Any Success Training Grey To "wait"?

[Guest cotaylo]

So, I'm working on training my Grey to "wait".

 

I'm mostly concerned about doors to start with. I want to be able to say "wait" at the door and make him stay until I go through the door first. My concern is for him to learn that I am the leader, and in case someone is going out my door and I don't him to try to sneak out (I know this isn't foolproof, but I just want to have some verbal control with this).

 

I have not been using treats, because Grey is not very food motivated. So mostly, I stand at the door and say "wait" and when he doesn't wait, I push him back and say "wait" each time until he doesn't move forward anymore. This method is working a little but I was just wondering if anyone else has had success training to "wait" and how did you do it?

 

The word "stay" doesn't really work since my dog's name is "Grey" and those words are too similar.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[LaFlaca]

This is how I trained Wendy to "wait". Position your dog where you want him to be when you open the door. Give your hand signal (I use a "stop" motion), say "wait", and open the door. If he moves, close the door and simultaneously give a correction; like "oops" or "ehk", and walk towards him unitl he's back to where you want him to be. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Hope this helps and makes sense!

[Guest katethegreyt]

My girl mastered "wait" quickly, but she's not an overly exuberant type, so that helps. She "waits" for food, doors, and the baby gate. I'm no genius trainer, so this is what a relative newbie did that worked, haha = )

 

I didn't use treats much either, she just didn't get what she wanted if she didn't wait. So with food, for example, she would have to stay in her "wait" spot until I put the food down and said "okay!" If she started to move at any point, I'd stop putting the food down (or pick it up if it was already down), used my body to back her up to her place, said wait, and tried again. She now sits and waits, and a quick "ah ah" will have her putting her butt on the floor again until I'm ready. I also used a hand signal (like a stop, more generally just a palm toward her face). She also waits while I'm not facing her (she's behind me), and I'll say "wait" and use a similar hand gesture, but my hand is behind me more instead of in front. Useful if she's in a heel position.

 

We used the behind me "wait" a lot at the baby gate. That was easier than the door at first because if she popped through, no harm, and it was easier to close quickly = ) You can do the door on a leash at first though, so you can keep him from squirting out the door on you. With the door and the baby gate, I'd put her in a wait (added sit later once she knew it better), and if she moved a muscle, the gate/door closed immediately (and I would back her up to her place if she moved too far). With a door, you can also place your body so it blocks them a bit, though you have to be careful they don't think your body moving out of the way is the cue for them to go. If yours will do a sit, adding that helps a bit once they have the idea because you have a little more time to close the door = )

 

We did do some work with treats as well just working on not moving (more of a "stay" but I use "wait" interchangeably at this point, and she seems to get it). I just worked up the amount of time I wanted her to not move, and if she made it until I said "okay!" she got a treat. Otherwise she got put back in her spot, and we tried again. Then we worked up to walking in a circle around her, and then adding a down stay or a sit stay. Treat only if she stayed until released (the down stay was VERY simple, haha).

 

If you are concerned about him getting through the door on someone else, a lot of people work in a place for their dog to go. My trainer set up two little rugs for his labs, and he just tells them to go to their place/rug/mat when someone is entering or leaving.

 

Unfortunately, my girl is hardly bomb proof on this because my husband just doesn't work on it (he spoils her a bit). Still, she's great for me and it doesn't cause an issue, soooo I can't really blame her, haha. But yeah, this is my first dog that is all mine, so if I can do it, anyone can! I'm sure the more experienced folks on here will give you lots of good advice = )

 

 

 

This is how I trained Wendy to "wait". Position your dog where you want him to be when you open the door. Give your hand signal (I use a "stop" motion), say "wait", and open the door. If he moves, close the door and simultaneously give a correction; like "oops" or "ehk", and walk towards him unitl he's back to where you want him to be. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Hope this helps and makes sense!

 

Much shorter than my post! That's the much simpler condensed version of my wordy blab fest, haha.

[Brindles]

I have not been using treats, because Grey is not very food motivated. So mostly, I stand at the door and say "wait" and when he doesn't wait, I push him back and say "wait" each time until he doesn't move forward anymore. This method is working a little but I was just wondering if anyone else has had success training to "wait" and how did you do it?

That's exactly what I did with all of mine and it worked beautifully. Just make sure you're extremely consistent in enforcing the rule and he'll catch on pretty quickly. Using treats with commands like that isn't terribly practical unless you carry some in your pocket 24/7. I say "aaah" when mine mess up and they immediately stop, back up, and wait for me to tell them when to go. My hand signal to wait is holding out my palm in front of them. I say "okay" and take my hand away when they can go.

 

If I could only teach my dogs one thing, to wait would be it. For their safety and mine.

[Guest krystolla]

As said above, repetition is a big thing in teaching "wait". Hack hasn't generalized wait at the door, with wait in the car, wait before dinner etc. Each situation is a new training challenge. I think eventually he'll figure out that it's all the same command. The hardest is "wait" at the dog park, but after jumping out of the truck a few times only to get put back in he figures it out. Oh, I also always start with "wait" on leash before trying off leash. Even if the leash is just lying on the ground, it gives you something to grab.

 

Yeah, wait is one of those great commands that even if it's not 100%, it's better than not teaching at all. (My personal pick for the other two are "come" and "drop it") Good luck, and be patient.

[krissy]

I just told him to wait then opened the door, put down the food, etc. When he moved for it I'd say "No" or "ah ah" in a fairly neutral tone and gently push him back a bit or prevent him from grabbing the food. Then I'd repeat. In the beginning it's important not to be too ambitious in terms of the length of time you ask them to wait. You want to work up gradually. So at first, so long as he doesn't charge out the door as soon as you open it, I'd take that, give the release command and keep going. Then try asking him to wait for 2 or 3 seconds, then 5, etc. etc. If at any point the dog is consistently not able to wait for the specified length of time then you've progressed too quickly and should reduce the amount of time a little bit.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

If you feed your dog (not free-feed), your dog will realize you are the "leader" within a few days.

[Wonder]

Passion knows wait

shocking I know

[sarabz]

I use a sharp "ah!" "eh!' sort of sound when Bella moves, and use food to reward when I give her the release "ok".

 

I know NOTHING about agility training/obedience training, but use a stop sign sort of hand signal to indicate "wait" and then an arm sweep as an "ok". I pull my hand into my chest as a fist when I want her to stay as is. Worked with the verbal commands paired with the arm signals and now she's awfully good about just the arm/hand/body language signals.

[Guest cotaylo]

Excellent. Thank you all for the tips.

 

Going to try adding some of them to what I am currently doing. I think we have been too close to the door while working on the "wait". Going to try to start back further and open/close the door depending on his reaction.

 

we are making progress.

[Guest bluefiggie]

I taught starling to wait before exiting the house and her crate. I taught lola to wait in the grass each time a car would drive by during a dog walk. To do this I would stand I'm front of stars crate until she calmed down, once calm we would step away and verbally give her permission to go. We also held her collar to prevent her from running in front. She has a massive desire to run. (retired with a broken leg). This whole time lola would be waking up and stretching and by the time star waited at her crate and the back door lola was up and moving. On dog walks every time a car passes we stand in the grass and I tell them to wait. If they move at all I repeat wait and we stand there until they are still. Only when they are waiting do i release them. Lola would see a car and walk to the grass and stop walking. We also make them wait before coming into the house. They are not allowed on the back steps until we let them.

[Guest Audeamus]

I think, when I first got Gir, the way he learnt wait was I would get him to sit, then hold the sit a little longer. It's just become a thing that he does now, before we leave for walks. He's generalized it as far as I know, that he doesn't bolt out of the door, he'll start "inside" of the house even if the door is wide open ( and we can see him).

Not all greyhounds or greyhound crosses have a nice sit, this is what worked for us and Gir is a sitting fool. I trained him to sit with treats and every so often he'll get a "jackpot".

[Guest avadogner]

I was able to train Ava to wait using hand commands and treats. She loves her freeze dried duck and salmon slices. She came to us at 18 months and was very skittish. It wasn't until she was about 6 that I decided to get serious on learning tricks. In just a few months she learned to balance a cookie on her nose until I release her. She will also shake left or right paws on my command. She does a few others like when I ask her who she loves best, she puts her paw on my knee or hand without me giving any hand signals. I thought I was a a pretty good trainer but Augie is still working on shake after 6 months. Keep us posted on your progress, please.

Ava & augie's mum

[Guest KennelMom]

You can teach wait w/o treats. Though, sometimes it's about finding the right kind of food (ie, cooked chicken or bits of liver). Ours just "wait" over time...same with "go lay down"

[krissy]

The other thing that I like to do is to give treats as reinforcement without releasing the dog. In other words I tell him to wait and after he's been waiting for awhile, or if I do something to try to distract him and he ignores it (I bounce a ball, open a door, get his collar and leash out) then I give him a verbal cue (you can use a clicker, a cue word like "yes" or "good", or just say "Good wait"), I give him a treat as reinforcement, and then I remind him that he's still waiting (I either say "wait" again or just give him his hand signal for wait) and I walk away again or do something distracting. I may do that several times depending on how he's doing. Then I give him his release word (for us it's "okay") followed by praise and maybe a treat.

[Guest BrianRke]

This is how I trained Wendy to "wait". Position your dog where you want him to be when you open the door. Give your hand signal (I use a "stop" motion), say "wait", and open the door. If he moves, close the door and simultaneously give a correction; like "oops" or "ehk", and walk towards him unitl he's back to where you want him to be. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Hope this helps and makes sense!

This is exactly what I did. It worked great with all 3 of mine.

[jetcitywoman]

Teaching wait can be one of the easiest behaviors to teach because you have different rewards to use. While you can use food/treats if you want, the release is also by itself a reward. When you wait at the door, what does the dog want more than (nearly) anything? That's right, to go out the door! Same thing at meals, being allowed to eat is it's own reward. But you do have to be consistent, and if the dog is too easily distractable/excitable it helps to make him sit or down and then wait.

 

Ajax is funny and cute as the dickens on wait. He's really sloppy and poor about waiting at the door and we are constantly correcting him. We have to back him up two or three times before we can get out the door. On the other hand, he's a champion at waiting for his supper. He will down himself in his self-assigned spot and wait patiently (usually) until I say okay. Capri still needs to be told to sit, but he doesn't. It's so funny how he does what he knows is the correct thing at mealtimes but is a total spaz at walkie-time.

[Fruitycake]

From the various books and training videos I've read/seen, the physical clues are sometimes more quickly learned than the verbal. Hand "stop sign" or body block/getting into their space and "pushing" them back with your personal space (if your dog has and recognizes personal space!) can be a really great reinforcer. Monty's not a door rusher, but Allie is, so we've done this with her. She also has more personal space so is easy to "push back" from the door without even touching her by getting between her and the door.

 

Monty's pretty good...when he can see that you mean it. Walk out of eyesight and he pushes boundaries a little (he waits for his dinner...but if you go out of sight to put his measure cup away he hurryfastquick snatches up a mouthful of food and gulps it down before turning around to give you those so innocent eyes as if he doesn't know what happened). Oh, Monty, Monty, Monty....

[Remolacha]

I accidentally taught mine "wait" on our walks. After one would poop, they would all be ready to charge off and I would say "wait, I have to pick this up!" and I discovered they would actually wait So, I started randomly stopping during our walks and saying wait, and once they were all standing quietly, saying OK! and off we'd go. I also use it before we cross a street, and after that, it was easy to do it at the door. It is just about the only thing they reliably know

 

edited to add, no treats were involved, just praise

Edited June 18, 2011 by Remolacha

[HoundHeavenAZ]

I have taught all my hounds to wait and it has been the most useful command of all. As I approach a door I pause, turn towards them and push the palm of my hand towards their face and then ( most important part!) give them a stern Voice of God "WAIT". If they continue to approach the door I will repeat it, and I may pause and lift a foot up behind me so they'll run into it - they don't like feet much Soon all I need to do is show them the hand when I approach a door and eventually they all just quit trying to go with me.

This has prevented many dog tails and toes from being injured in doors, but best of all it helped my bridge girl when she suffered a stroke. She could not stand for 36 hours after her stroke and she wanted so bad to get up but I could tell her to wait and she understood that it was a temporary problem and that she knew she could trust me. She was a hospital therapy dog and I used the wait command many times when we visited patients to indicate that she should maintain her position or behavior for a short bit of time. She understood that it was always for a short time span and never challenged me on it. I was so glad that I had that taught it to her though for her recovery period- it relieved so much anxiety for her.

 

I'm always surprised when friends bring their dogs over and they don't understand that I am supposed to go through doors BEFORE they do and almost knock me down trying to outrun me! Mine (fosters too) have all been taught that they need to wait for me to go first and then they should wait until I signal for them to proceed. I'm not stern with my dogs on much else, door manners are crucial for everyone's safety and the wait command works great for us.

 

Lots of good advice from the experts for you here - best of luck

[Guest ravenchilde]

Our greyhound MIley picked up "stay" really fast. She stays at all doors and gates and has to be invited across. All we did was put her on a leash, and practice making her stay while we went out the door. Then after that had some success, we started doing it into the back yard. We'd take the leash off, bring her up to the door, tell her to stay, and then go out and keep an eye on her. If she waits patiently, then she gets invited out, if she breaks out on her own, she has to go back in and try again. She picked it up in a few tries. She also has to wait for food, treats, bed, etc.