Question 1

How many commands should a dog know?

Accepted Answer

Basic pet obedience needs 5-8 (sit, down, come, stay, leave it, drop it, place, watch me). Working dogs (service, sport) learn 40-100+. Any additions beyond basics enrich your dog's life.

Question 2

How do I stop confusing my dog with too many words?

Accepted Answer

One word per behavior, always. If you say 'sit,' 'sit down,' 'sit please,' and 'have a seat' interchangeably, your dog treats them as noise. Pick one word per behavior and stick with it.

Question 3

Should everyone in the family use the same cues?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Post the command list on the fridge. Dogs learn faster when signals are consistent across handlers.

Question 4

What if my dog forgets a command?

Accepted Answer

Common with cues used rarely. Take one refresher session (5 reps with high-value treats) and it usually returns. Behaviors need practice — use it or lose it.

Question 5

Can I teach my dog to understand full sentences?

Accepted Answer

Dogs understand individual keywords in context, not sentences. 'Go get your ball' works because they recognize 'get,' 'your,' and 'ball' as parts of a chain — but they're not parsing grammar.

Question 6

Is it useful to teach commands in another language?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and popular with police/protection dogs. It prevents accidental cueing from strangers. Any language works — the dog only cares about the sound pattern.

Question 7

What's the difference between a cue and a command?

Accepted Answer

Modern trainers prefer 'cue' — it's more accurate. A cue is a signal that tells your dog which behavior earns reinforcement now. 'Command' implies force, which isn't how learning works.

Question 8

Can I use hand signals instead of words?

Accepted Answer

Yes — dogs learn hand signals faster than verbal cues (visual learners). Many deaf dogs are fluent with 30+ hand cues. Use both simultaneously and fade whichever is less useful.

Question 9

How do I introduce a new command?

Accepted Answer

Get the behavior first (via luring, capturing, or shaping). Once your dog offers it reliably, add the cue word right before the behavior. Reward. Fade the lure and let the cue predict the behavior.

Question 10

Should I use my dog's name before every cue?

Accepted Answer

For unfocused dogs, yes — 'Buddy, sit!' gets attention first. For focused dogs, using their name every time weakens it as an attention cue. Balance based on your dog.

Question 11

Is this tool free?

Accepted Answer

Yes — every FurTools tool is free forever, no signup required.

Question 12

Do you store my inputs?

Accepted Answer

No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers.

Command Vocabulary Builder

Examples

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

Pet Name Generator

Pet Cost Calculator

Pet Expense Tracker