Dog Training for Beginners: First 5 Commands to Teach

Reviewed by Dr. Jamshed Bilal, DVM

If you have just brought a dog home and you are not sure where to start with training, you are in the right place. The world of dog training can feel overwhelming — there are countless methods, conflicting opinions, and no shortage of gadgets promising to do the work for you. But the truth is simple: positive reinforcement is the only method worth learning. It works with your dog's natural desire to repeat behaviours that feel rewarding, it builds genuine trust between you and your pet, and it has decades of science behind it. Punishment-based methods might suppress a behaviour in the short term, but they introduce fear, anxiety, and unpredictability into your relationship. With positive reinforcement, you get a dog who wants to work with you rather than one who obeys out of fear. Start here, stay consistent, and you will be amazed at how quickly your dog learns.

The Basics of Positive Reinforcement Training

Before you teach your first command, it helps to understand the principles that make positive reinforcement work. There are four things to get right from day one.

Timing. The reward must come within one to two seconds of the behaviour you want. Dogs live in the present — if you reward three seconds late, you might be marking something completely different. This is why many trainers use a marker word like "yes" or a clicker. The marker bridges the gap between the behaviour and the treat, letting your dog know precisely what earned the reward.

Reward types. Most beginners rely on treats, and that is a great place to start. But dogs are also motivated by play, praise, and access to things they enjoy. As your dog progresses, you can vary the reward. For now, keep a pouch of small, soft, high-value treats ready during every session. Pea-sized pieces of cooked chicken, cheese, or commercial training treats work well.

Session length. Keep training sessions to five minutes maximum, especially with puppies. Dogs — particularly young ones — have short attention spans, and long sessions lead to frustration and mistakes. Three to five short sessions scattered through the day are far more effective than one long one. If either of you is getting frustrated, stop.

End on success. Always finish each session with something your dog can do confidently. If you are working on a new command and it is not clicking, pivot to something your dog knows well, reward enthusiastically, and then end. You want your dog to associate training with positive feelings and success.

Command 1 — Sit

Sit is the natural starting point because it is easy to lure, easy to reward, and forms the foundation for many other commands. Here is the step-by-step process.

Hold a treat between your thumb and fingers close to your dog's nose. Slowly move your hand upward, toward the back of their head. As your dog's nose follows the treat up, their bottom will naturally lower to the floor. The moment their bottom touches the ground, say "sit" in a clear, calm voice and immediately give the treat. Repeat this five to ten times in your first session.

After a few sessions, your dog will begin to anticipate the movement. At this point, start saying "sit" just before you start the hand motion, or try saying it and seeing whether your dog responds without the lure. When they do, reward generously — this is a big step.

Once sit is reliable at arm's length, practise from a little further away. Ask for sit from across the room. Ask for it before meals, before going outside, and during your daily routine. The more contexts your dog hears the cue and responds correctly, the more reliable it becomes.

Command 2 — Down

Down is one of the most useful commands you will ever teach. A dog in a down position is calm, manageable, and safe — it is useful at cafes, at the vet, when guests arrive, and when you need your dog to settle. It is also a physically demanding position for some dogs to move into, so patience is key.

Start with your dog in a sit. Hold a treat between your fingers and bring it slowly down toward the floor, aiming between your dog's front paws. Many dogs will follow the treat into a down position naturally. The moment their elbows and belly touch the floor, say "down" and reward immediately.

If your dog pops up out of sit instead of lying down, try luring more slowly or use a lower treat position. You can also try luring down while you sit on the floor yourself — sometimes a lower angle makes it easier. Never push your dog into the down position physically. Luring and patience will get you there.

Once your dog is offering downs reliably with the lure, fade the treat from your hand and use a hand signal instead — pointing down toward the floor. Reward from your other hand when they respond. Gradually reduce the size of the hand movement until you have a clean verbal and visual cue.

Command 3 — Stay

Stay teaches your dog to hold a position until you release them. This is a safety command and a self-control exercise in one. The key to teaching stay is to make it easy in the beginning and build very gradually.

Ask your dog to sit. Hold your open palm toward them like a stop sign and say "stay" in a calm, clear voice. Wait just one second. Then say your release word — "ok" is common, but "free" or "break" work equally well — and reward immediately. That first second is your entire goal for the first few repetitions.

Build duration before you add distance. Increase the wait time in two-second increments over several sessions: one second, three seconds, five seconds, eight seconds, and so on. Only once your dog can stay reliably for ten to fifteen seconds should you take a step back. Then return to your dog to reward — do not call them to you yet. You want the dog to learn that stay means stay until I come back to release you.

Distractions come last. Once your dog holds a stay at a distance, you can begin introducing mild distractions: moving your arms, stepping sideways, dropping something nearby. If your dog breaks the stay, simply reset and make it easier — shorten the distance or duration and build back up.

Command 4 — Come

The recall — the "come" command — is the most important safety command you will ever teach your dog. A dog that comes reliably when called can be given more freedom off-lead, and in an emergency, this command could save their life.

The golden rule of recall: never punish a dog for coming to you, no matter how long it took. If your dog eventually comes after ignoring you for five minutes, you must still reward them. If you punish a slow recall, you are teaching your dog that coming to you leads to something unpleasant — and your recall will fall apart entirely.

To teach come, crouch down at your dog's level — this makes you more inviting. Say your dog's name followed by "come" in a happy, enthusiastic tone. When your dog reaches you, reward generously with treats, praise, and play. Make arriving at you the best thing that ever happens to your dog.

Practise in a low-distraction environment first. Use a long line — a 10 to 15-metre lead attached to their harness — for outdoor practice before your dog is reliable off-lead. Never call your dog for something they find unpleasant (nail clipping, bath time) until recall is very solid. Instead, go and get them. Protect the value of the word "come" by making it always predict something wonderful.

Command 5 — Leave It

Leave it teaches your dog to disengage from something and look to you instead. It is invaluable for preventing your dog from picking up food off the ground, approaching dangerous objects, or interacting with things you do not want them near.

Use the two-treat method. Place a treat in your closed fist and hold it at your dog's nose level. Your dog will sniff, lick, paw, and nudge — do nothing. The moment your dog pulls their nose away from your fist, even for a split second, say "leave it" and immediately reward from your other hand. The key is that the reward always comes from the other hand, not from the fist they were investigating. You are teaching: ignoring that thing makes a better thing appear from elsewhere.

Progress to placing the treat on the floor covered by your hand, then uncovered with your foot hovering nearby, then uncovered with just a verbal cue. Each step should be solid before you move forward. Eventually you can use "leave it" for dropped food, items on the pavement, and even other dogs — though building to that level takes many weeks of practice.

How Long Does Training Take?

Most dogs can learn the basics of all five commands within two to four weeks of consistent daily practice. But "knowing" a command and performing it reliably in any environment are very different things. A dog that sits perfectly in your living room may completely ignore you at the park — this is not disobedience, it is just that the dog has only learned sit in one context. This is called generalisation, and it takes time.

Expect to spend at least one to three months practising commands in different environments, with different distractions, before you can call a behaviour truly reliable. The effort is absolutely worth it. A dog with solid basic obedience is safer, easier to manage, and more confident in the world.

Some dogs learn faster than others. Working breeds like Border Collies and Belgian Malinois often pick things up very quickly, while independent breeds like Basenjis or Greyhounds may take longer. Age matters too — young puppies learn fast but have short attention spans, while adult dogs may take a little longer to build new habits. Whatever your dog's pace, consistency and patience will always get you there.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Punishing a slow recall. This is the single most damaging mistake in recall training. If your dog eventually comes and you scold them for taking so long, you have just associated coming to you with something unpleasant. Always reward the come, regardless of how long it took.

Training sessions that are too long. When a dog starts making errors they were not making earlier in the session, it is usually a sign of mental fatigue. Longer is not better. Five focused minutes beats thirty frustrated ones every time.

Inconsistent cue words. If one family member says "sit," another says "sit down," and a third says "sit, sit, SIT," your dog is hearing three different things. Agree on one word per command and use it consistently, every time. Write them down and post them somewhere visible if necessary.

Moving too fast too soon. It is tempting to add distance, duration, and distraction all at once once a command seems "learnt." Resist this. The three Ds should be built one at a time. If you add distraction and the behaviour falls apart, you have moved too fast — step back and rebuild.

For more foundational guidance, read our new dog owner checklist, or when you are ready for the next challenge, see our guides on how to stop your dog jumping up and puppy socialisation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age should I start training my dog?

You can begin training as early as 7 to 8 weeks old. Puppies are capable of learning simple commands from the moment they arrive home, and starting early builds good habits before bad ones take hold. Keep sessions very short — just 2 to 3 minutes at this age — and always end on a success.

How many commands should I teach at once?

Focus on one to two commands at a time until they are reliable before adding new ones. Trying to juggle too many cues at once leads to confusion for both you and your dog. Once a command is solid in low-distraction environments, you can maintain it while introducing something new.

What treats work best for training?

The best training treats are small (pea-sized), soft, and highly desirable to your dog — think small pieces of boiled chicken, cheese, hot dog, or commercial soft treats. The treat should be something your dog works enthusiastically for, not just tolerates. Reserve your highest-value treats for the most challenging skills or distracting environments.

My dog is distracted — what do I do?

Distraction is a training problem, not a stubbornness problem. Move to a quieter, less stimulating environment and make your reward higher-value. Dogs learn in the place they practise — build the behaviour reliably at home before expecting it in a park full of smells and people.

How do I know if training is working?

Training is working when your dog responds to a cue correctly 8 out of 10 times in the current environment. If your dog is getting it right most of the time, you are ready to add mild distractions or take the behaviour to a new location. If success rate drops below 70%, simplify the environment or shorten the duration rather than pushing forward.

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Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. Always consult your veterinarian before making significant changes to your dog's care or training routine.