Dexy Does... Stay!

Woof!

hello, another exciting addition to my Dexy Does... series today, one you'd think was simple, but is actually quite hard for a pup to grasp, and that is the art of stay. The trick of stay is a helpful one to command, it can stop a pup getting hurt, put more control in an owners life, and also provide a helpful tool when an important task is afoot! The only reason it's one of the hardest to learn is because of the lack of an instant reward like with most other commands, so a pup must learn to do it all by oneself, so expect it take longer than other commands for me to understand.

Tone of voice is the key to stay. Igaboo, my owner, only uses a strict tone when she commands it, whilst other commands are more friendly toned and higher pitched. She started by doing room to room, so she would go into the kitchen, tell me to stay there and then walk into the lounge, every time I followed her she put me back and tried again, eventually I learnt to stay, making sure I knew sit was essential for this too. Once I leant the basic notion we moved on to more advanced training which involved asking me to stay in the park and her walking away and calling me from a distance and also getting me to stay on my cushion when Igaboo goes out without me to stop me rushing outside too. Like always, patience is the key, try and try again and your pup will learn, just remember the command should be firm and you should only just say the command word and no other gossip!

Training stay with two people is a lot easier, one person can hold poochy and one can command, it's easier because obviously your pup can't escape and not stay, but also because you can reward your pup on the right behaviour at the time. The only trouble with this method is the fact when your pup is expected to stay by themselves, you may find yourself needing to top up their training to ensure they know how to do this too.

So that's it for stay, it all depends on your pup's personal intelligence, and it's definitely one that younger pups will struggle with due to their need for company and hyper ways. Igaboo remembers the first time I stayed properly without any effort, she was going out and just before she left she asked me to, and I did, she was so proud and happy but couldn't show me, so when she came back I got a super treat of some posh pate and cuddles! I stay every time she asks now, I wonder why...

Next time on Dexy Does... I shall be looking at baths, a worry for some pups and owners alike!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

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