Wait Or Stay???

What's the difference between a "Wait!" and a "Stay" you ask?

Well, the answer is pretty simple and quite easy for a dog to understand.

With the stay command, you always go back to the dog before you release them. When you say stay, you really mean stay where you are until I come back and release you.

For the wait command, the dog can go to you from the position that they were in.

Example 1: You have to get the mail but you want Rusty to stay on the front porch. You're going back to him, so you'd use stay.

Example 2: You're carrying groceries into the house but you have to open and unlock the door first. So you'll have him wait while you unlock the door and walk into the house, when released Rusty will return to you while you put the groceries on the counter.

Example 3: You're outside grilling, but the toxic bottle of lighter fluid is in Rusty's way to get back inside. Put Rusty in a sit, say wait, then pick up the lighter fluid and release from the wait so he follows you in the house.

Is that easier to understand the difference between them? Stay means return to the dog to release, wait means you will release and the dog comes to you.

Happy Doggy Mother's Day!