Teaching Stay.......

T

TheMorningRise

New member
So we have our 10 week old GSP.

So far, it has been pretty good. She is a smart little *&(#. We were getting sit down pretty darn good. She was also very good about staying put naturally. I have been working on sit, as well as stay. We have even gotten stay down to the point of being completely across the back yard from one another. With her coming when called.

Then, last night and tonight, it is like day one all over again. Tell her to sit, she just stands there looking up at you. Get her to sit and tell her to stay and as soon as stay comes out of my mouth she walks away. Never did this before. Even when she does sit the first time, as soon as I say stay, she walks away. Never seen this before.

Any ideas?

Today I purchased the Gun Dog 3 part video series by Bob West (Pointing Dogs - Puppy Training, Intermediate Training and Advanced Training). If nothing else, they should be a fun watch.
 
For gods sake its a 10 week old pup! Slow down Let it be a pup, socialize and have fun with your new buddy!
I start obediance the first day I bring a pup home by not rewarding bad behavior. For example I only let them out of there crate when they are quiet, or if I am holding them I dont put them down when they squirming, only when they are calm etc. Formal obediance can start when they mature a bit and have an attention span longer than 2 seconds.

PS I think "stay" is a stupid command as sit means sit till I command otherwise.

PPS Whats up with Bob West's hair? Hurricane Sandy couldn't even mess it up!
 
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Both excellent comments. My new setter pup is 12 weeks old. I reward good behavior. I do put her up on a box for maybe 2 minutes to put her head and tail up and pet her real well while doing so. That way she gets used to sort of a training schedule. I play fetch with her. And the first time she doesnt bring it back to me (which is about throw number 4) I put it away. Gradually she will want to keep playing so she will keep bringing it back. I think the other night she brought it 12 times in a row. Then on the 13th she stopped about 10 feet from me, layed down and started chewing on it. I think she was a bit fatigued too. So I just let her chew on it for a bit cause she's a puppy then went and got it and put it up. But never yelled at her or really gave to many commands. Puppy time is the fun time. Make em wanna be around you is most important
 
She is a puppy so don't hammer on her. And never use the command "Stay". Sit means sit until told to do otherwise. But you are a long way off from that.
 
Good stuff folks.

I realize she is young and I do not think we've been over doing it. Only 2-3 reps a day for 3-5 commands. You all sound like my better half! :D

It is exciting and frustrating at the same time. Never thought I'd love anything as much as our Huskies or Labs, but she has "it".

Looking forward to what she turns into. Pray every night that I have the patience to make her half as good as I know she can be!
 
There can be several situations where using "stay" works well. I use it hunting, in certain circumstances and it comes in handy.

My opinion: don't be afraid to teach your dog this command...
 
I would tie a wing (or a sock) onto a fishing pole and playfully reinforce the natural instinct to point. No pressure. Do not let her catch it. If she never points, put it away and wait til time to teach the whoa command.
 
Just my opinion, but you are overdoing it. 3-5 commands for a 10 weeks old pup is beyond overload. The reality is that the only commands they have to know are kennel, here, heel, whoa and fetch. Stay is redundant in almost every situation and is covered by most any other command you give. Personally, I rarely even teach sit.
 
Crossing shot said:
I would tie a wing (or a sock) onto a fishing pole and playfully reinforce the natural instinct to point. No pressure. Do not let her catch it. If she never points, put it away and wait til time to teach the whoa command.
Click to expand...

To the OP, some disagree with the "wing on a string" game, saying it teaches sight pointing, and if you plan on hunting, nearly zero of her points will be sight points. I don't know if that's really true but it seems logical to me.

Also, I'm on the side of teaching only sit. Teaching stay is like saying "that there," or "this here"... Not terrible but a bit redundant and a waste of breath.
 
Is sight pointing bad? Where I hunt, the dog is not going to see the bird. If I do go chukar hunting where the dog can see the bird, sight pointing would seem to be a good thing.
 
jonnyB said:
There can be several situations where using "stay" works well. I use it hunting, in certain circumstances and it comes in handy.

My opinion: don't be afraid to teach your dog this command...
Click to expand...

Why give a dog more commands than it needs? Do you teach "Here" and "Come"? Sit means to sit until commanded to do otherwise. It means no moving, no whinning, no laying down, etc. It means to simply sit. And by god that is what they are going to do. I also teach the "down" command. That mean to lay flat and not to move unless commanded otherwise. If you have to tell and teach a dog to stay, he obviously doesn't understand sit or is allowed to get away with non compliance.
 
Your assumption assumes the dog is already in a sit, or down position...that you have already given either command.

I use the command when the dog is very close to pointing or locking - he then freezes and doesn't move from that position. I don't want him sitting or lying down...

Works for me.
 
jonnyB said:
Your assumption assumes the dog is already in a sit, or down position...that you have already given either command.

I use the command when the dog is very close to pointing or locking - he then freezes and doesn't move from that position. I don't want him sitting or lying down...

Works for me.
Click to expand...

Well I am talking about a retriever, not a pointing breed. But as for your reference I would probably command "Whoa".
 
Whoa sounds too close to "no" so I don't use it...

And I'm referring to my Golden that points most of the time, when a bird holds.
 
Dogs don't confuse whoa and no. They are separate and there is no problem in using both. I also don't know of a reputable pointing dog trainer that whoas a dog that is pointing birds. I'm in the camp that there isn't a reason for stay. Sit means sit. Whoa means whoa. We don't do anything else until released.
 
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