Sit, stay, lie down: basic commands step by step

Short answer: teach sit first, then lie down, then stay. Use a small treat to guide your dog into position, reward the moment they get there, and keep sessions short. Add the word only once your dog is already doing the movement. For stay, build time first, then distance, then distractions, one at a time.

Before you start

Pick a quiet room and have a few tiny treats ready. Two or three short sessions a day beat one long one. If everyone in the house uses the same words, your dog learns faster. Stop while your dog is still keen, and end each session with something easy they can get right.

Your dog will also tell you how training is going. If they look away, lick their lips or wander off, the step is probably too hard or the session too long. Our dog body language guide shows what to look for. Make the step easier and try again.

Sit

Stand in front of your dog with a treat in your hand. Hold it near their nose, then move it slowly up and back over their head. As their head follows the treat, their bottom lowers to the floor. The moment it touches, say "yes" or praise and give the treat.

Repeat this in short, regular sessions. Please do not push your dog's bottom down. If it does not click first time, just try again. Once your dog sits easily, say "sit" as they start to sit, not before. When they sit reliably, you can try the same movement with an empty hand, still rewarding afterwards.

Your next step: three or four sits in a row, then stop for the day.

Lie down

Start with your dog sitting. Hold a treat at their nose, then move your hand straight down towards the floor and slightly back between their front paws. Your dog follows the treat into a lying position. Reward straight away, while they are still down.

If your dog pops up or gets stuck halfway, make the movement smaller and reward the little steps towards the floor. Once the down comes easily, say "down" as they lower. Giving a few extra treats while they stay down helps them settle there.

Your next step: practise lie down in one room until your dog follows the treat without hesitating.

Stay

Stay is the hardest of the three, because you are asking your dog to keep still while you do something else. Start with your dog sitting or lying down, right beside you. Reward them for being in position, let them get up for a break, then repeat.

Next, wait one second before the treat. Slowly build the wait up, a second or two at a time. Once your dog is steady, say "stay" once and pause before you reward. Then add distance: lean away, then take one step, then two. Always go back to your dog to give the treat while they are still in position. Do not reward them as they get up, or they learn that getting up pays.

Change only one thing at a time: time, distance, or distractions. Practise in new places, such as the garden, then a quiet park. If your dog breaks the stay, go back a step. That usually means it was too much, too soon. It is not a sign your dog is being stubborn.

Your next step: add one second of waiting, and reward your dog before they move.

Ending and moving on

Choose a release word such as "okay" and use it every time, so your dog knows the exercise is over. Once the basics are steady at home, practise in more places and phase treats out gradually, keeping the odd reward. If you would like a clearer picture of timing, rewards and how to keep everyone in the house consistent, The Handler walks through it.

Your next step: pick one skill and one room, and book three five-minute sessions into your day.

Sources: RSPCA: sit, lie down, stay. Dogs Trust: sit, stay. PDSA, basic training for puppies. VCA Animal Hospitals, sit, down, stand and stay.

General education only, not veterinary advice or a plan for your individual dog. If training seems to upset your dog, or they seem sore or unwell, please talk to your vet. See our legal page.