How to train a stay without using words..

I really wish I had videoed this. I tell people not to label a behaviour until its fairly reliable. They get all confused and ask how you can do this with out using a word. Here is a recent example...

So I have been slacking big time. Kat had NO duration behaviours what so ever. Heck if you said sit and then didn't mark it fast enough she would run through her entire (albeit somewhat limited) repertoire.

She has a foundation in agility stuff and this year I want to do more, and we need duration (stay on contacts till released etc) I have taught stays to other high drive, high energy and extremely low impulse control types before. Its an effort in frustration for the first while. Kat reminds me soooo much of Zo in the regard, and I really had to get creative with Zo (I taught her to stay on a towel, then faded out the towel)

Now I really try to stay away from things you need to fade out. IME they cause more issues/time in the long run, and can create confusion. So I wanted to teach Kat a stay.

To try to explain what Kat is like.. Ever had a dog who offers behaviours at a million miles an hour? Leaps, shrieks and screams when ever she wants something that she can't immediately have (food, ball, out of her crate...) Is either all they way on, or all the way off. No moderation what so ever... (I LOVE her )

6 days less than 1 min a day we now have a solid down stay of about 30 seconds even with food on the ground. All trained with out me saying a word.

Day 1
All dogs locked up eating dinner. Kat loose in the kitchen. I am holding her bowl with dinner in it. I stand there holding it. She offers a down (if she didn't I would cue it.. but she offers EVERYTHING in the presence of food)

As long as she was down.. even if she was sliding backwards on her belly (the paws don't stop lol) I slowly lowered her bowl towards here. As soon as she popped up or offered something else the bowl lifted. As soon as I had 2 seconds of down (or two heartbeats, it wasn't very long at all) I gave her the bowl and walked away.

Day 2
Same deal, this time didn't lower the food if she was back peddling with her paws (but they could be twitching) no lowering for any roo'ing or shrieking...maybe 3 second stay.

Day 3
She sees the bowl and flings herself to the ground. No lowering if there is any movement other than her rapidly wagging tail. 5 seconds of still. I am quickly giving her the bowl once I have decided she has met my criteria, I don't want her thinking that popping up is what gets it. If I moved she would get up and flop down right in front of me.

Day 4
She belly flopped in front of Hubby in another room whilst he was eating. Hooray for dogs who generalize.
Stay of 5 seconds while the bowl gets close to the floor and I move around a bit.

Day 5
Start using a release word "OK". Bowl almost hits ground before I say "ok" She stays till I release her. I can move a bit and she stays put.

Day 6
Kat stays still on floor. Bowl gets set on floor. I remove hand from bowl, Kat stays in her down stay. I straighten up and say "OK"


So we went from screaming, leaping, offering lunatic of a dog in the presence of a goal, to a quiet still down stay in ~6 min of total training time.

Its not a true down stay yet. But now she she wants something her first response is down drop and stay put. Now all I need to do is label it and practise it elsewhere with a gradual increase in duration.

Called It's Yer Choice and impulse control, pretty common training method and use it all the time.

Glad Kat is picking up on it quickly and agree on the video -- would certainly help a lot of people.

That sort of thing helped Web and Mira as well when they were younger. Kim was either born with impulse control or learned it in the ditch. Actually Mira had good impulse control as a pup too but I had a good idea what kind of dog she could become, so used that sort of exercise often to keep that self control from degrading.

I'd agree except for that first part. That phrase is just one person's marketing label for it.

True, but one that is well known and easier use as an example bc of that

I use this a lot especially with new fosters and it is something I teach in all my puppy k and obedience classes.

Yes its a 'its your choice'. But very few pet people read Susan Garrett's stuff. Its just a good example of how to train without using the cue word until after its established. This has been asked a few times on chaz, so I thought I would post about it.

IME its easy to do, and doesn't need a label to make it 'cool' lol.

Now you just need to go back in time and make an educational video...lol

You could market it as "It's Your Choice!"

Correct spelling FTW

Awesome description, Dekka! I often have clients who are AWED by dogs that will wait patiently for their dinner. I would show them what you described in "Day 1" and, even in a class setting, the dogs usually get it in about 30 seconds (luckily most are not as high-drive as Kat ). I swear some of my clients think I'm magic.