# Why use German commands?



## Henricus (Jan 9, 2016)

I've been wondering that since I got on this forum; why do some people choose to use German commands? A quick Google search has not teached me anything about it. 
Is it necessary (the standard) for some type of training? Or is it to have a list of words that are only used for the dog, never in day to day speech (like I use "leave it" and "go sniff" in English. Unfortunately "leave it" - thought of that a bit too late - sounds, when pronouncing fast, like "lieverd" in Dutch, which means "darling". I wonder how many people on the street think I'm calling my dog a darling when he's sniffing poo -.-').


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## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

Because my family ruined my English ones? They successfully taught my dogs that "Sit", "Down", "Come," and "Heel" actually mean continue doing what ever you want.

I retrained using German and didn't tell the family my commands. Why did the dogs obey me and not them? Magic.:laugh2:


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Henricus said:


> I've been wondering that since I got on this forum; why do some people choose to use German commands? A quick Google search has not teached me anything about it.
> Is it necessary (the standard) for some type of training? Or is it to have a list of words that are only used for the dog, never in day to day speech (like I use "leave it" and "go sniff" in English. Unfortunately "leave it" - thought of that a bit too late - sounds, when pronouncing fast, like "lieverd" in Dutch, which means "darling". I wonder how many people on the street think I'm calling my dog a darling when he's sniffing poo -.-').


I have had dogs trained in French, Dutch, German, Turkish and English.

When I asked the GSD club here why German, I got a tongue in cheek response "It's a language that lends itself well to being yelled across a field". There is no rule that I know of.

Personally I think it's just a hold over from imported dogs not knowing English commands. 

The words mean nothing anyway. I had a Shepherd? named Just who's recall command was rupsen, which means caterpillars in Dutch, and a Dobe named Styx who's sit command was atlama, which means jump in Turkish.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Sabis mom said:


> When I asked the GSD club here why German, I got a tongue in cheek response "It's a language that lends itself well to being yelled across a field". There is no rule that I know of.


Well.... that guy again. 

There is some truth to that! Hence my use of the word "NO" for my Bunny chasing Boxer! 

Carries at a distance and quick and easy to get out, certainly a lot quicker than shouting "Struddell!"

I had heard that training in another language makes it difficult for "rogue Dog Trainers" to countermand a dog sent after them????? I have no idea but it makes sense to me.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

> When I asked the GSD club here why German, I got a tongue in cheek response "It's a language that lends itself well to being yelled across a field". There is no rule that I know of.


 For me, it is just that simple. There's a natural, crisp, sharpness to it.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

My sister in law just asked this very question today at our cookout. I said I have no idea except that if my dogs respond to german commands it would be harder for someone else to try and give my dog orders. Which then got another question kicked up. Should your dog respond to anyone who gives them a command or just those he is close to. Rosko will listen to myself, wife, and kids. A couple of times someone in a store have tried telling rosko to sit and he just looked at them and went about his business. I prefer it that way but maybe others don't.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Steve Strom said:


> For me, it is just that simple. There's a natural, crisp, sharpness to it.


Yes. And unlike English or French, even the softest of humans have a hard time making the commands sound like the requests so many owners seem fond of.


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

I use german because it is not my native language and that it prevents me from giving accidental commands. No confusion if I tell my BF I'm going to go lay down, or absent mindedly asking the pup to come here...



cdwoodcox said:


> My sister in law just asked this very question today at our cookout. I said I have no idea except that if my dogs respond to german commands it would be harder for someone else to try and give my dog orders. Which then got another question kicked up. Should your dog respond to anyone who gives them a command or just those he is close to. Rosko will listen to myself, wife, and kids. A couple of times someone in a store have tried telling rosko to sit and he just looked at them and went about his business. I prefer it that way but maybe others don't.


There are a small handful of people who need to be able to handle my dog. The groomers who do his nails. His vets and their staff. My boyfriend. The staff where we board. Our trainers. Other club members when I need to use the portapotty...

So I've taught my boy to obey whoever is holding the leash. I've had to teach some of the leash holders how to give a proper command though.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

It works, it is what our Training Director uses so it keeps things simple (German is his first language), and it is a good conversation starter when we are chatting with people on the street. 
But I also tell people, some things like "get out of the fridge" are in English.


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## Waldi (Jun 14, 2013)

My dog is multilingual (LOL) and since German should be her "first" language, I did test her and she did comprehend well, so yes it is "first language" approach ... LOL


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

voodoolamb said:


> There are a small handful of people who need to be able to handle my dog. The groomers who do his nails. His vets and their staff. My boyfriend. The staff where we board. Our trainers. Other club members when I need to use the portapotty...
> 
> So I've taught my boy to obey whoever is holding the leash. I've had to teach some of the leash holders how to give a proper command though.


Showing dogs, our dogs need to be able to do this too. If I hand the lead over to someone, my dogs know that that person is in charge. I can hand them off to strangers (handlers they don't know) and they won't skip a beat. Luckily the handlers know how to talk to a dog, so the language thing isn't a problem.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

dogfaeries said:


> voodoolamb said:
> 
> 
> > There are a small handful of people who need to be able to handle my dog. The groomers who do his nails. His vets and their staff. My boyfriend. The staff where we board. Our trainers. Other club members when I need to use the portapotty...
> ...


 I was thinking more in the lines of strangers whom I don't actually hand the dog over to. My dog trusts me enough that if I hand the leash to a new vet tech he listens. But like I said a stranger, I don't expect him to, maybe he would. I don't know for sure seems like if he ever got lost and a stranger or police etc... Gave him commands and he listens he would be less likely to get shot. But just walking around the yard and some dum dum walking by the fence says sit he probably wouldn't. I know he has ignored strangers in big R and home Depot while I have had him on leash.


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## Henricus (Jan 9, 2016)

Interesting to read. To be honest, I actually like the German commands, but I would feel strange saying them here in the Netherlands. Dutch is more harsh than German (although many of my fellow citizens won't agree), but we just didn't have an infamous person skewing the image of our language as they had. 
It is however, just like Japanese, a wonderful language to speak angrily. 

Portuguese is my second language. I did think of teaching my boy commands in Portuguese, but it somehow didn't feel natural. 

Ah well, thanks for the information!


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

My rescue is now 1-1/2 he's obeys me so well I could really excel with him. I always teach hand signals with commands as well.
Months ago we we in class and it was our turn to heel, sit/stay, down & come. Well he did everything perfect till I told him "down" I couldn't understand why he wouldn't down then I realized at home I use the word "platz"!


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

angelas said:


> Because my family ruined my English ones? They successfully taught my dogs that "Sit", "Down", "Come," and "Heel" actually mean continue doing what ever you want.
> 
> I retrained using German and didn't tell the family my commands. Why did the dogs obey me and not them? Magic.:laugh2:


Ha, ha, my hubby uses "Come!" for everything so I only had to change the recall to "Here!" To my surprise she seems to understand the context when he says "Come" and often listens to him even! She is smarter in training than him kinda like "I know what you mean, you can't help it".


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