Getting your dog to stay, on command, is one of the fundamentals of teaching your dog other tricks. The dog has to be able to be still and pay attention to you for it to move on to bigger and better tricks like "shake hands", "play dead", "roll over", etc.

There are two types of "stay" behaviors that you want to see in your dog. There is what is called "stay for duration", and "stay for distance". Staying for duration trains the dog to stay in the same position for a certain amount of time. Staying for distance trains the dog to be still while you move away from the animal. They have to learn to stay for duration first.

It helps to have an environment that is free from distractions from the animal. Inside the house is best, and with no one else in the house, or at least in the room, to make distracting noises. You should even turn the TV or radio off first.

Before training the dog, you need to establish some kind of reward. Some trainers use a clicker to have a consistent sound that goes hand-in-hand with a reward of some kind, but you can also use a verbal command. Consistency is the key. When you issue the "good dog" statement, there should be no doubt that the dog is being rewarded.

Stay at eye-level with your dog. Begin by feeding the dog a treat, and giving the praise statement. Then, in one hand hold a treat back close to your chest, and use the other hand to make a signal of the palm facing the dog (like a policeman signaling "stop"). When you put your hand up, issue the command "stay", making eye contact, and in a commanding voice. Hold your hand there, while the dog stays. Start with a low count, in your head, to about three. Then reward the dog with a treat and your praise statement. Repeat the process, but increase the amount of time a little bit.

Keep in mind that training the dog to stay can save the dog's life. It is not so much a trick as it is the ability to control the dog. If the dog were to break loose and run into the street, it could get injured. Maintaining control over your pet can keep it out of trouble.

Linda - http://how.best-free-information.com - The "How" Blog