Teach Your Dog to Wait, Dog Training and Obedience Lessons

Obedience Lessons

Getting Started

Sit

Come

Stay

Lie Down

Wait

Walk on a Leash

Better Go Now

Off

Stand

Leave It

Watch Me

Be Gentle

Move, Please

Home

Teaching
"Wait"

Wait is a lot like stay, only your dog doesn't have to be still.
Wait means: don't go past a certain point.

You might use wait if you want your dog to stay in the kitchen
while you go to the living room. With the 'wait' command,
your dog can move anywhere in the kitchen, but cannot leave.
Happy dog

This dog is waiting!

Think carefully about whether you want your dog to stay (don't move a muscle!) or wait (you can move, but don't follow me!) Some situations require that you tell him to stay and some require that he wait.

Here's how to teach the 'wait':

Let's say you want your dog to stay in the kitchen,
and you don't want him to go into the living room, which is right next to it.

This is the Kitchen.
This is your dog!

This is the living room. Stand here at the doorway to the kitchen. Hold the palm of your hand toward your dog and say "wait". Say it slowly and raise your voice at the end. Say "waaaaiiiiit". Then stand in the doorway facing your dog. Don't let him out. He can go anywhere in the kitchen, but not out the door. Repeat "wait".

Remember the difference between wait and stay. Which one do you want to use?

A little bit at a time, start to back up farther away from the door.
If your dog tries to come through the doorway, walk back to the door,
with him in the kitchen and repeat "wait".
Stay close to the door until you feel he understands; then back up
a couple of steps. If he does that well, then you can back up more.
Remember, these steps should be done over several days.
Don't expect your dog to learn it the first day.

How does a dog stop a VCR ? He presses the paws button.

Rusty's Ridiculous Riddles!

Many thanks to 7 year-old Abigail from Connecticut for this great riddle. Thanks!