On Amazon.com there are, at the time of this post, 57995 dog
training books. 57994 of them include
instructions on how to train the “wait” command (e.g. “wait” before you go out
the door, “wait” before you eat, etc).
I have never taught my clients a verbal “wait” command. In fact, if the dog already knows it, I have
told my clients to stop using it.
“Wait” waters down the “stay” command. Think about it – what does “stay” mean? It means put your butt on that spot and don’t move until I give you a release command. What does “wait” mean to a dog? Wait for how long? It sounds the same to the dog, and the body language of the handler looks the same - but it means something different. Dogs who are good at “wait” are lousy at “stay” (and stay is a much more useful command).
“Wait” waters down the “stay” command. Think about it – what does “stay” mean? It means put your butt on that spot and don’t move until I give you a release command. What does “wait” mean to a dog? Wait for how long? It sounds the same to the dog, and the body language of the handler looks the same - but it means something different. Dogs who are good at “wait” are lousy at “stay” (and stay is a much more useful command).
“Wait” is not only confusing to the dog, but it is a completely unnecessary command if your
dog has been properly trained. Well-trained
dogs are constantly looking to the owner for approval in everything they do.
They do not dare follow their owners out through open doors unless they are
invited (or are on leash).
So, what do you do if your dog is following you out the door
as you head to work in the morning? You signal (using body language) that the
dog is not invited to accompany you. Any good trainer can teach you exactly how
to do this without saying a word. (By the way, you can’t use “stay” because the
dog won’t be able to get up until you come home – assuming that you’ve taught
your dog a proper stay.)
The verbal “wait” command is a fairly recent development, coming into vogue just a few years ago thanks to the purely positive crowd – the same people who insist on sweetly chirping “Thank You” when their dogs sit. I don’t know a single experienced professional dog trainer who teaches (or uses) a “wait” command.
The verbal “wait” command is a fairly recent development, coming into vogue just a few years ago thanks to the purely positive crowd – the same people who insist on sweetly chirping “Thank You” when their dogs sit. I don’t know a single experienced professional dog trainer who teaches (or uses) a “wait” command.
Should dogs learn to wait? Absolutely! They should be waiting all the time, for all kinds of things, politely
deferring to their owner’s established household rules. But “wait” is not a verbal obedience command – it’s a learned behavior that polite,
well trained dogs will do all the time on their own. When they don’t do it,
good handlers know how to efficiently correct the oversight.
By the way, if you want to see “wait” practiced hundreds of
times a day without anyone saying a word, go to your local animal shelter and
watch experienced employees entering and leaving kennels. The dogs easily read
their body language and know when they are staying and when they are leaving
based solely on the body language of the employee. On leash with my back to you
means you’re coming with me; off leash and I am facing you (sometimes with my
hand out) means you’re not coming.
What about using “wait” before eating? Again - good idea,
wrong command. What you need here is “stay” and then a release word of your
choice.
Rule of thumb – not only with this “wait” business, but in
general - if you want to be a better handler, stop talking so much.
