Teaching Your Dog to Stay

It's not easy for a dog who loves being with you to stay where she is while you walk away. But teaching your dog to stay has many benefits. For example, a dog that stays on command can be kept out of harm's way when you need to run across the street. The stay command will also help your dog to learn patience and impulse control.

A visual command to stay can help you keep your dog safe when you're too far away for your voice to be heard, so we'll incorporate a hand signal into this lesson.

You'll use two verbal commands for this lesson: a word to tell your dog to stay, and a different word to let her know it's OK now to move (release her from the stay).

As with all training, pick specific verbal commands and use them consistently. The obvious word for the stay command is "Stay." (Don't be tempted to lengthen that sometimes into "Stay there.") The release command can be something like "Release" or 'ree" or "Okay." Make sure it's not a word you might use for another meaning in other circumstances (such as "Release" when you want your dog to let go of a toy). It's probably best to use 'ree," as you're not likely to use that for anything else. That's the word we'll use for this lesson.

Teaching your dog to stay involves working with three elements:

1. Distance. Distance refers to how far you move away from your dog.

2. Time. Time refers to how long you want your dog to stay.

3. Distraction. Distraction refers to everything going on around your dog that is tempting her to get up.

It's best to begin with easy challenges for your dog in all three elements: short distance, short time, fewest distractions. Eventually we'll work on each element separately, gradually increasing the degree of difficulty.

Let's get on with the lesson.

Teaching Your Dog to Stay

Read this lesson first, and then practice it with your dog.

1. First, load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats.

2. Take your dog to an area where there won't be a lot of distractions.

3. If you're right-handed, put a treat in your left hand (vice versa if you're left-handed; you want the treat in the hand you won't be using for your hand signal).

4. Place yourself about two feet away from your dog.

5. Ask your dog to sit. As soon as she does, say "Stay" in a low, quiet voice and raise your hand, palm open and facing her, in the universal "Stop" hand signal. Look directly at your dog. Try not to move any other part of your body.

6. After a very brief pause of just 1 or 2 seconds, say "Good," lean forward and give your dog the treat from your other hand. Important: Make sure to quickly move the treat all the way to her mouth so she's not tempted to get up and move toward it.

7. While your dog is still eating her treat, release her by saying 'ree" in a low, quiet voice, and lean back away from her.

8. Important: Let your dog get up or do whatever she wants, but do NOT praise or reward her for getting up. You want her to learn that the Stay action is the one that will reap the rewards.

9. Repeat Steps 4-8. Be sure you don't allow more than a couple of seconds to go by before rewarding after giving the Stay command.

10. Repeat this process five times.

If your dog doesn't do what you want

If your dog doesn't stay still for a couple of seconds, she's probably too distracted. Try moving to a different location, or waiting until she has less energy.

Make sure she knows you have a treat in your hand.

Keep your tone of voice low and quiet, letting it drop in pitch (versus going up, as if you're asking a question).

Make sure your hand motion is distinct and does not look like the arm motion you use during the Sit training.