​“Watch me” This is your dogs number one job! They need to learn to watch you and keep track of you. We use watch me to get dogs to focus on us as a “please standby for more information”  teaching “watch me “ grabs your dogs attention vs saying their name over and over again. Hold the cookie in your thumb and last two fingers. Say “watch me” in an happy voice and give the cookie. Tip start inside with great treats and make a kissy sound followed with “watch me!” and give that treat!
“Here!” This command teaches your dog to go where you point.  This command has a cookie in the palm of your hand and you point down to the area you want your dog to go. This is a fun command that you can have your dog zigzag following your finger as they get better at learning to go where you point! We use it to have our dogs move closer to us vs saying a come command to tell your dog move over here. This command is followed with other commands in a sentence such as “here, down, stay” .

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“Sit” We use a closed hand with a cookie inside right above your dogs nose to start with. When they look up at the cookie their butts go down to the ground.  Sit is one of the first command owners teach their dogs. Make sure they get their bottoms all the way down before they get the treat.
 
 
“Wait”  a finger pointing up as if to say, “wait a minute” we use wait when we want our dogs to hold a posture but we are staying within 6 feet of the. We use wait at street corners “sit and wait” until it is our turn to go. We also use this command in a sit at all doors until we say “okay let’s go”. Wait is very different that stay. We also use it to teach our dogs to hold a posture for a long time while near us. Like a sit and wait while we are talking to someone while out on our walk. I like to have folks say “sit”  “wait” and count 1-2-3 out loud than say “OK” happy voice and they get the treat once released from the sit.  Once your dog masters the sit to 3 seconds you can add on more counting! Count out loud to hold their focus on you! 
“Down”  We use a flat hand with the cookie held by the thumb to the palm.  Dogs learn down best from a sit, they are half way there! Bring your hand down from their nose to their toes! If you slid your hand too far out in front of them they will stand up vs go into a down.  Down is our emergency command. It is the opposite from run! 
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“Come”  The mother of all commands! PLEASE ONLY USE COME in a very happy voice! Teaching a dog to come every single time you call them is easy if you make sure it means you will always get something nice after I say it! BIG happy voice and loads of love and a treat! Start with your arm outstretched to the side and draw to your chest like you are sweeping them into you!