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How to teach s STOP! Cue
Recall gets a lot of attention, and rightly so — but there are situations where calling your dog back isn’t the right tool. If your dog is heading toward a busy road, a reactive dog, livestock, or a child who’s nervous around dogs, the last thing you want is them moving at all. A reliable stop freezes them exactly where they are, buying you time to get to them or redirect what happens next. It also has a significant safety advantage over recall in one specific scenario: if your dog is already moving toward something dangerous, calling them back means they have to come past whatever that thing is. Stopping them short of it is cleaner and safer. Think of it as an emergency brake — you might not use it every day, but when you need it, nothing else will do.
With practice this will help you achieve:
- Stopping your dog in an emergency
- Reduce the chance of chasing
What you'll need
- High-Value Treats (soft, and easy for your dog to eat quickly, like cheese or hotdogs)
- A Quiet, Low-Distraction Space (start in a calm garden)
Step-by-step
Step 1 — Build the game
Throw a treat away from you so your dog moves away to eat it. The moment they finish and look up, raise your arm high and throw the next treat behind them — so they have to turn away from you to get it.
Repeat this several times. You’re not teaching anything yet, just building a pattern: arm goes up, food appears behind them.
Step 2 — Wait for the pause
After several reps your dog will start watching your arm. The moment they see it raise, they’ll hesitate — they’re anticipating the treat coming from behind.
When you see that pause, wait one second before you throw. If they hold still, mark with “yes” and throw the treat behind them as usual.
You’re now rewarding them for stopping and waiting.
Step 3 — Add the cue
Once they’re pausing reliably every time your arm goes up, you can add the verbal cue.
As your dog is moving toward you, say “stop” and raise your arm at the same time. Mark and throw behind them when they stop.
After enough repetitions, the word alone will start to do the work.
Step 4 — Add a sit
Once they’re stopping consistently, you can ask for a sit once they’ve stopped. Don’t rush this — stopping cleanly comes first, sitting comes after.
Step 5 — Walk in to reward
Rather than always throwing the treat, start walking straight to your dog to deliver it by hand. This builds a stay while you approach — your dog learns that moving forward loses the reward, holding still brings you to them.
Top tips for success
- The treat always goes behind or comes to them — never ask them to come forward to collect it while you’re building this
- If they’re not pausing on the arm raise, do more reps of Step 1 before moving on
- Keep sessions short — five minutes maximum
Related games
Ready to strengthen that STOP cue?
Teaching a solid stop can be such a useful tool, if you are struggling to make it stick in more challenging environments, I'm based in Epsom and here to help. A personalised One-to-One session can provide the tailored guidance you need to succeed.
