How to Clicker Train a Stand

Using clicker training to teach your dog to stand can be useful during vet visits, for dog shows, and when you are in a busy environment with your dog. Clicker training a dog to stand will make this behavior more reliable off leash and at a distance than using leash corrections or pulling him up by his collar.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clicker savvy dog
• Clicker
• Treats

1. Clicker train your dog to stand using a food lure. With your dog in the sitting position in front of you, hold a treats just in front of his nose.

2. Move your hand away from his nose slowly. As he comes to a standing position, click and give him the treat. Ask him for a sit and you can do another repetition.

3. If his stay behavior is very strong and he is hesitant to stand, click and treat him for moving his head toward the treat.

4. When he has successfully stood 3 times, do the same steps without a treat in your hand. Have the treat on a table, or in your pocket. Place your hand above in front of his nose, move it away from him, click and treat when he stands.

5. 

   To add a verbal cue for this behavior, say the word "stand" wait three seconds, give the hand signal you have been using. Click and treat when he stands. Do this three times. Wait longer between the verbal cue and the hand signal. Say "stand" one time, and wait. If you do not get a response in ten seconds, give the hand signal, click and treat. Eventually your dog will grow impatient of waiting for the hand signal and will respond to the verbal cue.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep training sessions short 3-5 minutes is plenty
• Do not say the verbal cue until your dog is doing the behavior.
• Do many short training sessions per day
• Begin fading the use of the clicker as your dog responds to verbal cues reliably
• Train old behaviors like new behaviors in new places, around new people, or in the presence of other animals. Act as if your dog has not learned the behavior, and start at the beginning, until he has generalized the cue.
• Smile at your dog while training. Speak in cheerful tones. Clicker training is fun!
• Do not chat with your dog while training him, it confuses him as to what word he should be listening to.
• Do not repeat cues, if your dog is not responding to a verbal cue change something you are doing or make adjustments to the training environment.