Interesting - I didn't think it would get this many replies tbh .

I thought about down, but then you could do the same with stay - that way, like the down, you wouldn't need recall, you could go and collect your dog etc..

Down would be easier to teach though.. at a distance I mean.

Stay is not a position..........

I can get my dogs to remain in the stand, sit or down I cannot get them to remain in any other position, so saying "stay" will mean nothing to them.

If I say "down" it means "assume the position until and unless I release you or give you a different command"

Name! or is that cheating?????.

Otherwise id choose "wait", which could be used as a leave/stop/ stay etc etc

One trick...

Telepathy - sorted.

@ Dizzi!

I would probably use "wait/stop".

Deciding between 'recall' and 'stop', If I could only have one I think it would be some form of 'stop' command (stay/wait/down etc), standing still is very often the safest answer and then at least I could go and get him

I would have thought recall too, but I think I was convinced by the earlier post to go with 'heel'.

Just sitting here thinking about situations we've been in. Whilst recall worked for some, 'stop' would have worked for all. In fact I can think of occasions where coming back when I called would have actually put him in a worse situation.

Hmm....off out now to practice standing still!

My most used/most important command is my "wait", as it means just that, don't move a muscle. With this command I can stop her in her tracks no matter what is ahead, call her from it back to me to put the lead on, she won't jump out of the car until I give her the release, and I can pick off grass seeds on the way round a walk, I can check ears, I can do just about anything with my "wait". She will go down with either a command or a hand signal no matter how far away, but I only use it to get her to leave the ball alone if I want to throw it, otherwise she's reluctant to give it up, but once in a down, she doesn't touch it.

My next most important command is my "with me", because that means she has to come alongside me and stay there, no matter what distractions are about.

Recall is and always has been her very best command, and sadly, I never have to use it because she's always running back to me anyway, so I tend to keep it going if I remember when she's not coming back if you see what I mean, coz I'd hate for it to disappear, so it only gets used after perhaps a wait, to get her near enough to put a lead on if I have to.

Don't need anymore

Exactly, if your dog had crossed a road you would not want to be calling it back to you.............