# How to get my dog to stay while sitting.



## Tigerbite (Dec 5, 2014)

I know some people teach sit and stay and some people teach sit, and that means they stay sitting until you release them.

I taught my first dog to sit then stay. He's fine. My new pup, who just turned a year old will not stay for anything, and when he does decide to stay, it lasts about 2 seconds, he never waits for me to release him (so yeah...not really staying.)

I need some tips/tricks/ideas on how to get him to learn stay. My first dog picked up on everything I taught him almost instantly. This one, not so much (although what he does learn, he learns better, lol.)


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

How did you teach your first dog to stay? Even though you said stay, you still had to teach it right? Nothing changes, you just don't use a second command. The principles are all the same. Remember the three D's. Duration, Distance, Distraction. Don't push it too fast. Always release and reward before he breaks.


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## Tigerbite (Dec 5, 2014)

I had him on a leash. I had him sit, put my hand up like a stop sign and said stay. If he moved I walked him back to the spot and repeated. When he figured it out, he got a treat when he stayed. Took maybe 2 days.

This pup...he's like....YOU MOVE I MOVE, WHEEEEEEEEEE, PARTYYYYYYYYYY.


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## alexistrex (Oct 8, 2015)

Someone more experienced than I please correct me if I'm wrong, but here is how I would teach. I don't use "stay", but instead an implied stay, for multiple reasons but it shouldn't really matter if you use stay or not, the process should be the same.

Ask him to sit and release immediately upon his sitting. Once he does that (if he doesn't already) consistently then hold it for a second or two, just keep your signal there and wait a beat before the release. This is important because like mycobraracr said, the three "d"s, and you should train them all separately. The thing is, it takes time for you to create a distraction (which is what moving away from your dog is), so you need to build the dog up in just holding it. Don't change anything else at all until your dog will hold the command for several seconds before being released without breaking the stay, and build up one second at a time to get here.

After that, when you want to add the distraction of movement, start by just moving your hand (that you are singaling with) a few inches, slowly. Build up to more rapid and larger hand gestures until you can put your hand down at your side without him breaking. Then you can start backing up, or just moving your feet in place if that's too much for him.

If your dog is repetitively failing, you need more foundation work and take smaller steps.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Find an obedience class that brushes up on the basics and start over as if it were brand new, preferably with an instructor who has a lot of success with active dogs. Once your dog learned he didn't have to stay, it created new scenario. You have to unteach what he learned. The best way is through consistency. Once you have him in a sit stay, don't move away. Take a step or two back and if he doesn't stay, immediately go back and put him into a sit. I would hold off on using the stay command because he may have that word sound mixed up with Come now. Instead, use Wait. Use that everywhere, outdoors, inside when at doorways. Sit/Wait. Don't walk away. Repeat over and over until he gets it. Also, don't train with any distractions at all until he is solid.

Does he know Down/Stay? If so, work on the word Stay only with the Down command and again, don't walk too far away. 

This is one time you need to use a firm but gentle correction, either with a leash or with a squeeze on his ruff, next to his collar. You shouldn't hurt him but you do need get his attention. I would not use treats at all, because those are associated with motion. Also, if he comes on command when you use his name, don't use his name with the Stay command.

Another caution, when you let him out of a stay, do it calmly without a lot of excitement in your voice, or that could teach him to break quickly from a stay. Instead, move into another command, like come or walk around him and Heel. If he learns that a Release command means "get hyper," he will.


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## monster (Aug 16, 2015)

I'm going through stay training right now. I've had a lot of success in the past with hunting dogs, Labs and Goldens, teaching solid stays using the methods in all the Richard Wolters books. When I was younger my methods guided by Wolters were much more firm than I'm using this time. I have been using a different approach with my new female pup. I sense she's much smarter than my previous dogs, my wife would disagree and tell you our 10 year old Lab is the smartest, but 10 years from now my Shepherd will be way ahead. So I'm using rewards in the form of kibble or when I really want her attention I use hot dogs or liverwurst. I think becoming a cat owner in the past few years has made me a better dog trainer. Anyways, I sit or down her and then say "stay" and walk away. A few feet at first, stepping back to her while she's down or sitting and reward her. I'll leave her there and keep walking away and around the room or area. As she's "staying" I'll keep walking back and reward her. She's 95% there now. She's only 7 months old right now, so I'm expecting by doing this every day or nearly every day for another month that she'll be solid and stay with me out of sight for as long as needed. Many years ago I trained a 10 month old Lab to be a hunting dog that would stay in a playground full of kids while I walked into our house. I could watch him the whole time. I will admit that he came from some top shelf breeding, but it was amazing. The big difference I'm having with my Shepherd is she seems to get it when I show her the first time. In the beginning I did have to walk her back to the spot a few times and start over. She would get distracted when my old Lab was around, for a while she couldn't stand for us to give the Lab attention and not her, but now I start anything new by training her alone. Once she seems to get it we let the distractions back into the area.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

A trainer I love who does pet dog obedience does the following -- it works for all sorts of dogs and people because it's very slow, and it's lots of fun. No matter how inexperienced you are, you can use this method because it's designed for beginners:

Fill your pocket or treat pouch up with tiny morsels of something very high value (he uses hot dog bits; I chop up Natural Balance rolls--whatever works for your dog). They need to be TINY and you need A LOT of them. You're going to be generous and the dog's going to think this is a yummy game.

Stand as follows: both feet shoulder width apart in front of your dog. Sit your dog. 
Have a treat in your closed hand. 

Say "STAY," and move ONE foot back ONE step (your other foot REMAINS IN PLACE). You are simply rocking your weight back onto the back foot, without actually moving. Your dog doesn't move because you aren't really moving away. SUCCESS! Immediately treat and praise as you give the release word: "Good STAY! OK! " 

You're praising/treating immediately for not getting up when you move your foot. This is a "half second" stay -- and they get treats/praise for doing it successfully. Baby steps.

If the dog's butt moves, "OOPS!" and resituate the dog in the sit, and start over.

Do this 10 times a day for a couple of days. DO NOT GO FARTHER AWAY YET. You are just rocking back on one foot. You are consistently treating/praising for keeping the butt in place for the time it takes for you to move your weight to the other foot--half-second stays. That's success -- reward quickly, and don't draw it out!

Once your dog has it, you will take ONE full step away with both feet. Quick praise and treat! Now we've got a full second. Repeat the process, with 10 reps a day. If he's catching on, take TWO steps the next day, and double your time (a few seconds). Then the next one THREE (extend your time again, a few more seconds). By the end of the week, you'll be a whole leash distance. 

Don't push the distance OR the time too quickly! Be very slow and patient about it. Lots and lots of reps at a tiny distance makes it nearly foolproof as you go farther out. If you jump the gun and go too far, and the dog gets confused, start over at step -- the dog is just saying you progressed too fast, so back up and start over.

The next week, same thing, but now start adding more time, and adding on some movement instead of just going to the end of the leash: moving around him, behind him, etc. -- 10 reps a day, always with quick praise and treat for getting it right.

Then you can start fading the treats....every other time, then every third or fourth, and gradually none at all. The praise never stops -- it should always convey your dog is making you the happiest human in the world, never that you're bored with the tedious repetitions. You have to make this a super-fun game for him, and you do that by being exciting and happy.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

That's pretty much the way I learned it too, Magwart, and it does work! The instructor referred to it as the bungee method because at first you step away and immediately step back again, like the snap of a bungee. I talk about it in detail here: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/training-our-puppy-basic/307169-teaching-stay.html#post3908201


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

my dogs trainer has me stand beside the dog to his right as if I were getting ready to have him heel. 
Place my hand in front of dogs face and stepping with my right foot first, step directly in front of dog facing dog while saying stay. Hold for only 2 seconds. At first you may need to continue to hold your hand in the stay position. After 2 seconds step back in place and praise dog. Do this at least 10 times a day with only about 2 per session. Gradually increase time and distance once you get beyond 2 seconds mix the times up. when you get 4 feet or so away call the dog to you or walk back mix that up also. . This teaches a solid stay that will be dependable. It has worked wonders on rosko.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

I use wait command at doors or anywhere I want to release with just a simple OK. But that is taught with the same principle. Start small. As Dr Leo Marvin says '' baby steps''. Lol


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Sit is nothing for a dog ( in my view) hardly has an impact on them, much too easy for them to move ... as you've seen.  A "Down/Stay" first I believe will give you much better results. Works like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaVvwbT7iYw

Implied "Sit" is not really a big deal to get there would look like this.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv75lADEbRM

Use treats if you wish, I don't myself and neither do many of the "Pro's," too easy to screw up doing that.


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## J and J M (Sep 20, 2013)

That's funny. The "pros" I've been around use whatever gets the job done. Including treats, toys, praise or corrections.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

J and J M said:


> That's funny. The "pros" I've been around use whatever gets the job done. Including treats, toys, praise or corrections.


Yeah, that's my experience with "pros" too.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

There are probably 20 different ways to teach this. I actually think aversive methods are easier for a novice to screw up--and the risk of that on a too-soft dog is profound.

The one I offered works for people brand-new to dog training, who simply want good pet dogs. OP isn't a pro, and he honestly doesn't need one to do this. This is such easy stuff, kids can do it or help with it. I do it with foster dogs while I'm in the kitchen making dinner -- stir the pot, do some reps, chop the salad, do a few more. It's simple training for "mere pets." 

If you want BH-style performance, join an IPO club. If you want to compete in AKC-OB, join an AKC club. In years past, I've done AKC classes that ended with a test that replicated a novice ring, with a judge and a clipboard. This isn't that. If you just want a nice pet dog...regular treat-based training has trained thousands of dogs. Clickers work for lots of dogs too, but they require more practice and are more complicated.

Chip, it may help you to learn the "pro" history of this teaching style. The late-**** Russell (a pro and a legend in _pet _dog training, with a documentary currently on the festival circuit and a Hall of Fame award) experimented over his 50+ years of training dogs, comparing other methods, and he went back to food every time. He is the one as far as I know who populariized this in the pet dog trainer world, many decades ago. Before he passed a few years ago as an old man, **** had already forgotten more about training _pet _dogs than most of us can ever know --he truly was one of the greats for the world he lived in. He trained many, many dog trainers around the country--teaching them his folksy, practical method at conferences around the country. His method has been shared and copied over and over because it works. (If you've ever seen a trainer teach a recall using a paper plate...they learned it from **** Russell.) Oh, and every week he got together about 30 dogs (clients and alumni) for off-leash socialization exercise in a field...his version of a supervised dog park...and it worked brilliantly. It's another thing some "pros" don't know how (or want) to do, but he did. He figured out how to "choreograph" the hour for maximum benefit for the dogs.

Since you enjoy videos, if you get a chance, watch the documentary _The Dog Man _about him (currently only available in theaters, not for purchase) -- he trained *30,000 dogs *over his life, this way. I didn't know about him til I moved to the city where he used to live and got to know one of his mentees well. He was the real deal for _pet _dogs. The preview of the feature film biopic is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39j1gkDMvbw

There are many ways to get the job done. His method happens to have worked for a lot of family dogs, with very inexperienced handlers.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Magwart said:


> There are probably 20 different ways to teach this. I actually think aversive methods are easier for a novice to screw up--and the risk of that on a too-soft dog is profound.
> 
> The one I offered works for people brand-new to dog training, who simply want good pet dogs. OP isn't a pro, and he honestly doesn't need one to do this. This is such easy stuff, kids can do it or help with it. I do it with foster dogs while I'm in the kitchen making dinner -- stir the pot, do some reps, chop the salad, do a few more. It's simple training for "mere pets."
> 
> ...


Sorry it was not my intent to be dismissive??? Not really sure how Clickers or Aversives got in here??

Some "Pro's" use treats and some do not, not using treats does not automatically make one a "compulsion" advocate?? 

I did not need a "Pro" to tell me the limits of treat training. I learned the limits of that first hand with 116 lbs of ticked off, OS WL GSD with high-rank drive and people issues.

If "I" read use a "treat" when I was looking for answers a 'trainer" was off my list. I did not have time to screw around so I went with what works, and it turned out fine. No treats, or compulsion involved. 

Simple direct and to the point is what I look for and what I advise.  

These days "folks" pretty much get that about me. 

But that aside ... nope, I had never heard of the guy?? So thanks for the link and from there, I found out more about the "documentary" coming out next year I believe?? 

And the "Paper Plate" recall, thing sounds intriguing?? So I'll have to look into that. And yes as was said "more than one way to train a "stay" or words to that effect.


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## 9mmmac (Dec 28, 2015)

I hear you about Labs and Goldens. Seems they learned a whole years worth of training after just one day in the field with a seasoned dog. My dog seemed to pick up pretty quick by watching my old Sheltie. 

"Hey he gets a treat without even doing anything! Maybe if I just sit here and do nothing nom-noms will get put in my mouth too!" 

I also had to do the old fashioned way of putting the dog back into a sitting position if he got up. Worked up to more distance away and more time. If they got up, it was a repeat of sit (plus hand command) and then stay (plus hand command).


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