Every dog should know to react appropriately at a minimum of seven usual commands, including sit, stay, come, down, heel, no, and off. However, many dogs, especially large breeds, can learn much more than that.
Most owners know that and try to train their pets to become obedient and meet their demands. Nowadays, it is quite popular to teach the dog ‘foreign languages.’ If you want to try something different and get a real Russian K9 in your yard, teach your furry friend at least a few Russian commands.
There are a few primary reasons to teach your furry friend Russian dog commands. The crucial one is to prevent any stranger from communicating with your dog without your permission. For instance, you can use English for all orders, but teach your dog a Russian word for attack for security reasons.
The truth is that carnivores don’t understand the difference between two languages, but react to the sound. Besides Spanish, German, and Dutch, many Westerners like using dog commands in Russian. This language sounds a bit exotic, and it is not easy to apply them before the previous exercise, which allows you to communicate with your dog without any distractions.
The First Step
The first thing to do before starting with Russian dog lessons is to learn some basic things. For example, my American friend came to me two years ago and told me:
Я хочу научить свою собаку русским командам (Ya khochu nauchit’ svoyu sobaku russkim komandam) – I want to teach my dog Russian commands.
Although he had never had the opportunity to use Russian before, he spent the time and effort to search the Net for an accurate translation and learn that sentence.
That convinced me he was serious and determined to learn something new and make an effort to pass that knowledge to his dog. If you have the same will and curiosity to start with Russian dog training, I will gladly help you with a few lessons and give you the dog commands list most of your friends have never heard of. Let’s go!
- How To Train Your Dog In German Dog Commands
Primary Dog Commands In Russian
1. Attack, Bite!
Фас (fas)
It can be weird to find out how to say the attack in Russian since the command фас is actually a word borrowed from German (fass). Until today, the Russians have not decided to change it.
2. Bark!
Голос (golos)
It is not something you will ask too often, but it can be a useful command in some cases.
3. Beg!
Проси (prosi)
American police train their dogs by using German commands to eliminate anyone to order the dog to attack. However, they often use English words for begging. Now, you have an opportunity to become more unique than police forces!
4. Come Here!
Сюда (syuda), ко мне (ko mne / ko mnje)
There are two ways how to say come here in Russian, and you can pick out any of them, depending on your ability to ‘break your tongue.’
5. Eat!
Кушай (kushaj), есть (yest’)
There are two ways to offer your dog to eat in Russian. Please choose one option and stick to it to avoid confusion.
6. Heel!
Рядом (rjadom / ryadom)
It is a necessary command for police and military dogs. However, you should use it if you have a so-called dangerous dog breed to order it to stand or walk beside you.
7. Lie Down!
Лежать (lezhat’)
The pronunciation of lay down in Russian is quite complicated for English-speaking people. Therefore, you need to pronounce it correctly before trying to apply it without confusing your dog.
8. OK, Alright!
Хорошо (horosho)
It is a nice and simple way to praise your dog when doing something in the desired manner. You can also say – молодец (molodets’), meaning – good boy.
9. No!
Нет (net)
In most cases, you won’t need to teach your dog what NO means. It will understand it quickly as a puppy.
10. Place!
Место (mesto)
It is a simple way to order the dog to return to its bed or place.
11. Quiet!
Тихо (tiho), молчать (molchat’)
There are two ways how to say be quiet in Russian. Which variant you will choose will depend on your preferences. No matter what choice you make, stick to it, so as not to confuse the dog.
12. Release!
Выпускать (vipuskat’)
Always teach your dog this command, especially if you have a large breed that won’t voluntarily drop the thing grabbed with its jaws. You can also say дай (dai), meaning – give (it to me).
13. Retrieve (Fetch, Bring)!
Апорт (aport), принеси (prinesi)
You will often need to order your dog to bring something to you, especially if you have a hunting dog.
14. Shake!
Дай лапу (dai lapu)
It is not a necessary command, but most owners enjoy shaking with their dogs, and ‘give paw’ is a favorite order any child wants to teach the dog.
15. Sit Down!
Сидеть (sidet’)
It is one of the first words most owners try to teach their dogs. Saying sit in Russian can be challenging for English speakers because it sounds weird and soft.
16. Stand Up!
Встать (vstat’)
Once you get a dog, you should include the command ‘stand up’ in a few basic ones.
17. Stay!
Стой (stoy)
It is one of the basic commands with classical meaning – stand still.
18. Stop Doing It!
Фу (foo)
You will use it to order your dog to stop doing something or let something go.
19. Take It!
Возьми (vozmi)
Your dog will expect to get something, usually a treat, after hearing this command.
20. Track!
След (sled), бери след (beri sled)
It is a clear command for tracking something necessary for hunting and police dogs.
Conclusion
Always keep in mind that dogs don’t understand the language but recognize words. Therefore, be prepared that it will react to the familiar commands. If you teach your furry friend Russian words, it won’t recognize the English ones for the particular demand and vice versa.
Rule number one, when starting with lessons, is to avoid repeating orders. Like any other, commands in Russian include one verbal signal, not two of them. Otherwise, your dog will get the wrong impression about your wishes and the meaning of what you ask.
Plus, it may conclude that your demand is not obligatory, and execution actually depends on its goodwill. Don’t forget to reward your furry friend with a treat whenever it does the task as you demand.
+5 votes
asked
Jun 28, 2022
by
EulaSmith
2 Answers
–3 votes
answered
Nov 3, 2022
by
WillieWashington
Most K-9 dogs are trained and handled by one or two people, and they usually decide on one command for each dog.
–1 vote
answered
Dec 5, 2022
by
EllenShoup
Most K-9 dogs are trained and handled by one or two people, and they usually decide on one command for each dog.
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Welcome to The Dog Visitor Q&A [2022], where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
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There are many reasons you might decide to train your dog in German. Dogs have a limited vocabulary, and some people find that dogs are more responsive to words they only associate with them, like ‘walk’ or ‘food.’
Of course, it’s equally possible you have a dog that enjoys its food and its walks but feels no compulsion to sit—if that sounds like your dog, training them using German dog commands might be more effective than English.
It’s also an excellent way to practice a language. And since from the early 20th-century onwards, the Germans put time and effort into training dogs for everything from war to police work, there’s a wealth of German dog commands to draw on.
Other articles you might like: When do German Shepherds calm down?
German Words for Dog Training
Some dogs are indeed stubborn. Certain breeds like Westies or Dachshunds are notorious for their small size but generously portioned opinions. But it’s also important to remember that when you’re choosing dog commands, consistency is key.
That means that every time you tell your dog to sit, they earn a treat. It sounds easy, but sometimes, your dog will hear you use one of those command words out of context. Perhaps you invite guests to sit or want your toddler to learn to sit at the table.
A dog, hearing these invitations, might also sit. But if you don’t reinforce the behavior, they get discouraged and stop responding.
That’s where German words for dog training come in. You’re much less likely to use these out of context. That prevents confusion in your dog and speeds up the training process.
So, let’s have a look at some German dog commands.
Sit in German for Dogs
The German dog command for ‘sit’ is an easy one. It translates to ‘setzen.’
Note that the S is unvoiced. That means that you pronounce it like zed. That only leaves the question of the unusual tz letter combination in the middle.
The best way to make this sound is to turn the zed into a sibilant S.
Alternatively, the shortened ‘sitz’ is also acceptable here.
Whatever you decide, the important thing to remember is that your dog doesn’t need you to speak impeccable German. They just need to recognize the German dog commands.
German Command for Heel
Heel is another useful command, especially if you’ve got dogs that pull on the leash or get easily distracted chasing squirrels.
The German dog command for ‘heel’ is fuss. When pronouncing this dog command, turn the U into an oo sound.
German Dog Command for Come
When we first started using German dog commands, most of our vocabulary came from singing German lieder. So, when we wanted the dog to come, the word we used was simple. We said komm, which is German for come.
It’s a nice, unfussy German dog training word that’s close enough to the English you can say it without thinking.
But it’s not the only word that works when calling a dog to you. The other German word applicable here is ‘hier.’ Remember, in German, when you get two vowels side by side, you say the second one.
So, you pronounce ‘hier’ as heere.
German Training Word for Stay
Stand in German is bleib. Remember, as with other German words, the second vowel is the one you pronounce.
So, bleibe rhymes with ‘gibe,’ not ‘glib.’
German Dog Command for Stand
In German, steh is the dog training word for ‘stand.’ Confusingly, you pronounce it like ‘stay’ in English, except that The S s sounded like an SH.
Dog Training word for Down in German
Platz is the German dog command for ‘down.’ That -tz combination is back. Otherwise, you can say the word as written.
German Command Word for Drop It
Knowing this German word for dog training is helpful if you have a dog with a nose for everything. Our dogs are always getting into everything, and persuading them to leave that interesting leftover lunch, animal, or plant behind is a regular part of our walks together.
The German command word for ‘drop it’ is ‘aus.’
‘Aus’ sounds the way you’d expect. But the way the -au diphthong sounds, it’s helpful to imagine there’s a W in the word.
The other German command word you can use here is lass es, said ‘loss es.’ It means ‘leave It’ and, with the right cue from you, will convince your dog to leave whatever they’re investigating alone.
Good Dog for Dogs in German
Most of these German command words have been imperatives that get your dog to do a particular thing. But arguably, there’s no more important dog command than ‘good dog.’
It lets your dog know you approve, and they’ve done a good job following orders. But how to tell Fido he’s a good boy in German?
The German dog training word for ‘good dog’ is braver hund.
Note here that the V sounds like an F, and the D in hund is more like a T.
While these aren’t German dog training words you’re likely to use often, some people do train their dogs to be guard dogs.
Not all dogs can be trained to guard or attack on behalf of their people. When they can, it offers a sense of safety to their humans. Here are some of the German command words you can use when training your dog to guard you and your home.
German Command Words for Attack or Take Hold
Hopefully, this is a dog training word you never need to use. Typically, it’s used by dogs with full-time jobs, like police dogs.
Since police dogs often come from overseas, it saves everyone time if the handlers can pick up the dog’s training words and not the other way around. The German dog command for ‘attack’ or ‘take hold’ is fass.
The A in the middle is long, but otherwise, there’s no trick to it—unless you want to start splitting hairs over S sounds.
Word for Guard for Training Dogs in German
Pass auf is the German dog training word for ‘guard.’ You say it as written, making it an uncomplicated dog training word to learn.
Depending on whether you’re telling your dog to keep vigil or actively take up a protective stance, there are other words that you can use in this context.
Pass auf is ideal if you want your dog to actively guard you. But if you want your guard dog to keep a lookout, achtung can also work.
This German dog command is a bit of a mouthful because the CH is aspirated. That means that instead of pronouncing it as you would in ‘cheese’ or ‘chips,’ you place it much further back in your throat.
It’s a funny consonant cluster to learn, but again, the dog doesn’t need textbook German, just consistency. Achtung means ‘watch’ and is an excellent way to train your dog to stay alert and watch the surroundings for you.
German Attack Commands: Bite
Another German attack command is ‘bite.’ If you’re training your dog in German, you have options again. Both fass, which we discussed earlier, and packen can be used to train your dog to bite.
You pronounce packen exactly the way it looks, so if you want to make a distinction between commands for attacking and biting, then packen is the dog training word to opt for.
Dog Training Word for Growl in German
But you may not always need your dog to be aggressive. Sometimes growling is enough. That means that if you’re training your dog in German, the other command word you need to know is the German for ‘growl.’
In German, ‘growl’ is brummen. Note that the U is more like a short O, but otherwise, you say it the way you’d expect to.
German Command Word Jump for Dogs
If growling isn’t enough, jumping can be an effective intermediary step between that and outright attack.
Typically a dog that jumps startles and deters most people, especially if they’re unused to dogs. The German dog training word for ‘jump’ is hopp.
German Dog Training Words: Stop
This is another useful training word if you’re teaching a dog to guard or attack for any reason. Stop in German is halt. No pronunciation tricks, just say it the way you would the English equivalent.
Dog Training Words in German: No
Even if you don’t know much German, chances are you’ve heard this German dog training word in other contexts. ‘No’ in German is nein. You pronounce it ‘nine,’ and it’s a great all-purpose training word because you can use it for much more than an attacking dog.
It’s perfect for dogs that dig up the flowers, gnaw the furniture, and guilt-trip you into feeding them scraps from the table.
Conclusion For German Dog Commands
There are many German command words out there you can use to train your dog. Our favorite is ‘ruhig’ for ‘quiet’ because our dogs are magnificent barkers.
But there’s a comprehensive vocabulary you can choose from. Whatever you pick, be consistent. And don’t agonize over pronunciation. Chances are your dog speaks as much German as you do.
Other articles you would like:
- Most Aggressive Small Dog Breeds
- Best Shock Collars for a Biting Puppy
- German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Chart
Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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Kiaan D. asks: Why do you say “sic him” to dogs when you want them to attack someone?
People have been telling dogs to “sic ’em,” with the intent to have the dog attack individual(s), since at least the nineteenth century. While this may seem odd given common modern definitions for “sick” or the variant “sic,” at the time this command popped up, it made perfect sense.
“Sick,” in this context, had nothing to do with the word meaning “ill,” but rather was simply a dialectal variant of “seek,” which used to sometimes carry the connotation of seeking with the intent to attack. (This sense of the word “seek” was used as far back as around AD 1000 in the work, Beowulf.)
The first known instance of someone instructing a dog to attack someone using this “sick” command occurred in Johnson J. Hooper’s 1845 Adventures of Capt. Simon Suggs:
You may well say that: what I tells them to do they do—and if I was to sick them on your old hoss yonder, they’d eat him up afore you could say Jack Roberson. And it’s jist what I shall do, if you try to pry into my consarns…
And later in that same work,
“Here, Bull!” shouted the widow, “sick him, Pomp!” but we cantered off, unwounded, fortunately, by the fangs of Bull and Pomp, who kept up the chase as long as they could hear the cheering voice of their mistress—“Si-c-k, Pomp—sick, sick, si-c-k him, Bull—suboy! suboy! suboy!”
As to how that became such a popular way to tell a dog to attack, rather than to simply say “attack,” or something similar, this isn’t known but makes sense given the types of sounds dogs are able to pick out most easily from normal human speech. (Think when you hear someone speaking a foreign language, it can at times just sound like a jumble of random sounds.)
Thus, when training a new dog (and a young child), most experts recommend “short, sharp commands.” “Sic” certainly fulfills these requirements, being only one syllable and bookended by distinct sounds. And while the “s” part of the word may seem to be a soft sound to human hearing, perhaps easily drowned out in some circumstances, dogs hear not only much better in range of frequencies than humans, but thanks to quite a bit of their brains being devoted to sounds, they are also better at discriminating between noises. So something like a “ssssss” sound ends up being relatively easy to pick out from other human language to start a command, at least more so than something like an “ah,” and the hard “k” sound at the end is easily distinguishable to finish it.
If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Feed), as well as:
- Why Do They Say “Mush” to Make Sled Dogs Go?
- Why We Say Gesundheit When Someone Sneezes
- Why We Say “O’Clock”
- Why Dalmatians are Associated with Fire Fighters
- The Curious Tale of Turnspit Dogs
Bonus Facts:
- Sic is also used to denote when someone has made a mistake. This is often seen in print where a person being quoted has made a grammatical or typographical error, and the quote-r puts the quote in as written (but includes {sic} so that it is clear that the quote-e made the mistake). This use of sic has Latin origins, where it literally meant, “so, thus, in this way;” it traces its regular use in English to the late 19th century.
- Sick with the modern meaning of “excellent,” “awesome,” or “very impressive,” according to the OED, dates surprisingly far back, to 1983 in boarding (skate and snow) culture.
- While dogs have excellent hearing and relatively good night vision (compared to humans), their vision for stationary objects isn’t actually that great at somewhere in the vicinity of 20/75. (See: How the 20/20 Vision Scale Works) They see much better when something is moving, being able to distinguish objects as much as twice as far away if it is in motion, rather than holding still. Dogs can also visually detect movement, even if they can’t tell what the object moving is, approximately 10 to 20 times better than humans.
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When dogs are trained, especially for professional purposes such as SAR, and support dogs, it is not uncommon for the commands to be taught in languages other than English. There are several reasons for this, which we will be discussing. German and Russian are two of the most popular foreign languages to teach dog commands. Today, we will be going over the top 10 Russian dog commands.
Sit – Sidet
Sit, being one of the most common commands taught, can also be one of the most confusing when taught in English. This is because the sound of the word is simple, one-syllabled, and not as crisp sounding as its Russian counterpart. ‘Sidet’, the Russian word for sit, is clearly distinguishable.
Heel – Ryadom
‘Heel’ is another command that is much more discernable in the Russian language. ‘Ryadom’ is a much stronger sounding command, not easily mistaken.
Jump – Preghet
Jump is considered a performance command, which means it is not super important but is still easier to distinguish in its Russian form.
Lay – Lee-Zhet
‘Lay’, which is again a simple command of one syllable, is often better responded to in the Russian version of ‘lee-zhet’. ‘Lee-zhet’ as a command is both sharper and more to the point.
Stay – Myjesto
Although ‘stay’ is clearer than some of the other English versions of the commands, ‘myjesto’, the Russian word for stay comes across stronger.
Come – Komne
Come is obviously an important command but it is also quite common. So, if you are at the dog park then your dog could be confused by other pet owners commands. Using the Russian alternative ‘komne’ will help him differentiate who is doing the commanding. This is also an excellent option for an emergency command.
Good Boy – Molodets
Again, the ‘good boy’ command is a common one and can be confusing in social, dog-friendly circumstances. Therefore training to understand the Russian variation could very well be helpful in distinguishing who is supposed to be the actual good boy (or girl).
Outside – Gutyat
Telling your dog to go outside using the word outside would be sufficient but it is much more fun to say ‘gutyat’ which is the Russian version.
Fetch – Aport
This is a fun one, and although not super important, can be helpful when around other pet families. Telling your dog to fetch in a place with other, minimally trained dogs, could get confusing.
Attack – Fas
An attack command is a very serious one and one that all pups should know. However, in the types of situations that the command is needed, using the actual English word for ‘attack’ could be an issue. Training your dog to attack using the Russian command will not alert any bad guys and is safer with regards to accidental commands.
The Benefits of Teaching Your Dog Russian Commands
In addition to the benefits already mentioned, training your dog to obey Russian commands can also help avoid confusion. When your precious dog hears a Russian command he will know exactly where it is coming from. Leaving any English commands to people other than the owner (that’d be you), will help the dog know who is giving the command and exactly how important it is to obey it. Plus, commands in Russian will make you, and your dog, a hit at the local dog parks.
English? Russian? How About Both
A dog that is trained to be multilingual has a wide variety of benefits. Russian commands tend to be more distinct sounding for your dog, getting his attention quicker. However, teaching your dog English commands as well is also beneficial. Not everyone knows Russian commands which can put your dog in a difficult situation. If someone else needs your dog to obey, he is not going to understand them.
Why Tone Matters So Much
The significance of the tone that you use to call the commands is a big one. Most commands should be sharp, distinctive, short, and loud enough to be heard clearly. For regular, every day commands you should be using a firm but even tone. If you are using the same tone for all commands, it is going to be harder for your dog to understand the gravity of the situation. In serious and life-threatening situations, your dog must be able to obey you without hesitation, this is especially crucial when he is off-leash. Changing the inflection of your voice will alert the dog that that command needs to be obeyed immediately.
Using a foreign language to train your dog can make differentiating the commands much easier. Dogs are more likely to understand Russian better than English. This is because dogs tend to focus on the sound of the word rather than the command itself. The sound and sharpness of Russian commands are going to have better results as far as the dog actually obeying the commands. The tone of these commands is far crisper than those in English. Not to mention being not only more challenging (for you and your dog) which ultimately makes them more rewarding.
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