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Stay!

Posted in Small Animal Care Pointers | May 14th, 2011

So much to do with your puppy that the ‘stay’ command doesn’t seem like a priority, but it is. This single command can keep your pet from jumping on visitors, disappearing in a crowd, or running into a busy street.

Remember, dogs are pack animals and You are the leader. Accept that role for starters. Also, puppies have very short attention spans. Don’t plan on hours and hours of training. Set aside frequent five to 10 minute sessions. The ‘stay’ command must be taught in baby steps.

First and foremost dogs are easily distracted, just like children. Find a place where it is quiet and you can command your dog’s fullest attention. When you are ready to begin, say your dog’s name and wait for the eyes to meet yours. Use a small treat and move it up next to your eyes. When your dog looks you in the eyes, you hand over the treat. This is a great way to get your dog to look at you when you say their name.

Start small. Have your dog in a lying or sitting position. You may have to put your hand on his chest initially to get him to stay. It won’t happen right away, just be patient and persistent. Dog looking you in the eye, sitting or lying on the floor, and you say stay. After 10 seconds, give the dog the treat. Keep this up and add time as the dog gets the idea to stay. If your dog gets up too early, withhold the treat. Your goal is for your puppy or dog to sit quietly up to 30 seconds in your home or backyard.

Arden Moore, in his book, Come, Sit, Stay, plus Training Tips (2004, BowTie Press), has simple games to training your puppy. You’ll find Arden Moore’s book at local pet stores.

One game is Step on That Leash and rewards your dog for doing what it is naturally doing.

Put your dog on a leash while doing something sedentary. Stash some treats nearby. As your dog sits quiet for 10 or 20 seconds, bring a treat down by his nose and vocally reward for a good stay. If he gets up and jumps, ignore him and withhold the treat. Only reward if he stays put for at least 10 seconds. If your dog is bouncy, use your foot on the leash so he cannot move about. Wait till he lies down for 10 seconds and bring the treat down again. Only give the treat when he remains quiet for 10 seconds or longer.

At 30 seconds, you want to start to increase the space between you and your dog. If your dog gets up, say ‘uh uh’ and do not treat. As you increase the distance to where you are across the room, you can now release him using the ‘come’ cue. When there, praise and treat your dog.

As you practice and your dog becomes more proficient, you will want to gradually increase the distractions. Maybe you start in your quiet backyard, next have someone walk into the yard, next advance to the front yard and street traffic, and finally onto a park. You want your dog to heed your stay and come cues in all situations and settings and this is done by introducing these cues in new and varied settings.