How To "strenghten" The Stand?

[laffi]

My dogs are struggling with their stand command (both from heeling or from sit). Do you have any good advice/tricks/exercise that can "strengthen" their STAND?

My biggest problems is that luring into stand doesn't teach them much, and they don't offer stand in shaping (yes, it was not reinforced enough and now I am struggling). Luring also created a problem of them moving slightly forward when I ask for STAND.

[PAX]

Do your dogs' know a solid hand touch?

[laffi]

The have a pretty solid target stick touch.

[PAX]

I taught my young dog to stand by using a hand touch.

If you have a solid hand touch, have your dog sitting at heel. Put your hand above them enough so they have to lift from the sit to touch, at first you may need to have your hand slightly in front and above. As they stand to touch, c/t it. When you get the behavour happening quickly from different positions gradually change your cue to 'stand'.

[ness]

Hey,

I found that it helps having the dog learn to back up first. That seems to prevent some of the forward movement. Ness will do foldback drops which also helps as there weight is then in the correct position for them to unfold into a stand without moving.

[laffi]

Thanks PAX and ness. These are very good suggestions! Keep them coming

[PAX]

You can play around with it and make it a game. I have my dog sitting in front of me (not close) and give her the verbals for different positions. You can move towards your dog when you say stand to help them understand, as soon as they stand c/t it. I play this game heaps with my dogs and they seem to love it. It's great game in the house for rainy days.

When they get really good at it you can try doing it with you in different positions like sitting down, laying down, etc. I do it to test how well they know the verbals, lets me know what verbals need more work and it is fun for the dogs.

[laffi]

You can play around with it and make it a game. I have my dog sitting in front of me (not close) and give her the verbals for different positions. You can move towards your dog when you say stand to help them understand, as soon as they stand c/t it. I play this game heaps with my dogs and they seem to love it. It's great game in the house for rainy days.

When they get really good at it you can try doing it with you in different positions like sitting down, laying down, etc. I do it to test how well they know the verbals, lets me know what verbals need more work and it is fun for the dogs.

I have been playing this game actually. Midge is actually quite good at it. With her it's mostly stand from heeling I am struggling with (gravitates toward sit). Laffi on the other hand stands and moves forward when I want her to stand from sit, or half sits when I want her to stand from heel.

[PAX]

Whatever you reward the most, you will get the most of.

[BC]

I used to put my left leg under Coopers tummy so he could not sit down and it would hold him in position, or gently touch under his tummy with my left hand. Doing this i had to first of all use my right hand as the "stand" signal, but when it was very solid, I changed it to a left hand signal right in front of his face. This signal also stops him in his tracks so he cannot creep forward.

Not a very technical way of doing things, but this is how I taught him.

[laffi]

Whatever you reward the most, you will get the most of.

Exactly! I have good sits and downs and terrible stays. So hard to catch them now

[dogdude]

I teach stand the same as stay. It is all in the timing if you are using the guiding method. You need to catch them before/during when they sit, not after.

I proof it with resistance. If the dog stops too far forward, I continue the heel pattern with a left turn immediately following the stand.

[Silvawilow]

I used to put my left leg under Coopers tummy so he could not sit down and it would hold him in position, or gently touch under his tummy with my left hand. Doing this i had to first of all use my right hand as the "stand" signal, but when it was very solid, I changed it to a left hand signal right in front of his face. This signal also stops him in his tracks so he cannot creep forward.

Not a very technical way of doing things, but this is how I taught him.

What BC is saying is what I have done with my 2 ladies and now both have nice stands.

I hit a wall with this method though with my boy, he hated it, would jump around like a big turkey. He ended up learning stand by his nightly routine of putting his coat on at bedtime. Hard to explain, but basically I told my black dog to stand, big praise and coat on, then repeated with yellow dog and then did same with him. Some may think I'm bit mean but after 6 nights without his coat he now stands very nicely, day or night, me armed with a coat or not armed with a coat!

[laffi]

I used to put my left leg under Coopers tummy so he could not sit down and it would hold him in position, or gently touch under his tummy with my left hand. Doing this i had to first of all use my right hand as the "stand" signal, but when it was very solid, I changed it to a left hand signal right in front of his face. This signal also stops him in his tracks so he cannot creep forward.

Not a very technical way of doing things, but this is how I taught him.

What BC is saying is what I have done with my 2 ladies and now both have nice stands.

I hit a wall with this method though with my boy, he hated it, would jump around like a big turkey. He ended up learning stand by his nightly routine of putting his coat on at bedtime. Hard to explain, but basically I told my black dog to stand, big praise and coat on, then repeated with yellow dog and then did same with him. Some may think I'm bit mean but after 6 nights without his coat he now stands very nicely, day or night, me armed with a coat or not armed with a coat!

Wow that's actually a great idea. When I put the collars and leads on to go for a walk my two are always standing. I just need to "use" it now