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BPO Training Forum => Behavior, Housebreaking, Obedience => : Ursa December 27, 2008, 04:41:33 PM

: Any advice on teaching "stand"?
: Ursa December 27, 2008, 04:41:33 PM
Ursa is really struggling with this command.  She'll do it if you put the treat directly in front of her nose and slowly pull it away from her but I can tell she doesn't "get it".  If there's no treat, she tries everything she knows to do in response to the stand command - sit, down etc.  That tells me that she knows she's supposed to do something but she's not exactly sure what!

Anyone have any suggestions on how to help her get past this?  Needless to say, we can't work on stand-stay (which is what we're supposed to be working on in class) if we can't get a reliable response to stand. 

: Re: Any advice on teaching "stand"?
: People Whisperer December 27, 2008, 05:20:36 PM
It's our FAV  ;D
No many treats needed to teach it as pyrs like being still
I tought Lily this way: like in conformation I would stack her in a comfortable position without putting legs too far and pet her belly while she was standing. I kept repeating "stand" after 5-10 seconds I would walk run away as she is following and give her a treat. You should teach "stay" separately. If she knows sit-stay and down-stay and will do stand-stay ones she knows what it is.
If this doesn't work you can always teach it from "sit". Make her sit without showing a treat (I assume she knows it so she doesn't need too much rewarding for that) and then swing your hand with a treat and extend it parallel to the floor away from your body...she will stand up for that :)
Let me know if it works  :) :-*
: Re: Any advice on teaching "stand"?
: Ursa December 27, 2008, 06:05:58 PM
I use "all done" to release Ursa when she's successfuly completed a command.  Basically I back up a bit and spread my hands out at my sides.  Will this work to release her in the same way as walking her out of the stand will?

When she seems confused about what to do (not when she's choosing not to cooperate) I tend to drop back and work on material that's easier for her. I think of the basic commands as warm up exercises for her.  Once she's warmed up and in work mode I go back to trying the more difficult commands.  I've noticed that I'm the only one in class who does this though so I wonder - am I just adding to her confusion? 
: Re: Any advice on teaching "stand"?
: Ursa December 28, 2008, 02:28:55 AM
That explains a lot!  I wondered if I was encouraging her to give up and it looks like I have been.  Time for a change of tactics.