Train Your Dog To Stay | RSPCA

Skip to Main Content

Find a Pet

• Find a Pet
  • Rehoming and Adoption
  • Fostering

• Useful Links
  • Advice for Adopters
  • Pet Care
  • Pet Insurance

• Sponsorship
  • Dog Kennels
  • Cat Pods

• Favourites

Advice and Welfare

• Pets
  • Cats
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Rabbits
  • See more

• Farm Animals
  • Beef Cattle
  • Dairy Cows
  • Farmed Fish
  • Laying Hens
  • Meat Chickens
  • See more

• Wildlife
  • Badgers
  • Birds
  • Deer
  • Foxes
  • Hedgehogs
  • See more

• Seasonal Advice
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter
• Cost-of-Living Support
• All Advice and Welfare

Ways to Give

• Donate
  • Gift Aid
  • Giving Monthly
  • Gift in Wills
  • In Memory
  • Payroll Giving
  • Philanthropy
  • Advice for donors

• Gift in Wills
  • Request a Gift in Will Guide
  • Step-by-Step Advice
  • Free Will-Writing Service
  • Information for Executors
  • FAQs

• Sponsorship
  • Dog Kennels
  • Cat Pods

• Lottery & Raffle
• Advice for Donors
• SMS Donations

Get Involved

• Fundraise
  • Find an event
  • Ideas and Resources
  • Young Fundraisers
  • Fundraising Pack

• Volunteer
  • Big Help Out
  • Types of Roles
  • Volunteers' week
  • Volunteering with Us

• Businesses
• Events
• Lottery & Raffle
• Membership
• Young People
• Pet Insurance

What We Do

• End Cruelty
  • Change the Law
  • International Work
  • Investigate Cruelty
  • Prevent Suffering
  • Prosecution
  • Rescue Animals

• Care For Animals
  • Financial Assistance
  • Home for Life
  • Rehabilitation
  • Release
  • Wildlife Centres
  • Veterinary Care

• Who We Are
  • Branches
  • Executives
  • Governance
  • History

• Education
• How We Work
• Latest
• Strategy to 2030
• Press and Media

Other

• Find a Pet
• Advice and Welfare
• Ways to Give
• Get Involved
• What We Do
• Search
• My RSPCA
• Report a concern
• Gift in Wills
• Colour mode Vivid Calm

• Shop
• Next Gen
• Education

Main menu Find a Pet

• Find a Pet
• Useful Links
• Sponsorship
• Favourites

Find a Pet Find a Pet

• Rehoming and Adoption
• Fostering

Find a Pet Useful Links

• Advice for Adopters
• Pet Care
• Pet Insurance

Find a Pet Sponsorship

• Dog Kennels
• Cat Pods

Main menu Advice and Welfare

• Pets
• Farm Animals
• Wildlife
• Seasonal Advice
• Cost-of-Living Support
• All Advice and Welfare

Advice and Welfare Pets

• Cats
• Dogs
• Horses
• Rabbits
• See More

Advice and Welfare Farm Animals

• Beef Cattle
• Dairy Cows
• Farmed Fish
• Laying Hens
• Meat Chickens
• See More

Advice and Welfare Wildlife

• Badgers
• Birds
• Deer
• Foxes
• Hedgehogs
• See More

Advice and Welfare Seasonal Advice

• Spring
• Summer
• Autumn
• Winter

Main menu Ways to Give

• Donate
• Gift in Wills
• Sponsorship
• Lottery & Raffle
• Advice for Donors
• SMS Donations

Ways to Give Donate

• Gift Aid
• Giving Monthly
• Gift in Wills
• In Memory
• Payroll Giving
• Philanthropy
• Advice for donors

Ways to Give Gift in Wills

• Request a Gift in Will Guide
• Step-by-Step Advice
• Free Will-Writing Service
• Information for Executors
• FAQs

Ways to Give Sponsorship

• Dog Kennels
• Cat Pods

Main menu Get Involved

• Fundraise
• Volunteer
• Businesses
• Events
• Lottery & Raffle
• Membership
• Young People
• Pet Insurance

Get Involved Fundraise

• Find an event
• Ideas and Resources
• Young Fundraisers
• Fundraising Pack

Get Involved Volunteer

• Big Help Out
• Types of Roles
• Volunteers' week
• Volunteering with Us

Main menu What We Do

• End Cruelty
• Care For Animals
• Who We Are
• Education
• How We Work
• Latest
• Strategy to 2030
• Press and Media

What We Do End Cruelty

• Change the Law
• International Work
• Investigate Cruelty
• Prevent Suffering
• Prosecution
• Rescue Animals

What We Do Care For Animals

• Financial Assistance
• Home for Life
• Rehabilitation
• Release
• Wildlife Centres
• Veterinary Care

What We Do Who We Are

• Branches
• Executives
• Governance
• History

1. Home
2. Advice and welfare
3. Pets
4. Dogs
5. Training your dog
6. Stay

Training your Dog How to train a dog to stay

Training your dog to 'wait' or 'stay' is simple and can be really handy for keeping your dog safe - for example, asking them to stay in the back of the car while you clip a lead onto their collar. You'll need your dog to be well practised at lying down on command before moving on to 'stay'.

A six-step guide to teaching a dog to stay

1. Ask your dog to lie down.
2. Give your dog a hand signal - for example, a 'stop' sign with the palm of your hand facing your dog.
3. Instead of giving your dog the treat straightaway, wait a few seconds. Say 'stay' and then give it to them. It's important to reward your dog while they're still lying down, and not if they've got back up.
4. Practise this many times in short but regular sessions, gradually increasing the length of time your dog stays in the down position.
5. Next, you can start to increase the distance between you and your dog. Start by only taking one step back before giving them the reward, and then slowly and gradually increase the distance.
6. Practise in lots of different places - around the house, in the garden, at a friend's house and in the local park.

Extra tips

• It's important to gradually extend the time you want your dog to stay. Practise regularly and increase the time by a few seconds each time.
• Look out for signs that your dog is going to break the 'stay' and reward him before he does - set him up to win rather than fail.
• You can also teach your dog to stay in a 'sit' position. Follow the steps above, but start by asking your dog to sit.

Find out more

How to train your dog to lie down

Teach your dog to lie down in six easy steps.

How to train your dog to come when called

Teaching your dog to come to you in six easy steps.

How to train your dog to walk nicely on the lead

Teach your dog to walk without pulling on the lead.

Hidden