One of the absolutely most important things to teach a dog is the ‘wait’ command. It means ‘pause until further instructions.’ Not only is this command insanely useful, it does a few important things for your dog’s mentality. Wait:

• teaches your dog to down regulate - to go from an excited state to a calm one.

• builds the understanding that your dog needs to ‘calm down’ in order to get what they want.

• reminds your dog that activities and privileges happen on your terms and you aren’t a butler who exists just to cater to them.

• helps them build self control so they have a stockpile for when you really need it in more exciting situations.

• reinforces the mindset a good teammate would have, one that is patient and considerate, like how if we were going somewhere together and I asked you to wait, I’m sure you could happily pause for a moment for me unless you are very self centered or a toddler.

Here are the...