No need to teach a 'Stay' cue!
We don't teach dogs to 'stay'...at least not by using the traditional 'Stay' cue. Wait a minute? What? Instead, we teach that position cues like 'sit', 'down' or 'place', for example, include the 'stay until released' criteria.
Donna Ashley, CPDT-KA, CBATI-KA
4/19/2026
We don't teach a 'Stay' cue. What? How is that a thing?
For example, ’Sit’ is a control position. There is no need to teach ‘stay’, if you simply teach your dog to hold a 'sit', until he hears a ‘release cue’, like ‘Break’!
Now, your dog is learning that the cue 'sit', means 'sit, until I release you'!
Boom! No need for the added 'stay' cue!
And, let's be honest....your backing away from your dog, holding your palm towards him and saying, 'stay, stay, stay' as you back away right? LOL No more of that when you teach this way!
