How To Teach The Stand Stay
Stand your dog
From the neutral position, while holding the leash in your right hand, command your dog to Stand. As the dog rises, pet his underbelly and give him the "Stay" command. Pivot in front of him and stay close. Hold this position for 30 seconds to one minute. Should the dog start to sit, lift him gently from his underbelly as you give the "Stand and Stay" commands. You may need to reposition the dog in the neutral position. Pet his tummy. Give the stay signal and pivot in front. Stay close.
Stand
From the neutral position, command your dog to "Stand". The trainer should stand next to the dog and keep the leash short while holding it in the right hand. As you make the command, lead off with your left foot and place the left hand with top finger touching the dog belly close to the hind leg. The dog will stop when his hind leg touches your finger. Praise the dog. Hold this position for thirty seconds. Pivot to the front of the dog, so that he is facing you.
Stand/Stay
Begin the exercise with your dog standing on your left-hand side, with the leash in front of you, held in the right hand and down on the side by your right leg. Move the entire leash to your left hand. Give the dog a verbal "Stay" command and the hand signal for stay using your right hand. (The hand signal for stay is the palm held toward your dog.) Pivot around so that you are facing your dog. Let the dog stay from 10 seconds to 30 seconds or longer. You may give the signals again if the dog starts to wonder or lie down. If your dog starts to sit or down at anytime, wait until just before his elbows touch the ground and give the "ugh, ugh" command. If this does not get his attention, then give the "No" command, tug, and praise when he responds. If your dog tries to stand or move from position, give the "ugh, ugh" command. If this does not get his attention, then give the "No" command, tug, and praise when he responds. After you have marked the mistake with the leash tug and your "NO" command, help your dog return to the sitting position where they started and repeat the exercise.
Anytime you use the leash as a marker for corrective behaviors, you should try to only give one tug with the leash. Make it count. If you give your dog to many tugs they will have no idea what caused the mistake. If your dog is having trouble staying in one place, reduce the amount of time your are working the stay command.
This week when practicing the stay exercise, when you turn and face your dog remain 6-8 inches from your dog. DO NOT MOVE ANY FURTHER AWAY. We need to make these exercises as easy as possible for your dog. When you are 6-8 inches away from your dog, only two mistakes can happen, your dog can stand or lay down. In both cases you do the same thing, mark the mistake for your dog by tugging upward on the leash and say "NO" and help your dog back to the starting position. (Remember only one tug!) If you move any furhter than 6-8 inches away your dog may want to COME to you, in which case you would have to punish the dog for coming. We NEVER want to punish our dog for coming to us. We fix this issue by remaining so close to your dog that COME does not enter your dogs mind. We have plenty of time to create distance in our Stay exercise.
3. Return to your Dog
In this exercise you are to return to the heel position by going around the right side, behind your dog.
Begin by facing your dog. Place the leash in the left hand, holding it above your dog's head and in a way so that their is no tension but short to correct and any mistakes. Command your dog to "Stay" as you begin to move to the right side of your dog. When your dog is first learning this lesson you should take small steps around your dog, reasuring your dog with "Good, Stay". I will usually say "Stay", take a small step, pause and say "Good, Stay" and as I am saying stay I will move a small step untill I am in the heel position. Do this until your dog understands that they must remain sitting while you move behind them. As your dog get more confident with the exercise, reduce the number of stay commands as you return to your dog.
Your goal is to be able to walk normally into the heel position.
Start by facing your dog, practicing your stay behavior. To return to your dog after the stay position, move around to the right behind and around your dog so that you return to where the dog is situated on your left-hand side. Return the leash to your left hand. Praise the dog if he remained in his stay position. If he releases from his position, start over by getting him to sit in front of you. When you are done with this lesson, tell him, "play, play!"
The praise in this position is given while holding the leash in the left hand close to the collar, but loose. The right hand pets your dogs' chest. Your dog must remain sitting throughout the praise. Praise is not a release. "Play" is the release.
Stand/Stay (distance)
Begin the exercise with your dog standing on your left-hand side, with the leash in front of you, held in the right hand and down on the side by your right leg. Move the entire leash to your left hand. Give the dog a verbal "Stay" command and the hand signal for stay using your right hand. (The hand signal for stay is the palm held toward your dog.) Pivot around so that you are facing your dog. Let the dog stay from 10 seconds to 30 seconds or longer. You may give the signals again if the dog starts to wonder or lie down. If your dog starts to sit or down at any time, wait until just before his elbows touch the ground and give the "ugh, ugh" command. If this does not get his attention, then give the "No" command, tug, and praise when he responds. If your dog tries to stand or move from position, give the "ugh, ugh" command. If this does not get his attention, then give the "No" command, tug, and praise when he responds. After you have marked the mistake with the leash tug and your "NO" command, help your dog return to the sitting position where they started and repeat the exercise.
Anytime you use the leash as a marker for corrective behaviors, you should try to only give one tug with the leash. Make it count. If you give your dog to many tugs they will have no idea what caused the mistake. If your dog is having trouble staying in one place, reduce the amount of time your are working the stay command.
This week when practicing the stay exercise, when you turn and face your dog remain 4-6 feet from your dog. DO NOT MOVE ANY FURTHER AWAY. We need to make these exercises as easy as possible for your dog. When you are 4-6 feet away from your dog, only two mistakes can happen, your dog can stand or lay down. In both cases you do the same thing, mark the mistake for your dog by tugging upward on the leash and say "NO" and help your dog back to the starting position. (Remember only one tug!) If you move any furhter than 4-6 feet away your dog may want to COME to you, in which case you would have to punish the dog for coming. We NEVER want to punish our dog for coming to us. We fix this issue by remaining so close to your dog that COME does not enter your dogs mind. We have plenty of time to create distance in our Stay exercise.