What do you feel is the most important command to train?

[Jmulls]

Stop... but fetch me a beer is a close 2nd

[Nancy1999]

Kisses! Joey's kisses have saved my life several times!

[alaskayorkie]

And another:

Let go of my ankle. That's not funny! Ouch! That hurts. Eddie! EDDIE!

[katy-yorkie]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

Good question!

I agree, leave it and come are critical. But the one I've used most successfully and am thankful for is STOP. It works 100 percent of the time on both Yorkies, whereas our COME isn't perfect. If they've got something better going on, come doesn't always work first time. STOP, however, is critical. If there's a hazard between me and the dogs, I don't want them to come. If another dog is harassing them, I don't want them running to me and inciting the other dog. I want them to stop and let me take care of the problem.

I somehow started using wait with them during some of their training exercises, and they both know wait. Sometimes they will come if they know I have treats but when I say wait, they wait. Especially if I have the panic sound in my voice. They don't look up or around, they stop and wait. I'm trying it now for when the doorbell rings to see if it will help with the door dashing.

[111lily222]

Come, stay and leave it. Louie has not mastered come without a treat,still working on the come, so right now we say, stay and go pick him up. Had to work around it for now

[IsabelleOllie]

Originally Posted by katy-yorkie

I somehow started using wait with them during some of their training exercises, and they both know wait. Sometimes they will come if they know I have treats but when I say wait, they wait. Especially if I have the panic sound in my voice. They don't look up or around, they stop and wait. I'm trying it now for when the doorbell rings to see if it will help with the door dashing.

Wait is great when opening a door to outside, stops my three from running out. I make them wait whether they will be going outside or not. We also do Wait when out walking. Basically my dogs know that wait means "freeze". It's reinforced daily at mealtimes, I put down their dishes and tell them to wait. Until I say "OK" they don't touch their food. That's another command that can save dogs' lives.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

Good question!

I agree, leave it and come are critical. But the one I've used most successfully and am thankful for is STOP. It works 100 percent of the time on both Yorkies, whereas our COME isn't perfect. If they've got something better going on, come doesn't always work first time. STOP, however, is critical. If there's a hazard between me and the dogs, I don't want them to come. If another dog is harassing them, I don't want them running to me and inciting the other dog. I want them to stop and let me take care of the problem.

Agree. This is why I think 'stay' or 'stop' is the most important. If they would just "stay" when I say, they wouldn't have to "come" in the first place, if that makes sense.

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

Good question!

I agree, leave it and come are critical. But the one I've used most successfully and am thankful for is STOP. It works 100 percent of the time on both Yorkies, whereas our COME isn't perfect. If they've got something better going on, come doesn't always work first time. STOP, however, is critical. If there's a hazard between me and the dogs, I don't want them to come. If another dog is harassing them, I don't want them running to me and inciting the other dog. I want them to stop and let me take care of the problem.

That a good one, we're working on STOP

"leave it" happens in my house alot lol

[KazzyK810]

"drop it!" & "here" are my top two. Both stop her from getting into trouble.

I broke a glass baking dish before she had "here" down pat & she ran through the shards of broken glass. Thankfully she wasn't hurt and she had it down cold when I spilled a can of paint .

"drop it" is an awesome puppy command cos everything goes in their mouth the second they see it.

[Armani Alexis]

Most important for me is WAIT (probably used the way most people use stay)

[Snoozels]

I think "COME" and "LEAVE IT" are big ones for us. We also say "SIT" alot. So I dont know. We also use "GO TO BED" alot. When I need to get something done or cook we will say "GO TO BED" and he will either go lay on the couch, under the computer desk or in our bed/his bed too . and he will stay there until I tell him he may play now.

[bettyeanne]

I suppose we thought that our perfect little angel would come home understanding what we said!! We tried what the books said and wound up hiring a trainer because we couldn't even teach Toto to walk on her leash. When we put her tiny harness on her, she flattened herself out flat on the floor like we had swatted her with a fly swatter and wouldn't move for anything. Anywho, her trainer had us make a list of the words we were already using as "commands" and trained her accordingly. She quickly learned from Paul.

Theennnnn ........ he "trained us"!!! Seriously ... "stay" has been the best and most useful command. If she runs, has something in her mouth, etc., as soon as we sternly say "stay", she either stops in her tracks, drops whatever she has in her mouth or whatever she may be doing wrong, she stops immediately. She also knows "no", when walking on the leash "stay with me" means to trot in front of us and on the left side. We can say a few things in "conversational tone" such as "we have to go somewhere and you have to stay" at which time she drops her little head and slowly goes to her "safe place" where she naps until we return. Or we can say, "want to go?" and she dances her happy dance and we tell her "kennel up" and she jumps in her carrier or on her blankie that we are taking her out in. If we tell her "up" she immediately comes to either be picked up or jumps in our lap. We have found that the fewer simple one word commands the better.

[Sandysbabies]

In our case I think leave it because my husband and I both take meds in the morning and I am always afraid of dropping a pill. The second would be come. Lexi got out the front door right after we got her and ran next door and sit on the curb. I just knew she would dart out in the street because she would not come to us. Just sat there. Scared me half to death. My husband finally coaxed her with a treat.

[DvlshAngel985]

For me the most important thing Kaji has learned is "drop it" and "leave it." He's not a runner, so I don't worry about that. If he wasn't so scared all the time, he would walk nicely on a leash. "Drop it" and "leave it" are real life savers.

Hey OP, I was thinking the same thing. I wanted to know what everyone else thought was the most important command your babies have learned.

[JMuedog]

I would have to say our "wait" the command we use to make the dog freeze. Well, the dog is supposed to freeze. They automatically follow it even if they accidentally get off leash outside.