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Everyone who has ever had a pet dog has dreamed of training it. There is something magical about observing the intelligence of man’s best friend reflected in his recognition and obedience to certain orders or instructions, such as “paw”, “here”, “sit”, “lying down” and “stay”, which are some of the most common.
Training a dog, especially if it is our own pet, can be a very fun and enriching experience. In doing so, the natural tendency is to use words in our own language as commands. This is perfectly natural, since it is the language that we know how to speak and that we can understand. However, from the perspective of the dog, which is not understood in Spanish or any other language, Spanish, and even other languages such as English, may not be the most suitable for training.
In this sense, one of the most commonly used languages to train dogs is German. Hereinafter, we explain why German is so popular for training our furry friends, and include some of the most popular German dog commands, their meaning and their Spanish equivalent.
Why are German terms used to train dogs?
There are several reasons why German is used so often to command dogs.
German is a clear language with easily distinguishable terms
Dogs do not speak or understand our language, but they learn to associate the commands we give them with the desired behavior and with a reward after completing the instruction. One of the most important keys for effective training is for the dog to be able to clearly differentiate one command from another. This is difficult in many languages, but not in German, which is characterized by the use of many short terms (many of them monosyllabic) with very precise pronunciation and strong, clear consonants.
This makes it easier for dogs to distinguish (or “understand”) commands in German better than in some other languages, such as French and even Spanish. For example, the command “sit down” in Spanish has three syllables, while in German it only has one ( sitz ).
Training the dog in a language other than its own avoids confusing it when speaking with other people
More than just being German itself, training a dog using terms in a language other than its own can bring some benefits. The main one is that the dog will not be confused when hearing us speak with other people in our own language. This could happen if we had taught him the instructions in Spanish.
The command in German represents an alternative if the dog cannot learn it in Spanish
Many people choose to train their dogs in their own language, but, as mentioned above, not all terms in all languages are clear or easy enough for the dog to distinguish. In this sense, commands in German can serve as wild cards if the dog is having a hard time learning a particular term in Spanish or another language.
Many police dogs were originally trained in Germany.
In countries like the United States and many European countries, police canine units were originally made up of police dogs brought over from Germany (in fact, the German Shepherd is one of the most easily recognizable breeds as a police dog).
These police dogs were trained in Germany, so they only recognized commands in German. Since it is much easier for a police officer to learn a handful of German words than it is for a dog to relearn all the commands in a different language, the original German terms were kept, even being adopted for training other police dogs outside of Germany. Germany.
They serve to surprise our friends
It’s no secret that German is a difficult language to learn and master. For this reason, giving our dog orders in German and having it respond to them is a way of making our friends believe that we know how to speak that language.
The myth about police dogs and commands in German
For a long time the idea was spread that police dogs were trained in German to prevent the general public from knowing how to give them orders. However, this seems illogical, especially with how easy it is to find a complete list of German terms for police dogs on the internet.
Likewise, even knowing the German words does not mean that anyone can command a police dog. These dogs are trained to respond to their handler or the officer assigned as their companion, so this hypothesis is meaningless.
The seven basic commands in German or hunderkommandos
The following table shows the seven basic commands that every dog should learn from a young age. Likewise, the equivalent order in German is shown together with its pronunciation for Spanish speakers and the meaning of the order or the behavior expected by the owner or trainer.
1 Your dog’s name
His name is the first command that every dog must learn.
Despite the fact that it is not an order in itself, nor does it make sense to look for its equivalent in German, the first thing a dog must learn is to recognize its own name. This is essential to be able to teach the other terms, as it makes it easier for the dog to pay attention when training it.
2 Sitting (German: Sitz / pronunciation: zitz)
Command the dog to sit on its hind legs.
3 Down/Lying Down (German: Platz / pronunciation: platz)
Command the dog to lie on its belly with legs flexed and ready to stand up.
4 Come/Next (German: Hier / pronunciation: jier)
Command the dog to come from where it is and to stand or sit next to the master.
5 Still (German: Bleib / pronunciation: blaib)
He orders the dog to stay still at a fixed point until the owner returns and, standing next to him, indicates that he can move.
6 Drops (German: Aus / pronunciation: aus)
Command the dog to drop whatever is in its mouth.
7 Out (German: Voraus / pronunciation: foraus)
Command the dog to leave the house, the room or the place where it is.
The hardest German commands to learn
There are some commands that are more difficult to teach a dog than others. This difficulty is not due so much to the language in which the order is given, but rather to the difficulty of making the dog understand what the desired behavior is with it.
Below are the four most difficult commands to teach a dog, along with their respective German term, pronunciation, and meaning:
1 Wait (German: warte ab / pronunciation: varte ab)
Indicates that the dog should stay put momentarily, but should be ready to move at any time.
2 Talk/Bark (German: Gib Laut / pronunciation: giblaut)
Command the dog to bark.
3 Crawl (German: Kriechen / pronunciation: criigen)
He orders the dog to crawl on the ground.
4 Turn or turn around (German: Drehen / pronunciation: Dregen)
He orders a whole turn in the same place.
Other dog commands in German
Thirteen other common German terms are presented below along with their Spanish equivalence and pronunciation.
1 Top (German: Steh / pronunciation: Shtay)
Indicates that it should get up on two legs.
2 Bring (German: Bring/ pronunciation: Brring)
He orders to bring something to the owner.
3 Jumps (German: Hopp / pronunciation: Jop)
Indicates that the dog should hop or jump using all four legs.
4 Seek (German: Such / pronunciation: tsuuk)
Command for the dog to search for something by sniffing it.
5 Take care (German: Pass auf/Wache / pronunciation: Pas auf/ Vage)
Order that indicates the duty to care or protect something or someone.
6 Bite (German: Packen/Fass / pronunciation: Paquen/Fas)
Attack voice for the dog to bite someone.
7 Go Outside (German: Geh Raus/Geh Draussen / pronunciation: Guei raus/ Geh drausen)
Indicates that the dog must leave the house or room in which it is located.
8 Come in (German: Geh rein / pronunciation: Guei rain)
The opposite of the previous command. Voice indicating that the dog can enter the house.
9 Well done (German: So ist brav / pronunciation: So its brav)
Positive comment or congratulations for a job well done.
10 Correction scolding “No” (German: Pfui/Nein / pronunciation: (fuui)/(nain))
Reprimand when the dog misbehaves.
11 Don’t do that (German: Lass das sein / pronunciation: Las dasain)
Command for the dog to stop what it is doing.
12 Eats (German: Nimm Futter / pronunciation: Nim futah)
Authorization for the dog to start eating.
13 Leave it/Let it go (German: Lass es / pronunciation: Las es)
Reprimand for the dog to drop and leave something that is in its mouth still.
References
Educanino, Canine Training Course. (2021, November 17). Commands in German to train dogs . educative. https://entrenatuperro.online/blog/comandos-en-aleman-para-entrenar-perro/
Kaelin Munkelwitz. (2018, February 18). THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “WAIT” AND “STAY” . Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMBVCJXjBwI
My guide to dogs Encyclopedia for dog owners. (2021, June 23). What are the German commands for police dogs? My DogGuide. https://midogguide.com/en/dog-breeds/what-are-the-german-commands-for-police-dogs.html
Plonsky, M. (2019). Dog Training Commands in Several Languages . K9-101 Dog Behavior. https://www4.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/languag1.htm
Ramos, E. (2021, October 13). Obedience Words and Commands . The Walking Dog. Canine education and training. https://www.thewalkingdog.es/blog/palabras-y-comandos-de-obediencia/
Rogue Pet Science Team. (2022, March 18). 10+ Best German Dog Commands Your Dog Can Learn Fast . Rogue Pet Science. https://roguepetscience.com/2021/02/02/german-dog-commands/
Starwood Animal Transport. (2019, May 24). Dog Commands in German . https://www.starwoodanimaltransport.com/blog/dog-commands-in-german
