Labrador Training: How To Train Your Lab To “Sit And Stay”

In Labrador training, “Sit and stay” is an essential command to teach your Labrador because it encourages good manners and allows you to establish leadership.

The “sit-stay” command is one of the hardest commands to teach a dog because it can take a while for them to understand that “stay” really means don’t do anything. However, it is not impossible to do and Labrador Retrievers have great capacity for learning.

Importance of teaching your Labrador the “sit and stay” command

For those of you who are wondering if teaching your Lab this command is really necessary, the answer is yes. There are three main reasons why you need to train your dog to “sit-stay”:

1. Establish leadership over your Lab

The “sit and stay” command is the most effective way to establish leadership because the owner has control. By practicing the command, you’re letting your dog know that he or she is beneath you and obeying is best.

2. Enforce good behavior in your Lab

Instilling good manners in a puppy can be difficult to do, especially with Labradors because they have an abundance of energy. One way you can enforce good behavior in your dog is by teaching and practicing the “sit-stay” command. Once your puppy is familiar with it, you may find that your dog sits and stays when he or she wants something, such as to go outside, eat, etc.

3. Practice patience with your Labrador

The main difference between the “sit” and “sit-stay” command is that the basic “sit” does not encourage patience, while the other one does. Some dogs even develop a “cheating” habit where they don’t sit all the way or they sit for just a split second. This is not a good thing because by rewarding or even just acknowledging your Labrador when this happens, you’re actually encouraging impatience.

Steps for training your Lab to “sit and stay”

Teaching your Lab puppy this command is easy to do with the following steps:

• Place a leash and harness or collar on your dog and get some treats to use during training.


• Ask your puppy to “sit” while holding on to his or her leash, and then give a reward.


• Say “stay” in a neutral voice while still holding on to the leash.


• Wait 5 to 10 seconds before giving your dog a treat and letting him or her loose.


• Practice these steps about five times followed by a 5 minute break.


• Slowly increase the time that your Lab is to stay or take a step back to practice the command from a further distance. These two things should be taught at separate training sessions to prevent your dog getting confused.

Lastly, remember to stay positive, provide plenty of breaks, be consistent, and practice.

“My most satisfying aspect of animal training is a very simple moment. After a show when I leave the stage door… and there is a crowd gathered, sometimes I hear someone say the following and it makes it all worthwhile. “How did they make that dog do that?” I smile because I am the only “they” and I do it with love.”

William Berloni, dog trainer, about transforming a severely abused dog from the pound into Sandy in the Broadway production of Annie.

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