Welcome to Training Tip Tuesday — Wait for a collar & lead

Over the past two weeks, we discussed the Wait cue. We went over what it means, and how it differs from the Stay cue. We also started to to use it in real life!

Wait simply means pause for a moment and wait for me to release you. It may appear similar to a stay cue, but it less formal. In a stay, you’re telling the dog it needs to STAY right here until you return. But, the wait means hold tight for just a few seconds.

Remember, dogs appear to act on impulse. See a rabbit? Chase it. See something scary? Run. See our collar and leash? Get excited and jump around.

Last week we taught our dog how to wait for a food bowl. This week, our goal is to have a dog sit while we put a collar and lead on so we can go for a walk. The dog can’t jump on us, mouth us, or paw us.

1. Your dog is off-lead and you have their collar and/or lead in your hand.

2. Give your dog the “sit” cue.

3. Give your dog the “wait” cue and then remain quiet. The collar and/or lead will do the talking..

4. Start to put the collar on your dog and/or attach the leash to their collar..

5. If your dog gets up from the sit, pull your hands away while remaining quiet.

6. Start again with putting the collar on your dog and/or attaching the leash to their collar.

7. If your dog keeps moving, just try two or three times. Then, walk away for a few minutes before trying again.

8. Continue until you can put the food bowl on the floor without your dog diving or rushing the food bow.

9. When your dog has successfully waited for the bowl to be placed on the ground, say the word “OK” or “Free” to let your dog know that it is okay to approach the bowl.

Be patient! It sounds complicated, but it’s really quite easy to do. 

Join us over the next two weeks, and we’ll help you train the wait cue in some additional practical situations. Your dog will learn to wait while you:

• Open the front door without bolting out.
• Load groceries into your vehicle with an open door.

Happy training!

Sharon of Personable Pets