PINOY PET FINDER - ARTICLE / BLOG

Teaching Your Dog the “Wait” Command

The term “Wait” is a practical command that you can teach your dog. Teaching your pet to wait is imperative if you want to work him completely through a dependable off-leash capacity. This is known as one of the many safety commands that can be used to monitor your dog and help him to avoid potential danger.

There will be many times when you will need for your dog to wait for you but not to be still. If you want your dog to be still, the “Stay” command may not be the best command to use. When your dog is anxious to do something “Wait” is the right command to tell him -he can have what he desires, but not at the moment.

Being that dogs live in the present moment, teaching them to “Wait” will not only add a useful word to their vocabulary, it will add a concept that is hard for them to comprehend. Your dog will understand the meaning of the term “Wait” on a temporary basis. The best way to train your dog to “Wait” is by the tone of your voice. Be aware that the voice tone of is one of the most valuable tools in dog training. Your dog has to be capable of understanding your voice tone in order to respond to it.

In order to comprehend how this kind of training works, make sure your dog is a pack animal. And make sure that you are his pack leader since he looks to you for direction and approval. So, when your pet is doing something and you talk in a mildly disapproving tone, he will immediately stop whatever he is doing because of your disapproval. For instance, when you want him to wait at the at the end of the side walk leading out of your driveway and you say “Wait” in a serious tone, a well trained dog stop what he’s doing and turn to look at you. Then say “Good dog” in a nice tone while he waits. If he disobeys and continues up the sidewalk, simply say “NO, WAIT!” in a more stern tone.

Now, the difference between the dog training command “Enough” and “Wait” is simply “Enough” means ending the activity. “Wait” means a temporarily pause. So, in my example of the dog waiting to walk up the driveway, the command “Wai” will actually give him the pleasure of anticipation. It’s basically letting your dog know that if he waits momentarily, then he may continue walking up the sidewalk and that he has gained your approval.

When it is meal time for your dog, don’t forget to use the command “Wait”. Let him wait for a few seconds …at least long enough for you to move out of the way before he begins to eat. Since he can wait at the edge of the sidewalk, he can wait for you to go walk through the doorways first and even up and down a flight of stairs. Remember, “Wait” should always be followed by the word “Okay”. This will let him know it is okay for him to proceed with the activity he is engaged in.

Article by Kim Irvin of Oh My Dog Supplies, check for current specials on upscale dog beds online.