Dr. Dunbar’s 28-Day Good Dog Challenge

Stay-Delays

Day 10 · Praise now, reward a little later, and your dog learns to Stay.

Why Stay-Delays?

Many dogs, especially clicker-trained dogs, are like Whack-a-Moles. Ask for a simple Sit, and they’ll throw you a Sit-Down-Beg-Wave-Spin-Circle-Woof, a pirouette on their hind legs, a jump to lick your nose, and a Bow.

For companion dogs, yes, we want a rapid Sit or Down. But then we’d like the dog to calmly stay in that position: a reliable, solid Sit-Stay, Down-Stay, or Stand-Stay. And you can teach it simply by praising, and delaying the food reward.

Step by step

1. Mix up Sit, Down, and Stand in random order.
2. After each position change, count your praise in Good Dogs: “Good Dog One, Good Dog Two, Good Dog Three…” Then reward.
3. On each new try, add a few more Good Dogs before you give the food reward.
4. Keep track of your count, so you know your longest Stays. Once you get past 10 seconds, use a stopwatch, and thin out your praise.

Watch the quality of the Stay

The quality of a Stay changes as time goes by. Sometimes your dog is riveted on you. At other times they’re getting bored. And sometimes they sniff away, look away, and eventually, go away.

• Mega-praise those focused, riveting moments.
• If your dog even looks like they’re thinking about breaking the Stay, quickly re-instruct: “Sit!”

If that’s wrong, what’s right?

We assume dogs understand words like “No!” and “Bad dog!” But they’re very difficult concepts for a dog to learn. In my Sit Test, I show that even Obedience Trial Champions don’t fully understand the simplest of instructions, “Sit,” the way a child might.

And even when a reprimand does stop a behavior, it’s only part of the puzzle. Is your dog now acting exactly as you’d like? Or just frozen, not doing much of anything?

One softly spoken word, like Sit, Shush, Steady, Bed, Settle, Chew toy, or Outside, tells your dog two things: stop what you’re doing, and do this instead.

It works because the two can’t happen at the same time. Your dog can’t Sit and counter-surf. Or Sit and run out the front door. Or Sit and chase their tail, another dog, a cat, or a child. And a dog can’t Sit and jump up on you. See how simple it all is? Communication is the key.

Special tips

What’s next

• Tomorrow, Day 11, it’s Praise & Life Rewards: rewards far more powerful than food.
• Use it every day. Whenever your dog does something you don’t like, ask yourself what you’d like them to do instead, and tell them.

Filming tips and prizes: Videos and Prizes.