Basic Obedience Commands: Sit, Down, Stay, and More

Basic obedience commands are the building blocks of a well-mannered dog and the foundation for more advanced training. More importantly, they are communication tools — ways to tell your dog what you WANT it to do (rather than only telling it what NOT to do). A dog that knows "sit," "down," "stay," and "leave it" has a toolkit for navigating the human world successfully.

Sit

Method: Luring

1. Hold a treat at the dog's nose level
2. Slowly move the treat up and slightly back over the dog's head
3. As the nose follows up, the butt goes down (physics)
4. The instant the butt touches ground → mark ("Yes!") → deliver treat
5. Repeat 10 times → add the verbal cue "Sit" just before luring
6. Fade the lure (empty hand motion → reward from pocket after mark)

Troubleshooting

• Dog jumps for treat: Treat is too high. Keep at nose level, move more slowly.
• Dog backs up: Practice against a wall so backing isn't an option.

Down

Method: Luring

1. Start in sit position
2. Hold treat at nose → lower straight down to the floor between front paws
3. Once treat reaches floor, pull slightly toward you (creating an L-shape path)
4. Dog's elbows touch ground → mark → reward
5. If dog stands up: the lure moved too fast or too far forward. Reset.

Troubleshooting

• Dog's butt pops up: Lure is moving too far forward. Keep treat between front paws, not in front of them.
• Dog won't lie down: Try capturing — wait for natural down, then mark and reward. Or lure under a low table/chair leg.

Stay

The Three D's: Duration, Distance, Distraction

Only increase ONE variable at a time. Each variable starts at zero:

1. Duration first: Dog in sit/down → count 1 second → mark and reward. Build to 5, 10, 30 seconds, 1 minute. Stay near the dog.
2. Distance second: Once dog holds 30+ seconds reliably, take one step back → immediately return → mark → reward. Build distance gradually.
3. Distraction last: Once duration and distance are solid, add mild distractions at close range. Build complexity.

Rules

• ALWAYS release with a release word ("Free," "OK," "Break") — dog stays until released, not until it decides to move
• If dog breaks stay: No punishment. Simply reset and reduce to the last successful level.
• Reward the STAYING, not the coming to you after. Deliver treat while dog is in position.

Leave It

Method: Two-Treat Game

1. Hold a treat in closed fist. Dog sniffs, licks, paws at hand.
2. The moment the dog backs off or looks away → mark → reward with OTHER hand (not the closed fist treat)
3. Repeat until dog immediately disengages from closed fist upon presentation
4. Add verbal "Leave it" just before presenting closed fist
5. Progress: open palm (cover if dog goes for it), treat on floor (cover with foot), treat at nose level

Wait

Different from "stay" — a temporary pause before proceeding through a threshold:

• Before going through doors (safety — prevents bolting)
• Before eating food (impulse control)
• Before exiting car (safety)

Method

1. Approach door → dog moves toward it → close door slightly (not slamming, just reducing opening)
2. Dog pauses/backs up → open door more
3. Dog moves toward again → reduce opening
4. Dog holds position → mark → "OK!" (release) → door opens and dog goes through

Frequently Asked Questions

How many repetitions to learn a command?

Dogs typically need 30-50 repetitions to begin understanding a new behavior in one context. They need hundreds of repetitions across multiple contexts (generalization) before the behavior is truly reliable. Short sessions (5-10 minutes, 3-5 times daily) are more effective than long sessions.