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Old March 12th, 2011, 02:45 PM
pattymac pattymac is offline
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Stay?!

I was just thinking about this and remembered what someone I knew back in Ontario who trained his own retrievers said about the Stay command. He doesn't bother teaching it. He teaches his dogs sit, down etc and a release word. He mentioned to me if your dog has a good solid sit or down and a word they know as a release, why do you need to add STAY? I thought, well, ya that seems to make sense. Any other thoughts on that? Usually when we say Stay, the dog is likely already sitting, down or standing still. I will use wait when we're out and she's off-leash and I want to catch up to her.
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Old March 12th, 2011, 07:33 PM
Mirela Mirela is offline
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The way our trainer explained to me was that "Stay" should be a "no arguments" command and should be used when I want the dog to freeze in place until I return to him and give him the release word. Useful, for example with a very muddy dog and no towel at the door just then.
"Wait" is a less formal command - to tell the dog to stay where he is but not necessarily in the same position, i.e if the "wait" was given with the dog in sit and I take too long to release him, it's OK for the dog to lay down if he feels like it. Also, I can release the dog from wait from anywhere, I don't have to return to him and he does not have to come to me.

Kind of the same difference as between "come" and "here" "Come" is "no arguments, drop everything and get back to me on the double" while "here" is...OK, finish sniffing around that bush and let's go".

But, as it has been said here before - lots of trainers, lots of methods. Use whatever you're confortable with and works best for you and your pup.
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Old March 13th, 2011, 06:23 AM
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Tundra_Queen Tundra_Queen is offline
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I teach stay in case like Mirela said if there is danger and I want them to stop right away. I also use a hand signal when I say it. Tegan is good at it,,,Mindy is still learning.
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Old March 13th, 2011, 10:12 PM
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erykah1310 erykah1310 is offline
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For my dogs stay means dont move until i return, no other command will follow stay, where as "wait" there will be another task to come.
Kind of makes sense that if they have a solid sit or down they wouldnt need a stay, but why not have the extra word so that they arent wondering right?
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Old March 13th, 2011, 11:40 PM
Lab_bruno Lab_bruno is offline
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I have a lab who I have been training for hunting and working a bit. Its almost necessary as he seems happier when I have him working. In any case, I dont ever use word commands just hand commands. He is a Lab and if I didnt make him stay he wouldn't! especially when retrieving. An elder gentleman told me once that "on either side of a lab's brain are two tennis balls and thats whats most important to them".lol Making them stay is in my view another way of teaching them some self disipline and additionally letting them know that esentially you are the pack leader.
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Old March 14th, 2011, 12:14 AM
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tenderfoot tenderfoot is offline
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So many words are interchangeable - the logic your firend presents makes perfect sense. Many people get caught up in the 'stay' instruction versus the 'wait' instruction, when they are actually identical. The dog stays in one place until they are released, whether that is for 2 seconds or 2 hours.
We don't get caught up in having a dog forcibly sit the entire time. In fact, if he wants to lay down why not let him be comfortable? It just means that he has fully committed to hanging out until told otherwise.
But we aren't anal about the things that would put a competition obedience trainer over the edge. We just want a great dog whose is wonderful to live with.
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