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My puppy won't stay when I leave the room. How to train out of sight?

Updated on September 23, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 4 months and 26 days old | 50 lbs

For the last week or so Sarah and I have been working with the stay command. While I am Insight we have very few issues but if I turn my back or leave the room for more than 15 to 20 seconds she tries to follow me any tips on how to help with this? We are doing it inside that way I can go through doorways and stuff there for a leash and eyelet setup isn't really practical

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on June 27, 2018

Hi there. Sara is quite young to be doing such a long stay, so I wouldn't worry that she's having some trouble with this :)

If she's getting up to follow you, this just means that you need to back up a bit and build up the duration of her stay more slowly. Go back to the level where she was comfortable, and make sure to reward her generously when she gets it right. Then, work back up to your longer out-of-sight stays more gradually, and remember to be patient and don't rush things - she's just a baby.
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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