Tell me more about the Group Wait at the doors.

Teaching your dogs a “Group Wait” at the door is an excellent way to maintain order, prevent them from knocking you over, and avoid dog fights, which frequently break out during the frantic rush at doorways. By controlling the doorway, you reward patience and polite behavior.

Here is how to teach and refine the Group Wait based on the sources:

1. Teach “Wait” to Each Dog Individually. Before trying it with the whole pack, every dog must learn to wait alone.

• Place yourself between the dog and the door, and walk toward them to herd them away from it.

• Once they are a few feet back, say “wait” in a low, even-toned voice, and partially open the door.

• If your dog tries to bolt, use your body to block their path or close the door.

• When your dog pauses or backs away, step through the door and release them by saying their name in a lilting, singsong tone of voice. Getting to go outside is their reward, so you don’t need to use treats.

• Note: A “wait” is different from a “stay.” “Stay” means to remain perfectly in one place, whereas “wait” simply means they cannot move forward until released.

2. Practice with Two Dogs. Once each dog is reliable on their own, bring two dogs together.

• Say, “Dogs, wait,” in a no-nonsense tone. Because this is a new context, they may forget their manners and try to beat their buddy out the door, so be ready to use body blocks.

• The instant both are waiting politely, release only one dog by saying their name in your cheerful release tone. It is best to release the dog furthest away from you first so you can easily block the other dog if they try to dart out.

• Once the second dog is waiting politely, call their name to release them.

• Crucial Rule: Never use a general release word like “okay” (e.g., “Spot, okay”), because the moment dogs hear “okay,” the whole group will likely start moving.

3. Refine the Rules and Expand the Group

• Mix up the order: Always change the order of who gets to go out first. This keeps the dogs guessing and reinforces patience. A great strategy is to reward the dog who is demonstrating the best, most polite “wait” by calling their name first.

• Gradually add the whole pack: Once you have practiced with all possible pairs of dogs, begin trying it with threesomes, and slowly build up until your entire brood is doing a polite group wait. Wait until all dogs are deferring to you, and release them out the door one by one.