I taught my dogs both the stay and wait command. Lately I think I've been accidentally saying "ok!" with the stay. What do you all do? Did you just teach one command? Are both necessary? Just a little curious if I should go back to telling them wait whenever I plan on giving a release cue.

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I don't use either stay or wait. I tell the dog what position to get in (sit, down, stand) and they are automatically required to hold that position until released.

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Jodie

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Jodie has it right - your dog should always remain where you leave them until you tell them they can move. Using 'OK' is not generally a good idea, because picture this scenario:
You're in a park walking your dogs, and a friend comes up to you to chat. You have the dogs sit, and talk to your friend. At some point in your conversation, you say, "Okay, that's great!" and BAM, dogs think they are free free free! So... Try saying something a little less common. With my pup I just use hand signals (to release him, I make a rolling motion with my hand as if to say, "Go on". You could use a word like, "freedom" or the like... Just something a bit more uncommon.

Anyway, yes, use two different commands when you mean two different things.

I teach both.

Stay (signal from the right hand sweeping across in addition to the verbal) - to the dog means that he must not move until I return to his side and touch his neck/head and tell him OK.

Wait (signal from the left hand sweeping downard in addition to the vebal) means that my dog must hold still until the next command.

I like the clarity in communication and feel that if you are consistent, it will help prevent problems down the road. And I train both because I REALLY do not want my dog looking at me an anticipating a come command while he is doing stays. I want it permanently DRILLED in his brain that he must never move from the stay if I'm still a distance away from him. I added the "touch" to the release, because it reinforces him never breaking the position until I am right there with him.

OK - is a release word that most people use successfully.

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My release word is "all done." I doubt it really matters, as long as you're consistent.

I use the "stay" command only if I'm going to be walking away from my dog. Otherwise, I expect her to stay in position until I either release, or give another command. I only say it once. Some guy in my class says "stay" about every 10 seconds while we're doing sit and down stays. How's the dog supposed to learn to do it on his own?

I don't use the "wait" command, but as long as you're consistent, it probably doesn't matter.

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Wendy

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I use both. I use stay after I put my dog In a sit, a down or a stand command and they may not break position until I release them. I use wait when I want him to stop moving until I release him. For example on an off leash walk in the park I let him go where he wants as long as he's close and when I say wait he stops dead in his tracks and waits for my next command.


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sdhgolden
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I use one command - Whoa which simply means stay as you are. Afterwards she is either released from whatever position with OK meaning do whatever you want or with her name, which means she is to go and retrieve a given mark.

How is this done in formal OB?

Lori (I think your name is Lori?) - the way I described is the formal way I learned. The way Jodie described is another formal way that I've seen people use.

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