Puppy Training 101: Teach Your Puppy To Stay!

If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you’ve either already trained your puppy the “Place” and “Down” commands, or read our last blog! If you haven’t, head over to our “Puppy Training 101: How to Teach Your Puppy Confidence for the Real World!” blog to learn how to introduce your puppy to real-world situations plus these basic obedience commands!

The goal behind teaching your puppy “Stay” is to encourage your puppy to settle down on command. It can be easier for puppies to begin to learn the “Stay” command on an object that has a natural boundary like a dog bed or pet cot (which we use to teach the “Place” command), then transition to the floor, around the home, and eventually our in public. But it starts with slow increments, learning their initial basic obedience commands “Sit”, “Down”, and “Place”, then slowly increasing the duration your puppy stays in their spot. Now your puppy is ready for the next lesson and this one will definitely challenge their natural drive! And that’s the whole point!

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Teach “Stay” When Your Puppy is in “Sit” or “Down” Position

Let’s dive into teaching your puppy to “Stay!” For this command, you’ll also be utilizing your puppy’s “Place” which could be their pet cot, their bed, or blanket to name a few examples. Think of something that has a natural boundary to it, and being a bit elevated from the ground can help. Ask your puppy to go to their “Place” then follow up by asking them to “Sit” on their place. Once your puppy has completed these commands mark the correct behavior with “Good!” and reward them with food.

At this point, you’ll be introducing a hand signal (a flat hand held out in front of your puppy) and the new command, “Stay.” Again, mark the correct behavior with “Good!” and reward your puppy with food. Finally, release your puppy with “Break!” In the beginning, this routine will happen quickly and you’ll repeat it approximately five times in your training session before building in duration.

When it comes to training your puppy to stay while in the “Down” position, you’ll follow the same steps we mentioned above, with the exception you’ll ask for “Down” instead of “Sit”!

Troubleshoot Tips

Of course, reading through the steps of training your puppy “Stay” and the actual execution are two different things! Puppy training comes with its share of hiccups so don’t panic if your puppy seems like they aren’t getting it! There are a few troubleshooting tips that can help you solve common issues with teaching your puppy “Stay”.

1. First, control the environment as best you can! Before you start your training session, clear the area of distractions, and let your family know not to walk through, and pull your pup’s attention away from you.

2. Secondly, remember to keep your puppy on a leash when training. There’s a chance, especially with an excitable puppy, that they may want to wander mid training session! Having them on a leash will allow you to easily guide them back to their Place, or spot you'd like them to Stay.

3. Lastly, if your puppy does try to make a move to get up from “Stay”, take a step in towards them while you’re holding their leash. The act of you stepping closer to them can get them to settle back down into “Sit” or “Down” and refocus on you and what you’re asking of them

Tips for Teaching Advanced “Stay”