TRAINING RESOURCES
Basic Obedience

Stay

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WHAT YOU WILL NEED

TREAT POUCH

A treat pouch is a great way to make sure you have treats when you need them. Leave it next to your leash and you will be set!

TRAINING TREATS

Bocce’s Bakery Training Bites are quite small, but suitable for any sized dog. Generally these do not need to be broken into smaller pieces.

COLLAR

Any collar that doesn’t tighten is appropriate for everyday wear. This collar is what I use for most of my dogs in training.

LEASH

A good 4-6ft leash is a staple in dog training. Leather leashes are much gentler on the hands than most other materials.

NOTE: All products have affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission on each item purchased from the links. I appreciate your support and wish you happy training!

OVERVIEW

Initially we will teach the “stay” command is an extension of the “sit” cue, so if you haven’t nailed that one yet, hop on over to the lesson on teaching “sit.”

“Stay” is your dog’s signal to hold whatever position they’re in until you give them the release word, “break.” A common mistake is to practice “stay” by walking away and then calling your dog to you. This approach actually undermines the command because you’re rewarding your dog for breaking the stay, not for holding it. Here, we’ll focus on teaching “stay” from a “sit,” but feel free to mix in some “down” stays as your dog progresses.

One quick note: No clickers for this one! The clicker tends to get dogs excited, which is the opposite of what we want for “stay.”

PHASE 1: TEACH THE BEHAVIOR

When teaching “stay,” your body language is key. You’ll want to stand upright and a bit rigid to avoid accidentally encouraging your dog to get up.

  1. Start with your dog in a seated position. Stand straight in front of them.

  2. Pause for a second—literally just one second—and if your dog doesn’t move, immediately reward them with a treat.

  3. Repeat this several times. Don’t worry about locking eyes with your dog; it’s okay if they look around. The goal is for them to stay put, not stare at you.

  4. Say “break” to release your dog and take a step back to invite them to move. Never give a treat for the “break” cue.

  5. Continue practicing until your dog can consistently hold the position for five seconds with you standing in front of them.

PHASE 2: SOLIDIFY THE HAND CUE

Now, let’s introduce the hand cue.

  1. Stand in front of your seated dog as before. This time, stand straight and show them a flat, empty palm—think of a crossing guard stopping traffic. This is your hand signal for “stay.”

  2. If your dog holds the position for one second, reward them. Work back up to five seconds over several sessions.

  3. Keep your hand empty. No treats in your hand during the hand signal. Your dog should focus on the signal, not the food.

  4. Keep the initial stays short. We’re talking one or two seconds at first, then immediately reward them. We’re aiming for success, not testing their endurance.

  5. Start adding slight movement. Take a small step back, then return to your original position and reward them. Gradually introduce more movement as they get better.

PHASE 3: TEACH THE VERBAL CUE

Once your dog is solid with the hand signal, it’s time to add the verbal cue.

  1. Start as usual. Get your dog into a “sit.”

  2. Say “stay” and then give the hand cue. Reward them for holding the position.

  3. Practice over time. Your dog will begin to associate the word “stay” with the hand signal and the behavior.

PHASE 4: SELECTIVE REINFORCEMENT

Now that your dog is consistently staying, you can start to be a little pickier about when you reward them.

  1. Reward only the best stays. Over time, you can reduce the rate of reinforcement as your dog becomes more reliable.

  2. Keep it up. Continue practicing in different situations, gradually increasing the difficulty with distance, duration, and distractions.

With these steps, your dog will learn to stay put when needed and understand that “break” means they’re free to move.