5 Cues Every Dog Should Know (and How to Teach Them)

You do not need a dog who does tricks. You need a dog who is safe and easy to live with. These five cover most of real life.

1. Name

Say it once. When they look, mark with "yes" and treat.

2. Come

Do this: start indoors on a happy voice, reward every single time, and never call them to you for something they dislike.

3. Sit

Hold a treat at the nose and lift it back over the head. The rear goes down. Mark and treat.

4. Leave it

Closed fist with a treat inside. When they stop nosing at it, mark and reward from the other hand.

Why it matters: this is the one that saves them from the dropped pill or the chicken bone.

5. Stay

Ask for a sit, pause one second, reward. Add time before you add distance.

How to make it stick

• Two or three minutes, a few times a day.

• Reward what you like and ignore the rest.

• Practice in new places once it works at home.

• End while they are still having fun.

Where to check all of this, free

• The American Kennel Club's basic training guides at akc.org.

• A reward-based group class near you.

This article is general information, not professional training advice.