Chapter 2
🐾 Bring back the closed hand
Now we return to the same step we already practiced while crouching:
The hand closes, and the dog learns to stay in position without constantly nibbling on it.
We start again while walking backwards.
The dog may still nibble on the hand at first so he knows where to move.
Then:
➡️ Give your “T” cue
➡️ Close the hand
➡️ If needed, guide the hand slightly under the dog
➡️ Let the dog hold the Stand briefly
➡️ Mark the behavior, for example with “Yes”
➡️ Reward
👀 Hand or face?
Some dogs will prefer to look at your face, while others will focus more on the hand.
Both are fine.
What matters is that the dog:
✅ stays close to the hand
✅ keeps a stable position
✅ does not drift away
✅ does not turn the rear out to the side
🧱 Use support if needed
If your dog keeps turning the rear out or struggles to stay straight, go back and practice a few more repetitions with food.
If that still does not help, you can use a fence or wall as a guide so the dog cannot swing out as easily.
🎯 Build confidence before moving on
Repeat this step until your dog is really confident with the closed hand.
If the dog is still unsure or does not quite understand what to do, do not move on yet.
💡 This is the foundation for the standing stay.
In the next step, we will begin to build the first bit of distance, so make sure this part is clean and reliable first.