stay
/stā/ verb 1.remain in a specified state or position.
One of the most powerful tools your dog learns as a companion is when to move and when to stay. Ranking in the top five things clients request our help with; stay is an easy skill to teach and a hard skill to maintain. Why? Because to the dog, it is BORING.
Image the world where riding in a car or the confines of an airplane without your phone, a book, music or anyone to talk, too… very boring. Time feels excruciatingly slower when you have nothing to occupy your mind. That is the ticket to a “rock solid stay” with your best friend; minimal work for maximum reward and keep things interesting.
Let’s get started helping your dog build a simple foundation of what it means to be aware of your movements in relation to their movements. Most dogs are so focused on what they are doing that they don’t even notice what their human is doing. These games will help build a natural stay in your dogs behavior around and with you; this will allows us to build a more rigid “stay” in unusual or unnatural situations (ie, the grooming table, veterinarian office, stairwells, inside the front door. This will also go a long way toward building a “proximity stay” for off-leash situations like hiking, setting up a camp site.
“Stay” cue vs “Wait” cue
The cue “stay” to us is different than “wait”. It is up to you what cues you teach your dog – as long as you are consistent with your training, your dog will respond.
At Intelligent Canine:
"Stay" means freeze your body the best you can until we give further instruction.
For use in rigid situations like vehicle traffic, unknown off leash dog entering the area or you spot a moose on the hiking trail in front of you.
"Wait" is a less rigid request to stay within your current space - but you may choose to sit, down or move backwards within reason.
For use in less rigid situations like you are hauling in groceries with the front door ajar and you want your dog to remain inside, but they are free to do as they please.
Stay for a reason
safety
/ˈsāftē/ noun 1. something designed to prevent injury or damage
Every year and sometimes weekly, we hear of dogs being struck by cars in the City of Billings. This hazard alone, should be reason for you to watch and incorporate the following exercises in your daily engagement with your dog. You can practice these same patterns (with and without leashes) in all your vehicle doors, exterior and interior doors, garage doors, fence gates, etc. This is time well spent with dogs of all ages and with every human member of your family.