Teaching a dog the stop command has many different uses. Once they reliably know how to stop, you can end behaviors such as jumping up, chewing, house-breaking accidents and other bad behaviors.
There are many different methods to train a dog and they center around two main principles -- negative reinforcement or punishment for bad behavior and positive reinforcement or rewarding good behavior. Positive reinforcement, such as clicker training, has been found to be very effective and is recommended by trainers.
Things You'll Need
- Clicker training device
- Dog treats
Instructions
Practice with the clicker on your own. If you don't have an actual clicker training device, you can use a spaghetti sauce lid or any lid that has an air seal that will make a clicking sound when pressed. It is necessary to get your timing down before you begin training your dog. The premise behind clicker training is that the immediate sound when a dog does the right behavior reinforces the lesson and creates a reference point for the dog.
Wait for the dog to exhibit the behavior you want to stop. To teach the stop command, the dog must first understand that what they are doing is wrong and that stopping is the right thing to do.
Say "stop" in a firm, loud voice. Yelling is not recommended, but the dog should be able to tell by your tone that you are displeased with what they are doing. This tone should be different from your every day tone that you use with your dog.
Click the clicker as soon as the dog reacts to your voice and praise them. This creates the reference point mentioned earlier. By praising them when they stop on command, you are positively reinforcing their behavior.
Award the dog a small treat for stopping. This helps further reinforce the good behavior because most dogs are food driven and will respond to treats in a positive way. This is a reward for the dog for accomplishing what you asked them to do.
Repeat the lesson. Whenever the dog does something they should not, say "stop," click the clicker when the dog complies and give them a treat. It may take a few repetitions before the dog reliably stops what they are doing on command.
Introduce affection as a replacement for treats. As soon as the dog begins obeying the stop command on a regular basis, start replacing the treats you give them with affection such as a rub on the head. Ideally, you want the dog to respond to affection rather than food.
Phase out the clicker and treats entirely. After the dog has made progress, they should be stopping on command. At this point, you can stop using the clicker and the food treats and rely solely on the command and affection when the dog obeys it.
Reinforce the lesson as necessary. Dogs can forget their training and it may be necessary to go back to the clicker and treat until they remember their training. This is particularly true for puppies with short attention spans and short memories.