It has been a while since I have blogged. I was super busy with our puppies and puppy families this past spring (2020), and then I took a trip to eastern Washington. Which by the way is such beautiful country and I might add, the people there are so kind, generous, helpful, and friendly. I am sorry for the long silence. I am now ready and able to get back to the blogging.
This will certainly date me, but in the late 70’s Heinz Ketchup did a few commercials about their slow pouring ketchup. They used the song “Anticipation” by Carly Simon for some of them and as a kid it drove me nuts to watch those commercial…it took too long for the ketchup to come out of the bottle! As a type "A" personality, I am very impulsive. So waiting is a skill that I have HAD to acquire. It is also a very important concept to teach a puppy. So today, I am going to blog on teaching your puppy to wait and the importance of training impulse control.
Dogs that jump to greet new people can be annoying and oh so embarrassing. Jumping is an impulse behavior. Dogs that dash out the door when you open it can suddenly find themselves in harms way and they can certainly take a few years off our lives! This too is an impulsive behavior. Both these behaviors are not acceptable and need to be addressed. The wait command is the answer.
Why is teaching a young puppy to wait so important? It is the foundation of leadership in your relationship, it is an additional protection tool you can use, and it creates boundaries and limitations that is very much needed in making a good dog and creating a deep bond. When you teach your puppy to wait, he then looks to you for leadership. He sees you as the one in charge of his world. There are some easy ways to start teaching impulse control.
Teach your puppy to wait for his dinner.
Teach your puppy to wait in his crate.
Teach your puppy to wait at the door.
What is the benefit of teaching wait? It is a very bonding experience for you both. When a dog turns to you for leadership and guidance, the friendship that is created is deep and powerful.
When a dog waits, they are giving you the leadership and putting aside their impulsive reactions. They are calmer, happier, and just better dogs. There is freedom for both of you with this command. You lose the fear of your dog being rude and out of control when you have visitors to your home or running out the door and being hurt by a car or another animal. He finds the leadership from you rewarding and relieving. Most dogs do not want the alpha position. Especially a goldendoodle. They desire to be led rather to lead and they find complete and utter freedom in this beta position.
I have attached a video from McCann Dogs that can guide you on how to train the wait command. It is very important that you have taught sit and that you have a leash for this training. Using both these tools for the wait command is essential.
If you still have trouble with training the wait command, we have a wonderful online trainer that we have partnered with: Baxter and Bella. You can find them here: https://www.baxterandbella.com/ use this code: 51711 for a 25% instant savings. Where else can you find a personal trainer for a $178.50 as a lifetime unlimited membership?! They are amazingly easy to follow and understand and they have unlimited resources and guidance.
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