When teaching a stay, I like to start with just 3 seconds of stillness. As soon as your puppy holds the position, mark the behaviour with a “yes” (or a click) and deliver a treat. After 3–5 repetitions at this short duration, give your puppy a release cue such as “okay” (or “free”/“break”) to let them take a short break. Once they are confident, you can begin to add a little distance - one step at a time - always returning to your puppy to feed in place. This approach helps strengthen the stay behaviour while keeping sessions calm, positive, and rewarding.
