Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Wait

"Wait" is probably the most common command I use with Maisie.  It comes in very handy when I'm about to take her for a walk but need to throw out the garbage first.  I know I can safely drop the leash while I toss the bag into the can and Maisie will sit right by my side. If I need to get something out of the trunk before we head inside, she will "wait" for me on the sidewalk next to the car while I grab it.  Or to use a recent example, I can leave the front door wide open while I salt the deck and Maisie will "wait" in the house for me.

But most often, I use "wait" at mealtimes.  I feed Maisie in her crate, and it's about the only time she doesn't mind being in there.

Once I finish preparing her food (more on that in a future post), I put the bowl down next to her and tell her to "wait."  And so Maisie waits...
And waits...

Once I went upstairs to start a load of laundry after putting Maisie's food down and forgot that she was still "waiting" to eat.  When I came back downstairs ten or fifteen minutes later, her food remained untouched.

As soon as I say "free," she devours the entire bowl in record time.

She always goes back for a few last licks of the empty bowl right before we head out for our morning walk, just to make sure she hasn't missed anything!

4 comments:

Jenny said...

A great command to know!

That is one command I wish Duke knew more of. He is pretty good with stay...but I think it means two different things to him.

Maisie's Mom said...

it seems to mean two different things to Maisie as well. with "wait," I think she realizes it is a temporary stay and so somehow she is able to accept and obey it more easily. "stay" is a little more hit or miss.

Two Pitties in the City said...

I love it! And especially how she takes it so seriously. "Wait" was the command that changed my life. Miss M was a crazy dog, and I felt like I had to entertain her at all times, and I couldn't even take a shower without her doing something bad on her own. Now she takes it just as seriously, and won't move an inch until released. Is Maisie CGC? I'm guessing she would do really well.

Maisie's Mom said...

Unfortunately, Maisie is leash aggressive (and occasionally people aggressive with strange men), so I sadly do not see CGC in her future!