A Few 'Hundekommandos' (Dog Commands) in German

Training your canine with dog commands in German is just like training it in any language. You need to establish command, become the pack leader, and guide your dog's behavior through a combination of reinforcement and redirection. But, if you want to be able to say Er gehorcht auf Kommando (He obeys [German] commands), you need to learn the correct dog commands in German. The essential commands that German dog trainers and owners use are presented first in Deutsch (German) and then in English. A phonetically spelled pronunciation for the commands is listed directly under each German word or phrase. Study and learn these few, simple commands and soon you'll be saying Hier! (Come!) and Sitz! (Sit!) with authority and style.

German "Hundekommandos" (Dog Commands)

You can find detailed information about training a dog in German on websites such as Hunde-Aktuell (Dog News), which offers plenty of tips and tricks about Ausbildung (dog training), but you'll need to understand German fluently to access the information. Until your German reaches that level, you'll find the basic dog commands in German in the table.

Using "Platz!" and "Nein!"

Two of the most important German dog commands are Platz! (Down!) and Nein! (No!). The website, hunde-welpen.de (dog-puppy) offers a few tips about how and when to use these commands. The German-language site says the command Platz! is an important one to teach to puppies that are three or four months old. When using this command, hunde-welpen.de suggests:

• If your young dog's basket or crate is comfortable, and if Fido feels like the basket or crate is his own, personal safe space, he'll view the command Platz! as a positive stimulus, rather than a negative command.

• Lure your young dog to his basket or crate with a favored treat. As soon as he is in the basket or crate, repeat the word Platz!
• Later, try again to send your dog to its crate or basket by repeating the command Platz! If he goes, heap on the praise—but only if he stays in the crate or basket.

The website also stresses that from an early age, your dog needs to know that Nein! means Nein! Always use a firm, slightly loud voice with a "deep, dark tone" when saying the command.

German Dog Commands Are Popular

Interestingly, German is the most popular foreign language to use for dog commands, says Dog Training Excellence.

"This may be due to the fact that in the early 1900s, in Germany, there were great efforts to train dogs for police work and also to be used during the war. And many of those projects were very successful, so much that even today we want to keep using that language to communicate with our pet dogs."

Nevertheless, the language doesn't actually matter to your dog, says the website. You can choose any foreign language, not just German dog commands. What matters is that you use sounds that are unique and appear only when you're talking to your best friend.