As a dog trainer, especially early in my career, I was involved in training service dogs for individuals with physical disabilities. This included teaching dogs to perform a variety of tasks such as picking up dropped items, pulling wheelchairs, opening and closing doors, and operating light switches, all tailored to the owner’s specific needs. Some organizations boast of teaching dogs over 90 commands, which sounds impressive. However, upon closer examination, many of these commands are redundant or lack practical meaning from the dog’s perspective. For instance, using separate commands for opening and closing a door is unnecessary, as the dog perceives the action as simply pulling the door.
I prefer to use a single command, like “Kennel,” to encompass various situations such as entering a crate, a kennel run, a crate in a van, or even a kitchen. This simplifies the training process, as the dog understands the core action of entering a designated space when I point to it.
Simplifying Your Obedience Dog’s Command List
The question arises: how extensive does your dog’s command list need to be? Many enthusiasts tend to use far too many commands, making the learning process unnecessarily complex for both the dog and the handler.
Essential Novice Commands
A dog primarily needs commands that indicate desired positions, such as:
- Sit
- Down
- Stand
- Front: Move in front of me and sit.
- Heel: Move to my side and sit. This can also be used for a swing finish, though a different command might be needed for an around finish.
- OK: A release command signifying the end of the exercise.
Additionally, commands that direct specific actions are crucial:
- Come: Stop current activity and approach.
- Let’s Go: Walk near me in a relaxed manner, not necessarily in a precise heel position.
- Heel: Walk attentively by my left side.
- Back up: A useful command for teaching the heel position.
- Around: Command to finish by circling to the right, as opposed to swinging into position.
Commands like “Stay” and “Wait” are often considered optional. Once a dog is in a commanded position (e.g., “Sit”), they should maintain that position until given a new instruction. The traditional use of “stay” is largely a matter of habit and tradition, as it’s not strictly necessary for the dog’s performance after an initial position command.
The word “Heel” serves a dual purpose: it denotes the position next to me and the action of maintaining that position while walking. When I command “Heel,” the dog should move to my side and sit. It’s not necessary to specify the direction the dog should take to reach the heel position, thus eliminating the need for numerous “get” commands. The dog is capable of understanding the meaning of “Heel” in both stationary and moving contexts due to their situational awareness.
Helpful Cues
Cues act as signals that prepare the dog for an upcoming action, rather than direct commands. Helpful cues include “Hurry” and “Easy” to help the dog adjust their pace.
Some trainers use “Ready” as a cue to signal the start of an exercise. However, this can be problematic if the dog isn’t attentive. A more effective approach is to assess the dog’s readiness and then indicate to the judge, or adjust the dog’s focus with a command like “SIT!” if needed.
Streamlining Advanced Commands
Open Commands
Drop on Recall
This command can be integrated without introducing new verbal cues. The dog already understands “Come” and “Down.” The distinction between a side-lying “Down” and a sphinx-position “Drop on Recall” can be learned by the dog contextually.
Retrieve on Flat
- Fetch: Pick up the item.
- Drop: Release the item into my hand.
A separate “Hold” command is generally not needed, as “Fetch” implies holding. This command might be reserved for dogs with mouthing issues who need to learn to grip a dumbbell.
Retrieve over High Jump
- Jump: This initiates a sequence of actions. While you might initially teach each step individually (jump, fetch, come, jump, front), the primary command “Jump” is sufficient to start the chain.
Broad Jump
The command “Jump” is adequate for this exercise as well.
Utility Commands
Introducing new exercises often requires minimal new commands or cues.
Signals
Dogs can learn to respond to nonverbal cues for movements they already perform with verbal commands, without altering the existing verbal command list.
Scent Articles
Traditionally, a different command is used for scent articles compared to a standard retrieve. The reasoning is that “Fetch” implies speed, and using it for scent articles might lead the dog to retrieve quickly without sufficient scenting. However, dogs are situational learners. They can differentiate between promptly retrieving a single object and carefully scenting a pile. If a dog shows anxiety with “Fetch” in this context, alternative command words like “Search” or “Find it” can be used.
Gloves
No additional commands are necessary. “Fetch” signals the retrieve, and a directional cue indicates the specific glove.
Moving Stand
The dog already knows verbal and signal commands for standing. They can transition into a heel position with the “Heel” command or circle behind with the “Around” command.
Open & Utility Cues
A cue like “Mark” can be used before the article exercise to signal the dog to pay attention to the article pile. This cue alerts the dog that the article exercise is next and indicates the location of the pile.
Similarly, a cue such as “Look” before directed jumping can prompt the dog to scan and locate the go-out target. Fun cues like “Ready to fetch?” or “Want to jump?” can also be used to increase motivation during training.
Two Additional Training Hints
- When encountering training difficulties, resist the urge to change commands. Performance issues are rarely due to the command itself.
- When exploring other dog sports like agility or fieldwork, avoid unnecessary command changes. For example, many retriever trainers use “here” instead of “come.” Both commands mean the same thing, and consistency is key across different disciplines. A single, clear command for “come to me” can be used in all sports.
A concise command list offers significant advantages: it’s easier to remember under pressure in the ring and simpler for the dog to learn and apply to various similar situations, rather than memorizing a multitude of commands for every conceivable scenario.
How extensive is your dog’s command list? Could it be simplified for more effective training?
