They say that the average dog has the intelligence of a two-year-old. I don’t doubt that, especially after I heard the list of the things my program trains them to do! This is just a list of the basic commands the SDs are taught. It doesn’t include the disability-specific tasks and work that they do:
- Heel (heel on the left)
- Side (heel on the right)
- Behind (go behind me)
- Close (go in between legs)
- Sit (sit in location)
- Down (lie down in location)
- Stand (stand in location)
- Place (go to a specified place)
- Front (sit in front of me)
- Here (come)
- Stay (stay where they are)
- Under (go under something)
- Tuck (tuck tail/legs in)
- Through (go through a tight space)
- Over (jump over an object)
- Back (back up in the heel position)
- Forward (keep going forward)
- Left (move to the left)
- Right (move to the right)
- Wait (pause for more instructions)
- Load (get in a vehicle)
- In (go into an area or room)
- Out (go outside of a building)
- Free (release command to go play)
- Friends (go sit down for pets)
- Leave it (ignore an item, typically one on the floor)
- Drop on recall (freeze in position in the middle of coming)
- Target (touch an object with nose or paw)
- Kennel (go into their crate)
Sunshine on Four Feet 