[annrae]

hi
I really had a scare today with my dog. he is 1 yr old and i have been trying for months to teach the stay command. he is doing it in the house but when i really need him to, as when i go out the door, it turns into a battle everytime and today he got out in the yard and it took two people to finally get him. He , i think, thought it was a game. he kept getting into the play stance. Please give any suggestions on what to do and how i should deal with this behavior.


thank you
annrae

[opokki]

For reliability, you'll need to practice "stay" in a variety of locations beginning in low distraction areas, graudally working your way up to high distractions. Your yard might be a good place to pracitce and you can leash him if you need to.

Most dogs think a game of "catch me if you can" is great fun. Its best not to chase but to encourage the dog to chase you instead.
Have you worked on recalls with him at all? If not, you should start right away. A nice solid recall can be a life-saver. I practiced on a retractable leash first before actually going off-leash.

You might also find it useful to teach your dog to wait at the door until you release him to go through. This way you don't have to worry about him just darting out anytime the door opens.

[Curbside Prophet]

Yes, the "stay" command is very impotant for your dog's safety. And I think opokki touched on a point that's very important too, a good recall with "come". It sounds as though your dog hasn't quite mastered that one yet. And opokki is right, you'll want to move away from your dog to get it to come. I recommend turning your back to the dog, bending over, and clapping your hands down low when you say "come" and move slowly away. When you bend over, you're simulating a play bow, much like your dog was doing. This is usually enough to get your dog to approach you. And when he reaches you, give him a ton of praise and affection. Then let him play and try it again. Daily repetition is very important, but try to stop before your dog loses interest. As for stay, opokki mentioned building up distance and distraction. And it's very important that you do so slowly. If on the first day you can keep your dog at stay two feet away, call it a success. This is another command that you'll have to be diligent in repetition and practice. I like to train stay around feeding time, but the calmer your dog is, the better. And I do not like to use treats when teaching stay because I feel like it will make it difficult in future sessions...so I try to use praise, affection, and attention exclusively. Give the command "stay" with an outstretched open hand while your dog is in a sit or down position...the open hand makes for a good visual barrier, so you'll want to start when you're close to your dog before adding distance. If the dog should decide not to listen, ignore him until he has calmed down. You'll have to be patient too. So, if you're getting impatient, stop the lesson until you've calmed down enough to continue. Good luck!

[bigdawgs]

I might add to increase stay time gradually, and TIME it, so you know whether you are making progress. Begin with a minute and then release. Increase that by a minute every few days, then you can increase for several minutes at a time. Don't forget the release command, so ultimately your dog KNOWS he cannot move until you say so.

[Texas2]

Also it might help to leash your dog. Put him/her into position of sit or down with hand signal at the same time you are saying the verbal command. Then when dog sits step on the leash short so dog can't move. Wait only a moment and give treat, and praise heavly.

Using a clicker works wonder, in teaching new commands. The Clicker and treating along with prasing is usually the fastest way to teach new behaviours. As mentioned by others keep the lessons short, and add seconds for each stay or command. Then add more distractions as your dog is starting to get it. Always stop the lessons before your dog gets bored, so only work about 5 mins. per session JMO keeps your dog wanting more.

You will not have to continue the giving the treats. The high praise is sencondary for a reason. After awhile your dog will work just for it. So to make the praise more of a HIGH VALUE item NEVER give your dog anything without him/her having to work for it.

Teaching the "nothing for life is free" method "NILF" will help the dog to respect you and value the praise. The only thing your dog should get for free is a bowl of water. By making your dog to sit for loving, getting a bone, getting food, a toy, going for a walk, giong outside, you get the point.........he/she is earning it. JMO

Using a teaching lead for longer "stays" with more distractions and a distant "come" command is usually the best way to go.

Sorry for such a long reply, I tend to get carried away, you should see me shopping sometimes.