How do you teach your the stand command? Why would you even want to? Read on to find out what to do- and not to do- when training your dog to “stand,” along with a few reasons why the command comes in so handy!
One of the joys of having a dog is that you can teach him cool tricks – “sit”, “lie down”, “jump”, etc. But it’s easier said than done, right? Sometimes even a simple command like stand turns into a challenge for first-time dog owners. If that’s the case with you, read on to find the answer to your problem.
Let me begin by saying that while “stand” might seem like a useless command, you couldn’t be further away from the truth. “Stand” is useful when you have to trim your dog’s nails, wipe his muddy paws, or when he has to be still while the veterinarian is checking him out.
So, the million dollar question is why the dog is not learning to stand by command. No, the problem is not your dog, but rather your teaching methods. In other words, you are not training your dog correctly. Let’s see what you are doing wrong and what the proper way to teach “stand” is.
What NOT to Do When Teaching the Stand Command
No pushing
A crucial thing when it comes to training a dog is that you have to let your pet do the action on his own. You don’t push him to sit. You don’t push him to stand. That’s a huge mistake that will only bring frustration to you and your pet.
Let me explain it this way. If you push Georgie to make him stand, and then you give him a treat, you’re not teaching “stand”. You’re teaching him that he will get a reward when you push him to stand.
What you have to do is teach your dog to associate the action “stand” with the reward. See the difference?
No yelling
After a few hours of attempts to teach your dog to “stand”, you might be tempted to shout. Don’t do that. Animals have a more developed sense of hearing than us, so your dog is hearing you just fine.
However, dogs don’t speak English. It’s your job to make them understand what you expect of them (to stand) and why they should do what you want (reward).
Remember learning a new trick should be a fun activity for your dog. It should be a bonding moment between you and your pet, not a harrowing experience for both parties. Your dog will never learn the command if he feels anxious and scared.
Instead of yelling, always use positive reinforcement to praise and reward your dog. Never punish him for his failures, especially if he is still a puppy.
How to teach “stand” correctly
Since the main reason why your dog is not learning to stand is your methods, I will explain to you the easiest way to teach “stand” from a sitting position.
The only thing that you need to start the lesson is bag of training treats.
1- Step one – food bait
Choose a place with no distraction and tell your dog to sit. Get a treat and hold it in front of your dog’s nose. Slowly draw the tasty food away, keeping it parallel to the ground. Don’t say anything. Wait for your dog to respond to the bait.
When the dog stands, immediately reward him and show him that you’re very pleased with him.
2- Step two – practice
You should continue to practice the exercise and reward the dog every time he responds properly.
3- Step three – use treats only as a reward
Now your goal is to teach your dog to stand without luring him with a treat. The procedure is the same one described in step one, but your hand is empty this time. If your dog stands, immediately give him a treat and praise him. If he doesn’t, encourage him verbally. Once the dog has perfected this action, you can continue to the next step.
4- Step four – introduce the command “stand”
Your dog is ready to learn the word “stand”. Here’s how it goes –say “stand”, use the hand gesture that your dog is already familiar with, and praise the dog when he responds correctly. Eventually, your dog will get the hang out of it and connect the word “stand” with the action “stand” and the treat.
5- Step five – drop the hand signal
After the dog has mastered the previous step, it’s time to drop the hand signal and rely only on the verbal command. In most cases, the dog will do it right because now he understands what “stand” means. But if he doesn’t, go back and practice step four until the dog gets it.
As you can see, it’s not so complicated to teach a dog to stand. But it requires time, patience, and consistency. Don’t force the matter, follow the steps above, and in no time your dog will learn to stand by command.
