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BPO Training Forum => Behavior, Housebreaking, Obedience => : Viking Lady January 03, 2009, 05:16:42 AM

: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 03, 2009, 05:16:42 AM
I would like advice on how to train for a long stay. I can get Luke to stay for a short time. He will lie down, I walk away about twenty feet, turn around and say OK and he will run to me for a treat. We are still working on this.

HOWEVER.....I need to teach him to stay long enough to open the driveway gate and pull the car inside the gate. I don't have a clue.
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: People Whisperer January 03, 2009, 05:44:47 AM
In teaching STAY it is very important for a dog to learn that they only get rewarded when you get back to them and release them. That is why a lot of trainers use another command WAIT if you want for them to wait for you to call them.
I guess it would be better if you start teaching him from the real start  :-\ You can always find a special place where you want for him to wait while you pulling the car in and teach him there. After you make a significant progress without opening a gate you can tie him to something and say STAY and can start opening the gate to get your car in.  ;) :)
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: lookingfornewf January 03, 2009, 05:48:58 AM
practice, practice, practice, a little longer each time. For the gate thing I would have a spot he always waited in. You could work on having him stay while you are very close by and somebody else do the gate and pulls the car in just to get him used to it.
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: lorim2 January 03, 2009, 05:49:07 AM
Well when Lanie took here CGC test that was one thing we had to do.  It was the hardest thing for her too.  I had to walk twenty feet away from her and walk back with her in either a sit-stay or down-stay. I practiced nonstop at home doing this..in the LR...kitchen.. .whereever we were at I could put her in a sitstay.  I also used hand signals as a stay command because my instructor said I couldnt coach her verbally.  Although it was really hard for her, she finally got it...We still do it all the time...Repetit ion is the key!
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Ursa January 03, 2009, 06:52:53 AM
Same thing here.  We practice Stay a lot!  I can walk away from the dogs without much problem but the minute I turn to walk back they want to get up.  My practice now includes tricking them so they don't know when I'm going to turn.  I must say that my pirouettes are getting pretty good!
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 03, 2009, 07:32:26 AM
Thanks that's helpful already. As I picture all this, it appears it must become like a well choreographed dance. How in the world would it work with one person? With two people in the car, for instance, one would get out, unlock the gate and get him to stay somewhere, open the gate for the car and driver, close the gate, release the dog from stay. One person, the car stays in the driveway.

I have dug a DEEEEEEEEEP hole for myself.
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 03, 2009, 08:19:16 AM
OK Now I am confusing myself. Do I need two words for two different  behaviors? I am using STAY right now and then calling him to me. Should WAIT be used to stay and I come back to him and release him? I may be making this more complicated than it is.

: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: People Whisperer January 03, 2009, 08:31:22 AM
OK Now I am confusing myself. Do I need two words for two different  behaviors? I am using STAY right now and then calling him to me. Should WAIT be used to stay and I come back to him and release him? I may be making this more complicated than it is.

Not complicated at all  ;D You can use any other command that you are comfortable with such as FREEZE, PLACE (if he doesn't have one yet  :)), MELT (LOL!), or whatever you can come up to make it fun  :D
To get Lily to come in the house from a backyard fast we use BEER, just for fun  :D ::) :P
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: London_Pyr_Lover January 03, 2009, 08:32:53 AM
We also use Wait and Stay.  Wait is for when I need Naja to stick to one spot then come to me when called; stay is for when she has to stay put until I come to her and release her.  We've been working on it constantly since she was a wee pup, and she still picks and chooses the moment when she wants to listen.  ::)

If I were in your situation I'd use stay, so that Luke has to wait for you to come to him to be released, so that means after you've opened the gate, parked the car, and then closed the gate again.  Using a short lead to keep him in one spot I think would help alot with this.  And always lots of praise and lovins when you come to release him!  :D

Good luck!  It's gonna take alot of work, patience and time, but he'll get it!   ;) :D
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: yellow_dog_mom January 03, 2009, 03:27:08 PM
 ;D And now a word from our sponsor ;D

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I love Luke's  ;D personal hygiene brushing his teeth picture! ;D

 ;D I had to thread break..but it was for a good clean cause!  ;D
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 04, 2009, 06:16:06 PM
Thanks to all of you for your help. This last post being so specific helped me picture a location to make him stay and each movement to practice. You guys are good!

I know now that I will need to tether him to something when we get to the part where I move my car. In the last week he has had two visits from the boxer across the street, the little old terrior next door and witnessed  his new friend the 5 year old Pyr and a dalmation walking by. He has made two more escapes through the gate, the last one this morning when the Pyr went by. Tonight I went out twice to secure the gate with a bungie cord until bedtime, when I hope he will come inside to sleep. He doesn't seem to want to sleep inside at night. He scratches at the door to go out.

Anyway, my point was, he is alot more anxious to get out of the fence now because he is meeting all these friends. So I am sure I need to secure him when I first start moving the car in. I am hoping some walks with some of these people and their dogs will help but it might make it worse.

Now I need to get a new leash and collar. I guess I will get a cinch(?) collar. Don't know what kind of leash.
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: lookingfornewf January 05, 2009, 02:50:35 AM
Just responding about leashes. Clifford has lots of leashes. After many many walks my favorite leash has become one that is only about 24 inches long from Petsmart. It's long enough he can still sniff the ground but short enough for me to keep control. I have another one that is just the handle part that is good for taking him in Petsmart and such because he has to stay real close. I have a 6 foot which is good for walks at the park or beach when I want to give him more room to investigate. I also have a 25 foot I use on my Jack Russel for park walks. I tried it once on Clifford, it's the only time he pulled me off my feet. At the beach he went running after another dog and with that much leash to gain momentum pulled me right down. I've also found I only like thicker leashes that are double thickness. The thinner ones hurt my hand if he pulls. Enjoy your walks.
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 05, 2009, 05:17:58 AM
What kind of collar does Clifford have?
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: People Whisperer January 05, 2009, 05:21:45 AM
What kind of collar does Clifford have?
What kind of collar do you use for him now?
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: lookingfornewf January 05, 2009, 04:09:37 PM
Clifford has a harness I use sometimes and a collar that is part choke chain, part regular collar so it can't go too tight. I"m not sure which I prefer. He can slip out of a regular collar. I have never used a prong collar on him, I know others here use them. I am heavy (fat ;D) and strong so can hold him when he wants to pull. He walks very well after much practice, but still pulls when he sees another dog. He's 16 months old now so still has lots of puppy energy.
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 05, 2009, 04:43:53 PM
I think a prong collar is what I meant when I said someone told me that's what I needed. I probably called it something else. Luke slipped out of his collar the first time I put it on him so I haven't used it again. The only thing I have now is a nylon leash, like the ones at the vet, which has worked well up until now. It's loose while we walk but tightens if he pulls. I don't think it's strong enough anymore. I'm large  ;D :'( too, but I have a knee that isn't real cooperative at times. I tend to twist it, or HE leans on me all the time. Ow!
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Tonda January 06, 2009, 11:17:09 AM
Slag is a dreadful puller, but we're having good luck with one of those sensation harnesses (the kind where the leash attaches in the front, over the chest). My sister took her for a walk on Sunday and reported there was zero pulling!
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 07, 2009, 04:26:58 AM
How easily can I slip him into a harness?
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: lookingfornewf January 07, 2009, 11:59:54 AM
If he loves his walks as much as Clifford and Annie do getting him into the harness should be no problem as soon as he knows what it is for. Otherwise go slow with lots of praise and treats. Start by him just smelling it so he knows it's a good thing. Clifford will see his harness and wait for me to put it on and lift his paw when I tell him to. And then half the time we do it over cause I've done something backwards putting it on. ;D I do use a regular harness with the clip on the back. He can still pull, but can't slip it and I can grab hold of it to pull him back versus the collar pulling on his neck. IT doesn't slow him down it just gives me more control. It will take trying different things to see what works for you that is why we have a variety of different leashes and collars at our house. By the way, I have failed with Annie, bought everything out there and she still pulls. If my husband walks her (he does not correct her) she pulls and gags the whole time and doesn't care. I doubt even a prong collar would work on her, she's kind of stubborn. ::)
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Tonda January 07, 2009, 12:09:22 PM
Have you tried the sensation-type harness? With the leash attached at their chest, if they pull they either just end up facing you or falling over. They learn pretty quickly not to pull.
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 07, 2009, 12:10:44 PM
hehe Little Annie does that?!? My husbands dog was a miniature pincher and he was so horrible we stopped trying to walk him cuz it was so embarrassing. As soon as we put a leash on he would start running in circles and turning flips in the air.

Luke didn't pull too bad but I think he will be a puller. He is seeing so much more in the neighborhood now. Dogs and their walkers are coming out of the woodwork! (that doesn't make sense)I think when I get him back out there now he's going to wanna make tracks!
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Viking Lady January 07, 2009, 05:38:40 PM
I plan to go to Petsmart this weekend and get somthing. I assume they will have all the options mentioned. I know I want to have a nice, pleasant, loose ? walk, but have something will get his attention if I need it. I may get two different collars and see what works best. The one he slipped out of was a leather one with a buckle. I thought I had it at a decent size but one notch tighter seemed too tight.
: Re: STAY! for about 5 minutes.
: Tonda January 08, 2009, 08:34:01 AM
I yelled and said they were friendly and he just caught them off guard but I don't think he believed me.

Do they ever? LOL!