Should your dog sit, lie down or stay standing? Most people use the “Stay” signal for this. For us humans, this is clear and seems to express exactly the right thing: “Wait here until things can continue!”
It is particularly helpful in everyday life if your dog can wait a little longer and not run away at the first opportunity. For example, if you were driving and you don't want him to get out immediately, or if you want to pick up his leavings on your walks without being unexpectedly dragged along. The last situation is particularly suitable for practicing staying with your dog, because it teaches him: “I should wait here, even if my human is distracted.” However, this only works if your furry friend doesn't independently declare the exercises finished.
In this article I will show you how you can avoid this and how staying can be successful – without the “stay” signal.
The “resolution signal” recipe for success
Every command you give your dog you should resolve. Signals like “free” or “run” show your dog that an exercise is finished and he can go. This means you don't need to give a special “stay” command, as the order is clear to your dog. No resolution signal means “I’ll keep doing it.” (stay), what I was told before” – like sitting or staying down. This makes it much clearer for your dog how long he should carry out a command.
The release signal makes it much easier for your dog to understand what you want from him. It always means: The exercise is over and I can go again!
“Stay,” on the other hand, has very different meanings for your dog. Sometimes it’s “stay seated,” sometimes it’s “stay standing or lying down,” or sometimes it’s just “no matter what you do, just stay where you are.” That would be like shouting to you, “Run!” But sometimes it means tapping steps, sometimes it's a sprint or a three-hour continuous run.
You have an idea what it might be, but you don't know exactly and that makes learning slow. That's exactly how your dog feels. He first has to figure out which “stay” you mean today, and if he guesses wrong he gets scolded. This is not only unfair, but also harmful to your bond and willingness to learn.
But be careful: As with all exercises, consistency is required when staying and dissolving. Being consistent means that you give your four-legged friend a framework that always applies and that he can follow. This gives him security and helps him understand what you actually want from him. If the process of an exercise is clear to him, he can concentrate fully on it and doesn't have to figure out the rules of the game first.
Conclusion: Stay in everyday life and training
The fact that your dog does not finish an exercise independently is particularly important for everyday life: Is there a visitor at the door that you don't want your dog to greet immediately? Do you want to wait until the distractions subside when you go for a walk, or drop off your dog so you can do some quick shopping? You can deal with all of these situations with your dog stress-free if he follows your commands for as long as you want. For this to work, you should forego the “stay” command and instead introduce a dispersal signal. It's much easier for your dog to understand because he knows exactly what it means. He then no longer has to wonder when an exercise is over, but can rely on you to determine the end, especially if you use the resolution signal consistently. If it works well in everyday life, you can easily integrate it into your (dummy) training later. A release signal brings more security for both of you and not only makes your everyday life easier, but also your training sessions.
In this podcast episode you will find more tips on the topic: Staying without “stay”.
Tip: Further contributions from Susanne Reinke
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