# How to teach a "stop" in the middle of a "come"



## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

It's been a couple of weeks since Brady learned anything new, and he's pretty solid on the skills we've worked on... so I'd like to start teaching a "stop" in the middle of a "come." Meaning...he'd begin walking towards me and then stop in the middle. (This might be easier if he knew how to slowly come...lol). Anyway, how does one begin working on this skill? I tend to match hand signals to my commands, the ultimate goal being that I can get him to stop without a word. Is there a good signal to pair with this? (Aside from flat palm, which I use for "stay" or 1 finger up which I use for "wait")


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## waterbaby (Jan 20, 2009)

I'd be interested in hearing what other people think, but I personally wouldn't mess with "come" at this stage. It's probably the most important command a dog can learn and is so easy to screw up while a puppy is growing up. I would want my puppy to come flying at me every single time for a long time before I started asking him to do things along the way.

If you still want to continue, you might look into drop-on-recall training. It's similar to what you're looking for.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

waterbaby said:


> I'd be interested in hearing what other people think, but I personally wouldn't mess with "come" at this stage. It's probably the most important command a dog can learn and is so easy to screw up while a puppy is growing up. I would want my puppy to come flying at me every single time for a long time before I started asking him to do things along the way.
> 
> If you still want to continue, you might look into drop-on-recall training. It's similar to what you're looking for.


I was thinking the same thing, except I'm not using "come" to get him to come to me. Come is distinctly different. I'm using "this way" and an exaggerated wave towards me.

I'm not doing it hardcore though. The emergency recall is more important. But I was also thinking, what if I was calling him to me and a car or bike was suddenly coming and I needed him to stop.



hanksimon said:


> Stop without a word can be more effective, than the verbal signal, when the dog is watching. One method:
> 1. Recall the dog - hold you hands wide and open/ receptive, and lean back a little. Look to the side of the dog.
> 2. Say "Sit!" or "Stop!" loudly. Indicate STOP! with one or both hands out in front of you, Lean forward & Stare hard.
> 
> ...


He's actually fantastic with the physical cues. I can get him to come, sit, down, stay, and wait without saying a word. I plan to videotape this in the near future to show the trainer I fired who said that he doesn't pay attention. I use hand signals for all 3. The only one that is exclusively vocal right now is "with me" where he follows on my left side at heel.

Now that I think about it more, I think I will hold off on the drop on recall stuff for a while until we have a solid emergency recall like waterbaby suggested. Still..I'm interested in how to even start! lol.

What would be a good new one to work on you guys??

We're doing the following, but he has them down:
stay while I leave the room AND close the door
Also working on stay meaning hold his body position, not just don't follow - so I can walk a circle around him etc.
Leave it - 2 treats on paws and must look at me before reward


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

How old is Brady?


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

lisak_87 said:


> I was thinking the same thing, except I'm not using "come" to get him to come to me. Come is distinctly different. I'm using "this way" and an exaggerated wave towards me.
> 
> I'm not doing it hardcore though. The emergency recall is more important. But I was also thinking, what if I was calling him to me and a car or bike was suddenly coming and I needed him to stop.
> 
> ...


Keep your emergency recall "clean" but it's an okay thing to practice if you don't use your formal recall. Make yourself an imaginary line. Get the dog headed towards you. when the dog gets to your "spot" click and toss a treat behind him. Wash/rinse/repeat. Eventually he'll start anticipating changing directions at that spot. Then you can start putting it on cue. (thanks Sue Ailsby for a brilliant way to start a drop on recall)


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

wvasko said:


> How old is Brady?


He is almost 14 weeks old. And of course I didn't teach all of this at once. we've been working on stuff every day since he was 9 weeks old and I've introduced 1 new thing at a time 

And this would be one of the hardest things we'd do, so I don't expect him to learn it for a loooong time.



Pawzk9 said:


> Keep your emergency recall "clean" but it's an okay thing to practice if you don't use your formal recall. Make yourself an imaginary line. Get the dog headed towards you. when the dog gets to your "spot" click and toss a treat behind him. Wash/rinse/repeat. Eventually he'll start anticipating changing directions at that spot. Then you can start putting it on cue. (thanks Sue Ailsby for a brilliant way to start a drop on recall)


Thanks so much! I'll probably hold off for a little while still and solidify our emergency recall over the next few weeks. And I'll just use "this way" for the drop on recall training later on. Our emergency recall is "Brady, COME." We'll have to do this with very stinky treats as his lil puppy nose doesn't do so well w/ the sniffing things out yet lol. something else to do for fun! learn to "find it"!


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

> Thanks so much! I'll probably hold off for a little while still and solidify our emergency recall over the next few weeks. And I'll just use "this way" for the drop on recall training later on. Our emergency recall is "Brady, COME." We'll have to do this with very stinky treats as his lil puppy nose doesn't do so well w/ the sniffing things out yet lol. something else to do for fun! learn to "find it"!


Yes you have time before jumping into stop work, emergency recall is more important and then stop work when older and more proofed on come work.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

wvasko said:


> Yes you have time before jumping into stop work, emergency recall is more important and then stop work when older and more proofed on come work.


still, it's good to know how it works. I was not at all sure how one teaches this particular thing.

my boyfriend just reminded me that Brady does not know the typical "shake" or "roll over"......we might just throw those in LOL


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## MonicaBH (Jul 5, 2008)

I think my biggest advice is to proof the heck out of his stay. My dog can be running to or away, and if he hears me tell him to "stay", he stops dead in his tracks.

But like wvasko (the master of the universe) said, he's still young to be barraged with all of this info. Solidify the basics (sit, stay, down, come, etc) since they're the foundation for everything else anyway.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I wouldn't teach 'stop', because that might be confusing. What's he supposed to do? Stand, sit or down? Simply "stop" is a lack of a behaviour, and dogs have trouble with that. I would work more on down and sit, and as you work on proofing them, also make him do it while moving forward. Just be walking through the house with him and ask him to sit or down. As he gets it and starts doing them while moving, only reward the faster ones. This is part of proofing those cues anyway, so needs to be done


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

What you are trying to train is similar to the Drop On Recall which is an advanced maneuver used in Open Obedience. To start that training you need to be able to get the drop from a stand at some distance. So.. first you train the stand/stay.. and close to the dog you ask for the down. Eventually you add distance. At some point you start the drops with a recall. Do it very close at first and have the dog drop in front of you. 

It takes a long time to train the DOR correctly.. and at 14 weeks you are really pushing it. Teach the down both on voice and hand signal (the signal is your had raised straight up over your head.. and it is your right hand). Teach the recall. Teach both separately now.. and when you get all that reliable (as in totally proofed) THEN put them together for the DOR. Don't do it too soon.. let him be a puppy!!!

Atka is 4 years old..and tomorrow she is in her fist Open competition where she must DOR. I do this on hand signal.. and she has been doing the DOR since she was a year old. It took a lot of time to train it. She is good at it. Lets hope I have done it enough that she will do it tomorrow in the ring!!!


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

MonicaBH said:


> I think my biggest advice is to proof the heck out of his stay. My dog can be running to or away, and if he hears me tell him to "stay", he stops dead in his tracks.
> 
> But like wvasko (the master of the universe) said, he's still young to be barraged with all of this info. Solidify the basics (sit, stay, down, come, etc) since they're the foundation for everything else anyway.


Thank you so much, Master of universe is a stretch though, let me ask my wife if I can be Master of house for a few minutes to build up to the universe thing.

I have been in this silly dog stuff for a long time and would not know how to proof a 14 week old pup on anything. The shaping molding stuff can be done but proofing stuff not so good.

As elana explained the DOR is an advanced program and there is a reason for that. A drop is not necessary for an emergency stop but the learning of such requires some age/maturity etc.

PS
Asked wife and she said all that Master stuff was really not necessary.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Elana55 said:


> What you are trying to train is similar to the Drop On Recall which is an advanced maneuver used in Open Obedience. To start that training you need to be able to get the drop from a stand at some distance. So.. first you train the stand/stay.. and close to the dog you ask for the down. Eventually you add distance. At some point you start the drops with a recall. Do it very close at first and have the dog drop in front of you.
> 
> It takes a long time to train the DOR correctly.. and at 14 weeks you are really pushing it. Teach the down both on voice and hand signal (the signal is your had raised straight up over your head.. and it is your right hand). Teach the recall. Teach both separately now.. and when you get all that reliable (as in totally proofed) THEN put them together for the DOR. Don't do it too soon.. let him be a puppy!!!
> 
> Atka is 4 years old..and tomorrow she is in her fist Open competition where she must DOR. I do this on hand signal.. and she has been doing the DOR since she was a year old. It took a lot of time to train it. She is good at it. Lets hope I have done it enough that she will do it tomorrow in the ring!!!


Yeah, we're going to wait. I'll work more on the "down" from a distance thing since he knows how to down.

Can you teach 2 hand signals for something? I point to the floor for a down when he's right next to me (like when we're in class and I want him to lay down quietly on leash). Can you pair 2 signals to it? like one for distance/formal and one for subtle times?

We're also working on fetching ^.^
I let him be a puppy, honestly. Just the little brain soaks up this stuff like nobody's business and I'm runnin' out of stuff I know how to teach!!

I mean what'cha gonna do when he seriously begins predicting your commands? LOL
He knows when it's training time and is like "Mommy, i'm down! Can I has a treat now? No? Ok I'll come...how bout now? I'm sitting now! I'll leave that treat on my paw seriously! Look I'm staying!" half the time he does exactly what I'm getting ready to ask and I have to change it LOL.

But, we'll just add distance to his down, more time and my absence longer for his stay. all that should eventually help with the drop on recall stuff.
work on his fetching some more
and work more on the emergency recall. just that one we cant do over and over since it's supposed to be used sparingly. so we do it a couple of times a day.

FYI - Drop on Recall is exactly what I was originally talking about. For my information - is a drop on recall always a down on recall? or is there a sit on recall as well? Just curious cus it's all sorta new to me.


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## waterbaby (Jan 20, 2009)

If you're looking for more to train, why don't you try some silly stuff? I have a habit of training only the pragmatic and lord knows there's enough to work on there. But it can be fun to just teach your dog some useless, but cute tricks. It still serves the purpose of mental stimulation AND he'll be a hit at parties. Things like dead dog or high five, shake, roll over, crawl, sit pretty, spin, weave between your legs, etc.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Well just something to throw in the pot, for an emergency stop I prefer just a stop as a drop on recall is 2 things for dog to do, a stop and then a drop. While some dogs may stop or drop instantly others may stop 1st then a step or 2 and drop. This could leave a dog coming at you from across a road/street a tad further in the road and helpless on the road in a dropped position to be run over. For conversation sake I prefer a dog standing and hit rather than car passing over dog. To me an emergency stop is a stop completely what you're doing not a stop what you're doing and then do something else. 

While there are many dogs that will drop immediately it still leaves them in a bad position on a road. I'm just sayin'.... 

I also prefer a dual verbal/hand signal command as if dog is not looking at you the verbal is a backup. In training the dog is always setup to look at you but in an emergency world this may not be true.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

waterbaby said:


> If you're looking for more to train, why don't you try some silly stuff? I have a habit of training only the pragmatic and lord knows there's enough to work on there. But it can be fun to just teach your dog some useless, but cute tricks. It still serves the purpose of mental stimulation AND he'll be a hit at parties. Things like dead dog or high five, shake, roll over, crawl, sit pretty, spin, weave between your legs, etc.


Good idea  I'll definitely teach shake and roll over. Those are standard, right? LOL


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## aBlueDog (Feb 14, 2011)

Well if your looking for things to teach this may help you! http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/06/101_best_dog_tricks.php


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

Pawzk9 said:


> Keep your emergency recall "clean" but it's an okay thing to practice if you don't use your formal recall. Make yourself an imaginary line. Get the dog headed towards you. when the dog gets to your "spot" click and toss a treat behind him. Wash/rinse/repeat. Eventually he'll start anticipating changing directions at that spot. Then you can start putting it on cue. (thanks Sue Ailsby for a brilliant way to start a drop on recall)


+1 to this. This game is why the Schnauzer is more ready for Open than Novice.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Yeah I agree, I wouldn't mess with come at this stage. I wouldn't be sure how long to wait since I haven't formally met Brady. Izze knows stop amidst come, I think it can be life saving for her or for someone else since she naturally wants to follow me everywhere so I taught her to stop & 'stay' on command (I don't actually use stay as a word rather I teach mine to stay in the desired position). Jo is only 6 mos old & I have to say that I wouldn't feel comfortable messing with her recall yet. As of now she thinks that recall is the best thing in the world... lotsa great things happen when she comes back & she will follow voluntarily, occasionally going off to do her business, sniff or whatever. Even when she chases our guinea fowl away from the cabins (something she is supposed to do) she always comes back for her reward, which is usually play.


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