Chapter 2
🐕 First, the dog needs to understand the standing position
We start by building the standing stay first.
Before we add the execution later on, the dog should first learn to stand calmly and securely for a short moment.
You can still watch the entire section first and then train the stay and the execution in parallel.
🍪 How to start
Crouch down next to your dog with some food in your hand.
Bring your dog into either:
➡️ a sit
or
➡️ a down
💡 Tip: Starting from the down position is usually a little easier in the beginning.
From there, lure the dog up into a stand with a piece of food.
Once the dog is standing:
✅ reward directly at the nose
✅ briefly disengage from the hand
✅ then bring the dog back into a down or sit
At first, it is not a problem if the dog moves a paw forward or looks a little unsure. The dog first needs to understand the movement.
Repeat this several times until the dog becomes more confident and controlled.
🧩 Front or rear movement?
When moving from sit into stand, dogs can use different movement patterns.
Some dogs work mainly with the rear, while the front paws stay fixed.
In this case:
➡️ lead the treat slightly under the chest
so that mainly the rear comes up.
Other dogs work more with the front, while the rear stays in place.
In that case:
➡️ lure slightly forward
so that the dog comes into the stand while keeping the rear more stable.
🎯 Adapt to your dog
There is no direct advantage or disadvantage to either version.
The important thing is to choose the movement pattern that already fits your dog.
That way, the dog does not have to learn a completely different body pattern and will be less confused later.
🔄 Practice the position changes
Now repeat the different transitions:
➡️ Down → Stand
➡️ Sit → Stand
➡️ Stand → Sit
➡️ Stand → Down
The goal is for your dog to become more confident and coordinated in the movement.
💡 Before moving on, make sure the dog can perform these position changes calmly and securely.