It's a scenario every dog guardian dreads: You're on one side of the road, your pup is on the other, bounding toward you. Between you? A long stretch of highway carrying an even longer line of moving vehicles. You hold your breath, knowing you are powerless to stop what's about to happen.
Are you really powerless in that situation? Obviously, prevention is the most effective way to keep your dog from becoming one of the millions of animals killed each year by vehicles. But, no matter how vigilant you are, accidents do happen: your pup slips past a guest and bolts out the front door, jumps out of the car when you're refueling, snaps his leash or slips out of his collar... No matter what you do, there are ways that your pup can get loose. How do you stop him in his tracks, when the worst is about to happen?
With a single, simple, life-saving command: Stop! We'll begin by defining exactly what you want your dog to do when you issue this command, and then we'll move forward from there to teaching your dog what is expected.
For my pups, stop is actually a combination of three commands: Stop, sit, and wait for me to come to you. Before you begin teaching stop, you should have a steadfast sit - once that's been accomplished, you're ready for stop.
Start with a long or extendible leash, and only use the "stop" command when you know you can get results. With any command, repeating the word over and over gives your pup the idea that he only has to obey after you've said something a dozen times, when you're frantic. When you're out on a walk and your pup is ahead of you, say "Stop" firmly and use the leash to make him do exactly that (never pull or jerk your dog to get him to obey - merely get rid of the slack on the leash and hold.) When he's stopped, say "Good dog"; if he hasn't already, your pooch will likely then turn to look at you. Give the sit command and go to him with ample treats and praise. If he starts to get up before you get there, say "No" or "Uh uh" and make him sit again.
Repeat. And repeat again. Do so over and over again, being sure to give lots of praise when your pup gets it right.
Once your pooch has Stop down when he's moving away from you, it's time to stop him when he's coming toward you. With your dog at the end of a long leash, call him to you. After he takes a couple of steps, you take one step toward him with your hand raised and say "Stop!" firmly. Unlike other commands (like "come"), don't worry about making your voice attractive or welcoming. You want your posture, actions, and voice to give your dog pause - to stop him in his tracks, as it were. If he stops, say "Good dog" and make him sit. Go to him with treats and praise, and release.
If your dog keeps coming when you say stop, take another step forward and repeat the command with a little more force. Remember, don't say the word a dozen times - twice is plenty. If he still keeps a'comin', stop your pup physically with your hand out in a halt gesture once he reaches you, and make him sit. Try again, remembering to give plenty of praise on those blessed moments when he gets it right.
Stop should be a command you refresh often. Run through it a few times every day - in the house, on outings, or running around your (fenced) yard. You'll be impressed with how often it comes in handy, and amazed at your own peace of mind when your pup is on the loose.
Note: The stop command should never be used in place of prevention. Always keep your dog leashed or fenced in high-traffic areas or in situations where your pup could get in trouble. Even the best dogs out there aren't infallible - don't let a moment of weakness mean disaster for your best friend.
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