While German Shepherd Dogs are known for being intelligent and very willing, this does not mean that training them is a breeze. For any dog, “stay” is a difficult behavior to do. Would you want to sit still without moving your limbs for long periods of time? Neither does your Shepherd. They can have a particularly hard time with it if they want to chase things that move – staying in a “sit” while a bike or a cat goes by, for example, takes a lot of self-control. Luckily, the following training method breaks “stay” up into three parts, making it easier on both you and your Shepherd. The end result is a more reliable bahavior.
Duration & Distance
To make “stay” training easier for your GSD, you are going to break it up into the following three parts: duration, distance, and distractions. First, you are going to work on just duration and then just distance. Finally, you will add distractions once a solid stay has been taught.
At this point, do not use the cue “stay.” You don’t want to use your cue until your dog knows what you want.
Start by building up duration – how long your GSD can sit in one position. Do this in small increments by asking your dog to sit then counting to one second and rewarding. Then count to two seconds and reward. At this point, release your dog by saying your release cue (common ones are “okay,” “free,” “break,” and “release”), and tossing a treat for your dog to get. Then you can start over, gradually building up duration.
Ideally, your GSD will never break his “stay” using this method. If he does, just put him back in a “sit,” count a second or two depending on where you are in your training and then reward.
In the beginning, do short training sessions in a quiet room with little to no distractions.
Do the same thing with distance by taking steps away from your GSD and returning to reward. Again, no cue for “stay.” Don’t forget to use your release cue every time you end the “stay.”
Adding the Cue
Once you can count to around 10-15 seconds and take at least 5 steps away from your GSD without him getting up, you can start adding the cue. To do this, say “stay” (or whatever cue you wish) while your dog is in the middle of an exercise, then return and reward. Don’t forget to use your release cue every time you end the “stay.”
Distractions
Once the cue has been added, it’s time to start adding in distractions that your GSD will have to ignore while keeping his stay. The younger your GSD is, the more slowly you will probably have to add distractions.
What is a hard distraction for one GSD may be easy for another, so think about what gets your dog excited. Anything that excites your GSD will make him want to break his “stay.” Start with something your GSD doesn’t find that interesting. Maybe it’s another family member walking by, the TV on, or a toy (not being thrown, just holding it). Basically, anything that is a bit of a distraction, but not your dog’s favorite thing on Earth.
Build up slowly to:
- Tossing a toy.
- Tossing a treat.
- Kids – walking, laughing, running etc.
- Other dogs – walking by, doing stays next to them, etc.
- Other animals – cats, squirrels, etc.
- People – greeting, walking by, etc.
- New places – pet stores, parks, etc.; long lines are great for practicing stays in public places.
- Cars – this can be hard for dogs that like to chase, for some dogs it’s no big deal.
If your dog breaks his “stay” three times in a row when you add a new distraction, he is not ready for that one. Remove it and try something that’s in-between his last successful distraction and the one he failed. So, for example let’s say your GSD was fine with you holding a ball but when you threw it, he failed. Next time you might try dropping or placing it on the ground, rolling it slowly, or tossing it gently so it goes a foot or two. The goal is to make your GSD successful. Follow these simple steps, and you will have a rock-solid “stay.”
