Houston dog trainer shows how to teach your dog to ‘stay’ on command

HOUSTON – During the holidays, many dog owners decide to keep their pets the backyard or in a crate while entertaining guests, because they say it’s hard to keep their dogs away from all the action.

But puppy expert and owner of Believe in Dog Training, Stephanie Bennett, shares a simple solution to give your dog boundaries.

“We are going to teach them how to stay on the place. ‘Place’ means place, until I tell you otherwise. So, the stay is implied. Now, the important thing is to tell them when the job starts, which is when we say ‘place.’ And then, when the job is over, which we say ‘free,’” said Bennett, who explained the different levels to teach “place” to dogs.

“In you house, when you’re practicing and there’s nobody around; that’s preschool. When you’re at your Thanksgiving dinner and there’s guest and all that; that’s college. That’s the big deal. Make sure you don’t skip grades and expect too much, too soon,” said Bennett, who demonstrated great tips to start training dogs.

1. Start with an elevated bed to speed up the process as the boundaries are very clear.

“The picture of ‘place’ for the dog, is four feet on the bed. The only thing that’s against the rules is touching any of their paw pads to the floor. They can sit, lie down, or stand on their head, just as long as they don’t get off the boundary,” said Bennett.

2. Set small goals as you slowly add distraction, distance and duration, and reward your dog with a tiny treat for success.

“When they’re learning something new, treats all the time. When they get good at it, more advance, you don’t have to give them treats all the time,” said Bennett.

3. Give your dog constant feedback when they’re doing it right or wrong. But feedback must be immediate.

“If your dog breaks, mark the exact moment his foot touched the ground with an ‘uh-huh’. ‘Uh-huh’ means, try again. Keep telling him when he’s doing it right with a ‘good boy’. When four feet get on the bed, mark it,” she said.

To see Bennett’s complete interview, watch the video above.

And to see Derrick Shore following Bennett’s training tips, watch the video below.