the command before using corrections to stop defiantness.
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