Dog Training - Teaching Rover To Stay!
Teaching the pup to stay after he's learned to sit at your command is a natural step. The combination of sit-stay is one that will help keep your dog out of trouble or possibly save his life. See that he learns it.
Even though the pup can now sit without being restrained on the leash, snap on the leash while you are teaching him to stay. This will be a more difficult lesson, for the pup will want to move or race after you.
Hold the leash short in your left hand, give him the command or signal to sit, then follow with the command "Stay!" Show him the hand signal: palm of the right hand raised toward him. Keep repeating the command "Stay!" and at the same time emphasize the command by pushing your palm at the dog.
After the pup is staying (even though you are still very close to him), you can advance the lesson. Back away a few steps, give the command and hand signal, and hold him in position with the leash.
Remember, the further away you move, the more eager the pup will be to go to you. Hold him in place with the leash, repeating the command and hand signal. Give him some praise.
Once you have him staying a few feet from you, the next move is to increase the distance between you and the pup. Move backward to the end of the leash. Give him the command to stay and reinforce it with the hand signal.
If he breaks out of the sitting position and dashes over to you, reprimand him, give him a pat on the head, and take him back and start over again.
Gradually increase the distance between you and the dog. In a few weeks, you will be able to leave him and go out of sight. This will be the supreme test; if he sits and stays when you are out of his sight, he rates plenty of praise!