There are a few basic puppy commands that your dog should know, including: sit, stay and come. Teaching your bullterrier puppies how to stay can prove to be a little more challenging than some of the other commands. Nevertheless, it is just as important that your puppy know how to stay as it is to come. Knowing the cue for stay can prevent your puppy from getting into a dangerous situation, along with allowing you to accomplish necessary tasks without having your puppy underfoot.
A successful “stay” occurs when your puppy is instructed to stay and remains in the original position until instructed to do otherwise. So, how do you train your puppy to stay when told to do so? Here are a few tips and basic instructions for teaching your puppy to stay.
- Start by only asking your puppy to “stay” for 1-2 seconds, gradually working up to several minutes at a time.
- Try to spend around 5-10 minutes a day, 2-3 times a day to get your puppy familiar with the new command.
- You’ll need to be sure you have a dog collar, extra-long leash, and training treats
- Your dog will also need to know and be familiar with the cues for sit/down.
With the necessary supplies and previous training, you are ready to begin training your dog to stay when commanded. You’ll want to be sure that the collar and leash are already on your dog before you begin, once this is done you are ready to follow these steps and teach your puppy to stay!
- Command your puppy to sit or lie down. This is especially crucial if your puppy is overly excited, as you’re more likely to have success if they start in the down position.
- Say “stay” in a firm and clear voice while holding your hand up, palm out (as if you are making the motion to “stop”).
- If your dog doesn’t move after giving the command, reward with a treat and praise.
- Release your dog from the stay position by saying “okay” and encouraging them to move.
- Once again, instruct your puppy to sit or lie down and reward with praise once they comply.
- Give the command to stay again with the hand motion, while simultaneously taking a step or two away from your puppy.
- If your puppy stays, reward with a treat and praise. If they move, start over from step 1.
- After rewarding your puppy, release them by saying “okay” and encouraging them to move.
- Repeat this process 5-6 times, gradually increasing your distance and time period between the two commands “stay” and “okay”.
- Once your puppy is able to stay when commanded for 30 seconds or more, gradually introduce distractions and increase the distance, including leaving their line of sight during the stay.
Teaching your new bullterrier puppies to stay upon command is not an impossible task, just one that will require time and dedication on your part. Make sure that you are adequately rewarding your puppy every time they stay with treats of their liking and praise. Before you know it, you will have a puppy that will know how to “sit”, “stay”, “come” and “lie down” on command!
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