June 2, 2025, 3:14 pm | Read time: 7 minutes
A word, a glance–and the dog is right there? Sounds like perfect obedience. But modern dog training has long embraced different values. Those who believe that “sit” and “stay” are the most important commands are mistaken. Experts focus on bonding, trust–and a lot of calmness.
A “Down!” and the dog immediately drops. A “Stay!” and it doesn’t move an inch. And with “Heel!” the dog practically sticks to the left leg? At first glance, this is how a perfectly trained dog behaves. But how do you achieve that? And are these really the most important basic commands that dogs need to master from a young age? And the most important question: Does it always have to be this way?
Instead of rigid commands, dog trainers today emphasize relationship, orientation, and relaxed everyday integration. Good training is based on patience, trust, and communication—not submission.
Recall is one of the most important basic commands for dogs
“Most owners today primarily want their dogs to listen to them and integrate smoothly into everyday life,” says dog trainer Katharina Schlegl-Kofler. But what sounds so easy and natural actually requires work and patience.
Two things are most important to her: That the dog reliably responds to the recall and that it naturally stays connected to its owner while out and about. “After all, it’s no use if I can call him back nicely, he gets his treat, and then he’s off again.”
Control and calm—without force
Dog trainer André Vogt also understands dog training as “something completely different from the classic sit, down, and out.” Andreas Ohligschläger shares this view, revealing in an interview with PETBOOK that his dogs don’t even know these commands.
“For me, a well-trained dog is one that I can control in any situation—without force,” adds André Vogt. How can this be achieved? For him, the path leads through relationship and communication. The dog must not only find me interesting but also trust me. That takes time.
“I know people who are highly motivated, and their puppy can do all the commands at five months. But none correctly. And he’s totally hyper, nervous, and has trouble concentrating,” warns Vogt. One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make is not giving their dogs the calm and relaxation they desperately need.
No basic commands for dogs without positive reinforcement
But how do you get the desired eye contact as a good start to training and the necessary attention? For example, by hand-feeding the entire meal—especially at the beginning. This means feeding the dog during walks and using the food as a reward for positive behaviors.
So I can simply wait until he happens to turn to me. “Then I immediately adopt an inviting posture and reward him,” explains Vogt. This lays important foundations for future walks: “I can then get him to pay more attention to me and, for example, look to me in situations with other dogs and check in first.”
Bonding walks to help the dog orient to the owner
For Katharina Schlegl-Kofler, so-called bonding walks are essential, especially at the beginning. In unfamiliar terrain, she says, puppies instinctively try to stay connected to their owners. “I walk at a pace that he can keep up with—not one that makes him race.”
In between, you change direction repeatedly. Practicing for a few minutes daily is enough. “If I do this regularly, he learns to check where I am on his own.” Bonding walks are mainly undertaken with puppies and into adolescence.
You adjust to the dog’s age. Start with a few minutes—initially only in a manageable area. Later, you might go into a light woodland and extend the duration appropriately: about ten minutes at four months. Once the dog masters this, you move on to reinforcing what he’s learned in a group. How these “social walks” work is explained by dog trainer Jochen Bendel in the PETBOOK Dog School.
“Sit” as a classic start
But the dog trainer actually starts quite quickly with the classic “sit”—parallel to bonding walks and recall training. This also succeeds through positive motivation: By holding a treat in a closed hand above his head and only giving it to him when he sits and looks up.
In the next stage, I incorporate the verbal cue “sit” when he voluntarily sits—then he gets the treat. “Otherwise, it would be bribery, not a reward.” And you should never say “sit” while he’s still jumping around—only at the moment when he actually sits.
Once “sit” is mastered, you can move on to “down.” The principle is the same—only that I initially place the treat under the palm and wait until he lies down on his own.
Some dogs need a “stay” before other basic commands
The “stay” exercise is controversial. Once “sit” and “down” are mastered, a dog can remember these commands for several hours. An extra command to stay in this position is therefore not very useful—if you have trained a release signal for “sit” and “down.” However, there are also dogs that first need to calm down and learn to “stay in place” before they train “sit” and “down.”
If you want to use “stay,” you should build it up in small steps. It only makes sense to train this when the dog can sit quietly next to the owner for half a minute. Then stand close to the dog with the verbal cue “stay,” so he isn’t tempted to follow his human. “Wait two or three seconds and return,” advises Katharina Schlegl-Kofler. Gradually extend the time first, then move a few inches away.
And the most important thing: Never walk away backward or hastily and then call the dog from a distance, but always return to him at the starting position. “Otherwise, I’ll have a dog waiting excitedly like on a launch pad, ready to dash off.”
In general, the rule in training is: Quality over quantity. “Better to practice a little less than haphazardly. Then it certainly won’t work later when it counts,” says the dog trainer.
How to achieve the perfect recall
Calm, relaxed, and consistent: Body language is also important. “The more relaxed I approach the matter, the faster I achieve success,” says André Vogt. He advises dog owners to practice the perfect recall with their dogs, which should work reflexively.
He prefers to work with a whistle: When the dog turns around after the command, you run and have something super exciting ready—either a great treat like cheese or sausage pieces or a special toy.
When the dog comes within two meters, you throw the object of desire flat like a stone skipping across water. “This triggers the hunting behavior, the dog gets the reward. And it’s controlled and initiated by me,” says the dog expert. If you practice this repeatedly, it works for a lifetime.
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For basic commands with dogs, you need orientation and stability
Of course, you don’t always have to carry sausage in your pocket. “The only thing I need later is the whistle to make him come,” says Vogt. This doesn’t exclude occasionally rewarding your dog with special treats for quick responses.
Dog trainer Katharina Marioth has developed a different method to practice recall with dogs. For her, recall must be something pleasant for the dog, but instead of a whistle, she prefers using a long leash, as she writes in her article: “Your dog doesn’t come? You’re probably doing it wrong” on our site.
It’s important for dog owners to be reliable, providing the dog with orientation and stability. And also to be confident when it comes to setting boundaries or correcting wrong behavior. “The main thing is not to humanize the dogs,” says Vogt. What he means by this and why it’s a major issue for him is revealed in the PETBOOK interview.
“They may find some rules or boundaries annoying, but when they realize we take responsibility, they can relax more easily.” Because that’s ultimately what leads to dogs having a good life.
With material from dpa