What is THE Most Important Dog Obedience Command?

As the saying goes, “The only thing that two dog trainers agree on is that the third dog trainer is wrong.”  This is particularly true when discussing which of the “basic obedience commands” is the most important. (Some trainers don’t like the word “command” at all, preferring the less authoritarian sounding term “cue.” But for this post, we’re going to use the more familiar term, “command.”)

Trainers don’t agree on which command is the most important. In fact, they don’t even agree on the list of what the BASIC obedience commands are!  Some trainers add “look, touch, wait, leave-it, place, off, away, stand” and many others to the list of basics. These can be important things to teach your dog, but in our program, we always begin with the following five basic obedience commands:  sit, down, come, stay and drop-it.   (Note: We also teach heel, aka "loose leash walking" to all dogs in our basic obedience program, but it is considered to be an exercise rather than a command, so for that technical reason we're not including it on the list.)

Any dog who does not do all five of these on command, under distraction, is not fully under the owner’s control.

Before I can answer the question, “Which one of the five basic commands is the most important?” I want to first discuss why each one of them is vital:

·        Sit is the most frequently used command. It is part of a lifestyle of routine and polite deference to the owner (e.g. sit for meals, sit to receive a toy or bone, etc.). It’s also necessary for a dog to learn first, so that we can more easily train two of the other commands (stay and down). 

·        Down doesn’t mean “get off” - it means lie down – all the way down so that the dog’s chest is on the floor. It is the most submissive posture a dog can take. It shows trust, it helps teach self-control, and it helps a dog to learn to settle when you need her to. (It’s also a good way for an owner to evaluate the skill of the trainer they’ve hired. A competent trainer should be able to teach a good solid "down" to every dog they work with - no excuses.)

·        Come is the lifesaving command. It means, “turn around and get back here right now, regardless of what else you feel like doing.” The last thing that any untrained dog wants to do is “come” when distracted. There are many other exciting things to do outside, and most of them are a lot more fun than running back to the owner, even for a tasty food treat. That’s why we have a precise three-phase training methodology that makes “come when called…NOW” the only choice for a well-trained dog. The dog should do it like a reflex, without thinking. When she hears the word “come” she must stop focusing on the running squirrel, turn around and run back to the owner immediately.

·        Stay is a necessary command because it helps dogs learn self-control (and helps with all kinds of behavior problems, like rushing to the door when guests arrive, darting out through open doors, jumping up on people, etc.). 

·        Drop-it is another very important command that every well-trained dog must master in our obedience training  program. It means “immediately open your mouth and drop whatever you have.” Dogs can put all kinds of and dangerous things in their mouths, so we include drop-it as one of the five basics.

All five of the basic obedience commands are important. But since "come" is the lifesaving command, I believe that it is the most important of the big five. 

It also takes the most work. Meanwhile, dogs should never be allowed to run around off leash in an unfenced area until they have mastered it. It takes lots of practice, but it’s worth it!

(In this video, a rabbit showed up while we were
taping on a different topic. The dogs spotted the rabbit across the street behind the trainer and took off down the street after it. This is a real-life demonstration of the life-saving importance of a solid recall, or "come" command.)