The Most Important Commands to Teach Your Dog for Safety

Any dog can learn new tricks and commands. So whether you’re trying to teach a dog that you have had for a while or a brand new puppy, there are some commands that are incredibly useful for safety purposes. Training your dog can be super rewarding. A trained dog will also behave better at home and in public. Below are 10 useful commands to teach your dog for safety purposes.

What Are Dog Training Commands?

Dog training commands are verbal cues or signals that teach dogs specific behaviors or actions. Dog owners commonly use these commands in obedience training to establish communication and control between themselves and their dogs. Some examples of commands are: sit, stay, lay, etc. Commands can come in the form of verbal commands or in the form of hand signals. Hand signals can be useful for people with disabilities or deaf dogs.

Why Should You Train Your Dog?

Training your dog will allow you to bring your dog to public places without stressing about their behavior. Proper training will allow you to avoid being dragged down the street, worrying about your dog snatching food off of a public table, or being concerned about your dog knocking people down when they jump on them out of excitement. Additionally, training your dog can keep them from running off or getting into things that could be harmful.

What Commands Should You Teach My Dog?

If you’ve never had a dog before and are new to training, you should teach your dog some key commands to keep them out of trouble. These eleven commands are listed below:

1. Sit: Sit is the most basic command and will come in handy daily. You can use this command when someone knocks on your door so your dog doesn’t jump on them. It is a great command to use when a car is passing on your walk and you want your dog to stay still, etc. It should be one of the first commands you teach a new puppy.
   
2. Lay or Down: The most common is down, but some prefer to use the word lay. This command is used when you want the dog to stay in place for an extended period. They are more comfortable in a full-down position than sitting.

3. Stay: Stay is useful because it helps keep your dog in one place, preventing them from running into traffic, approaching aggressive dogs, or getting into other hazardous situations. It allows you to have control over your dog’s movements and keeps them safe from harm. It also allows you to walk out your front door without them running to follow you.

4. Come: Teaching your dog to come is useful in all situations. The meaning of “come” is for the dog to return to you and typically is followed by the “sit” command. Dogs will learn to put both of these commands together, resulting in the dog sitting with its focus on you once it reaches you.

5. Go Potty: Teaching your puppy to eliminate on command is extremely helpful for times when you are in a hurry. Rainy days are so much easier with a dog when they understand they are not outside to play but instead to relieve themselves quickly.

6. Drop it: Drop it is a very important command. If your dog puts something into its mouth that could be harmful, it’s important that they know the command to drop it. It’s important to teach your dog this command while they are young so as to avoid them swallowing something inappropriate. Puppies tend to put everything in their mouths!

7. Heel: Heel is a command for your dog to stay next to you while walking. It teaches your dog to walk calmly and obediently beside you without pulling on the leash. This is not only more comfortable for both you and your dog but also makes walks more enjoyable and safer.

8. Off: The off command teaches your dog not to jump on counters, furniture, or visitors and essentially means for them to keep all four paws on the ground. All visitors and guests will appreciate the fact your dog respects and obeys this command, as no one enjoys having dirty dog paws on their clothes or being knocked over. Lots of people have trouble with their dogs jumping on people simply because they allow the behavior to occur from puppyhood. This command needs perfecting from day one with your new puppy.

9. Okay or take it: Teaching your dog that they can’t take something out of your hands until you give them permission is important. It teaches them patience and prevents them from accidentally biting you when they take something from your hands before you are ready.

10. Speak: Speak is more of a fun trick to teach your dog, but it can also be quite useful.

11. Quiet: It is much easier to teach your dog to be quiet once they understand the speak command. They learn to only speak when requested to do so.

All in all, teaching your dog cool and fancy tricks is fun, but there are some very important commands that are necessary to teach your dog for them to stay safe, be patient, and behave. Working to master these basic commands should be done before adding the fun tricks. Additionally, if you’re having trouble teaching your dog some basic commands, there are lots of training options available. Having a well-trained dog will help you keep them safe and will allow them to understand how to please you. Dogs live to please their humans, so your training efforts will help to make your dog a happy one.

Fox Creek Farm delivers Goldendoodle puppies to Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, New York, New Jersey, and beyond. For more information on our available Goldendoodle puppies or our prized mini Goldendoodles please visit us online at www.goldendoodles.net.