Teaching Your Dog to “Stay” the Easy Way

It can be very difficult for a dog to understand that when we say “stay” we want him to do absolutely nothing but to stay in his position. It is not something to actively do so it is important they comprehend that at times doing nothing is exactly what we want them to do.

How to teach your dog to stay

The first thing you need to do is make sure your dog already knows the command “sit”. This way you can starting combining an action you require of him, sitting down, with the passive composure we are trying to get from him. So tell your dog to sit and once he is sitting use the same tone in telling him to “stay”. After a few seconds of staying in his position reward you dog with praise or a treat.

You can help him stay in position by staying close to him and make sure there are no distractions that could get his attention. By using your body language you can ensure he will stay still.

If your dog should break the stay, then go through the process of sitting and staying again. A few seconds at the start of training will suffice and then gradually build up the amount of time your dog remains in the stay position. Always reward with praise, and eventually your dog will understand exactly what you expect of him.

The next step is to start making it a little more complicated by asking your dog to stay and move away a little bit without him moving.