Stay

To train the 'stay' command you must have already taught your dog the 'sit' command.

Training your dog to stay gives you better control of your dog and could possibly save your dog from possible injury or even worse. For example, if your dog escaped and wound up on the other side of a busy street you could command your dog to sit and stay until you could get there. Additionally, the sit-stay command should be used every time you enter and exit your home. Pack leaders (and other humans) should always enter and exit the home (seen as the den to the dog) first. Other humans should follow... until lastly, it is your dog's turn. Your dog should patiently wait until he or she is allowed to enter your premises with your permission. This establishes that you are the pack leader in the hierarchy and promotes obedience towards you.

I began training Saffy to 'Stay' when entering and exiting my home. Basically, I would have her leash in my hand, signalling that it was time for her walk (leash equates to pleasure, most dogs figure this out quick and are promptly at your heels ready to go!), I would place my back facing the front door and she would appear in front of me and I would command her to sit, "Saffy! Sit!" After she was properly seated I would give her the command, "Saffy! Stay!" I would hold my hand up to her in the stop position (palm and hand facing her as if you were a police officer). If she began to get up I would put her back in the sit-stay position and re-affirm my command and hand signal. Once she remained in the position I would open the door and proceed outwards all the while correcting her as need be. If she got up while I was opening the door I would close the door, correct her, and try again. Upon managing the door with her still patiently sitting inside, I would give her the 'Come' command, "Saffy! Come!" And, she would then come towards me and I would praise and reward her. I found that if I praised her for staying before I gave the come command then she would often fall out of position thinking she had successfully completed the task. So, I tended to look her in the eye until I was ready for her to come and I gave the command.

Since then, I have additionally trained Saffy to 'sit-stay' for all of her meals at a minimum. This is an easy progression as meal time is a big reward worth working for. To do this I would prepare her food, leave it on the counter, look her in the eye and give the commands, "Saffy! Sit! Stay!" I would raise my right hand in the stop position to visually re-affirm my command. Once she was humbly sitting and looking at me I would begin to lower the bowl of food to the floor. If she moved from her position I would return the bowl to the counter and re-affirm my commands and hand signal. Once the food successfully reached the floor I would look at her and if she began to move I would re-affirm the command in a low tone of voice, "Stay!" She would return to her sitting position and if not I would lift the food back off the floor and if necessary up to the counter again until she returned to her seated position. After staying seated for an adequate amount of time I would give her my "Okay!" or "Come!" command and she was allowed to come and eat the food. This is her reward!

I have read of other ways of training the stay command using a long lead and progressively moving further away while circling the dog but I have not attempted this yet.