Training your dog to stand up on cue might seem like an odd skill, but it can be incredibly helpful for a variety of reasons. It's useful during grooming sessions, at the vet, for canine conditioning and body awareness exercises, for dog shows, or when you simply need your dog to move from a lying or sitting position.
Dogs who can stand on request are easier to groom and handle during vet examinations, making everything smoother and less stressful for everyone. No manhandling your dog into position!
This skill can help puppies learn body awareness while they grow and help senior dogs maintain strength and muscle mass. Engaging in different postures means your dog is using different muscle groups, contributing to overall health.
Training Your Dog to Stand on Cue
What You'll Need:
- Clicker or Marker Word: A clicker or marker word like "yes" helps to clearly mark the stand behavior. Because this training skill can be a fast movement and easily move into stepping forward, you need a way to precisely tell the dog when they hit position.
- Treats: Choose small, tasty, high-value treats that your dog loves.
- Treat Pouch: It's best to keep treats in a pouch rather than in a pocket or trying to hold them all in your hand at once.
- Quiet Environment: Start training in a distraction-free zone where you and your dog can concentrate.
Step One: Luring into Position
- Start with your dog in a sit or down position. It can be helpful to start practicing this skill on a platform or on a mat to help prevent your dog from taking steps forward after standing.
- Use a treat to lure your dog into position: Hold a treat close to your dog's nose and slowly move it forward and slightly up to encourage them to stand. The goal is to have them follow the treat with their nose, causing them to stand up smoothly.
- Mark the Behavior: As soon as your dog stands (and before they take any steps forward), click or say "Yes!"
- Reward: Give your dog the treat right after marking the behavior.
Step Two: Adding the Cue
- Introduce the verbal cue: When your dog is consistently and quickly standing when lured by a treat, start saying the cue word like "Stand" as they follow the treat.
- Mark and treat: Keep saying "yes!" or clicking when they hit position and then give the treat.
- Continuing practicing by saying the cue word, luring into position, marking, and treating.
- Fade the lure: Gradually use the treats less as a lure and more as just the rewards. For example, use the same hand motion but don't hold the treat in your hand. You still want to mark and reward when they stand.
Step Three: Generalize
- Change locations. Practice in various places and around different distractions.
- Start fading out treats for every repetition. Continue to praise your dog and mix in real-life rewards with the treat rewards. One great way to fade out treats and increase the difficulty of this skill is to add it to a "Puppy Push-Up." This is simply asking your dog to sit, down, and stand in order—one push-up! It's a great way to proof each individual skill.
Here's a video showing the process of training a dog to stand:
Training your dog to stand up when asked is a fun training game that can be a part of your training routine and is useful for much more than just a cool trick!
Questions? Let us know in the comments below!
