I am trying to practice for our gold cert, but 1 exercise is that we have to do is a min in and a min out, my problem is the minuate out, and the harder we practice the worse Oki gets (he stays for even shorter periods) this has got to about 5 seconds now, the minute i go out of sight, he gets up and walks just until he can see me and then sits again, any advice please
Danielle

Hi
If it is the KC Good Citizen Gold test you are doing the actual exercise is a 2 minute down stay of which 30 seconds is out of sight!

If you have time (don't know when the test is) don't train this exercise at all for a few days.  Then do the stay 'in sight' bit and then  leave your dog.  Make sure you can see him even though he can't see you and time how long he waits before moving. What ever you do don't scold him for coming after you just take him back to the exact spot you left him in and try again.

Set up the exercise again but this time return to him within the time frame that he WILL wait and BEFORE he has moved.  Praise him like mad even if you only achieve 5 seconds.  Re set the exercise and this time stay out of sight for 6 seconds before returning and gradually build the time back up to 30 seconds.  Don't do this all on one day but spread it over a few.  If you can re-train the exercise so that you get back to him every time before he breaks you have a good chance on re-gaining old ground. 

we did our silver on Monday .......the people doing the gold did thiers at the same time as us and it consisted of a 2min down plus a 30 second out of sight because we had done our 2 mins and had to keep quiet for the extra 30 second.

~Roni

yes it is, and have done all that you said except, going back just before, so i will do that. thankyou

I know how you feel about the gold. The out of sight stay is difficult for some dogs.

Two of my flatcoats took it earlier this year and passed.  My bitch managed to learn the out of sight stay in one training session at the club where we go, but my dog took three sessions!  He just hates me being out of his sight, so I think he did very well to last for the required 30 seconds :)
My youngest has his silver and I would love him to do the gold, but after a bad experience with another dog, he's is just not secure enough at the moment to stay in one spot on his own.

Good luck with yours, let us know what happens!! :)

I taught my Max to stay while i was out of the room by leaving a tasty treat a metre infront of him. He was good with ignoring it till i gave it to him so when i left the room he'd just stare at the treat.

Will let you know how we get on, don't think that it will be for a few weeks yet but need to practice lol ;D