COMMANDS EVERY DOG SHOULD KNOW

By Elizabeth Parker

High Five! Shake Hands! Play Dead!

These are definitely fun commands, however, dogs should know important commands as well. These are the ones that can be the difference between life and death.

Let’s start with a few examples. Stay! Come! Simple enough, but these short commands are necessary. In a perfect world, dogs are leashed and the leash never comes off. In reality, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes the collar might not be as snug as we had thought, or the leash snaps in half. We lose all control the moment the dogs are out of our grasp. That’s when it becomes imperative to issue commands...and have them obey! By ensuring that your dog knows stay and come, you can enforce either one – depending on which better suits the situation – and remove them from danger. For example, suppose you are walking your dog and they notice a rabbit. As your dog begins to chase the rabbit, the leash breaks and at the same time, a car is approaching. If your dog knows and listens to the “come” or “stay” command, you have a fighting chance to save your dog from the oncoming car. Another command which can save both them and/ or another dog, child, adult is “Leave it!” and “Drop it!” In our household, we always have more than one dog. While we are careful not to drop food, sometimes it happens. The command we teach and enforce is “leave it!” which basically tells our dogs “do not touch it” or “drop it” which tells them to drop what they just picked up. It’s also helpful when taking dogs on hikes where they might find a piece of candy, chicken bone, pill, etc. out in the wilderness. The command is a great way to safeguard your pet from getting into something that can be potentially hazardous to their health. In addition, this command can be the one that saves two dogs from getting into a scuffle over a piece of fallen food or a toy. Or, if a child is present and drops their snacks, if the dog knows “leave it!” they will leave the item (and the child’s hands) alone until you can secure the situation.

Another necessary command is “Off”. It is sometimes overlooked, but definitely important. While it might only be a nuisance if a dog jumps on a person, it can be harmful to an elderly person or a young child if a big dog jumps and/or knocks them over. In addition, if your dog happens to be a counter surfer, issuing the command “off!” will not only keep them off of the counter, but away from a scorching hot stove!

Just a helpful note… Q

When training your dog, it’s important to practice distraction training. Many dogs demonstrate that they understand commands while in their own home without distractions. The real issues arise when they are loose and/or there really is a rabbit running directly in front of them. They need to hear your voice above all else, so teaching them their commands WITH distractions (in a safe environment) will help later on when these safety commands do become a necessity.

Elizabeth Parker – Author of Finally Home, Final Journey, My Dog Does That!, Bark Out Loud!, Paw Prints in the Sand, Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished, Unwanted Dreams, Phobia, Evil’s Door and Faces of Deception. Available on Amazon.com!

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