Why Wait?
Wait is one of the very first skills, after response to their name, that I teach my dogs when they are puppies. Why? It’s a foundation skill for good manners that requires impulse control as well as an important safety skill.
We start with waiting for the food bowl to be put down and the puppy being released to go eat. Starting with a sit for just a few seconds. I build on that each day until the puppy can wait until I put the bowl down and straighten back up before I release him with “OK!” Puppies catch on quickly and will even back themselves up, so they are further away from that tempting bowl of breakfast, lunch or dinner, which makes it easier for them to hold the position. With multiple dogs in my house, this skill is a must to avoid dogs underfoot during meal preparation and keeps each dog thoughtful about which bowl is theirs and where they eat.
We then work on waiting at doors—first coming inside and then going outside since coming in is less exciting than going outside. This starts with a sit and a door that just cracks open an inch or two before the puppy is released with “OK.!” I build on that until I can open my front door, lean out and pick up my Amazon package without anyone dashing out the door. Keep in mind, distractions are another step so you can’t expect a young dog to wait while the delivery person is right outside the door—you need to work up to that.
And we also work on waiting inside a crate, both in the house and in the car, while the door is opened, until released. This can be the ultimate safety skill as it trains a dog to not bolt out of the car as soon as a door is opened. Again, this starts with a sit and the crate door opening just an inch or two. I build on that until I can open, close and open the crate door over and over the dog stays inside until I release him with “OK!”
Finally, we work on waiting on the landing below our deck, which is really helpful when covered in winter ice, and at street corners—both places with no visible boundaries.
Notice that there are not treats involved. The reward is getting access to the food bowl, going outside or coming inside the house. Real life rewards for real life skills.
Just the other morning, while I was walking my youngest, a car failed to stop at a corner and, had I not had a great “wait” on him, he would have gotten hurt. I don’t need to yell, “WAIT!” I can just quietly say, “Joey, wait” and he’ll freeze in place, looking at me for the release. This “moving wait” is when your dog will freeze in place and stop moving forward and can be a really flashy skill for you to show off in your neighborhood!
Need help? Look for a Certified Professional Dog Trainer at https://www.ccpdt.org/.