12d • General discussion
Building a Confident Sit & Stay (Even With Distractions)
In this video, I’m working Ollie and Sandy on sit and stay in public — with squeaky toys. Real-life distractions. Real confidence building. 🧠✨
Here’s the key most people miss:
Confidence is built by balancing easy and slightly challenging reps.
A lot of handlers will get a solid 3-second stay… and then immediately try for 30 seconds. 😅
That’s where dogs start to struggle.
Instead, think of stay like a confidence ladder:
1️⃣ Make it easy.
Short duration. No distractions. Quick success. Reward. 🎉
2️⃣ Make it slightly harder.
Increase one variable — duration, distraction, or distance.
3️⃣ If they succeed — praise and reinforce. 🥳🐾
4️⃣ If they struggle — make it easier again.
Then bounce back and forth.
Easy → Slightly harder → Easy → Slightly harder.
That back-and-forth pattern is what builds stability and trust. 💛
When you’re progressing, remember the three D’s:
• Duration ⏳ (how long)
• Distance 🚶♀️ (how far away you move)
• Distraction 🎾 (what’s happening around them)
Increase them gradually — not all at once.
If your dog breaks the stay? That’s feedback, not failure.
Lower the criteria. Help them win again. 💪
Keep sessions short.
Keep the game fun.
Pair success with positive reinforcement every time. 🎉✨
When dogs feel successful, they grow confident.
When they grow confident, they become reliable.
And that’s how you turn a few seconds of “stay” into a rock-solid behavior — even with major squeaks happening in the background. 🐶🔊
Training isn’t about pushing.
It’s about setting them up to win. 🐾
👇 Now I want to know…
What’s your dog’s kryptonite? What’s the hardest thing for them when it comes to holding a stay — distance, distractions, excitement, something else? Let’s talk about it. 👀💬
0:15
3
13 comments
Building a Confident Sit & Stay (Even With Distractions)
powered by
skool.com/asa-service-dogs-1614
A welcoming classroom & community for everything Service Dogs! ASA is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization dedicated to helping dogs and humans!
Suggested communities
Powered by