Canine Behavior Training
Seize the Leash
Attend a class designed for dogs that are difficult in normal group classes, that bark, lunge, become excited, reactive or aggressive towards other dogs or people or just shuts down. This class is des...
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Seize the Leash and tighten the bonds you have with your faithful canine companion. With some effort and patience, you can address your dog's behavior problems with basic dog behavior training, and keep your dog where she belongs-with you. Fill out our Training Services form and get started today!! Tiny Tyrants Behavior Class Puppy Basics Advanced Behavior Training Sign up for our newsletter. You’ll receive training tips and many more special features which are only offered through our newsletter! The Best Walking Partner Ask The Trainer at Tucson Cold Wet Noses Rescue
How to Get Your Dog to Stay There are three different positions for ‘stay’ – sit stay, down stay, and stand stay. Sit stay is used to keep your dog from running out the door or jumping on a visitor at the door, when your dog is meeting another person or dog, or if your dog is loose outside and you need to approach her. Down stay is used any time you need your dog to stay in a particular place for more than five minutes. It can be used for 30 minutes or more once your dog does it reliably. Stand stay is used primarily when your dog needs to be examined by the vet. The Sit Stay Start teaching ‘sit stay’ by teaching ‘sit.’ When you say ‘sit,’ your dog should sit with its right shoulder next to your left leg. If she does not, pull up on her choke collar sharply. At the same time, reinforce this by pressing down on her rear end. On larger dogs, you may have to pull up and slightly back to pull their front feet slightly off the ground and throw their weight to the back. Once your dog is sitting, you can give the ‘stay’ command. It is usually given both as a command and a hand signal. The hand signal for ‘stay’ – no matter what position the dog is in – is the open hand, fingers together, palm facing the dog, in front of the dog’s face. The first few times you give the stay command, you will only step in front of the dog, holding onto the leash. If your dog starts to get up, you will have the leash up fairly close to the dog’s neck and can pull sharply up and back to throw the dog back into a sitting position. At the same time, say, “No, Annie. Sit.” Then give the ‘stay’ command and hand signal again. “Stay.” After 10-15 seconds, still holding the leash close to the dog’s neck so that you have complete control, step to your right and walk around your dog until you get back to the heel position. Wait a couple of seconds and then free your dog and give lots of praise. You can even give a treat at that time. After doing this a couple of times a day for 3-4 days, try stepping back from the dog’s nose a step or two while the dog stays. Once the dog stays in the sitting position for you to be a couple of steps away, start going to the end of the 6-foot leash. Continue this for several days. Start lengthening the amount of time your dog stays until it is 3 minutes. Don’t forget lots of praise. Do not praise your dog while she is in a ‘stay’ because that often encourages them to be excited and get up and come to you or run around. If your dog does get up during her ‘stay,’ walk over to her, take the leash and say “No”. Use the leash and your hand if necessary to put her back into a ‘sit’ in the very same place. Once she is sitting, repeat ‘stay’ and walk to the end of the leash again. Once your dog stays reliably for 3 or more minutes, vary the amount of time your dog is on a ‘sit stay’ so that the dog does not anticipate that it is about time to be free. Sometimes do it for 2 minutes, then one day do it for only 20 seconds but do it three different times during the day. Another time do it for 5 minutes. At that point, you need to practice inside the house or garage or in a fenced area. You will now drop the leash and take two more steps backwards for the three minutes of the ‘stay.’ Eventually you should be able to take the leash off and walk 30 feet away and your dog will stay until you return and ‘free’ him. You can continue to practice this until your dog will stay when you are out of sight. An adult dog should be able to ‘stay’ on a ‘sit’ or ‘down’ for 30 minutes with you out of sight. I know that sounds like a lot and most of us have no need for our dogs to do that, so that is not necessarily our goal, but it is not an unreasonable expectation. The Down Stay The hardest part of teaching ‘down stay’ is teaching ‘down.’ Whatever method you use to teach ‘down’, do not let this become a battle of the wills. If your dog fights lying down for you, you cannot let him win. You must continue to win each time or your dog will test you in other areas and become Alpha over you instead of your being the Alpha. Start with the dog in the ‘sit’ position. Then without using the dog’s name, simply say firmly, ‘Down.’ The simplest method is to pull down sharply on the leash and press on the dog’s shoulders as you say ‘down.’ If that does not work, kneel next to your dog. Put your left arm over the dog and take his left front leg in your left hand. Take his right front leg with your right hand. Your thumbs should be down and your hands should be slightly below his elbows. Lift his front legs slightly off the ground and push them somewhat out in front of him. Reassure him that he is okay. Then say “Down” as you use your left elbow or forearm (with smaller dogs) to tip his rear end off-balance. I know this sounds hard to do all at once, but it isn’t that hard unless your dog is really large. Once he is lying down, hold him here and say “good down” and “good boy” in a reassuring or praising voice several times. After a few seconds, say “sit” and allow him to sit. Praise him and give him a treat! If you have had to use this method, you will have to use it several times to really teach the ‘down’ command. Each time, try releasing a different body part. First take your left hand off his left paw once he is down. Keep your elbow on his back though. If that works, release both paws next time, but keep your arm or elbow on his back. Once that works, release his paws and use your left hand instead of your elbow on his back. At that point you are ready to start standing up in stages. If at any point, he starts getting up or struggling with you, go back to whichever stage he laid quietly and do that a few more times before trying to progress again. ‘Down’ is the most often mis-used command with dogs. People use ‘down’ to mean ‘lie down’. They also use it to mean ‘don’t jump on people’ and they use it to mean ‘get off the furniture.’ For dogs, one word needs to be used to mean one thing and only one thing. Otherwise the dog becomes confused and never obeys any of the meanings of the command. All trainers use the ‘down’ command to mean ‘lie down’ so this is the way I recommend you use it. Use ‘floor’ or some other command to mean ‘don’t jump on people.’ Use ‘off’ or another command to mean ‘get off the furniture.’ You will teach the ‘down stay’ very much as you taught the ‘sit stay.’ Once your dog stays down without your holding him down, walk to the front of his nose, holding the leash. Follow the same steps in lengthening the time and the distance you can be away from your dog. The Stand Stay The ‘stand’ is a bit different to teach. You start from a heel and before you stop, you give the command of ‘stand.’ Pull slightly forward on the leash and put your hand under your dog’s belly. At the same time, say ‘stand.’ ‘Stand stay’ is usually not taught as a timed ‘stay’ but is one in which another person comes over and touches your dog or examines your dog. Once you can get your dog to stand on command, use the ‘stay’ command and hand signal and go to the front of your dog. The first few times you give the stay command, you will only step in front of the dog, holding onto the leash. If your dog moves, you can use the leash to keep him in place. Go back and put your dog into a stand by starting with heeling. Before leaving your dog, bring the leash along one side. Hold it near the dog’s rump with one hand and take the rest of the leash over the top of the dog and around the belly and then up through the part you are holding. Now stand next to the dog with this leash loosely around the dog. At the same time, say, “No, Annie. Stand.” Then give the ‘stay’ command and hand signal again. “Stay.” After 10-15 seconds, still holding the leash, step to your right and walk around your dog until you get back to the heel position. Wait a couple of seconds, say ‘heel’ and walk a couple of steps so your dog can sit, and then free your dog and give lots of praise. You can even give a treat at that time. After doing this a couple of times a day for 3-4 days, try stepping back from the dog’s nose a step or two while the dog stays. Once the dog stays in the standing position for you to be a couple of steps away, start going to the end of the 6-foot leash. Now you are ready to ask someone else to come over and pet your dog or look at his teeth while he is in a ‘stand stay’ position. Your vet will love that your dog can do a ‘stand stay’ while he examines her.
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