Teaching Your Dog to Stay
Read this lesson first, and then practice it with your dog.

1. First, load up your pocket (or a bag or pouch) with treats.

2. Take your dog to an area where there won’t be a lot of distractions.

3. If you’re right-handed, put a treat in your left hand (vice versa if you’re left-handed;
you want the treat in the hand you won’t be using for your hand signal).

4. Place yourself about two feet away from your dog.

5. Ask your dog to sit. As soon as she does, say “Stay” in a low, quiet voice and raise
your hand, palm open and facing her, in the universal “Stop” hand signal. Look directly
at your dog. Try not to move any other part of your body.

6. After a very brief pause of just 1 or 2 seconds, say “Good,” lean forward and give
your dog the treat from your other hand. Important: Make sure to quickly move the treat
all the way to her mouth so she’s not tempted to get up and move toward it.

7. While your dog is still eating her treat, release her by saying “Free” in a low, quiet
voice, and lean back away from her.

8. Important: Let your dog get up or do whatever she wants, but do NOT praise or
reward her for getting up. You want her to learn that the Stay action is the one that will
reap the rewards.

9. Repeat Steps 4-8. Be sure you don’t allow more than a couple of seconds to go by
before rewarding after giving the Stay command.

10. Repeat this process five times.