Teaching the 'Stay' Command with Distractions: The 3 D's

"Stay" is easy to teach in a quiet living room. "Stay" is incredibly hard to keep when a squirrel runs by.

If your dog breaks their stay the moment you walk away or open a door, you haven't failed. You just haven't taught the three pillars of proofing: Duration, Distance, and Distraction (The 3 D's).

Most owners try to increase all three at once. "Stay!" (then they walk 20 feet away at a park). The dog fails because that is too hard. You must build them separately.

Phase 1: Duration (Time)

Goal: The dog stays in place while you stand right next to them.

1. Ask for "Sit" or "Down."
2. Say "Stay" (Use a flat palm hand signal).
3. Wait 1 second.
4. Say "Yes!" and treat.
5. Release ("Okay!").
6. Repeat, increasing time: 2s, 5s, 10s, 30s. Rule: Don't move your feet yet. Just build patience.

Phase 2: Distance (Space)

Goal: You move away, but keep duration short.

1. Ask for "Stay."
2. Take one step back.
3. Immediately step back to the dog.
4. "Yes!" + Treat.
5. The Yo-Yo Game: Step back, return, treat. Step back 2 steps, return, treat. Rule: Always return to the dog to feed them. If you call them to you for the treat, you are teaching "Recall," not "Stay."

Phase 3: Distraction (The Real World)

Goal: Staying while things happen. Start easy (indoors).

1. "Stay."
2. Wave your arm. (Return and treat).
3. Clap your hands. (Return and treat).
4. Jog in place. (Return and treat).
5. Bounce a ball. (Return and treat). If they break the stay: "Ah-ah!" (gentle no), put them back in the exact same spot, and try again with a milder distraction.

The Release Word

This is critical. A stay effectively never ends until you say it ends.

• Pick a word: "Free," "Okay," "Break."
• Say it cheerfully and throw a party.
• If you don't have a release word, the dog decides when stay is over (usually when they get bored).

Troubleshooting: "He always breaks when I turn my back."

Dogs rely on eye contact. Turning your back is a huge difficulty spike.

• Fix: Practice turning your back for 1 second, then turning around and rewarding. Build up to walking away.

Conclusion

A solid Stay is a safety cue (preventing door dashing). Build it slow.

1. Duration (Time)
2. Distance (Feet)
3. Distraction (Squirrels) Only work on one 'D' at a time.

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