Ever tried to teach your dog to follow the wait command, only to discover that your sharpei hates waiting? Getting your dog to love it instead isn't a cinch because most dogs easily get bored. And everybody knows that dogs are restless and have poor attention spans. So it takes time for them to connect with something that simply means “be inactive”!

Here is an easy way to train your sharpei (and any dog for that matter) to obey the wait command:

1. Put your dog on a short leash and walk him to the front door.

When your dog does not pick up the wait command, use a leash to have a better control of your dog. Open your door just wide enough to allow you to go outside, leaving your dog still inside, with the leash hanging through the door slit.

You can try commanding your dog to also sit.

2. Slowly open the door again, but this time just a small amount.

Hold up your palm and tell the sharpei to “Wait.” Don't fret if your dog rushes to shove open the door and come to you. Your dog will really do so because you are teaching him something new here.

3. Close the door the moment the dog moves toward you.

Wait for the dog to stop. Then repeat step 2. Observe if there is now a lessening of his readiness to rush out of the door. In case of this, your dog is beginning to understand the “wait” command. Shower your dog with praise and give him your approval command or “release” (e.g. “alright”) and allow him to go through the door.

4. Keep up the practice!

Continue repeating the step described above in order to help the sharpei calm down and sit first before you allow him to pass through the main door.

Stay focused in this routine and keep trying it out at all chances you get. Be sure to encourage the morale of your dog by praising him and providing positive reinforcement. Soon your dog will be capable of responding to the wait command.

But always be realistic; training your sharpei to follow the wait command will require your time, practice, and loads and loads of patience. Perhaps sooner than expected, your reward will be the dog that no longer bounds out of the door after you.