Commands to give to your dog to make him obey

How to give orders to your dog: never lie and be well-versed in the use of key words. Dogs sense when we're not telling the truth, and at that point they identify us as unreliable. From that moment on, they no longer believe our words, nor do they take our commands seriously. This interesting conclusion was reached by ethologists at Kyoto University , led by Professor Akiko Takaoka, who conducted a very thorough test on 34 animals.

Dogs can detect lies

In practice, the dogs had to find food based on the suggestions and directions they received. But if the suggestions were false, they stopped searching and no longer trusted the word they received through a command. Takaoka says: " At this point, we can say with certainty that dogs are able to assess whether a person is trustworthy or not. And they can do so faster than humans. They have a more sophisticated intelligence than we thought, which has evolved over their long history of contact with humans ." Another study , this time from Messerli University in Vienna, demonstrates how dogs are able to recognize anger, happiness, and sadness by reading our facial expressions. And canine brains have areas specifically dedicated to processing voices, thanks to which they can distinguish the type of emotion expressed by a word. And speaking of words, there are the key ones that dogs must learn to obey.

Sitting

It all starts with the word "Sit ." Dogs learn it more easily if we initially show them a reward—some food we hold in our hand and give it to them when they sit according to our command.

On a leash

To accustom your dog to using a leash , always start your walks from a sitting position. Try to prevent your dog from overtaking you ; don't tighten the leash too much; talk to your dog. And let him off the leash whenever possible.

To the ground

The same rule applies here as for the word Sit . A small reward, to be given to the dog as soon as he obeys your command.

Leave

Dogs love the game of fetch. You throw an object from a distance, the dog fetches it, and then brings it back to you. He then has to hand it over, and that's when your command comes in: " Let it go ." If the dog doesn't obey, lie down on the ground , place the palm of your hand on the floor, and repeat your command. Sooner or later, the dog will obey, especially if you can persuade him with a few cuddles. It's part of the game.

Come

During a walk, it may be necessary to use the word "Come" to get the dog to return to the starting point. The word should always be paired with the dog's name and repeated several times if the dog resists. Avoid unnecessary yelling.

Paw

Another way to play with your dog is to use the word "paw ." Try to get the dog's paw to reach out to you, as if it were a greeting. Your dog will learn this command very easily, especially if you use the usual method of giving a small treat the first few times.

How to punish a dog that doesn't listen?

A dog that doesn't listen shouldn't be punished by yelling or even by raising your hand. Ignoring him will be enough, and he'll understand he's done something wrong, and you won't give him the attention he's used to.

How to train a dog

Viennese researchers conducted the same experiment on 11 dogs and 22 people: all were trained to remain still in an MRI scanner while listening to 220 excerpts of human, canine, and environmental vocalizations. In both species, without significant differences, brain activity responded similarly to the tone and sound heard. Therefore, dogs are excellent at tuning into their owners' feelings.

When to start giving orders to your dog

Read also:

• How to exercise with your dog
• Playing with the dog inside and outside the house
• How to make your dog and cat live together
• Look dogs and cats in the eye, it increases the emotional bond.