Let’s take some time and really give this some thought. Why would a US/UK dog owner or any other nationality want their dog to understand German dog commands? Is there some point to it? Well, there just might be.
In this article, we’ll discuss why it might make sense to at least teach basic dog commands in German.
German Commands For Dog Training
I believe it could be pretty disconcerting for a dog when every person in a room is speaking one language, and that language is also used to train the dog. To be honest with you, it’s not at all important which language is being spoken, it could be English (which is what we are talking about), Greek, or whatever. The principle is the same. It must confuse a dog, at least I think it would.
Common words such as sit, come, down, wait, stay, OK, you get the idea, are interchangeable with humans and dogs. I sometimes look at my dog when people are in conversation in his earshot, and it’s illuminating just how often his head jerks up or his ears prick when certain words are spoken.
Wouldn’t it be better for a dog and his owner/trainer to have their own special language? Far less risk of confusion arising between them. Especially as a young puppy starting out with training. Fine and good but that doesn’t answer the fundamental question why use German words for training?
1. Training Dogs In German
There are benefits to dog training in German.
The first and most obvious thing is the German language is a far cry from the English language. As I say dogs hear English spoken every day (this could be any language in the world though), but start to train in German and a savvy dog will recognize instantly the difference. In addition, no one else will speak German commands to your dog.
Start when they are very young. In fact, German should be the first command they hear. As a puppy you are dealing with a blank canvas, so no behavior modification is necessary. If you’re attempting to re-train an older dog to German, then you need to introduce word association before you can supplement the German commands.
We see dog commands in the German language as direct and forceful, and that will enhance how effective they are. It makes sense for police and protection dogs to undergo training in another language anyway because in stressful situations instant obedience is a necessity. If the dog is only listening for commands in German, those commands will stand out from the surrounding chaos.
2. German Training Commands
I think German Commands have an appeal about them, perhaps more than English does. German words are often shorter, more to the point, and with harder consonants help to “hook” the dog’s attention.
If you’re not particularly adept at dog training, it can sometimes sound as if you’re almost begging the dog to comply with your bidding.
Compare that to the short, sharp German commands such as heir (hee-er) here, or hopp (hup) jump. As I say, short and direct. To me, it’s like night and day. So different.
3. Dog Commands In German With Pronunciation
A Few Basic Commands
Basics cover the commands everyone teaches their dog. Sit, stay, heel, down and here. Sit is “sitz”, stay is “bleib” (blibe), heel is “fuss” (foos), down is “platz” (plats) and here is “hier” (hee-er).
More Popular German Commands Used For Dog Training
Included in this section are a few more popular training commands that you might like to add to your German vocabulary.
Jump is “hopp” (hup), speak is “gib-laut (gib-laout), watch is “achtung” (watch), drop is “aus” (owss), stand is “steh” (sh-tay), find is “voran” (vo-ron), wait is “warten” (varten), go to bed is “geh ins bett”, stop is “anhalten”, shake as in paw is “pfote” (fote), roll over is “umdrehen” (umdreh-en), and good dog is “braver hund” (braffer hoont).
Remember, before you can start teaching your dog any German commands you need to learn and memorize the commands in German yourself. If you’re grasping for the correct word, it will not work for you.
4. Training in German
Decide which words you want to teach your dog. Practice them yourself until you have them etched in your mind. It’s important you take it one word at a time. Say the German word you have chosen, then the corresponding English word. Whichever combination of words you choose, if your dog “gets it” then give him some praise and a small reward. Keep doing this over and over.
There will come a point now when you will think of dropping the English word and using only the German command. The dog will help with the timing here because when he’s ready he will move on the German command before you say the English one. Now’s the time to command him in German. If he obeys, brilliant, he’s “got it”. If not, go back to repeating both words.
German Words For Dogs
If you want to train your dog in any language, including German, then it’s entirely up to you. It’s an ideal way for your dog to listen to only your commands, and many dog owners prefer that. If he’s a family dog, then you might want to include the entire family.
What if you are a pet parent to two or more dogs? Now that could be really fun. Teach one dog German and the other English and see if, over time, you end up with bi-lingual dogs. Now that would impress the neighbors.
Have you ever considered learning another language? This could be the brilliant opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Train your dog and combine it with learning German. Training a dog is a lot of repetition, as does learning a language.
After a day of working hard teaching German dog, commands don’t forget to give your pooch as much praise as you can. One more thing, when you praise your dog, make sure you praise him in GERMAN.
