Teaching the "Stand" Command

[MyPemCharlie]

After last weekend, I decided to do Charlie's basic obedience training myself. So far, we're really solid on Sit, Down, and Wait. This week we've starting to add "Stand", and my little guy just can't figure out what I want.

Charlie can be just so intently focused on me, and we do Sit...good boy...Down...good boy...Sit...good boy...Down...good boy...Stand. Oops! "What does stand mean???" He's trying so hard and seems to be thinking "I'd do whatever, but I don't know what the heck you're asking."

I'm using hand signals with vocal commands, and lots of praise for the right behavior. I've tried added body language, like raising my eyebrows, standing on my toes, with a happy "Up, up, up", hoping he'll stand for a "Good Stand" praising. Not working, but he does give me the head tilt to tell me I'm looking like a silly clown performing for him. LOL

I've tried walking over to him while he's doing a good Sit and gently lifting up his rear end to get him on his feet with a "Good Stand!" When I do that, he looks at me like I'm punishing him (not good), so I quit trying that one after two times.

He has learned everything so far off leash, so today I tried two of our short training sessions on leash. I gave a gentle tug from Sit and said "Stand", which did make him stand up, but he also came toward me like Come.

To me "Stand" is the least important obedience command, but he'll have to know it to get passed into Intermediate Obedience and Sports next year.

Any tips or tricks of the trade? If not, I'm hoping over the next several days a little light bulb will go off in his cute puppy head and he'll "get it".

[Pawsies]

Unfortunately it's hard when a dog has learnt other commands to learn stand. It's possible though!
We found this out the hard way for conformation (I'd taught my cardigan to sit/down/come/stay before teaching the stand)

Have you tried clicker training?

Find a room with little distraction, occupy yourself with treats (but don't let him see them), wait till he stands nice and still (it's the patience game). Even if his legs aren't in the right position, click and treat. Keep doing this and DO NOT reward any downs/sits/comes etc. Eventually he is going to realize that actually stand is what you want, then add the cue/hand signal.

It'll take a while for him to figure it out but that's the joy of clicker training!

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by MyPemCharlie

To me "Stand" is the least important obedience command, but he'll have to know it to get passed into Intermediate Obedience and Sports next year.

Any tips or tricks of the trade? If not, I'm hoping over the next several days a little light bulb will go off in his cute puppy head and he'll "get it".

I teach it on leash. Put him in a sit, you stand beside him. Take a step forward as if you were going to walk, and using your left hand down along his left side, "catch" him as his rear leg moves forward and gently stop him from moving further forward. Tell him stand as you do so. And of course lots of praise as you would usually.

Peggy

[Michael Romanos]

'Stand' is one of the most important commands for a Corgi in the show ring.
I place a hand under the Corgi belly when I train for stand and then say 'stay' so that he/she is standing still. 'Stay' of course need not be only from a sitting or crouch down position. Then there is 'stand' from movement. It is moving with the Corgi and commanding the dog to 'stand' or 'stop' which is going from moving to a dead halt - and in the show ring, hopefully with legs positioned correctly ie a natural stand with front and back feet parallell in line.

[MyPemCharlie]

Thank you all for the tips! I should have started working on "Stand" much earlier. Charlie's "starting" to get the idea of what I want as of yesterday evening and today. He's still not absolutely sure though. LOL

He's still trying to please me by either sitting down or laying down when I say stand. But once I get him up on all fours, I'm praising the heck out of him "Good Stand!". Then he looks surprised like "Oh I did something good???" and comes for a treat. Heehee...we'll get it down (er, or Up).

I think I might have also been confusing him with the hand signal...always my fault...never the dog's.

[Michael Romanos]

Probably better to say 'good boy' after he does ALL things correctly because 'good stand' to him might be misinterpreted if only used for the standing purpose.

[fogebotom]

Okay, little comment before I add to the thread. My personal opinion on show dogs and teaching obedience is that they can be taught from an early early age to do all the commands-sit, stay, come, heel, finish and stand! I have so many people who refuse to start with the basics and then at 2 yrs old try to teach their show dog obedience and can't figure out why they won't sit? Well for 2 years they corrected them for doing it-duh.

Here's how I teach it in class. With the dog in a sit, human on in the heel position, leash on and the leash snap under the dogs chin, using a treat I run my hand along the side of the dog's muzzle, also gently applying pressure on the collar by pulling the leash forward(towards the dog's nose) and encouraging the dog to move towards the treat that by now is up in front of the dogs nose. I at the same time with a palm facing down hand, run my hand under the dog 's belly, moving from the elbow area of the belly back to his withers-using a little upward pressure to encourage the dog to stand up. Doing this all at once, then also giving the command "stand". Once the dog is up on all four feet, because my treat is right at the dog's nose, I can reward right away. It's called luring the dog into the position. Eventually you will not need your hand to help the dog up in to the stand position and just the motion of your hand forward along the face and past the nose, with the command, will get your dog to stand. Once they know it well, then add stay, as in they will reliably do it 9 out of 10 times, then add a 5 sec stay, reward.

First off you are teaching a hand signal that is useful in upper level obedience and rally, in the show ring the dog is comfortable with the command of stand and in the vets office your doc will greatly appreciate a dog that stands on command.

Cindy and the crew at Foggy Bottom
(who has several CH's that have multiple titles on the back end!)

[MyPemCharlie]

Hi Cindy,

Thank you but I need a little clarification (because it seems like you need three hands to do this!) LOL

Are you taking the treat and leash in your left hand? And then using your right hand to run under the dog's belly? If I've got the idea correct, I'll try it today.

Right now, I'm trying to use a hand signal that's very different, which is a palm up in a lifting motion - almost the reverse of "Down" signal.

[fogebotom]

Sort of. I turn towards my dog(it is on my left in the heel position), then use my right hand to hold the leash and the treat, my left hand for the belly lift.Leave a little slack in the leash so that you aren't pulling the dog, but giving a slight suggestion to move forward as you get towards the dog's nose. Again, tempting them with the treat so it seems more like their idea then you forcing them to do it.

In Utility the hand signals are such. Sit is the done with the left hand-bend it at the elbow and make sure that the palm of your hand will be facing you. Pretend like you are holding a cotton ball in the crotch of your elbow after getting some blood taken :0) Down is done with the right hand in either a windmill motion of the complete arm-going backwards, coming up over the shoulder, palm facing the dog then down towards the ground. The other one is to take the right arm and place it straight up in the air again, palm facing the dog. Come is the right arm, in a sideways sweeping motion similar to pulling the dog in to you, arm ends up bent at the elbow, across your chest, palm facing your chest. Let's see-heel or swing is done with an outward sweeping motion, either right or left hand, depending on the direction that the dog is to go. I keep my hands at my side, the slightly sweep them to the right or left indicating to the dog the direction I want them to go. My collie, Claire is such a pro at a military finish, that I just take my right finger and wiggle it once and she bust her butt to the heel position. I even had her doing it with a shoulder shrug at one time.

Part of the reason to do the upward arm signal in utility is that the dog, who is in front of you and quite aways away from you, can see the signals.

Now if I am standing by the dog, down is with my right hand, and the palm faces the floor and I use a downward motion-sometimes I have to cross over in front of myself with my arm and bend slightly. Sit is the same way as the utility signal, bend left arm at the elbow, palm towards the person. Stand is a sweeping forward motion with the left arm, hand runs along the dogs face and goes slightly in front of the dog. Stay is the left hand, right in front of the dog's nose, palm facing the dog, fingers pointing down. Notice, it's not over the head or eyes, you do it right in front of their nose to indicate not to move any further.

Clear as mud????

Cindy and da'crew

[MyPemCharlie]

Yes, that sounds more like what I've been doing - with the treat in my right hand and putting my left hand under his belly. I've been working him a lot more from Forward rather than from Heel (another thing to work on!). The other hand signals I have down pretty well. He's just being slower with Stand because we started late and have been working on his other commands a lot.

Today he seems to have figured out that if I don't want Sit or Down, then he can Stand up and get rewarded with praise and a treat...even if my hand signal is like a flopping fish out of water. I think he is at least learning the verbal command. I've tried a few different hand signals, so I just need to get consistent.

Thanks again Cindy!

[fogebotom]

Consistency is the key. Try to use the same ones every time. And regardless of when you start teaching it, shouldn't matter. In classes, I don't teach it until about week 4 or 5. By then the dogs have a solid sit, down, stay and stand is pretty easy to teach.

Good luck!

Cindy and the crew

[Michael Romanos]

The shorter the words the better ie easier for the dog to pick up on.