Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:32 am Post subject: How do I teach STAY please?...
Sorry for probably asking a really dumb question, but I have no idea how to train Tobes to STAY and WAIT. I know the difference between the two but don't even know where to start?...
He's well charged with the clicker and will SIT on my command about 60% of the time. We're currently working on DOWN using voice command though he'll do this with hand signals and a bit of work...I'm also working on STAND but not sure what this is used for and it's a bit tricky catching a 14 week old puppy standing completely still! hehe...
I only use WAIT with Pheebs and the way I began to teach it was to stand with Pheebs sat in front of me, put the palm of my hand in front of her face and say WAIT then take a step back, then step forward and say wait, goooood wait and treat. Then increasing the distance over the weeks so I could be stood across the room from her then a whole field.
Having said all that, I'm experiencing a different problem with her now, in that she needs constant reminder that she is in the WAIT position
Put Tobes in a sit in front of you and have a big handful of larger treats that he won't just wolf straight down in a second. Keep giving him a treat whilst he's sitting still with his bum still firmly on the ground, but start moving round him. At first just keep moving from one foot to the other, then gradually start taking half a step back, and forth treating him whilst he remains where you want him. Gradually introduce your command for STAY, once you've got him doing what you want and this is really important, not before. First few times you do this don't be afraid to really let him have lots of treats to get the behaviour and command association, then gradually start backing further and further away and giving him fewer treats.
Just keep making it harder and harder for him, turning your back on him, walking further away - a favourite with our trainer is making you hop on one leg away! They soon get it.
You can teach wait in a similar way, but personally I use this whilst they're in a stand and for short periods (i.e WAIT, whilst I sort your lead out, open a door etc).
Best of luck - you can do so much with them when they've got this one.
Thansk guys...am gonna review all these and have a go with Toby later ...
I was also wondering how to get him to perfect the SIT command? He does this if I'm near him and is pretty good about it but how do I get him to SIT when he's across the room and distracted by something? Is there anything I need to do to train him to do this or should it just come with more practice?...
sit at a distance is tricky. it might be an idea to teach a hand signal. we use a raised arm at 45 degrees in front for sit and straight out to the side for down. but stopping them coming up to you before they sit/down is proving fun for us. I start with a close up sit and as I take a few steps backwards I say down and I stop moving backwards. this is working (slowly) so I guess I’ll just increase the distance until Ella learns that the command means sit/down where you are rather than come here and sit/down. once she’s down a wait a few seconds before I return to her with a click/treat. I guess outside you could use a peg so they cant return to you. there are some that say you can use stay and wait to do the same thing and others that say to use them separately. I use wait for doorways and the car etc when shes going to remain close to me and stay to mean stay there until the next instruction. this may be me going to her or a recall or a down or a release to do what she wants. I would teach stay to start with and once he's got that 100% teach the wait is you wish. I’m far from an expert so its probably best to get a book or google around a bit to find the best method for you. Or wait for a more experience LF member to give some advice.
hmmm thanks again for your comments. I had read in a previous post (possibly from John???) about using different hand signals for WAIT and STAY i.e. one finger for WAIT and a palm up for STAY. But yes, I definitely think I need to get him STAYING with a palm up everytime before I introduce WAIT.
I must say that if I make a fist and move it down then he will generally sit but has to be quite close to me to do this. I may try and improve this to a long distance hand signal. Not sure if I need him to SIT from a distance when we're out and about, that would be more of a DOWN I think, it woudl just be good for him to SIT when I said so, wherever he is I think. Does that make sense?...
I've started working on the "Stand" too, after first teaching the sit and drop. I'm with you on this one, finding it hard to get a puppy to stand still! But I click and treat her as soon as she is on all fours, by bringing the treat towards me (away from her) as she's in a sit position. She keeps trying to nab the treat but I hold it tight in my fist and won't release until she stops trying to get at it. I guess it's making it harder trying to do 2 things at once, getting her to stand AND not to munch my hand for the treat! This is the only time she does it though, and it's actually quite soft.
I'm still learning myself, but what I find is working for Ruby is starting in the sit position for both stay and wait. Then for a stay, I hold my whole hand up to her, palm towards her, say "stay", and take steps away from her, then return, click, and treat. I find I still have to repeat the verbal command a few times, but I'm starting to step out of the room for a few seconds in the stay so I think that's progress.
For the wait, I hold 1 finger up to her (as if to say "back in 1 min!" hehe), say "wait", walk away, then I give her her next command. So far I'm using the wait for her dinner followed by the command she can take it, for waiting at the door before she is allowed through with the command come, and with me walking a bit of a distance away from her and calling her to come.
Is very hard to do with my other dog distracting her, but I guess if she can overcome the distraction at home then hopefully outsides distractions won't be as distracting
Best of luck, Michelle! What I'm doing may very well be wrong, but it's so far working
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