Help with Wait command!

[Chelsea and her doodle Piper]

Tonight as my dad was leaving our house after dinner, Piper bolted for the door as usual. I wasn't feeling the whole coax-lightning-fast-puppy-back-into-the-house-in single-digit-temperatures thing, so I flung myself to the floor in a vollyball dive just in time to grab his haunches and pull him back inside. Besides looking like a total crazy woman with sore knees, while looking up at my guest saying "excuse me for just throwing myself to the ground and scaring you half to death," I figure I really need to deal with this! How can I stop him from bolting from the house? Thanks!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

The only command my dogs truly honor is WAIT. I was serious about it and I always use it on our stairs over and over and over again. I think you might want to put a leash on Piper if you think someone will be going out, have the person leaving say, "Wait," and you have the lead. If Piper bolts, the leash will jerk him back.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I know some people train "wait", but I used the "sti/stay" to accomplish the same thing. I think there is actually a subtle difference, but I found it easier to focus on one command. If Piper is treat motivated, I would suggest keeping some really small (but yummy) treats in your pocket...for a couple of days I would randomly put him in a sit/stay and reward. You'll have to do it many times throughout the day. Make the stays longer and longer and do it by the door whenever you think of it. Guinness had some trouble with the down/stay and this is what I did. It worked like a charm. He now does it consistently whether I have a treat or not. Then when someone is coming or going you could use the sit/stay command to prevent the bolting.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I use "Wait" also, and like Nancy, I am serious about it. It's probably the only command for which I use a sharp tone of voice. I use it if Jack gets overly excited at a street crossing and starts across without sitting, or when we have parked the car and I want him to stay put until I'm ready to get him out via his door, lol.
I like the idea of putting a long lead on Piper and "setting him up"... in general, I like positive training techniques, but in this case, there's nothing positive to reward. A long lead will remove you from the equation. Let him wander freely, with the end of the leash firmly attached to something or under your foot, and then say "wait" just before someone opens the door. A couple of good surprise jerks (which will not be connected to you) and he will hesitate before bolting, which gives you time to distract him and reward him for not bolting.

[Chelsea and her doodle Piper]

Thank you guys so much! I will try the long lead today to get going on wait, and keep working on sit and stay. This has been the best site and I can't imagine not having it! Thanks again for all the helpful advice and encouragement!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I think it doesn't matter if you do the sit/stay or the wait first. It matters that the command is meant! Because we live in a two-story house and I broke my foot once on the stairs, I am dead serious about the dogs waiting while I go up or down. Ned may not "freeze" like the other two, but he doesn't dare run past me. The two older dogs freeze whenever/wherever I give the wait command until I release them. Ned doesn't freeze until released consistently but he is a work in progress.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack already knew a few commands when I got him, and "wait" was one of them. "Stay" is the command he has the most trouble with...certainly my fault for not working harder with him on this. Somehow, it has evolved that "stay" is for longer periods, usually lying down, and "wait" is a short pause. I agree that sit-stay should be taught first. I also agree that situations where a dog's life could be in jeopardy (or yours, as with Nancy's stairs) call for very strong, I-mean-it commands.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

The "sit/stay" at an open door can be life saving for a dog. As it can be at the top of the stairs for us humans.
We had to train our puppy "STAY" in our RV because there were always vehicles around and no yard or walk way to seperate him from them in most places.
With us going in and out at truck stops and unfamiliar areas,and doors sometimes not closing all the way, we had to be very adamant about stay!
I do think "wait" would've worked just as well, it's all in the tone, I'm sure. "Stay" works so good I even use it when I want him to stop running away from me when he is going to chase something or someone. Never could figure out if I should train "Halt or Stop." This works for now.