What are the essential dog commands for beginners?
Written by
Robert Brown
Reviewed by
Prof. Henry Webster, Ph.D.To communicate effectively with your dog, learning essential commands is critical. These skills will prevent dangerous situations from arising and also contribute to mutual understanding. Learn 'sit' and 'stay' first, then move on to recall and walking to heel. More results will be achieved with regular short training sessions than with irregular long sessions.
Sit Command
- Hold treat above nose and move backward until sitting occurs naturally
- Use upward palm gesture while saying 'sit' for clear communication
- Practice 10 times daily in quiet areas before adding distractions
- Reward instantly with medium-value treats like cheese cubes
Stay Command
- Start with open palm signal at 3 feet distance for 5 seconds
- Gradually increase duration to 1 minute at 10 feet distance
- Return to reward instead of calling dog forward
- Use premium rewards like chicken for this safety-critical skill
Come Command
- Call enthusiastically with arms outstretched in happy tone
- Always reward returns even if delayed to build reliability
- Begin indoors before practicing in fenced outdoor spaces
- Never punish after recall to maintain positive association
Leave It
- Show closed fist while saying 'leave it' for visual cue
- Start with low-value items before progressing to food
- Reward eye contact instead of grabbing forbidden objects
- Use highest-value treats like liver for impulse control training
Heel Command
- Begin walking with left foot while saying 'heel'
- Reward every 3-5 steps of proper position maintenance
- Use target training with hand above head for focus
- Gradually increase distance from 10 to 100 feet
To facilitate quicker learning, use consistent hand signals with verbal signals. Dogs respond better to visual than auditory signals alone. Practice commands in different places to help your pet generalize his learning. Pleasantly conclude training sessions so that the training remains an enjoyable experience. I end training with an easy command my dog knows well.
Address common problems, such as slow responses. Immediately increase the reward value if the command is delayed by more than three seconds. Check for environmental factors affecting attention, and breakdown complex skills into smaller steps using shaping techniques. If problems persist for more than two weeks despite consistent practice, consider seeking professional help.
Read the full article: Dog Training Basics: Essential Guide for Beginners
