Useful behaviors: Teaching a dog to stay

Stay:

This prompt tells the dog to hold still in whatever position he is in, whether he is sitting, lying down, or standing up.  Once a dog knows “sit” well, for example, you can begin to extend the sit into “stay.”  Begin by delaying the time between the click and the delivery of the reward for a second or two.  Most dogs will hold the sit in expectation of the reward.  Once the dog will hold the sit for an extra two or three seconds, delay the click (first for a second, then two, then three) after the dog’s rump hits the ground.  As you click, give the release word (such as “Break!” or “OK!”)  Once the dog is good at holding still in expectation of the click, add the cue:  the word “stay,” right after the sit, down, or stand cue.  Dogs often find an added hand-signal helpful for this exercise. 

Start with very short stays (2-3 seconds) and gradually lengthen them out.  Work on stay in one position (such as sit or down) and get decent responses before adding another position.  Vary the times the dog must stay to earn a click; keep him guessing to keep him interested.  Keep these work-sessions short at first.  Also, increase time before increasing distance:  expect the dog to hold a one-minute down-stay with you standing close by before attempting a 10-second down-stay from three feet away. 

Important:  always try to click and reward the dog while he is holding the stay.  If the dog breaks the stay, he is not learning stay; he is learning to break stays!  Try to set him up for success and lengthen stays, lengthen distance, or add distractions gradually (one item at a time).

When the dog gets good at stays, gradually add distractions (noises, movement, etc.).  Put the dog in a down-stay, let the dog sniff a treat, then place it out of the dog’s reach but in the dog’s line of sight and easily within your reach.  Ideally, your dog will never have an opportunity to eat this treat!  If the dog holds the stay, even for a short time, click and treat from your bait bag.  Use your release-word and remove the “distractor treat” at the same time.  The dog may get up, sniff where the treat was, etc., but make sure he never has a chance to grab it.  If the dog breaks the stay, immediately grab the treat before he does.  Say, “Too bad,” in a sorry voice, and put him back in the “stay” position.  Dogs quickly learn that to get the treat they must ignore it!