You’ve said “sit” forty times today. Your puppy sat twice, both times when they were about to sit anyway. The rest of the time they stared at you, wandered off, or jumped on your leg. You know the basic dog commands matter, but nobody showed you the actual steps, and the videos make it look like the dog already knows.
Here are the 10 commands worth teaching first, each broken into the same three-stage method trainers use. Follow the order, keep sessions to five minutes, and most puppies will have the first five down inside two weeks.
The Method: Lure, Then Hand Signal, Then Word
Every command below is taught the same way. Once you understand the pattern, you can teach almost anything.
- Lure. Use a treat in your hand to guide your puppy’s body into position. Don’t say anything yet; the word means nothing to them right now, and attaching it to a behavior that hasn’t happened just muddies it.
- Hand signal. After five to ten successful lures, make the same motion with an empty hand. Treat comes from the other hand or a pouch after the behavior. Now the gesture is the cue.
- Word. Say the word once, pause half a second, then give the hand signal. After a dozen reps, your puppy starts responding to the word before the signal appears. Fade the signal gradually.
The timing of your reward is what makes this work: mark the exact moment with “Yes!” and deliver a treat within 2 seconds. The word “Yes!” is a snapshot that tells your puppy exactly which behavior earned the food. Late treats reward whatever happened next, which is usually standing up.
Use tiny, soft treats, about the size of a pea. You’ll give 20 to 30 per session, so cut them small. Train before meals, not after, and quit while your puppy is still winning.
If you’d like all 10 commands on a single reference page, the Puppy Training Kit includes Dog Training Cheat Sheets with each one laid out in this lure-signal-word format.
Commands 1–3: Sit, Down, Stay
1. Sit
Lure: Hold a treat at your puppy’s nose, then move it slowly up and slightly back over their head. As their nose follows, their rear drops. The moment it touches the floor, “Yes!” and treat. If they jump, you’re holding the treat too high; keep it an inch from the nose.
Hand signal: Same upward sweep with a flat, empty palm.
Word: “Sit,” pause, signal. Most puppies get this in two or three sessions.
2. Down
Lure: Start with your puppy sitting. Hold the treat at their nose and draw it straight down to the floor between their front paws, then slowly out along the floor away from them, like tracing an L. Their elbows should fold. “Yes!” the moment elbows and belly hit the ground. If they stand instead, go slower and try luring under your bent knee so they have to crawl.
Hand signal: Flat palm sweeping down toward the floor.
Word: “Down.” Avoid using “down” to mean “get off the couch”; pick “off” for that.
3. Stay
Stay is built in three dimensions: duration, distance, distraction. Add only one at a time.
Duration first: Puppy sits. Hold up a flat palm, count one second, “Yes!” and treat while they’re still sitting. Then two seconds, then three. Build to 10 seconds over a few sessions. Release with a word like “okay” or “free” so they know when it’s over.
Then distance: One step back, return, treat. Two steps. Always go back to your puppy to reward; don’t call them to you or you’re teaching them that stay ends with coming.
Then distraction: Drop a toy, open a door, have someone walk past. Shorten duration and distance when you add distraction.
If your puppy breaks, no scolding. Just reset and make it easier.
Commands 4–6: Come, Leave It, Drop It
4. Come
Lure: Start indoors, a few feet away. Show a treat, say nothing, and back up a step. When your puppy moves toward you, “Yes!” and treat when they arrive. Touch their collar gently before treating so they get used to being caught.
Hand signal: Arms open wide or a sweeping motion toward your body.
Word: “Come” or your puppy’s name plus “come,” said in a happy voice. Never call your puppy to come for something they dislike (bath, nail trim, end of play). Go get them instead, or you’ll poison the word.
Recall needs more practice than any other command because the competition is so much stronger outside. If you’re struggling with that, we cover the specifics in why your puppy won’t come when called at the park.
5. Leave It
Lure: Treat in a closed fist, held low. Your puppy will sniff, lick, paw. Wait. The moment they back off or look at you, “Yes!” and give a treat from your other hand. The treat in the fist never gets eaten; the reward comes from somewhere else. After a few reps they’ll back off immediately.
Progress: Place the treat on the floor under your hand, then uncovered with your hand ready to cover it, then on the floor while standing.
Word: “Leave it” as you present the forbidden item. Use it on walks for the chicken bone, the dead bird, the mystery puddle.
6. Drop It
Lure: Get your puppy holding a toy. Hold a treat right at their nose. When they open their mouth to take it, the toy falls. “Yes!” and treat, then give the toy back. That last part matters: if drop it always means losing the toy, they’ll stop dropping.
Hand signal: Open palm offered toward their mouth.
Word: “Drop it.” Practice with low-value toys first, then higher-value items, always trading up. Never chase a puppy who has something; chasing turns it into the best game ever.
Commands 7–8: Touch and Place
7. Touch
Touch means “bump your nose to my palm.” It’s the most underrated command on the list because it redirects attention instantly, moves your puppy without pulling, and builds a recall.
Lure: Hold your flat palm an inch from your puppy’s nose. Most will sniff it out of curiosity. The instant their nose touches, “Yes!” and treat from the other hand. If they don’t move, rub a treat on your palm first.
Hand signal: The palm itself is the signal. Move it to different positions: left, right, low, high.
Word: “Touch.” Once solid, you can use it to lead your puppy off the couch, away from a distraction, or toward you at a distance.
8. Place
Place means “go to this mat and stay on it until released.” It’s what you use when guests arrive or the family sits down to dinner.
Lure: Put down a mat or bed. Toss a treat onto it. When all four paws are on, “Yes!” and a second treat delivered on the mat. Repeat until your puppy heads to the mat when they see you reach for a treat.
Build it: Ask for a down on the mat. Treat several times while they stay. Add duration the same way you did with stay. Release with “okay.”
Word: “Place” as you point to the mat. Practice from farther away over time.
Commands 9–10: Wait and Loose Leash
9. Wait
Wait is different from stay. Stay means hold position until I come back. Wait means pause here briefly; a release is coming soon. Use it at doors, curbs, and before the food bowl.
At the door: Puppy on leash. Reach for the doorknob. If they lunge, hand comes off the knob. If they pause, “Yes!” and open an inch. Lunge, door closes. Pause, door opens more. When they can hold still with the door fully open, say “okay” and walk through together.
At the bowl: Lower the bowl slowly. If they move toward it, bowl rises. When they hold still for one second, “Yes!” and bowl goes down. Stretch to three seconds over a week.
Word: “Wait” as you begin. Add the word once the behavior is reliable.
10. Loose Leash Walking
Loose leash isn’t a position; it’s a rule: when the leash is slack, we move forward. When it’s tight, we don’t.
Indoors first: Clip on the leash, hold a treat at your side at puppy nose height, take two steps. Treat. Two more steps, treat. You’re luring the position next to your leg.
Fade the lure: Hand at your side without a treat. Every few steps, “Yes!” and treat from your pouch, delivered right at the seam of your pants so your puppy learns that spot pays.
Add the rule: Outdoors, when the leash tightens, stop. Stand still. Wait for your puppy to look back or take a step toward you, which slackens the leash. “Yes!” and walk on. The first few walks will be short and full of stopping. That’s the training.
Word: “Let’s go” to start, “easy” or “with me” when you want them back at your side. Keep walks on a front-clip harness while learning; it reduces pulling without any pain.
Tracking which commands are solid and which need work is easier on paper. The Puppy Training Kit includes a Puppy Training Log & Planner designed exactly for this.
Session Plan and Troubleshooting
| Week | Teach | Maintain |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sit, touch, come (indoors) | — |
| 2 | Down, leave it | Sit, touch, come |
| 3 | Stay (duration), drop it | All previous |
| 4 | Wait, place | Stay (add distance) |
| 5–6 | Loose leash, come (outdoors) | Everything, in new places |
Common problems and fixes:
- Puppy only responds when you have a treat. You faded the lure too fast or never faded it. Go back to the hand signal with an empty hand, treat from the pouch. Then start rewarding every other rep, then randomly.
- Works at home, falls apart outside. Normal. Every new location is a new lesson. Start with easy reps in the yard, then a quiet sidewalk, then busier places. Use better treats outdoors.
- Puppy loses interest after a minute. Sessions are too long or treats aren’t interesting. Try two-minute sessions and cheese or chicken.
- You’re repeating the word. Say it once. If nothing happens, go back to the hand signal. Repeating teaches your puppy the cue is “sit sit sit SIT.”
Never use leash pops, collar corrections, or physical pressure to force a position. Puppies learn faster and more reliably through reward, and they learn to enjoy training rather than tolerate it. If your puppy seems unable to focus at all, is panting heavily, or startles easily, check in with your vet; pain and anxiety both look like stubbornness.
FAQ
What is the first command to teach a puppy?
Sit is the usual first choice because it’s easy to lure and immediately useful. Touch is a close second and often faster to teach. Start with whichever your puppy picks up quickest; early wins build their enthusiasm for training.
How long should a puppy training session be?
Three to five minutes, two to four times a day. Puppies have short attention spans, and several short sessions beat one long one. End while your puppy is still succeeding and eager.
How many commands can a puppy learn at once?
Introduce one or two new commands per week while maintaining the ones already learned. Trying to teach five at once usually means none get solid.
Do I always need treats?
Treats are the fastest way to teach. Once a command is reliable, shift to rewarding every second or third response, then at random, and mix in praise, toys, and real-life rewards like opening the door. Keep occasional treats for life; it costs nothing and keeps the behavior strong.
Put all 10 commands on the fridge. The Puppy Training Kit includes Dog Training Cheat Sheets (10 commands plus 8 behavior problems), a training log and planner, the 7-Day Potty Training Plan, and a socialization checklist, four printable PDFs for $7.99.