Identifying the Basic Five Commands
Every dog needs to know five basic commands: “Sit,” “Go Lie Down,” “Down,”
“Come,” and “Easy.” You can look at these as safety and sanity commands —
your dog’s safety and your sanity.
The “Sit” command
You use the “Sit” command (check out Chapter 7) to teach your dog to sit
politely for petting instead of jumping on people, to sit at the door instead of
barging ahead of you, to sit when you put his food dish on the floor instead of
trying to grab it out of your hand, and anytime you need him to control himself.
See Figure 1-1.
The “Go Lie Down” command
You use the “Go Lie Down” command (see Chapter 7) to send your dog to
a particular place and stay there when you want to eat your meal in peace
instead of having him beg at the table, or when you have company instead of
having him pester your guests.
The “Down” command
You use the “Down” command (see Chapters 7 and 16) when you want him to
down in place and stay there until you release him.
The “Come” command
You need to teach your dog the “Come” command (see Chapters 8 and 14) so
you can call him when you take him for a hike or when he wants to chase a
squirrel, or whatever.
The “Easy” command
You want to teach your dog the “Easy” command (check out Chapter 8) so