by M. Ness

Created on: August 12, 2011   Last Updated: August 13, 2011

“Stay” is a powerful command.  When effectively trained, it will give you the ability to cease your dog’s motion in one brief word.  You will utilize ‘Stay’ every single day, in many situations, so developing a reliable and fool-proof stay with your dog is critical.

Teaching stay is not difficult, but requires perseverance and consistency.  Follow these steps to begin teaching Fido to stay rooted in one spot!

Tip 1: “Before beginning—does your dog understand ‘Sit’ and ‘Lie Down’?”
When teaching the “stay”, you won’t merely be asking your dog to remain stationary, you will be asking your dog to remain stationary in a specific position. If your dog doesn’t have a clear definition of these positions—‘Sit’ and ‘Lie Down’—you need to take a step back and teach your dog a solid ‘Sit’ behavior and ‘Down’ behavior, before moving on to ‘Stay’.

Tip 2: “Choose a quiet, distraction free area.”
‘Stay’ requires inner discipline from your dog. The more distractions your environment contains, the more difficult it will be for your dog to remain stationary.  When introducing any new behavior, you want to set your dog up to succeed initially.  Begin teaching ‘stay’ in a familiar area like your house or yard, and pick a quiet time when there’s no excitement or noise in the background.

Tip 3: “Train when your dog is hungry.”
A great time to begin your ‘stay’ training is actually right before feeding.  Your dog’s favourite food treat should be in your pockets, ready to grab, but not visible to your dog. Don’t carry food in your hands when introducing ‘stay’. Important: all food reinforcement will be given to your dog while he’s actually holding the stay position—not after he gets released.

Tip 4: “Tell your dog to Sit—not in front of you—but in side position.”
Your dog should be sitting, facing the same direction you’re facing, on either your left side or right side (in other words, your dog should be sitting in a heel position).

Tip 5: “Give a flat hand signal, showing your palm to your dog’s nose.” 
Give your hand signal confidently, while simultaneously saying ‘STAY’ in a firm tone of voice.  Step out in front

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