10 Essential Dog Commands Every Dog Should Know

Training your dog is more than just teaching them fun tricks and games. A solid foundation with your pet begins by developing the essential dog commands that keep your dog safe and build effective communication methods. These commands are crucial for a happy and well-behaved companion. 

Whether you’re a new dog owner or looking to improve training, mastering these essential dog commands will make life easier and more enjoyable for both you and your furry friend. 

Command 1: Sit – Easy

Why Teach Sit?

“Sit” is a cornerstone of dog obedience training. Teaching your dog to sit helps you control them in various situations, waiting at crosswalks, or before mealtime. It also lays the groundwork for more advanced commands.

How to Teach Sit

1. Get Your Dog’s Attention: Hold a treat close to your dog’s nose to capture their focus.
2. Say “Sit”: Clearly say “Sit”. Do not repeat yourself as you will be guiding your dog to the answer anyways. 
3. Raise the Treat: Slowly lift the treat upward. Your dog’s head will follow the treat, causing their bottom to lower.
4. Reward: Immediately say “Good Boy/Girl” and give them the treat once their rear touches the ground. 
5. Practice Regularly: As your dog progresses, you will begin to say “Sit” and raise your hand without a treat in it. Once they do sit down, you can pull a treat out of your pocket and reward them.  

Tip: Consistency is key. Use the same word and hand movement every time to avoid confusing your dog. 

Command 2: Stay – Moderate

Why Teach Stay?

“Stay” is invaluable for your dog’s safety and your peace of mind. It ensures your dog remains in place until you release them, which is especially useful in public places or around other animals. Mastering “Stay” can prevent accidents and unwanted behaviors. Unlike many other trainers, we do not teach our dogs to listen to the command “Stay”. Instead, when we tell our dog to “Sit”, we expect them to remain sitting until we release them.

How to Teach Stay

1. Start with “Sit”: Begin practicing your “Sit” command as we did above.
2. Sit and Movement: Once your dog is working well with you and is sitting easily, take a second treat and toss it away from your dog while they are in a sit and give him verbal praise to encourage them to go chase the treat.
3. Lure Back to a Sit: Once your dog has chased the treat, get your dog’s attention again with another treat and lure them back to a sit. Give him a treat when his rear hits the ground, and then give him a second treat 1-2 seconds later while his rear is still on the ground. Throw another treat away and praise him for chasing after the treat. Repeat.
4. Pair a Release Command: Once your dog is comfortably chasing after the treat after having been in a “Sit”, begin saying a release word such as Break, Free, or Party right before you toss a treat. If your dog hesitates to move, begin praising like you were before you added the release commands.
5. Duration: Once your dog consistently sits on command and moves on the release command, slowly increase the duration by waiting 1-2 seconds, rewarding it with another treat while in a sit, and then giving the release command. You can give your dog several treats with pauses in between to build a greater desire to stay seated until hearing their release command. 
6. Distance: Once you have built 4-5 seconds of duration, you can begin taking one to two steps backward while maintaining eye contact with your dog. Do not turn your back on your dog; it will encourage them to follow you. 
7. Return and Reward: If your dog stays put, return to them, praise them, and offer them a treat.
8. Increase Difficulty: Gradually increase the distance and duration you expect your dog to stay. Always make things easier or stop the training if your dog looks bored or makes frequent mistakes. 

Tip: Patience is essential. In the beginning, taking a small half-step away or simply shifting your weight around from your toes to your heels could be all of the movement that your dog can handle in the beginning.

Command 3: Come – Moderate

Why Teach Come?

The “Come” command is crucial for off-leash situations and ensures your dog returns to you promptly. In my personal opinion, it is the most important command on this list. Teaching this command is crucial in dog obedience training. It can help prevent dangerous situations, like your dog running into traffic or getting into fights with other animals.

How to Teach Come

1. Use a Leash: Start in a quiet area with your dog on a leash.
2. Get Their Attention: Kneel to your dog’s level and say their name, followed by “Come.”
3. Encourage Movement: Begin moving away from your dog and begin giving high-pitched praise. You can gently pull on the leash until they start moving towards you. 
4. Reward Immediately: As soon as your dog comes to you, reward them with the treat and lots of praise.
5. Practice Off-Leash: Once consistent, practice in a safe, enclosed area without the leash.

Tip: Make coming to you a positive experience. Never call your dog to punish them or get mad at them, even if your dog comes to you slowly. 

Command 4: Down – Easy

Why Teach Down?

“Down” helps manage your dog in high-excitement situations, promoting calmness and control. This command is useful for keeping your dog in place for extended periods, like during a meal at an outdoor cafe.

How to Teach Down

1. Start from Sit: Have your dog sit first.
2. Lower the Treat: Tell your dog “Down” and then hold a treat in your hand close to your dog’s nose. Lower it slowly to the ground. Keep your treat as close to their chest and the front of their legs as possible.
3. Guide Them: As your dog follows the treat, they’ll naturally lie down. 
4. Say “Down”: Once your dog is lying down, say “Down.”
5. Reward: Give them a treat and offer praise.
6. Repeat and Reinforce: Practice regularly until your dog responds to the verbal command alone.

Tip: If your dog has trouble laying all the way down even though you have lowered the treat all the way to the ground, keep the treat near the ground and start dragging the treat away from them so that your dog is encouraged to crawl towards it. Reward them once their forearms are flat on the ground. 

Command 5: Leave It – Moderate

Why Teach Leave It?

“Leave It” prevents your dog from picking up harmful or unwanted objects, enhancing their safety. Teaching this command is highly relevant and can prevent choking hazards or ingestion of toxic substances.

Note: If your dog has a history of resource-guarding food, toys, or treats, consult with a trainer before teaching your dog this command. 

How to Teach Leave It

1. Show a Treat: Place a treat in one hand and show it to your dog.
2. Command “Leave It”: Close your fist around the treat and say “Leave it.”
3. Wait for Patience: Your dog may paw or lick your hand. Wait until they stop.
4. Reward Alternate Behavior: Once they stop trying to get the treat, reward them with a different treat from your other hand.
5. Increase Difficulty: Place the treat on the floor and cover it with your hand, repeating the steps.
6. Practice: Use toys or other items to generalize the command.

Tip: Patience is crucial. Don’t rush the training sessions.

Command 6: Drop It – Moderate

Why Teach Drop It?

“Drop It” ensures your dog releases objects safely, which is essential if they’ve picked up something dangerous. This command is helpful during playtime to encourage good manners. 

Note: If your dog has a history of resource-guarding food, toys, or treats, consult with a trainer before teaching your dog this command.

How to Teach Drop It

1. Engage in Play: Use a toy your dog likes to play tug-of-war.
2. Offer a High-Value Treat: Say “Drop it” and present a treat.When you present the treat, stop actively pulling back on the toy, but do not let go of it. 
3. Exchange Items: When your dog drops the toy to take the treat, praise them.
4. aGive it back: Once they have dropped the toy, give it back to them and play tug-of-war with them again.
5. Repeat: Practice multiple times to reinforce the behavior.
6. Phase Out Treats: Gradually reduce treats, using praise as a reward. 

Tip: Always use a calm tone to avoid creating anxiety around the command. In the beginning end each play session by allowing them to keep the toy until they are bored. We want our pups to learn that dropping the object doesn’t necessarily mean they will lose it temporarily or indefinitely. 

Command 7: Heel – Hard

Why Teach Heel?

“Heel” teaches your dog to walk beside you calmly, preventing pulling during walks. This command makes walks more enjoyable and safer for both of you.

How to Teach Heel

1. Position Your Dog: Put 5-10 treats in your hand, and lure your dog with treats to stand on your left side at your knee. For extra guidance, stand next to a wall and position your dog between yourself and the wall. 
2. Hold the Leash Correctly: Keep the leash long and loose, or practice off-leash in your home or backyard. 
3. Use a Marker Word: Say “Heel” and start walking keeping your remaining treats in front of their nose as you walk. Your dog will be encouraged to follow the treats as you begin walking forward. 
4. Reward Proper Positioning: Continuously offer treats and praise as you are walking with you by your side.. 
5. Address Pulling: If your dog pulls ahead, stop walking and stop rewarding with treats and praise. Restart at the beginning. Do not correct your dog or pull on the leash  
6. Practice Turns and Stops: As your dog learns to stay with you longer and longer, begin adding stops and starts to your walk. Reward your dog heavily if they stop when you stop, or turn with you when you change directions. 

Tip: Be consistent with the side you want your dog to walk on to avoid confusion. Be patient, this is one of the most difficult commands to teach your dog. 

Command 8: Up – Easy

Why Teach Up?

“Up” is useful for situations like getting into cars, onto furniture, or onto examination tables at the vet. It makes transitions smoother and less stressful.

How to Teach Up

1. Choose the Object: Stand next to the object you want your dog to get onto. 
2. Use a Treat: Hold a treat in front of your dog’s nose and slowly lure them up onto the bed above the object and say “Up.”
3. Encourage the Movement: Gently pat the surface if needed.
4. Reward Success: Once your dog gets up, give them the treat and praise them.
5. Practice in Different Settings: This helps generalize the command to various situations.

Tip: Ensure the surface is stable to prevent your dog from slipping or getting scared.

Command 9: Off – Easy

Why Teach Off?

“Off” helps prevent your dog from jumping on people or furniture, promoting good manners and preventing potential injuries. Off can be taught once you have taught your dog “Up”. 

How to Teach Off

1. Teaching Off:: Guide your dog onto the object through luring. 
2. Say “Off”: Say “Off”, then take a treat and hold it in front of their nose. Slowly lure them off of the object. Once all four paws are on the ground, give them the treat and offer praise. 
3. Generalize: Practice this with multiple objects and reward them with a treat each time. Once your dog has a firm understanding of this command, it can be used to teach your dog to stop jumping on guests or furniture. 

Tip: Avoid pushing your dog down, as they may interpret it as play.

Command 10: Watch Me – Moderate/Hard

Why Teach Watch Me?

“Watch Me” commands your dog’s attention, which is invaluable in distracting environments or when you need their focus quickly.

How to Teach Watch Me

1. Hold a Treat Near Your Eyes: Position a treat between your eyes or at eye level.
2. Say “Watch Me”: As your dog makes eye contact, clearly say the command.
3. Reward: Give them the treat and praise them for maintaining eye contact.
4. Increase Duration: Gradually extend the time they hold eye contact. Eventually, you will begin raising your hand out without a treat in it. Once they have made eye contact without a treat in your hand, reward them with a treat from your pocket or pouch. 
5. Practice with Distractions: Slowly introduce distractions to strengthen the command.

Tip: Keep training sessions short and positive to maintain your dog’s interest.

Conclusion

Mastering these ten essential commands is a crucial step in dog obedience training. Consistently practicing them will improve your dog’s obedience and strengthen the bond between you. Every dog learns differently and so the methods described in this article may work better for some dogs than others. Consider working with a professional trainer so that they can construct specific training methods and strategies that fit the needs of you and your dog.

Ready to take your dog’s training to the next level? Check out Toko Dogs’ Obedience Training Services for professional guidance tailored to your needs.