Wait at the Gate

This exercise is to help with walking through doorways with dogs on a lead or even in the home going from one room to the next. This exercise will teach the dogs to be calm. This is really important in the home especially if you were to be carrying something e.g. a hot drink, a child etc.

Teaching the wait with the gate (open gate)

Choose a strong position for the dogs to be placed in e.g. sit, stand or down
With the door to the gate open, walk the dog to the gate and place them in the sit position and give the ‘wait’ command along with your chosen hand signal.
Slowly take one step through the gate with you still facing the dog. If the dog follows you then place them back into the sit.
Once you can get one step through the gate call your dog to you and then place them in another sit and reward.
Keep repeating the process until the dogs are in a strong wait and do not move until you call them to you.
If the dog is struggling to wait and is continuing to follow you through the gate, place the dog into a sit and give them the wait command hold a treat constantly in front of the dogs nose and take one step back through the gate, once you are through the gate bring your hand into you giving your come command to the dog.

Control at the Gate (closed Gate)

Walk up to the closed gate with the dog and place the dog in a controlled position and ask for the wait.
Open the gate, with the gate open take one step through the gate, if the dog moves towards you place them back at the other side of the gate and place them back into their position.
Once you are at the other side of the gate and the dog is still waiting call the dog to you and place them in another sit at the same side of the gate as you.
Ask the dog to ‘wait’ giving you hand signal and close the gate behind you. Reward the dog.

There is no rule that says you have to go through the door before the dog. This exercise can be done with you going through the door first, the dog going through first or you both walking through together.