Advanced Obedience - Distance & Distractions
This handout goes over how to teach commands from a distance and adding distractions to stay.
Overview
Once your dog is proficient with certain commands like sit, down, stand, place you can start teaching them do these behaviors while you are farther away from them.
You can start adding distractions to their stays to help proof that they fully understand they need to stay put no matter what’s going on around them.
It can be helpful to start practicing these with them on an elevated dog bed/cot.
Commands at a Distance
Follow these steps to help your dog understand “Sit” and “Down” means to do those behaviors where they are, not necessarily in front of you like you’ve currently trained. Dog’s are very situational so if you always ask for a “Sit” with them in front of you they think “Sit” means put butt on ground while right in front of you.
Start a step or two away from your dog. Ask them to “Sit” or “Down”. (It can be helpful to teach them how to sit from a down position first.)
Right after you say your command start moving towards them while giving them the hand signal. This way when they finish the behavior it looks the same as before, with you right in front of them.
Once they finish the behavior mark it with “Yes” and deliver them a treat. They should be remaining in the Sit-Stay or Down-Stay. When you give the next command if they are in a Down already you can put them in a Sit. If they are already in a Sit you can put them in a Down.
Repeat until they do the behavior without moving towards you first and before you have much of a chance to move forward and give a hand signal.
Once they do the behavior 5/5 times you can take a couple more steps back and start the process over again.
Adding Distractions to the Stay
Before adding distractions your dog should be able to remain in a stay for at least a few minutes. They should also be good with you walking a good distance away or even out of sight.
When you increase criteria like adding a distraction we want to make everything easier and we will fall back to continuous rewards for each correct behavior. Because at this point you have probably started fading treats for known commands. You will start closer to them and you will decrease the amount of time they are to remain in the stay.
Walk Circles Around Them
A good place to start with distractions is to use your own body. With your dog in a commanded-stay position (sit, down, place, stand) Take a few steps back and then a step or two to either side of them.
Mark and reward for staying put. Slowly increasing the distance you can make around them. Getting behind them tends to make them stand up so do this in small steps.
Once you can walk around them with no problems (it’s ok if they turn their head) then start running around them.
Alternatively, instead of circles around them you can just do an exaggerated dance move or flail around and make loud noises to add distractions. If you tend to clap your hands, pat your legs, etc. to call your dog to you then refrain from doing that as they will think you are calling them over.
Use a Toy
With your dog in a commanded-stay position take a few steps away and then simply hold a toy off to your side. If the dog stays put mark and reward them.
Next, try dropping the toy next to you (have your dog on a leash or back-tie). Mark and reward them for staying put.
Start tossing the toy further and further out, also increase your distance from them. Reward them every time for staying put.
Once you feel good about their progress you can start tossing the toy in different directions; straight away from them, perpendicular to them, over their head, etc.
Remember to limit how long they are in this stay since you making things more difficult it’s a good idea to release them frequently and let them play with the toy.
This also works with the “Wait” command. Tell your dog to “Wait,” toss the toy, then release them to get it with either “OK,” “Get It,” or “Fetch”
Real World
Use real world opportunities to proof their ability to stay and wait. Are there a lot of kids about to come biking by? Did a squirrel just run past? Busy and loud traffic area? Large groups of people moving about?
If your dog is ready for dog parks and you feel confident in their recall and overall attitude about other dogs then dog parks are great for having other dogs and their owners and balls being thrown and chased as a distraction in the background to work on obedience.
If you aren’t ready for dog parks you can still work outside of them at a distance that works for your dog.