10 German dog commands to handle your dog like a pro

Learn German dog training commands like sit, fetch and attack and handle your dog like a pro

German dog commands are short and easy to master.

They help you to remember verbs if you are learning German and take your dog’s training to another level.

They also make your friends envy you and those who don’t know you will simply be amazed.

10 easy dog commands in German to teach your dog

Sitz

One of the easiest basic dog commands in German is ‘Sitz’.

It comes from the verb sitzen, which means to sit.

Who doesn’t love a furry friend who sits whenever he’s told to?

Bleib

Closely related to sit is the command ‘Bleib’.

It means to remain, and you use it when you want your dog to stay whenever it is and to stop moving and jumping around.

This one is particularly important for the sake of visitors who don’t like dogs that run to meet them whenever they go into a dog owner’s house.

Aus (let go)

In the event that your dog has slipped your attention and picked your visitor’s shoes, the command ‘Aus’ means let go.

This also comes in handy when the dog is all over you in one of those times when you don’t want to play.

But other than its use as a dog command, aus is a German prefix as well as a preposition and the more you use it while training your dog the more you get to master it even in other uses.

For example

Mein Hund ist von der Rasse Dobermann (my dog is of the Doberman breed).

Die Hunderasse stammt aus Deutschland (the dog breed comes from Germany).

Bring

The 4th item on the list of German dog commands is absolutely simple.

It’s the German equivalent of fetch in English and it has a wide range of uses, especially when playing Frisbee.

It comes from the German word bringen, and it’s the easiest command to remember if you speak English, because it’s a straight forward English German cognate.

Wenn ich meinen Hut wegwerfe, sag deinem Hund, er soll ihn herbringen, ok? (when I throw my hat away, tell your dog to bring it, ok?

Komm

Komm is a German command for dog training that controls hyperactive dogs which like to rush out whenever you open the door and do all sorts of things.

It comes from the word kommen and means…you guessed it…come!

This command will particularly come in handy in one of those instances when your dog rushes to meet a visitor who seems scared.

Braver Hund

No, this is not a German comparative to mean your dog is brave.

It basically means ‘good dog’, and you can use it in all circumstances when you are pleased with your dog and want to pat it on the head.

But why does the German language use ‘braver’ and not just ‘brave’?

Because German adjectives change when used before the noun, even though they remain the same when used after the noun.

Sounds confusing? Don’t worry. Here is an easy method to learn German without studying any of these grammar rules.

Lauf

A common German shepherd dog training command is lauf, and you use it when you want your dog to rush off and impress people with its speed.

I mean isn’t this a favourite for a whole lot of us dog owners?

Then impress your friends even more by showing that your dog understands German by teaching it this command.

Lauf comes from the German word laufen, which can either mean to walk or run.

Nein

My dog likes to chew the hose pipe whenever I leave it on the lawn.

Sometimes I don’t mind, but when I do I just say nein, and it stops doing that.

This command is one of those that you must absolutely know, because dogs are in the habit of doing something we don’t like every now and then.

Besides, it’s really easy to master as it’s just like the English no.

Halt

My grandfather used to have a ranch.

He would ride across it on his horse, and when he needed it to stop he would shout the word halt instead of pulling at the bridle.

It became a family thing, and now you will find us saying halt to each other a lot.

This is also a German command for dog training and you should use it when you want your dog to stop.

Most people however prefer using the word stopp, so whichever you prefer, just make sure your dog understands it.

What is the German dog command for attack?

Fass (bite, attack)

As rarely as this might be used, it’s still important to learn it.

I only use such commands when I’m alone with my dog because it’s a very dangerous breed, and the only reason I use these German police dog commands is so that the dog doesn’t forget it.

Fass comes from the German word fassen which means to grab or bite.

The more complicated dog commands in German

Since you’ve gotten this far, here are 3 bonus commands to show the awesomeness of your dog.

Fuß

This is the only command on this list with a German ligature.

It means ‘foot’, and it could refer to the foot itself or the heel.

As a German command for dogs, you use it especially in crowded or restricted areas where you must walk your dog close to you and on a leash.

Speaking out ‘Fuß’ to your dog tells it to walk at your feet and not in front of you as they like doing.

Gib Fünf

I cannot forget the first time I saw someone asking his dog to shake his hand and it actually did it!

It all comes down to training, and the term ‘Gib Fünf’ basically means give me five or simply, shake my hand!

Gib Laut

Besides having a dog raise its paws to greet you when you desire it, you can also train it to bark when you ask it, and this is also one of the most popular basic German dog commands.

‘Gib Laut’ is the command for that, and it comes from the German words geben (give) and laut (sound).

So next time you want your dog to bark at your command, you know what to say, right?

• Sitz
• Bleib
• Aus
• Bring
• Komm
• Braver Hund
• Lauf
• Nein
• Halt
• Fass
• Fuß
• Gib Fünf
• Gib Laut

Conclusion

When we started I told you that teaching your dog German commands were easy.

So tell me…how hard was that?

I can also teach you a little bit of German, and I promise to make it short and sweet.

It all takes a little bit of effort to impress the people around you and generally feel better about yourself: Learn some more German.

And if you want to learn more German dog commands, you might find them on this website dog-training-excellence or here mndogtraining.