Once the dog has learned to sit and stay, you can teach him to stand and stay.
This can be a very valuable command in a variety of situations, such as when the dog must stand up straight when being examined by a vet or while being groomed.
The stand command is also important, if you wish to compete in conformation shows with your dog, as he must stand still to be inspected by the judges.
Start the dog heeling on his leash and then come to a halt.
Before he can sit, put your hand, fingers spread, in front of his right hind leg, stopping him from going into the sit position and simultaneously telling him to "stand-stay.
" He may try to sit - why wouldn't he? As you work, keep the praise coming as he stands.
Before he can sit, start heeling again and repeat the procedure.
Occasionally let him sit when you stop, and when you want him to stand, say the word and block him from going into the sitting position.
Soon the idea will imprint itself: He is to sit automatically when he stops heeling, but he is to stand and stay when he hears the command.
At one point, all you'll have to do is utter, "Stand," and he'll stand and stay.
Once you have the dog standing and staying or sitting and staying, you can start moving away from him, and when you do, he will hold this position.
Start with the stay command, and reinforce it by holding your left hand in front of his muzzle.
Then, take a step away and start to move away from him.
If he breaks position, tell him, "No!" and "Stay!" Have patience, because prior to this, the dog was trained to heel when the handler started to move.
Practice the command again until he knows he is to stay until you tell him to heel.
Once he gets the idea of staying while you move away, repeat the command and make the dog hold the position for longer and longer periods of time, until he can hold the stand position for a minute or so.
Again, just continue to practice until you can circle around him a few times and he stays or stands-and don't forget the praise.