I start teaching the puppy to stay … when I leave it …(in a crate or in the yard etc) I say “Stay be Good Dog!” I do this in any situation where I know the puppy has to stay. IE can not follow me.
If I have the puppy tied to the fence so it can watch what I am doing but be out of harms way. I say “Stay! Be good dog!” Nothing is magical about this. It is common sense and repetition, consistency, and understandable to the dog…
My puppy is all ready learning to stay on the carport when I get into the car to leave. She will sit and watch and stay!
I look for natural easy ways to teach the stay so that the puppy when old enough will understand what I want. By the time the puppy is 4 months they usually stay fairly well and just get better as they mature.
Timber as a puppy learning to stay…