How to Teach Your Dog to Stay

Teaching your dog to stay is one of the most useful and reassuring commands you can give. Whether it’s preventing door dashes, managing excitable greetings, or helping your dog stay calm in busy environments, the stay command is an essential skill that makes everyday life easier and more enjoyable.

This guide walks you through how to teach a dog to stay, with effective techniques and troubleshooting tips. You’ll learn what to expect, how to keep your dog motivated, and how to build a stay that works even in challenging situations.

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If you're looking to teach your dog to stay, here’s a brief summary:

We’ll get into a more detailed explanation of each step later in this blog post.

Stay is more than a basic obedience command. It helps your dog develop self-control, patience, and focus, which in turn builds a stronger relationship between you both. Teaching your dog to stay can prevent accidents, encourage calmness in public, and make everyday situations much easier to manage. 

Whether you're opening a door, greeting visitors, or asking your dog to pause at the kerb, a reliable stay allows you to stay in control and keep your dog safe. It's often one of the first commands taught because it lays a foundation for other important skills like recall, polite manners, and walking nicely on the lead.

The time it takes to teach a dog to stay depends on your dog’s age, temperament, and how consistent you are with training. Some dogs pick it up in a few days, others may need a few weeks of steady practice. Puppies generally take longer, as they’re still learning to focus, but the process is the same. Stick with it and celebrate small improvements. Patience is key when teaching your dog to stay.

To begin training your dog to stay, you’ll need:

You’re now ready to begin teaching your dog the stay command.

Start by selecting a simple, consistent word to signal the stay command; most commonly, “stay”. Say it clearly and calmly each time you use it. Pair the word with a visual signal too, such as holding up your palm like a stop sign. This hand gesture can help reinforce the command, especially in noisy environments or from a distance.

At this stage, don’t worry about the release word. The focus should be on helping your dog understand what “stay” means and beginning to associate it with holding their position.

Ask your dog to sit or lie down. Show your open palm (like a stop sign), and clearly say “stay”. Wait just one or two seconds, then reward your dog with a treat and praise, even if they only stayed for that short moment.

Repeat several times. End the session before your dog gets bored.

Once your dog reliably stays for a few seconds, begin to slowly increase the time. Wait 3–5 seconds, then 7–10, building up to 30 seconds and beyond. Don’t rush; success comes from small, steady progress.

If your dog gets up early, calmly place them back in position and try again. There’s no need to scold, as this is all part of learning.

Once your dog is able to stay in position for a longer stretch of time, you can begin to introduce some distance. Start by taking just a step or two back after giving the stay cue, then return to your dog and reward them for holding still. Gradually increase the space between you both as your dog becomes more confident, but avoid making big jumps too quickly.

It’s important to return to your dog to give the reward, rather than calling them over. Recalling is a separate command altogether and should be taught independently. Building this type of distance control is a key part of preparing your dog to stay reliably, even when they’re off the lead.

Gradually introduce gentle distractions, like someone walking past, a dropped toy, or a door opening. Reward your dog when they ignore these and hold their stay. This is key to teaching a dog how to stay in real-life situations.

If your dog breaks position, reduce the distraction and try again. Always set them up for success.

A stay is only complete when your dog knows exactly when they’re allowed to move again. This is where your release word comes in. Once your dog has held the stay for the desired amount of time, say your chosen release word—like “okay” or “free”—in a clear, cheerful voice. Then encourage your dog to move and reward them once they do.

This helps avoid confusion and makes the boundaries of the command much clearer. It also teaches your dog that staying still has a definite beginning and end, which builds trust and consistency in your training.

Although “wait” and “stay” might sound interchangeable, they’re used in slightly different ways during training. The stay command is used when you want your dog to remain in one place until you come back and release them. It’s often used for longer periods or when you need your dog to stay put while you step away.

In contrast, “wait” is more about a brief pause. You might use it when you’re about to open the front door or before placing down a food bowl—situations where your dog just needs to hold off momentarily until given another cue.

Both commands can be useful, but many trainers suggest teaching stay first, as it helps your dog develop better impulse control and focus early on.

This depends on your goals, but many trainers suggest teaching stay first because it teaches calmness and helps with other commands. Once your dog can hold position, it becomes easier to teach come. You’ll have more control, and your dog will learn to listen for your signal.

When you feel confident in your dog’s stay, you can begin practising off lead. Start in a secure, quiet area like your garden or a fenced field. Give the stay cue and take a few steps back.

Reward your dog for holding position, then increase the distance gradually. If they break the stay, calmly bring them back and repeat the cue. Never punish; just reset and reinforce what you want.

Eventually, your dog will be able to stay without a lead, even around distractions, as long as you’ve built the skill step by step.

If your dog doesn’t stay for long or outright refuses to stay, these tips can help:

Above all, focus on rewarding the behaviour you want and building trust.

Treats are highly effective for teaching dogs, especially in the early stages. If you’d prefer not to use food, praise, toys, or playtime can also serve as rewards. Just make sure whatever you use is motivating enough for your dog to want to repeat the behaviour.

You can begin training as early as eight weeks old. At this age, sessions should be very short—just a few minutes—and focused on encouragement rather than perfection. Even brief moments of staying still are worth rewarding.

Ideally, practise stay once or twice a day in short, focused sessions. Regular repetition helps your dog understand what’s expected and builds a more reliable stay over time. Practising in different environments also helps reinforce the behaviour.

This usually means your dog is responding to the visible reward rather than the cue itself. Try hiding the treat behind your back or in your pocket. Only reward after your dog successfully completes the stay—this helps shift their focus from the treat to the behaviour.

Stay can be applied to any position—standing, sitting, or lying down. Most training starts with sit or down as they’re easier for dogs to hold, but once your dog understands the command, you can apply it to other positions as needed.

Not at all. Dogs of any age can learn new commands, including stay. Older dogs may take a little longer if they’re set in their ways, but they’re often very capable and willing learners with consistent, positive training.

This is a common issue and often means your dog isn’t yet confident with the added challenge. Take smaller steps away at first, literally one step, then return and reward. Gradually build distance as your dog’s understanding improves.

If your dog can hold their stay for at least 30 seconds with minor distractions and short distances, they’re ready to move on. From there, you can practise outdoors, add more distractions, or work on off-lead stays in secure spaces.

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