Sit Stay
Basic Manners · 27 steps · by Push Drop Stick
Your Dog will learn to stay in a sit position until released, for a hand signal and the verbal cue 'Stay', with basic distractions and at a distance.
A solid sit stay is the foundation for polite greetings: instead of jumping for attention, Your Dog learns that sitting and staying is what earns it. Practice wherever Your Dog tends to jump most, like the front door. It is also handy on walks, where a parked sit stay lets Your Dog watch a trigger such as another dog pass by without lunging.
For this plan you will also need 2 other types of verbal cues:
**- A No Reward Marker:** such as “Oops,” to mark the moment Your Dog breaks position. This helps them understand why they are not getting a treat for that rep.
**- A Release Cue:** such as “Okay!” or “Break!” to signal when Your Dog is free to get out of position, especially at the end of a training session. If you always use a release cue, Your Dog will learn to stay until released!
**Split:** If you have a bouncy puppy or a dog who pops out of a sit immediately, start with the first split step.
Training steps
Stay in a sit position for 1 second
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Give Your Dog a treat for staying in a sit for 1 second.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hold a treat out for 1 second
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Tempt Your Dog to break position by holding a treat out for 1 second.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hold out a treat for 3 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Tempt Your Dog to break position by holding a treat out for 3 seconds.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Place a treat on the floor for 1 second
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Tempt Your Dog to get out of position by placing a treat on the floor for 1 second. Be prepared to cover the treat if they go for it!
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Place a treat on the floor for 3 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Tempt Your Dog to get out of position by placing a treat on the floor for 3 seconds. Be prepared to cover the treat if they go for it!
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Add the verbal cue and hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Say the verbal cue 'Stay' and then give the hand signal for stay. The hand signal is a flat hand with your palm facing Your Dog and fingers pointing up. Then tempt Your Dog to get out of position by placing a treat on the floor for 3 seconds.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 1 step to the side
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 1 step to the side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 1 and a half steps to the side
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 1 and a half steps to the side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 2 steps to the side
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 2 steps to the side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 2 and a half steps to the side
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 2 and a half steps to the side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk halfway around
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk halfway around them, and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk halfway and a step
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk halfway and a step around them, and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk around in a circle
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk in a full circle around them. Be careful not to get dizzy!
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Take 1 step to the other side
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 1 step to the other side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk 2 steps to the other side
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 2 steps to the other side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk halfway around in the other direction
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk halfway around them on the other side and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk in a circle the other direction
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk a full circle around them in the other direction. Be careful not to get dizzy!
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk around in both directions
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, walk a full circle around them in both directions.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 1 foot away
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 1 step backwards and then immediately return. If Your Dog is struggling to stay at a distance, try practicing on a raised surface or platform to help encourage staying in position.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 3 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 3 steps backwards and then immediately return. If Your Dog is struggling to stay at a distance, try practicing on a raised surface or platform to help encourage staying in position.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 6 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 6 steps backwards and then immediately return. If Your Dog is struggling to stay at a distance, try practicing on a raised surface or platform to help encourage staying in position.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 9 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 9 steps backwards and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk backwards 12 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, take 12 steps backwards and then immediately return.
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk forwards 3 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, turn around and walk 3 feet away with your back to Your Dog. Try to keep an eye over your shoulder for any breaks!
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk forwards 6 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, turn around and walk 6 feet away with your back to Your Dog. Try to keep an eye over your shoulder for any breaks!
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk forwards 12 feet away
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Standing in front of Your Dog, turn around and walk 12 feet away with your back to Your Dog. Try to keep an eye over your shoulder for any breaks!
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Walk forwards and out of sight for 1 second
Setup: Your Dog is sitting.
Walk somewhere within a 6 to 12 foot distance where you can move out of sight of Your Dog for 1 second and then return immediately. Listen for any breaks!
Success: Your Dog stays in a sit.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Nice work! Your Dog can now hold a sit stay until released for the cue 'Stay', through distractions and at a distance.
Keep it strong by proofing it in new places and around bigger distractions: restart the plan on the proof steps, or play the goal games you just earned.
Ready for more? Jumpy Dog Sit Stay cranks up the excitement with toy and greeting distractions, the ultimate test for polite greetings.