The 10 Commands for Dogs

It may sound like a list of religious standards for Dogs 😉
but it is a simple and basic way to communicate
with your Dog and to keep your Dog safe
by using these 10 commands

Basic Commands

Your Bulldog is your best friend,
but a Dog must have good manners,
so people and dogs around will enjoy it’s company
Dogs are able to learn a variety of commands
and by learning them your dog will be
socialized, friendly and controlled

Teaching your dog to understand
a vocabulary of basic commands
will go a long way towards
alleviating misunderstandings

Every dog owner should establish
a list of Basic Commands to train with
These commands will create
a foundation of communication

After learning the basic commands
you and your dog can move on
and add additional commands

Although dogs can learn hundreds of commands,
our Bully friends only need to know a few important ones
to exist safely around other people and pets

Start working with your dog at home
on the commands below,
and if possible, join a dog-training class
The outings are fun and they help dogs
be sociable and reliable
with distractions

Obedience training will not only
teach your dog to behave better,
it will keep them safe
It is never too late for dogs to learn,
but the earlier they learn, the better

Dogs have an amazing capacity to learn commands
Highly trained show, working, and service dogs
often know dozens of commands,
including words, sounds and signals

Most pet dogs are taught with vocal commands,
but hand signals or nonvocal sounds are also effective 
Whatever method you choose, most dogs only need to know
a few simple commands to be safe and get along happily
with you and the rest of the world

The 10 Commands

Come

This is a crucial command in your dog’s repertoire
This command is essential for every dog to master,
because it could save his or her life

It is inevitable that even with diligence,
your dog can escape through the front door or slip out of its leash
The come command protects him or her from
traffic, neighbors, and encounters with other dogs

The come command in dog training
means stop what you are doing,
ignore distractions and come directly to me

Teach this command by taking your dog on a leash
to a place where he sees interesting things
Don’t let him roam away from you
to investigate the surroundings

Training

While your dog is on a leash
Go down to his level and say,
Come, while gently pulling on the leash
When he gets to you, reward him with affection and a treat
Once he’s mastered it with the leash, remove it
and practice the command in a safe, enclosed area

Dogs are often happily oblivious
to dangers around them 
The Come command may be one of the most
important commands your dog will learn
It protects your Bully from being injured or killed 

 

Down

Like sit, the down command is
an essential part of doggy etiquette

Lying down is one of the harder commands
for dogs to learn, but it’s very useful
Dogs who understand ‘down’ are much more
welcome in cafes and other public places,
and much more pleasant to have near the dinner table

It’s also useful to help with social tension between dogs
when they are on the leash and
an approaching dog is scared or unsure
Give your dog the down command
This will help the other dog to feel safe and pass by

Laying down is also a good way to calm the dog
but try not to use the down command as a correction

I myself use different commands
for down and calm down
The down command should be about the position
the calming down, is not a position but a state of mind

Training

Get a nice smelling treat
and hold it in your closed hand
First ask your dog to sit, later on you can teach
to lie down from standing, but it’s easiest to start from a sit

Place your hand up to your dog’s nose
allowing it to sniff the treat
Your dog will follow the movement with his body,
lowering his head and stretching toward the treat
After your dog is in the prone position, say Down
Give your dog the treat and praise it

 

 

Heel

Walking is extremely beneficial for your dog, and for you!
Teaching your dog to heel is a valuable skill
which makes everyone happier and healthier in the long run!

Heel simply means
that your dog will walk close by your side
without lagging behind or lunging ahead

The great thing about teaching a dog to heel
is that the dog is under very close control in this position
You can communicate with the dog quietly and easily
and reward him quickly and easily

Training

The most important part of teaching your dog to heel
is getting him to maintain his attention on you
For this reason, it’s best to work on this command
in short (5 to 10 minutes), frequent, intense sessions
Regular sessions will bring rapid results

Heeling is a very challenging lesson and, more than any other,
it will require your patience, consistency and persistence

The process of training a dog to heel
goes through four key stages

Establish heel position
Moving positions
Walk at heel
Add distractions

Establish heel position
What we want to do is get the dog into the heel position,
let him know that this is the position we are looking for
and reward him for being there

Start in a quiet room or yard with no distractions,
no other dogs, no kids, no toys, just you and the dog 

Quick Tip
If you position yourself next to a wall
with just enough space between you and the wall
to accommodate the dog, it will help to keep him close to you
and in the right position

Have a treat in your hand
and lure the dog into the correct position next to you
by moving the treat in a big circle
Make sure the dog is really close to you
before praising the dog and giving the treat

Repeat this step before starting to move
Take a few steps give the heel command and wait
for the dog to take position

Moving positions
When your dog mastered the first step
start moving around and try to keep your dog’s attention
ideally the dog will be purely focused on you and looking up

You will want to keep the dog’s focus 
so don’t be shu with treats
When you start moving around give treats every few seconds
and slowly reduce the amount of treats
Keep attention to your timing

Walk at heel
When your dog is following in position
try moving around and decrease the amount of treats
while keeping your dog’s attention
When your dog is closely following and focused
you can move on to the last step

Add distractions
Repeat all training steps but now
try to do it in an area with lots of distractions like the dogpark

When giving the treat your hand should always
be next to your leg, the spot where the dog heels
Do not reach but only give the treat
when the dog is in the correct position
the dog should focus on and follow you 

Leave it

This is an especially good command for dogs
who will not hesitate to grab food
or anything they find on the ground

Dogs manage to get their teeth on all sorts of things
that can be dangerous for them, which is why
the leave it command is so important

The number one poison hazard for dogs
is human prescription medication, 
even a single pill can have devastating effects on a dog
There is also the danger of
chewing on and swallowing items
that can get stuck in their throats or intestinal tracts

Unless a dog has been taught to drop
whatever is in his mouth,
he may play keep away or swallow the item
before the owner can retrieve it
A dog that understands leave it
will leave an object alone or let go of the item,
which can then be taken away

Training

Have your dog on a leash and drop
a treat or toy onto the ground
Walk your dog past the toy
just short of where he could get it
As soon as you notice him pulling toward the toy,
sharply say, Leave it and pull him away

When he walks away
without you having to pull him,
reward him with a snack and tell him what a good dog he is
Repeat this with a longer leash and later without a leash,
until he listens to you and ignores the toy
Never forget to reward and praise

First train this with toys 
When the dog has mastered that,
try the same with food and treats

Off

Rare is a Bulldog that doesn’t prefer
an expensive sofa or chair over his own bed
Dogs that understand the command off
won’t necessarily stay off the furniture,
but at least they’ll get off quickly when they know the command 
The command is used to get dogs down on the ground

Training
When your dog is on the couch, say off
and gently get him down from the couch
Give a treat when he or she is on the floor
Repeat this until your dog will respond to the command
by jumping down on its own waiting for a treat

Out

This command is used to prepare your dog 
to go on a walk, you can use Out or Walkies
Just make sure to use it consistent

Why is this command useful?
You are letting the dog know
you are going out together
and asking him or her to prepare
This means the dog will wait for you
to get the leash and sit down
so you can easily put on their collars

Usually people will just grab the dog’s leash
and the dog will jump and get overexcited
making it hard to put them on the leash
also you want your dog to be happy but calm
when leaving the house

Training
Before putting on a coat or grabbing the leash
Give the command out or walkies
At first the dog will not know the meaning 
and won’t respond but it will soon
figure out this is the sign to go outside

Make sure your dog is calm and sits down
before putting on their collar/leash
Repeat and your dog will soon learn
to sit down and wait for you
to come and take him or her outside

 

Sit

This is one of the easiest commands to teach
Dogs who know how to sit are less likely
to be jumping on you or anyone else
and it’s also an easy way for them to calm down

This command is one of the easiest to teach,
and is usually the first command
introduced to a dog or puppy

Learning this command also helps the dog
learn how to respond to training
This command is useful,
especially when you have an overenthusiastic dog
If you don’t want him to jump all over you,
or someone else, have him sit down

It also helps to keep a sense of order
when someone rings your doorbell
And it aids in the attempt to keep your dog
from jumping excitedly while waiting for his dinner

Training

To teach Sit, you only need to
stand facing the dog with a treat in hand,
placed no more than an inch above the dog’s nose

Guide the dog’s head to move up
by moving the treat farther up the dog’s head
The dog should raise his head
and lower his rump into a sit
The instant you get a sit, praise him and give the treat

 

Stand

 

This command tells your dog
to quit fidgeting and be still
It’s useful for when you’re grooming him,
bathing him, checking him over,
or drying him off on a wet day

Only start with this command after
the dog has mastered the Sit and Down command

Training

Prepare for Training
All you need to teach your dog
to stand is a handful of treats
You will also want to find a quiet place
that is free of distractions
so your dog will keep its focus on you

Start off with your dog
either sitting or lying down in front of you
Hold a treat right in front of its nose,
and give the command stand
Very slowly pull the treat straight out
from its nose and toward you
Your dog should stand up to follow the treat
The moment it is standing,
praise your dog and give it the treat

Stay

This command is often paired with sit or down,
the stay command tells dogs to relax,
and stay still for a while
It’s not the easiest command
for many dogs to learn
because they’d rather be
moving around than staying still

Training

Ask your dog to sit or lie down,
then tell her stay, holding your hand out
with your palm toward her nose in the stop position
If she holds the position for a second or two,
praise her and offer a treat
Repeat the sequence, gradually increasing the time

Wait

Some dogs have a way of pushing their way
to the front of the line when they want to go
through doors or down narrow hallways
Telling them to wait lets them know
they are not supposed to go
until you tell them to

The command Wait will help you tremendously
When you have to open the car doors for example
you can teach them to wait
until you put their leashes on
before jumping out of the car

Teaching him to wait lets him know
that he has to stand still for a short time
until you are finished with some task
Teach him to wait until you give him permission
to go through a door, for instance or before crossing the street

Training

Open your door and give him enough leash
that he could walk through the door
When he is at the front of the door,
pull the leash and say, Wait
If he doesn’t listen, pull the leash
and release a little in quick succession

Praise him and give him a treat when he finally gets it
Practice until he waits until you are through the door
and then allow him to follow

Make sure to practice this command
in different situtations
so your dog will understand
the differences

Conclusion

A big part of responsible pet ownership
is making sure your dog understands basic commands
You can have a lot of fun training your dog
and it will create that special bond between the two of you

Add fetch, jump, and other tricks to your repertoire,
Regardless of your long-term goals, begin training as soon
as you get your dog or puppy to establish good habits early on

Looking for some specific tips?
Check out our Dog Training section