15 Dog Training Commands For Better Behavior + Bonding

Training is the most important part of owning a dog. Our pooches provide us with unconditional love and unmatched companionship, but they need to be trained for their own safety and well-being. It’s not always fun and it can take a while, but an untrained dog can be a danger to themselves and everyone around them. 

Of course, this brings us to wonder which commands should be taught and which ones are the most important. You have the basics like sit and stay, and then you have more advanced commands like shake and spin that are more for fun than anything else. All you need to do is prioritise when you teach each command. 

I have 15 dog training commands you’re going to want to teach your dog. 

Key Takeaways

• Commands are important to help keep your dog safe 
• Positive reinforcement training is always the best option 
• Sit and stay are two of the most important commands 
• Patience, time, and treats are the keys to training success

What’s The Point In Training Your Dog?

Training your dog means that you get the opportunity to live a less stressful life with your furry friend. They understand the rules, which means they are better behaved and know when to listen to you. It keeps them safe, but it also makes them safer to be around because they have learned how to stay in control of themselves and remain calm and obedient. 

15 Dog Training Commands 

These are some of the best commands to teach your dog. Some of them are key to building the foundations of obedience in a dog, and others are more for fun and can be used as a great form of mental stimulation to help keep boredom away. 

1. Sit 

Hold a treat above your dog’s nose and tell them to sit. When you see their butt hit the floor, and they look up at you calmly, praise them and give them the treat. If they are jumping around and overexcited, it’s best to give them a bit of exercise before you continue training to ensure they are calm enough to focus. 

2. Come 

Teaching come starts with showing your pup a delicious treat and then calling their name, followed by the come command. You’re using the treat as a lure, so when they run over to you, make sure you have a very happy and positive response before giving them the treat and praising them with “good come”. 

Your dog will start to come very reliably once they realise that it’s a fun experience, and the only thing you need to remember is that you can’t use the command to call them over for punishment. It should always be used for something positive if you want them to come back. 

3. Stay

This command takes some time, and it should start with you getting your dog to sit and then telling them to stay. Start with a few seconds at a time before you praise them and give them a treat to get them used to sitting down. You can increase the duration over time with a little more practice. Once you have the duration mastered, you can try distance. 

What you do here is take a step away when you tell them to stay. Praise and treat them for remaining still, and then slowly increase the distance between you when you’re asking them to stay. Eventually, they will pick up the duration and distance together. 

4. Down 

Place a treat in front of your dog’s nose and slowly move it down until it reaches the floor. Wait with your hand there until your pup lies down, and only praise them when their entire body touches the floor. If they get up or crouch, you need to start the process again. 

5. Leave 

For this command, you should hold a treat in your fist while instructing your dog to leave it. When they move their nose from your fist and stop sniffing around, praise them and allow them to have the treat you were holding. You can slowly progress from this to leaving the treat on the ground in front of them and telling them to leave it. 

When they have a good grasp of the command, you can then use it to refer to other items in your home. You want them to associate the leave command with absolutely anything you tell them to leave, and this could include the TV remote as well as food on the table. 

6. Drop It 

Take one of your dog’s toys and hold it in front of them while you have a treat in the other hand. When they grab the toy, show them the treat and tell them to drop it. Once they drop the toy, give them the treat with plenty of praise to show them they did a great job. It’s a really important command in case your pup picks up something they really shouldn’t. 

7. Go pee

This is a really easy command, and I teach all my dogs. It helps them speed up the process when they’re distracted outside, and it’s also great if you need to take them on lead walks outside to get them to go to the bathroom. You can use any words for this, I use hurry up, but there are people who use go potty or go pee. 

Teaching it is even easier. While they are outside, use your chosen command word and repeat it in a calm voice. When they do go to the bathroom, repeat the phrase and follow it with a lot of praise and a reward. They’ll pick it up over time, and then you can use it whenever you need them to hurry it up and decide where to go. 

8. Off

This one is important, not just good for keeping your pup off the furniture when you need space, but it also works as a courtesy command to help them remain polite. All you need to do is hold a treat in your hand and keep it in front of your dog. Motion for them to move towards you until they get off the furniture while telling them the command off. 

When they get off, give them a treat and plenty of praise to let them know they did a good job. It also works well for keeping them off the counters and encouraging them not to jump on guests when they come to visit. 

9. No

It’s a standard but versatile command and one your dog will pick up quickly. While they will learn the word naturally, you can also reinforce it by placing a treat on the ground and backing away. When they reach for it, say no in a firm voice and move them away from it. Keep going until they stop trying completely when you tell them no. 

10. Heel

This one is very important on walks because you don’t want your dog dragging you around. While you’re walking with your dog, use the command word heel every time they walk nicely beside you and praise them for it. You can also have them sit periodically, take out a treat, and then ask them to heel as they walk nicely beside you while you reward them generously.

11. Take It 

It might be seen as a bit of a novelty, but this command can come in useful sometimes. All you need to do is grab your dog’s favourite toy and hold it in front of them. When they grab it, say take it, and reward them with a treat for doing so. You can actually teach this one alongside leave it, as they work very nicely together. 

12. Bed 

Every dog should know where their bed is, and this is another easy yet useful command. Grab a treat and walk to your dog’s bed. Place the treat in the bed and say bed to your dog. Allow them to get into the bed and grab the treat while you praise them for doing so. Repeat as needed until they just get in their bed without hesitation. 

13. Speak

Speak is a really fun command. You can either make your dog bark or watch to see what they look like right before the barking happens. Either way, just as they start to bark, say the speak command and praise them for barking while rewarding them. It’s actually really useful for finding them if they decide to run off. 

14. Quiet

This pairs nicely with speak, and it’s an important command. When they bark, especially during the speak command, say quiet loudly, and when they stop barking, reward them with a treat. It might take them a little time to pick up, and you may need a few tries, but the more you repeat it, the faster they will learn it. 

15. Shake

I love this one, and all my dogs know it. Have your dog sit and then pick up their paw in your hand while saying shake. Hold the position for two seconds, repeat the command, and give them a treat with plenty of praise. Eventually, they will pick it up and hand you their paw every time you ask them to shake (and you can teach them to switch paws, too).

Top Tips For Training Your Dog 

If you want to maximize your chances of success when training your dog, I have a few tips and tricks that will help make the process easier for both of you. Here’s what you need to do:

• Keep training sessions short – 15 minutes works best up to 3 times a day
• Don’t repeat commands too many times 
• Always end training sessions on a happy and positive note 
• Use a happy voice when you praise them to teach them what’s good
• Always be consistent when training 
• Choose to have your sessions before your dog eats so they want treats more
• Praise them immediately after they perform the command so they don’t forget

Final Thoughts 

Training isn’t always easy, especially if you end up with a particularly stubborn dog who doesn’t want to listen. It takes persistence and patience, but you’ll get there in the end. The important thing to remember is that positive reinforcement training goes a lot further than you think, and it’s still the most effective method. 

Puppies are usually easier to train than older dogs, but that doesn’t make it impossible to handle the latter. Treats are going to be your best friend, and if you find yourself really struggling with the training process, you can always hire a professional dog trainer to help. It’s better to get the guidance you need than end up stressed out and resentful.