Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

Any dog is capable of learning over 50 commands with proper guidance, although some stubborn breeds need more time and effort to reach this number.  How many words does your dog understand?  Below are 25 useful commands to teach your dog:

1. “Dog’s name”
2. “Good boy/girl”
3. “No, phooey, tsh” – any stop command
4. “Sit”
5. “Stay”
6. “Down” – means lay down, not get down
7. “Heel” – walk by your side
8. “Come, here” – this takes about a year to train
9. “Kennel, crate, bed”
10. “Quiet, hush, enough”
11. “Off” – get off the counter or furniture
12. “Leave it”
13. “Place” – select a place for them to relax and stay
14. “Potty, hurry up, do it”
15. “Hup, up, load” – invites them into or onto a place
16. “Let’s go” – a causal walk with no pulling
17. “Stand” – your groomer and Vet will love this
18. “Wait” – temporary stay
19. “Give paw” – good for wiping wet paws
20. “No bite, Stop”
21. “Free dog, okay, relax” – to release your dog from working
22. “Gentle, easy, take it” – dog can take food or toy
23. “Fetch, get it”
24. “Out, Give, drop, release”
25. “Find your truck/go for a ride” – may save your dog’s live when loose

Training Tips:  Positive reinforcement increases a dog’s desire to repeat the action.  Use a variety of rewards like praise and toys, not just food.  Repeating a command does NOT make your dog learn faster.  1 command = 1 action.  Be fair.  Be patient.  Be consistent. End your training session with an easy exercise and a special reward.

2 Common Mistakes:  Poor timing and reinforcing the wrong action.  Example:  You issue a “sit” command, your dog sits, but then slides into a “down” position.  You say “good boy.”  You taught your dog to lay down with a sit command.  The proper way is to say “sit” when his butt touches the floor.  If or when he moves, you have less than 1 second to let him know he made a mistake with a verbal correction (No, Eh, Phooey).  In order for Praise or Punishment to be effective, it must be done within seconds of the action!

Training Success:  An action must be paired with a command for an association to be established.  The average dog will learn a new command after repeating the pairing process 30-50 times, but it may take a stubborn dog 100 times to make the association.

General Advice:  Do not get a border collie unless you are willing to devote an extreme amount time and energy to training.  If not properly stimulated, a smart dog will become frustrated and destructive.  The easiest dog to train is NOT the smartest dog…it is the WILLING one.

2008 Written by Susan Jakobs: CPDT-KA.   Owner of Dog Builders, Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Therapy Dog, Inc.

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